According to Thrillist.com, the number one holiday celebrated in America is, Thanksgiving. With that said, I have to admit, the origins of this holiday for me seem a bit unsettling having knowledge about the history of conflict between Native Americans and Europeans. Being aware of this, I have chosen to approach this National holiday by giving thanks and sharing a day of appreciation with family whom I may not always be able to see. Segwaying from this brief introduction, below are 7 Unique Feng Shui Thanksgiving Tips To Consider:
1. Surrender to the Chaos of the Holidays
The modern-day translation for the word holiday means to rest and relax. Yet, the irony of this is, before getting to that state of mind, there is a bit of chaos that unfolds. It seems the collective consciousness of this country projects a mad dash to grab the necessary food ingredients for cooking a ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving dinner, along with possibly experiencing hectic travel schedules by car, bus, plane or train to be with family. To avoid this unnecessary polarization, pre-plan your travel methods ahead of time and understand you may still get caught up in the ‘travel rush hour.’ If cooking at home, its recommended to make a list of what you need and go to the grocery store at least two or three days prior to Thanksgiving. If you’re not in the mood to cook, be sure to book reservations at your choice of a restaurant in advance (if possible). But, what if you can’t plan ahead? Feng Shui Tip number 2 and 7 could be of help.
2. Center Yourself
Just because the holidays are here, does not mean you throw out your daily practices of wellbeing. If anything, this is the time to really maintain healthy body, mind, and spirit routines. For me, I start my day off with a brief meditation, eat my breakfast, and then get in my daily exercise which releases endorphins to help reduce stress. Because life does not always allow for this lovely routine to unfold exactly as written, adaptations are made when needed.
Also, pay mind to your own breathing patterns. Even this observation can help shift your energy and attitude for the better. Ask yourself, are you a shallow breather? Most of us these days tend to be so, and that is not good. Become conscious of this and allow your lungs to be filled with solid breaths of air. Scientific studies have shown that controlling your breath can help to manage stress and stress-related conditions.
Another component to Centering Yourself is to simply practice gratitude. Yes, this is cliche, but it’s TRUE! Practicing gratitude reminds us to be present with today. And that sets the tone for tomorrow.
3. Be Playful
Growing up, I remember holiday gatherings provided awesome opportunities for PLAYFULNESS! As kids we would run around my grandmother’s home playing tag and in the evening, we would gather around the dinner table after dessert to play cards or board games. So yes, as an ADULT, please remember to be playful!
4. Conduct A Mini Space Clearing Ceremony Inside Your Home Prior to Thanksgiving
Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving or not, it’s always a great idea to Space Clear your home. Why? As you get charged up from the holiday energy (let that be positively or negatively), those thoughts and emotions are projected into your home. Ideally, in Feng Shui, you are aiming to cultivate an environment that offers a sense of neutrality. This means the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual atmosphere of your home and self has become grounded and peaceful.
A very easy method of space clearing could be done through lite burning of Native American White Sage:
- Before burning any ceremonial white sage, set an intention for why this ceremony is being performed. An example could be, “I am clearing away old stagnant energy to welcome in warm, heart-centered energy for my Thanksgiving gathering.”
- Once your intention has been stated, burn a little bit of the Native American White Sage between 10am - 2pm. Why within that specific time frame? According to the alchemy of Feng Shui, this is when the sun offers the strongest blessings along the Earth plane. Ideally, this type of mini Space Clearing could take about 20 - 30 mins or a little more, depending on the size of your home.
- Starting at your front door, walk through your entire home to smudge (clear) the space. Allow the smoke of the white sage to be wafted into all the rooms throughout your home. To complete the space clearing, return back to the front door (where you began).
- To conclude the mini Space Clearing ceremony, recite short prayer of thanks either out loud or within your mind. An example of this could be, “ Thank you universe for your assistance in preparing my home and self for a pleasant and peaceful Thanksgiving celebration.”
5. Conduct a MIni Space Clearing of Your Home AGAIN After Your Guests Leave
Because energy never disappears, it needs to be transmuted. After you celebrate with friends and family (especially if you are hosting Thanksgiving) it is a good idea to Space Clear your home again. This helps to shift the energy left behind from your guests to a level of neutrality while allowing you to reclaim your home's energy as your own. Do you need to Space Clear right away? No. Yet, it is suggested to do so within a week's time span after Thanksgiving.
6. Reiki Your Food
Reiki, just like with Feng Shui, is utilized to help shift the energy that surrounds you and is within you. In short, Reiki is a Japanese method of energy healing that allows the human body to consciously become a channel for energy to immediately be directed for healing purposes. This healing method could be directed toward all living organisms (humans, animals and the environment), your home, inanimate objects, and even food that is being grown, cooked, or about to be eaten.
Keep this in mind in regard to your Thanksgiving dinner. Anyone who handles the food is transferring their energy onto it. So, pay attention to the mood of those preparing, cooking, and serving you. If for some reason they are not in the best of spirits, Reiki your food.
Simple Reiki Technique To Do Before Eating Your Meal:
- This is one of the simplest options in how to add Reiki to your food right before you eat. Place your hands just above your plate of food, hovering over it, about an inch or two in distance.
- Channel Reiki, meaning saying the word Reiki or thinking the word Reiki. By doing this, you hold the intention to, “clear away any unbeneficial energy from the food and make it healthy, right down to its cellular level.”
- For those of you who practice Reiki, feel free to include the drawing of the Mental/Emotional Reiki Symbol toward your food. This provides a deeper energetic clearing.
7. Maybe choose NOT To Follow Tradition Of Thanksgiving
Maybe take a break from the tradition of Thanksgiving altogether and go camping, hiking, or travel someplace new within the United States or outside of the country, just for the sake of traveling. If you stay local, perhaps you could create your own unique menu for the day. Or, just treat Thanksgiving as another lovely day.
Bonus Tip!!
Please don’t wait for the holidays to appear in order to give yourself permission to be good to you. Be kind, be gentle, show love and appreciation, to yourself as often as you can. The more you practice self-love and care, chances are, you will raise the bar of respect, positive boundaries and assertiveness. And this can come in handy when dealing with challenging personalities. In the metaphysical community, this is also referred to as, stepping into your personal power.
So with that, from our family at Feng Shui Manhattan, we wish your family a very warm, happy and safe Thanksgiving!!
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