In This Issue
December 2007 Issue 23
Hello %$firstname$%
Welcome to this week’s issue of Weekly Wellness Wisdom! I’d like to especially extend greetings to our new subscribers with gratitude that you’ve joined our community of Wellness Seekers.
If you have trouble reading this, read today’s issue online.
What do the holidays mean to you? What words, feelings or images come to your mind? If you feel a sense of dread sweeping over you, then it may be time to give your holiday endeavors a make-over! Read on for some suggestions and tips.
What’s New from Centered Living
Complimentary Teleclass! Have you participated in a Teleclass? If so, you know this is a fun and convenient way to connect to folks all over the globe! If you haven’t tried a Teleclass, this is the perfect introduction. It is as simple as making a long distance phone call (and this is your only cost).
The 60 minute Teleclass will take place on December 6th at 7pm, EST. If you’re unable to attend live, you’ll be sent an audio recording via email. We’ll explore “Holiday Wellness” and clarify how you can best experience authentic wellness through this joyous and sometimes hectic holiday season. I hope you’ll join!
Simply send a blank email to lori.boothroyd-273698@autocontactor.com (you don’t need to fill in any details) and your interest in this Teleclass will be registered! There is no cost and absolutely no obligations. This is a gift from me to my readers. Stay tuned for more details.
Wellness Wisdom Feature Article: Holiday Wellness: More For Less
Holidays in our modern age have increasingly become a time when we long for more personally nourishing traditions and customs. Perhaps we are ultimately overwhelmed and distressed by the commercial and materialistic aspects of the season. It is helpful take a mindful step back to consider how we spend ALL our precious resources – not just our money, but our time and psychological energy as well. With more conscious awareness around this time of celebrating light, joy and peace, we are better able to experience the season with a grateful heart and move into the New Year with a renewed spirit. Without mindfulness, we are more likely to be caught up in the frenzy of popular culture and the imbalance that predictably comes with it.
A radical makeover is truly not necessary… simply a shift in a few ways that feel best for you and your loved ones. Before the holiday season is underway, sit down with your family and simply ask “How do we really want to spend the holidays this year?” Talk about it very openly, then make some decisions and commit to them together. The holidays can be a time when we individually and collectively engage in activities that tend most to what our spirits and hearts need. Here are some tips to get your discussion started:
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Keep aspects of the old traditions but also create new ones. In the process, carefully consider what traditions hold meaning and which ones feel “mindless” or have really lost their value. It is fun to also be creative in designing or adopting new customs that revitalize the spirit of the season. For example, a dear friend and I enjoy bringing in elements of nature and wildlife around the time of Winter Solstice. We make treats for the birds and other “critters” and decorate a pine tree with the edible ornaments. It feels good to us; we can share and enjoy our time together and take true joy in sharing with wildlife during this season of giving.
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Volunteer in Service. Decide how you will give back to your community in a significant way, no matter how large or small. You might consider distributing toys to children who have none, helping in the kitchen for a homeless shelter or collecting warm coats to donate. This is a powerful way to teach children (and remind ourselves) about the true meaning of the holiday season; it also detracts from the often dizzying materialistic aspects associated with Christmas.
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Give the Gift of Time. Take time to reflect on the year soon to pass and the new one to come. Slowing down and savoring a short “pre-holiday” retreat can help charge your batteries and clear your mind, allowing you to enjoy the celebrations to come with a calmer spirit. This may also be the time to share a holiday “time-out” with a dear friend, your partner or spouse, or your family. Consider abandoning a day of power shopping and take a holiday sabbatical instead.
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Above all: Simplify, simplify, simplify! Commit to not exhausting yourself during the holidays this year. This special time is not something to simply survive, but rather an opportunity to nurture our relationships and flourish, to savor beauty and meaning wherever we find it and however we can create it.
Give yourself and each other permission to be original and keep your deepest values at heart. Limit social gatherings if they are not nourishing to you (this means saying “no” sometimes). Make your gifts to each other simple and meaningful. Be mindful of your spirit as you move through this holiday season. Practicing “Holiday Wellness” is the best gift we can give to ourselves and those we love.
Happy, Healthy Holidays to You!
Personal Reflections
To honor the many varied paces of the holiday season, your newsletter delivery will also vary a little this month. You can expect Saturday delivery to resume in January of 2008, however.
I’ll also be sending announcements to you about some new programs coming to support your authentic wellness, so please stay tuned for those! Some of the new offerings will include:
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Emotional Intelligence (awareness of emotional wellness)
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Virtual Retreat Programs (renew your spirit through self-care)
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Relational Wellness (enhancing and growing meaningful relationships)
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Healthy and Balanced Weight Loss (no diets or gimmicks)
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Creating a Life Vision (and taking purposeful action)
What else do you need to create authentic wellness? Please email and let me know. Together we can make 2008 your best year ever!
To your wellness,
Lori
About Lori
Dr. Lori Boothroyd is known as the “Coaching Psychologist”. She has served her clients and students well over the years through integrating her knowledge from earning a Ph.D. in psychology, as well as her advanced training in coaching and wellness psychology. Appreciated for her warmth and down-to-earth style as much as her expertise, Lori is a dynamic speaker, author and coach. She lives in Traverse City, Michigan with her husband, Dr. Gregory Boothroyd. Together they authored the book “Going Home: A Positive Emotional Guide to Promote Life Generating Behaviors”.
For a complimentary coaching consult, to inquire about programs or to ask any questions, please email: lori@loriboothroyd.com
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