Getting ready to say goodbye to 2013…
No, I’m not about to wax poetic about the joys of the past year and tell you to celebrate each moment while drinking green juice and sweating it out in an infrared sauna. Ok, that wouldn’t be bad either. But really, I’m just popping my head up to remind you that life is always delectable, even (or especially) amidst holiday craziness.
Or maybe I’m reminding myself. In the past few years I’ve lost a little of my youthful, excitable love of the hoopla. I love my family a lot. And I always want to see them, year round. But somehow the holidays have sometimes felt more like a chore than joy. And just the idea of all those celebratory meals has made me feel overwhelmed in advance, starting around Halloween with a goal date of Jan. 1 to breathe a sigh of relief. Not a very delectable, balanced attitude, I must admit.
So, yesterday I was scrolling through social media and blogs, looking at everyone’s plans to juice, cleanse, diet, detox and sweat their way to feeling better, all hinging on the magical day of Jan. 1, and I was reminded of this photo.
This souvenir of my time in the Culinary Nutrition Expert Course this fall popped into my mind, and reminded me that every day is important, and an arbitrary date on the calendar is really just that. For most of this fall, I felt that every single day was the day. Each one a new opportunity to learn, create, reset, recharge, and inspire myself and others.
And so, today I remind myself that December 30 or January 1 or the middle of August are just arbitrary dates on the calendar. Today can be the day, for whatever it is you need.
Is your system overloaded? You don’t need a cleanse to fix it. Try an alkalizing glass of lemon water or green juice and a good old fashioned sweat session. Are you blown out, exhausted? Get to bed just a little earlier tonight. Too many social engagements? Cancel one. Those friends will still love you in the New Year when you’re really ready to enjoy them again. You don’t have to cram them into a packed holiday week. In fact, you may enjoy each other more when you have the time to really sit down and connect. Or, if you were inundated by family and now miss those same friends, absolutely call them up and do something spontaneous. Neglected your work so that it’s hanging over your head like homework at the end of the weekend? Get to it. There’s no time like the present!
Coming up this month I’ll share a little more of what I learned about myself during my fall in-depth study. I’ll also offer some cleansing tips for those of you looking for a digestive reset. And as always there’ll be yoga, laughter, and delicious recipes to try. But for today, I think I’ll have a hot bath, read an actual book, with pages to turn rather screens to swipe, and literally clean my house so I can feel comfortable in both my body and surroundings. Oh, and I think a couple of green juices and some nourishing veggie soup wouldn’t go amiss. Yes, I’m ready. Today really is the day!
Wishing you a very happy end-of-the holidays,
Laura
