Happy New Year! I took a break from work, social media, and news and it was so relaxing. I hope you were able to find some moments of peace too.
I had planned on sharing something different this week but the events at the Capitol here in the U.S. yesterday reminded me of the 4-7-8 breath for anxiety and the video I created for you last year.
This breath is amazing for helping with anxiety.
You inhale for a count of 4. Hold for a count of 7. Exhale for a count of 8.
The longer exhales tell the central nervous system to calm down a bit.
Watch the video to do the breath live with me for 1 minute.
This is nice at bedtime or anytime you are feeling anxious or worried It really helps release anxiety in the moment.
Enjoy!
I also created a printable in case you want a visual reminder to do this breath. Click here or the image above to get yours!
Today I’m sharing a Christmas visualization for a struggling family member or loved one that has brought me deep comfort and peace over the years.
This gentle practice came into my life during a season when I was feeling emotionally overwhelmed by a family situation. If you’re carrying worry, fear, or heaviness for someone you love — or even for yourself — this visualization can help you release what you’re holding and allow support to come in.
While this visualization is rooted in a Christian tradition, I also share alternative versions using angels, Mother Earth, or universal loving energy, so you can adapt it in a way that feels aligned and soothing for you.
A few days before Christmas, I took my older son, Simon, to confession at a local church. At the time, I was deeply affected by a situation involving a family member who was struggling, and I found myself feeling emotionally drained and overwhelmed.
During confession, I shared what I was carrying with the priest. As I spoke, the weight of it all caught up to me, and I became emotional. He gently offered a Christmas visualization that I had never heard before — and it stayed with me long after that moment.
The Christmas Visualization
A Christmas Visualization for a Struggling Loved One
He invited me to imagine the first Christmas — the manger scene — and to picture baby Jesus already born, safe, loved, and cared for.
Then he asked me to imagine walking into that space with my struggling family member.
In this visualization:
Mary knows the baby is safe.
She turns her full attention to your loved one.
She sits with them, wraps her arms around them, and fills them with love, light, comfort, and guidance.
As Mary holds them, you are invited to relax — to release responsibility, fear, and control — knowing your loved one is being held with deep care.
This practice reminded me that I didn’t need to carry everything alone.
How I Continue This Practice
Over the years, I’ve continued this visualization in a way that feels natural and grounding.
Now, before bed, I often imagine my loved one in their own home. I picture Mary arriving gently, wrapping them in her arms, filling them with light, love, and a reminder of their own inner strength.
This practice has become a quiet, supportive ritual — one that gives both comfort and emotional space.
Alternative Visualizations
Other Gentle Visualization Options
If a Christian framework doesn’t resonate with you, here are a few alternative ways to practice this visualization:
Angels: Imagine one or more angels surrounding your loved one, holding them in loving, supportive energy.
Mother Earth: Picture your loved one in a peaceful natural setting — a meadow, ocean, forest, or snowy landscape — with nurturing energy rising from the earth and wrapping them in calm and care.
Universal Light: Visualize a warm, bright, supportive light surrounding them, offering peace, clarity, and emotional support.
You can also place yourself into any of these visualizations if you are the one who needs comfort.
If you are carrying worry for a family member — or quietly struggling yourself — I want you to know there is so much support available to you.
This Christmas visualization is an invitation to soften, to release what isn’t yours to hold, and to allow love to meet you where you are.
No matter how or what you are celebrating this season, I am holding you in light and love.
I will be taking the rest of the year off to spend time with family. Wishing you a peaceful end to 2020 and a hopeful start to 2021!
Gift yourself grace and guidance this holiday season! All of these tips are inspired by or based on lessons from my book, Tend To Your Vibration.
Tip 1:
FEELING ALL WORKED UP AND OVERWHELMED?
Take a moment and breathe.
Inhale through your nose and exhale out of your mouth.
Even add a sighing sound on the exhale if it feels good.
Do this at the very least 3 times.
This type of breath lowers your heart rate.
Every time you relax, your life will flow with more ease.
Add in some shoulder tools and neck massage more a whole self-care moment to yourself.
Gift yourself grace and guidance this holiday season! Remind yourself of this anytime you are taking things personally.
Tip 2:
FINDING THAT THE BEHAVIOR OF OTHERS IS PUTTING YOU IN A BAD MOOD?
* Remember that everyone is doing the best they can with the knowledge they have. That doesn’t mean their behavior is not annoying or possibly hurtful but try to remember that it is a reflection of them and their life experience and has nothing to do with you. (This might take time but can certainly help during this time of year!!!)
This change in thinking I learned from Don Miguel Ruiz and Louise Hay. It is not always easy but it can help you experience a bit more grace.
Gift yourself grace and guidance this holiday season! Here is the video version of Tip 3. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own. Ask for guidance!
Tip 3:
LOOKING FOR A PARKING SPOT OR THE PERFECT GIFT?
Ask your “runners” to go find it for you and then trust that they will. (Runners are guides that love to help you find things. You can view them as people, angels, guides or simply energy.)
You are supported by the energy of the universe!
Gift yourself grace and guidance this holiday season! Do what you need to do to be open to guidance. This might include gentle things like going for a walk, breathing or yoga. You might first need to get some pent up energy out through a loud scream, punching some pillows or dancing.
Tip 4:
WORRYING ABOUT THINGS GOING WRONG OR NOT BEING PERFECT?
Ask God/Spirit/Universe to take your worries away. Literally, ask that in your head or out loud. Then ask what you should do next. You might hear the words “relax” or you might get an actual sign about the right next step to take.
Remind yourself that you don’t have to figure out everything on your own. Stay open to creative possibilities!
There is a full moon Saturday night on Halloween and here is a special way to celebrate it on a personal level.
Consider creating an ancestor altar. This is the perfect time of year to connect with those who have gone before you and the altar is something you can keep up year-round if that feels right to you.
This can be something that honors and recognizes loved ones or relatives that you have never met or both. Find a space that will be relatively undisturbed. You can add photos, favorite or seasonal flowers, bits of food, or drink that was a loved one’s favorite or is special to your family history.
If you do not have a direct connection to your family line then consider this more energetic. Put things on the altar that you love. Realize that if it is something that you love that it probably connects you to many souls that came before you.
If you do put out food remember to remove it before it gets stale or moldy. Preferably compost.
Some of you might want to connect with more ancient ways so you might like to research stones, flowers, plants, and symbols that you can adorn your altar with.
Don’t forget candles. This is the perfect way for you to spend time and connect with the energy of your altar. You can have a plain candle or choose certain scents or colors that a family member loved.
You can’t go wrong here!
If you are looking for guidance possibly ask your loved ones or ancestors to help you or for a sign.
I’ll be sharing a beer with Nana Madeline on Saturday. You can also do this in celebration of All Souls Day or Day of the Dead.
Enjoy the Full Moon energy and share with a friend who might like this ritual too. XO!
Do you love picking up the cinnamon brooms from Trader Joe’s every fall? I sure do! If you have ever wanted more ways to use those scented beauties, I am here to share a few simple rituals for your Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Broom.
These brooms come in two sizes. A mini whisk in a handheld size and a larger one that is about 3 feet tall: both have some twine so that they can be hung.
I keep mine every year and add them to the decor in my house. I always have one behind my front door to sweep out any bad energy throughout the year and I hang my mini one on my apron hook.
First, let’s talk about the magical properties of cinnamon. Did you know that cinnamon is associated with prosperity, success, protection, healing, and spirituality?
Cinnamon helps move energy in a positive way. That bold scent you smell when you open your broom is filled with warmth and joy.
The scent of cinnamon combined with your intentions can help you create a home and life you love.
Just getting the broom and opening it up will bring the properties of cinnamon into your home.
Clearing and Blessing:
When you first get your broom, take it out of the wrapping and take a moment to really enjoy the smell of cinnamon.
Cinnamon is associated with the Sun and the element of fire. Place it in the sunlight for up to 10 minutes. This will help clear old energy and make it ready for you to use.
You can even just hold it in the sun while facing south and say:
“Sunlight, clear away any old energy on this broom.”
Now the broom is ready to be blessed and filled with your intentions.
As you hold your broom, imagine sparkly white light coming down from the cosmos entering the crown of your head, flowing down to your heart, down both arms, and into the broom.
While you are doing this, take time to imagine yourself in your home feeling prosperous, successful, healed, happy, protected, and connected to the Divine. Then say:
“I call on the Divine to bless this broom with my positive intentions. This broom is blessed and it will help bring prosperity, healing, protection, and Divine blessings to my home.“
You are now ready to go!
Kitchen Prep:
Before cooking, energetically sweep your counters and stovetop with your mini whisk. Allow the scent of cinnamon to fill the space and bring about feelings of abundance and healing through the food you are about to cook.
Bonus: Bless and give thanks for your food while cooking and before eating.
Home Clearing & Protection:
Did you know that people used to place a broom above their front door for home protection? If you don’t feel like doing that, try this ritual.
You will first set the intention to clear your home of stuck, challenging, and stagnant energy. Then you will energetically sweep (meaning the bristles don’t touch the floor) your home towards the front door. Then open the door and sweep all that energy out.
Then imagine your house being filled with and surrounded by golden white light and the smell of cinnamon.
Tap into your positive emotions and say:
“My home is filled with positive intentions, prosperity, healing, and Divine blessings. My home is surrounded by golden white light in which only love remains and through which only love may enter.”
Bonus: Imagine angels surrounding and guarding your home.
Clear Space:
You can also use either size broom to clear your space before doing rituals, yoga, praying, journaling, meditating, reading tarot, or oracle cards.
It is also nice to give an energetic sweep after having people or workers in your home.
Home Decor:
During October, your broom can be a part of your Halloween decorations. The scent of cinnamon fades over time and the brooms can become part of your home decor for the rest of the year.
You can hang it on the wall and embellish it with dried flowers, beads, colorful ribbons, charms, bells, feathers, crystals, etc. You can change these add-ons seasonally too. So fun!
>>>For more protection and clearing tips, pick up a copy of my book, Tend To Your Vibration!
Did you know that Deverra is the Goddess of Purifying and is associated with the broom? In Ancient Roman times, an area would be swept before a ritual or celebration to purify and cleanse the area. Brooms were thought to clear out the darkness and allow in the light.
She is considered the protector of midwives and women in labor. Her name comes from the Latin word Deverro which means to sweep.
Did you know that St. Martin de Porres of Lima, Peru is the Saint of the Broom for his devotion to his work no matter how menial it was?
He is also the patron saint of persons of mixed race and of those who suffer from discrimination.
Fascinating!
Final note:
Intention combined with nature and a connection to the divine can make your life flow. Enjoy using these rituals to help you tap into the energetic properties of cinnamon, sweep away old, challenging energy, and bring prosperity and healing into your life! For more tips and techniques like this, be sure to check out my book, Tend To Your Vibration! Want to truly bring this type of living into your life? Schedule a session with me!
I hope you enjoy a magical, cinnamon-scented fall!
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