It is the season for giving and spending a little more time with family and friends, but it is also a time that may add a little more stress to our lives. Last December, I offered some Eden Energy Medicine tips for staying balanced during the holiday season, and this month, I would like to offer a few more.

It is easy during this season, to get a little scrambled and ungrounded. We need to maintain our grounding in order to stay healthy, and one of my favorite ways to do that is the Quickie Grounder. Do a Hook-Up by placing one finger in your belly button, and another finger in the middle of your forehead. Take a few breaths. Next, place your hands on your waist with your thumbs in the front and hands in the back. Slide them down your legs with pressure and then squeeze the sides of your feet. Take two breaths while holding the sides of your feet and really feel a connection to the Earth.

Stress can easily take hold this month, and performing the Triple Warmer Smoothie can help to calm us down during those moments when we may feel it most. Rest your face in your hands with your palms at your chin and fingers at your temples. Take two deep breaths. Then on the next in-breath, lift your fingers a few inches above the ears. On an exhale, circle behind your ears and press down the sides of your neck to your shoulders. As you hang your hands on your shoulders, press in and take two breaths. Finally, drag your hands down to cover your heart and take one more deep breath.

The Triple Warmer/ Spleen Hug can be done without anyone noticing, and can also calm us down and center us. Place your right hand on the left side of the rib cage, and the left hand on the other arm with the pinky finger at the tip of the elbow. Wrap your hand around the elbow and take three deep breaths. Switch sides and repeat.

Another way to help relieve stress and worry is to Calm the Triple Warmer Neurovascular Points. Place your thumb, first and middle fingers in a cluster together, called a 3-finger notch. Then put those fingers at the “V” at the bottom of your throat above your collarbone. If this feels funny, you can use a flat hand over this spot. Place the other hand on the side of your face with your fingers flat at your temples. Take some deep breaths and then switch sides.

This season is all about connection, gratitude, and inspiration. Heaven Rushing In helps us tap into the bigger picture of the moment. Place your hands on your thighs and take a few deep breaths to ground yourself. Then on an inhale, raise your hands to your sides and over your head, touching your hands above it. On an exhale, bring them down to a prayer position in front of your chest. On the next deep breath, open them wide to the sky above your head and stay there as long as you need to. When you are ready, bring your hands to your heart and breathe a few times feeling a loving energy in your heart area and throughout your entire body.

I hope that some or all of these will help you stay a little more balanced amid the hub-bub of the season and enjoy all of the wonder it has to offer!

(Published in Front Porch Magazine- Dec. 2018)