I love the holidays, from the kick-off of spending Thanksgiving with family, friends and football, to the sacredness of the Holy season to ringing in the New Year.  And, I feel the weight of expectations, my own and others for a perfect holiday. Hosting the family gala means hours of planning, shopping and cooking on top of an already packed schedule not to mention having to mentally prepare for the potential drama that family gatherings bring.

The airports are packed, the highways are clogged and my holiday spirit morphs to the Grinch.  I'm wondering, what can I do? Is there a crystal cure? 

Does this scenario sound familiar? We have all moments of feeling overwhelmed during the holiday season. It is how we handle them that counts.

Modern life seems to fight against nature’s rhythm, where once life was ruled by the sun, now we live in a 24/7 powered-up world.  Learning to take a break, tune-in, embrace emotions and connect to the Divine is essential to our personal growth and well-being. Crystal therapy is a time honored healing modality which supports personal growth, soothes energetic disruptions and enhances daily life.

Sun Celebrations

For centuries communities around the globe have come together to commemorate seasonal changes. Twice a year, during the summer and winter months, the sun moves into position for the solstice creating the longest and shortest days of the year. Solstice comes from the Latin word solsititum meaning sun-stopping.  During the winter solstice the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the Sun and for a time, part of the world grows cold.
 
One the earliest known gathering places for solstice ceremonies is the ancient site of  Newgrange located in the Boyne Valley, of Ireland.  Archeologists estimate it was built approximately 3200 BC during the Neolithic period, which makes it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.  Newgrange is a large mound with chambers deep inside, it is surrounded with white stones, many etched with megalithic art.   Above the entrance is a roof-box, a small opening for light.  On the morning of winter solstice, the rising sun shines through the passageway illuminating the inner chamber and serving a powerful reminder of how the nature importance to mankind.

This year, Winter Solstice arrives on December 21, in the northern hemisphere, visiting the southern hemisphere again June 20/21, 2016.   In the past winter was referred to as the famine months; frost settled upon the land and the growing season slowed.  Solstice activities heralded the end of the harvest and a movement into a quieter time.  Even today, we instinctively pull inward craving stillness as the weather shifts.

Pocket Rocks

With the holiday season upon us it is timely to remember nature soothes the soul. Step outside, feel the earth beneath your feet, take in the beauty of a sunset or savor memories of your favorite outdoors spot, as you do tension melts away. This process is an application of crystal therapy, recalibrating the body and lifting the spirit.  

Holding the essence of nature can be as simple as carrying a chakra touchstone. Chakras are the energy centers within the body. How they move, sluggishly or rapidly reflect in our health and life satisfaction. Outlined below are the major chakras with the associated location and areas of life they influence, along with associated crystals.  The stones selected have a natural resonance which serves to balance the individual energy centers and together optimize a smooth energy flow.

Rock Gift Giving
Is your stress level skyrocketing as you search for the perfect present?  Are you looking for something unique for your loved ones?  Birthstones can be a wonderful source of inspiration for jewelry presents or crystals for the home and office.   

If you're still feeling stuck, not to worry; everyone has a talent, skill or passion to share.   Holding your favorite crystal, relax your mind, picture the gift recipient, ask for assistance from the heavens and pay attention to what thoughts pop-in.  You may find rather than shopping, the answer is creating a shared adventure, writing a poem, delivering a basket of home-made treats, or offering act of kindness rather than a store bought item.   

Plan a Personal Time Out

Life is busy and a powerful and simple calming technique is to connect to your true center by holding clear quartz while closing your eyes in meditation. Relax with a steady breath, focus your intention and tap into universal wisdom. Invite in the angels and your guides to assist you in releasing worries, concerns or fear; in this space of grace there is alignment with the higher self and the Divine. What I love about this technique it can be done in a minute or sixty minutes - the choice is yours.  

Another easy to way to use crystal therapy is to enjoy a salt bath, clay mask or salt scrub.  The human body is primarily made up of water and shares many of the minerals as the earth’s crust.  Toxins and tension slide away with the water leaving you feeling refreshed.

Here Are Five Ways to Stress Less with Crystal Therapy

1.    Invite nature into your life  
2.    Balance your energies daily using Chakra  touchstones
3.    Tap into your creativity and visualize the perfect gifts using a favorite crystal
4.    Recharge your life with meditation and a clear quartz point  
5.    Release toxins with a salt bath using minerals 

During this blessed and busy season give yourself the gift of peace.  Listen to your inner voice, take time for reflection and prayer, call on your crystalline angels for guidance and take thoughtful action.  I wish you a joyful blessed holiday and New Year.

Judith Lukomski is a catalyst for positive change.  She is a renowned intuitive and crystal expert, co-author of Crystal Therapy: How to Heal and Empower Your Life with Crystal Energy, founder of the GEMS™ Success Strategies for Life and the Crystal Energist® Practitioner Programs, and creator of Crystals with Judith CD series.  

To learn more, visit www.CrystalFriends.com, www.facebook.com/CrystalFriendsCommunity and follow Judith on Instragram @Crystal_Friends_Community.