Happy holidays everyone!

I know 2020 has been a tough year for so many people. I don’t want to diminish any of the hardships we’ve suffered and shared for so long. Yet for a few moments, I hope that you all get a chance to quiet your fears, quiet your worries about tomorrow, quiet all the thoughts about hardships and longings, and dwell in a little peace.

There’s so much in this world we can’t control. There are so many injustices we can’t make right. There’s so much yet to be done, so many struggles to continue, uncomfortable things to face, and pain and suffering to come to terms with.

Still, if you can quiet your thoughts for just a moment, you’ll feel it. That place inside yourself where worry doesn’t exist, pain is powerless, and everything is okay in the moment.

Fear has no power there because there is no future and no past. Some call this being present in the moment. Others call it the grace of god. Perhaps its “no mind”. It doesn’t really matter what you call it. It doesn’t need a name.

Just know that it’s a real place. It exists in all of us.

It can be hard to reach in all the worries of the world, the pressures of making a living, the things we have to do to survive. But if you give yourself permission to seek it, to go there on holiday, you’ll emerge refreshed, peaceful, and more able to tackle what comes next.

A visit to this place of quiet – it’s one of the absolute bests gifts you can receive. It costs nothing. It’s universally available. There are no lines to stand in. No money needs to be spent.

Sit comfortably. Close your eyes.

Feel your heart beating.

Notice the warmth around your internal organs.

Sink into the heavy feeling that starts to settle in your stomach. Don’t worry that it feels a bit like going upside down on a roller coaster. Just go with it.

Now you are on the other side.

You feel tingling. The sounds around you become easy to ignore. You open your eyes and take a deep breath. You were only gone for a few seconds, maybe a minute at most.

Yet, what a journey.

The sensations might linger for a while. Your body may feel light and heavy at the same time. You may feel your breath and notice physical experiences you normally ignore –even as you go about your routines or engage in social activities.

This is healing happening. It’s the magic that even the briefest moment of peace can bring.

Merry Christmas.