A closing meditation for the holidays

I am in love with saying "Twenty Ten".

The future is really here! I can barely contain my joy for so many reasons. The holidays were full of wonder. Watching my daughter as she put out cookies for Santa, and her excitement at the salad that was eaten by the reindeer was beyond sweet. I love to witness her innocent belief in magic. It teaches me so much.

We went to the San Francisco Nutcracker, which I loved and next year I vow to get the good seats, so we can really enjoy the extraordinary sets! We had a celebration of family and fun, eating prime rib and playing rock band, but the holidays also hold stress and family issues for many of us as well. Thinking of family roles and issues often is challenging, just entertaining for days on end can be wonderful and tiring.

In addition I am always challenged by my child's sheer LUST for goods. More toys, more presents, more STUFF. I find it kind of frightening to say the least. Yet I remember feeling the same when I was little, and so try to not make it mean too much. After all, we are blessed to live in a land of abundance and I suppose that should be honored, in a balanced way.

To start the new year off right I thought it might be useful to share a mediation to help leave the past in the past. So much of who we are and what we think is made up of family traditions, societal traditions. The holidays trigger lots of things for us, perhaps it's the dark time of winter, perhaps it's going back to the family home and feeling the same old patterns that you thought you were free of. Whatever it is, it can feel like your stuck on a treadmill running over the same old ground once again. Perhaps this little tool can help you start the new year out bright and strong. Find a quiet place to sit for a few minutes undisturbed. Close your eyes and imagine connecting to the earth through your feet, a nice circuit connecting up to your tail bone and down again. Feel the energy of the earth, grounding you in her strength. Imagine a bright golden sun far in the cosmos, and imagine that light pouring down upon the top of your head, warming you. Feel that warmth spreading through your whole body, connecting you to the source of all things. Imagine your energy surrounding you, the edge about 18 inches from the surface of your body. Feel and listen to your body now, your own personal space, picture your body in your minds eye, a simple diagram.

Now imagine that you have a handful of purple dust, and that when you blow it against this simple image of your body, it will stick to those places where you are carrying energy of your family. The dust will stick to any energies that are not in affinity with you. In your minds eye, see the dust and where it sticks now. Is it around your eyes? Affecting how you see situations in your life? Is it around your hands? Does anything you create have to fit into a certain framework? Perhaps it's around your feet and tailbone. Are you grounding for people? Helping them feel centered and whole? Whatever it is. Take a few minutes to see this clearly in your mind. It's not important that you understand every detail. Perhaps some information will come to you, and some may not. That is not important, you don't need to get all of this information with your conscious mind.

Now, picture this diagram of your body in a beautiful shower. My shower is outdoors, surrounded by trees and sky. Above my body is a gold shower head, and I see the clear warm water begin to pour over my head. What does your shower look like? Picture it in your mind, build up the details as much as you like. Let the clear water pour over you. You can imagine it clear or with a gold tint. As this water pours over your body, the purple dust begins to wash away. It just melts away and you can see it flowing down the drain to the center of the earth. Your head is sparkly clear, down to your neck and shoulders, now your torso, and arms, your chest and heart, your abdomen and back, buttocks and legs, calves and feet, the purple dust washes away down the drain and you are standing there sparkling clear and clean, fresh for the new year.

When you have spent the time you need basking in that freshness, wrap yourself in a clean white towel. Take a moment to thank yourself and expect the best for yourself in the new year. Taking a deep breath of the health and vitality that is uniquely you, bring your awareness to the room around you once again. Open your eyes and gently come out of your meditation.

Namaste! and Happy New Year!