Maria Bromley Self Care Holidays

Imagine a flashlight that shines brightly when we need it but is left on by accident day after day. The batteries become depleted and the beam of light fades. We are all made up of energy and just like that flashlight, we shine brightly when our batteries are full. But what happens when we leave the flashlight on too long without recharging the batteries? Our light begins to dim. Our brains become foggy and we just can’t see the way forward. The holidays can be both exhilarating and depleting. We are exhilarated when we catch up with old friends and family. But we become depleted when we try to burn the candle at both ends. We may over-indulge, over-spend and over-extend ourselves.

My friend and I had our auras read the other day. The colored light reflects our energy and optimally, should be a rainbow of colors. Mine showed predominantly red, orange and pink which means a grounded root chakra, love and compassion. I need to work on my green (heart) and blue (throat) chakras to be more fully balanced. My friend’s picture reveals that her orange (sacral plexus) energy is high but the darkness on each side indicates she needs to get her energies flowing with more self-care. My friend admitted that she was tired and didn’t spend enough time recharging her batteries.

In order to stay healthy mentally, physically and spiritually this holiday season please take time for yourself.
Here are some tips to keep your batteries charged over the holidays:

– Start each morning with a few minutes of meditation (even if you only have 5 minutes to spare). Listen to some soft music (Spotify or Pandora have great meditation playlists), breathe deeply and calm your mind. It may not feel like it’s having an impact but it is giving your batteries a quick boost.

– Opt outside. Seems obvious, but fresh air and exercise are integral to keeping your energy high. I find a walk at the beach with my dog is one of my favorite ways to get fresh air and soak in the soothing energy of the ocean. My brain feels massaged by the sound of the waves. We are so fortunate to live near the ocean and have places like World’s End and Nantasket to enjoy.

– Consider non-traditional treatments such as Reiki or Acupuncture. Both treatments are used to unblock your energy and keep your lifeforce (Qi, Chi or Prana) flowing smoothly. From the International Center for Reiki Training “Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.”
BONUS: Laura Joseph, a Jidiken Reiki specialist, is offering a local healing workshop using “Meditation combined with Reiki and Tibetan Singing Bowls to bring about a powerful positive quantum shift in your life as well as stimulate a profound relaxation response.”

– Take a “tech break”. I am a techie, I love my phone and my social media. But sometimes I need to take a break. I tend to keep my phone right next to my bed and it’s the first thing I check in the morning. Social media is great for keeping up with friends who are far away but I find Instagram (where I follow celebrities and bloggers) tends to elicit a few different emotions…not always positive. FOMO (fear of missing out) can rear its ugly head. This is when I need to stop looking at the “beautiful people” living the “beautiful life” and take a few steps back. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Take a tech break whenever you feel it is bringing out any negative emotions for you.

– Community Engagement at this time of year is especially invigorating. Giving back, in whatever way you can, will reflect that positive energy back to you ten times over. Here are a few easy ways to give back:
1. help a neighbor rake their leaves
2. carry Dunkin’ Donut gift cards in your bag to donate to the homeless person you see
3. use smile.amazon.com to donate a percentage of your purchases to your favorite charity
4. bake an extra batch of something and bring it to the local fire/police station or senior’s center

By focusing our energy on others it allows us to open up our hearts and let the positive energy back in, recharging our batteries and filling our souls. Happy Holidays!

Aura 1 Maria Bromley
Aura 2 friend Maria Bromley