Slowing down
Dear Patient,
Every year starting around this time, I’ll have many versions of this exchange:
Patient: “Does your business slow down during the holidays?”
“No,” I’ll laugh, “We’re slammed during the holidays—everyone is coming in for stress!”
It seems like the holidays demand more of us every year—more consumption, more buying, and more things to do bigger, earlier, faster and louder.
But the seasons advance as they always do. All around us, nature slows and contracts in preparation for the dormancy of winter. And yet for many of us, our pace becomes more frenzied. No wonder we feel exhausted and stressed and frantic during the holidays. We’re doing the exact opposite of what nature wants us to do. Our bodies beckon us to slow down, and instead we speed up.
So however you celebrate the holidays, this year try finding moments of stillness. Make time for reflection. Honor your body’s yearning for the quietude of the coming winter. When you recognize your place in nature, it helps you stay grounded and present. And it might even help you enjoy all that holiday hustle and bustle a little more.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist