What is Good and True

In this episode, we discuss the pressures and expectations of the holiday season. as we shift focus from the pursuit of perfection to appreciating authentic connection, gratitude, and love. 

The episode concludes with a guided meditation aimed at fostering calm, relaxation, and gratitude amid the holiday hustle.

00:00 Introduction and Holiday Season Overview

01:01 Reimagining Holiday Expectations

02:12 The Beauty of Hallmark

04:10 Essential Oils for Holiday Mindfulness

• Lavender for relaxation during the body scan.
• Sweet Orange to uplift and energize during visualization.
• Frankincense to deepen your sense of calm and gratitude.

Ger the essential oils that I trust, and I will teach you how to optimize their use for a healthy, mindful, less stressful season: Mindfulness Aromatherapy Kit

05:36 Guided Mindfulness Practice
 
A Mindfulness Practice for Seasonal Sadness and Holiday Stress

This practice is designed to ground you, cultivate gratitude, and release tension, helping you find calm amidst seasonal changes and holiday busyness.

Step 1: Set the Scene

Find a quiet, comfortable space where you won’t be disturbed. Light a candle, diffuse a calming essential oil like lavender or sweet orange, or simply sit in natural light if available.

Step 2: Center Yourself with Breathwork

• Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for a count of 4.
• Hold your breath gently for a count of 4.
• Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 6.
• Repeat this breathing pattern for 2–3 minutes, focusing on the sensation of your breath.

Step 3: Body Scan for Tension Release

Bring your attention to your body, starting at your feet and moving upward:

1. Notice any areas of tension.
2. As you breathe in, imagine sending calm, healing energy to that area.
3. As you exhale, visualize releasing the tension like a soft wave washing away.

Work your way through your body: feet, legs, hips, abdomen, chest, shoulders, arms, neck, and head.

Step 4: Practice Gratitude

When you feel physically relaxed, reflect on three things you’re grateful for in this moment. They could be simple joys like the warmth of your blanket, a supportive friend, or a favorite seasonal scent.

• Say these gratitudes silently or aloud.
• Allow yourself to feel the positive emotions they bring.

Transcript

0:59

Welcome to another extraordinary week. This is Julie Reynolds. I'm a nurse coach and arapatherapist and host of the default to yes podcast. I'm really glad to be on the journey with you and we're entering holiday season. And the holidays tend to come with kind of an unspoken script of perfect meals, flawless decorations, endless generosity and cheerful greetings But for many, the season also brings stress and grief driven by high expectations a loss that we've experienced through the years or a missing family member packed schedules, financial strain. They're all sorts of things that come up and are more are just emphasized in the holiday season. The pressure to create that perfect holiday can also overshadow the. Very thing that makes is supposed to make it meaningful. And that's connection and gratitude and love. And these things don't go away even in the face of loss and hardship. So what if we approach the holidays differently instead of focusing on what isn't done or isn't perfect? What is, or what is missing? We could pause and ask what is good and what is true. What's good? Might be the warmth of a quiet moment with loved ones or the joy of giving from the heart rather than the wallet. just the simple pleasure of a favorite seasonal treat, sharing coffee with a friend at a coffee shop, going for the, a walk in the crisp air. What's true is that no amount of perfection can replace authentic connection by shifting our focus from expectations to appreciation. We can. Letting ourselves be free from that holiday hustle and embrace what really matters. Letting go of perfection doesn't mean letting go of joy. It means finding it in the present moment. So this holiday season, let's just everybody take a deep breath and re imagine your focus. You might discover what is good and true has been there all along, waiting to be seen and celebrated. I think. This may be what attracts me to Hallmark. Hallmark gets it, right? They know that the holidays are about more than just decorations or gift giving, although there seem to come flawlessly and very abundantly, easily. but the, at the heart of it, they're about connection. Whether it's sharing a cookie or a coffee or watching a feel good movie or carrying on traditions, Hallmark taps into what makes this time of year special, and that's the relationships that matter the most. They also understand that holidays bring out a lot of emotions. Especially for women who take the lead on making the season magical from planning the meals to finding perfect gifts. It all can be really overwhelming. And that's why Hallmark stories tend to focus on connection, not perfection, and remind us that we're all connected. That it's okay if we aren't, things aren't picture perfect and what matters is love behind it all. And let's be honest, the holidays can be very stressful. And that's also why so many people turn to Hallmark movies for a little escape. They're predictable in the best way, always uplifting, always delivering happy endings. And it's like a cozy blanket for your soul. At its core, Hallmark knows that we all crave those moments of nostalgia and warmth and connection. They help us pause and appreciate the good and find the good in the little things. Because in the end, that's what, really, holidays are all about. Holidays can be I believe also rooted in faith and the celebration of love and connection. And for Christians, it's about the fulfillment of God's promise in their life and the hope and redemption. And. sharing that love and generosity, So whether you like Hallmark movies or not or they drive you crazy, there's something in that, that they really focus in help us focus in on what is good and what is true. as an aromatherapist, I my passion for essential oils and seeing essential, helpful essential oils can be for stress, for balance, for all things, overall wellbeing. We can incorporate essential oils also to enhance mindfulness during our holidays. Lavender is a really great one for relaxation. And I'm going to share a mindfulness technique that you can use and lavender would be really good during the body scan part and then wild orange up is very uplifting and energizing. That would be one that you could use during visualization and then frankincense is used can you be used to deepen your sense of calm and gratitude. Practice that I'm going to share with you can be done daily or whenever you feel overwhelmed by seasonal sadness or holiday stress, it's a simple, powerful way to recenter and reconnect with yourself during this time of year. I'm going to invite you to come back to this. If you're driving or you're somewhere where you can't really just take a pause and close your eyes and do this mindfulness practice, come back to it. If you are in a place where you can get settled, I'm going to invite you to just to take some time for grounding, to cultivate some gratitude, to release tension and hopefully it helps you find calm in the midst of whatever it is that you have going on in this season. So I invite you to find a comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. You could light a candle or diffuse some calming oils like the lavender or wild orange or frankincense or simply sit in natural light. The point is just to get in a comfortable place where it's quiet and that you won't be interrupted. First, we're going to center ourselves with some breath work, but I ask you to close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for a count of four, then hold your breath gently for a count of four, and then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. Ready? Inhale, hold, exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. Let's do that again. Inhale, hold. And exhale, and take a couple slow, deep breaths in and out. And now bringing your attention to your body, starting at your feet and moving upward. Notice any areas of tension. As you breathe in, imagine sending calm energy to that area. And as you exhale, visualize releasing the tension, like soft wave washing away. Work your way through the body, the feet, your knees, hips, abdomen, chest, shoulders, arms, and your neck, and all the way to the top of your head. When you feel physically relaxed, reflect on three things that you're grateful for in this moment. They could be simple joys like warmth of a blanket, a supportive friend, or a favorite seasonal scent. Say these gratitudes silently or aloud. Allow yourself to feel the positive emotions that they bring. Picture yourself in a calm, inviting winter scene. Maybe it's a cozy cabin by a crackling fire. for being here. or a snowy forest under the sunlight, or a warm kitchen filled with holiday aromas. Imagine the sights and sounds and the smells of this space. Inhale peace and calm from this image and exhale stress and overwhelm, letting them drift away like snowflakes. As you complete the practice, set a gentle intention for your day or your week. and this might look like I will approach this season with grace and ease. I choose moments of joy and connection. I honor my needs and create space for rest. Repeat your intention out loud, and then take three deep breaths, wiggling your fingers and toes, reawaken your body. Open your eyes and carry that sense of calm into your day as you go out every day to default to yes, your extraordinary self. If you enjoyed this or you find this helpful, please share Let me know what you think and what you're working on. I'd love to hear from you. I'm honored to be on this journey with you.