Hi everyone,
Before the holiday officially starts, I wanted to send you something simple, and hopefully meaningful.
This week in clinic, almost every patient told me some version of the same thing:
“I’m excited for the holiday… but I’m also stressed.”
- Totally normal.
- Totally human.
And exactly why I wanted to share this today.
Even as the holiday approaches, there is a mix of anticipation, planning, emotion, memory, and pressure. For many people, the excitement sits right beside the anxiety. Nothing is wrong with you for feeling both. It is part of being human during a season that carries a lot of meaning.
A Ten Second Loving Kindness Meditation
As the days get busier, we rarely pause long enough to notice how we actually feel. That is why a tiny practice, even for ten seconds, can make a real difference. Something small can steady you in the middle of everything else.
A Moment to Breathe and Notice
A ten second loving kindness meditation
Take a breath right now, and as you read each line, just notice how your body feels.
- May I have peace, safety, health, and ease of mind.
- May the people I love have peace, safety, health, and ease of mind.
- May everyone reading this have the same.
- May our community, Redondo Beach, LA, California, everywhere, have peace, health, and ease.
- May all beings everywhere experience safety, health, happiness, and peace of mind.
That’s it.
Nothing fancy, just a gentle reminder that you deserve a moment of calm and compassion, too.
This little practice is not meant to fix everything. It is meant to help you pause, breathe, soften your shoulders, and return to yourself for a moment. Many people feel pressure during the holidays. A few seconds of grounding can help you settle your energy.
If the Holidays Bring Up Mixed Emotions
And if the holidays bring up anxiety about food, weight, lack of structure, old patterns, or feeling “out of control,” please remember this:
- You don’t need perfection.
- You just need a way back.
And that is always available.
You can step away from old patterns without forcing yourself to be perfect. You can return to balance without guilt. You can have a holiday experience that feels human rather than pressured. The ability to reset will always be part of your toolkit, no matter what the day looks like.
A Quick Note on Gratitude
A quick note on gratitude
For thousands of years, humans gathered around food and community as a way of surviving winter, not dieting through it.
So if you enjoy the meals, the dessert, the social moments, the connection… you’re not “off track.”
You’re being human.
And you’ll return to structure when it’s time.
I’ll help you do that.
This reminder matters because the holiday season often brings up old rules about food, guilt, and pressure. But food was always meant to be part of connection and celebration. You are not doing anything wrong for enjoying what is in front of you. The body knows how to come back to routine, and you do too.
Support If You Need It
If you want to take advantage or just ask a question, click the buttons below.
Sometimes a bit of guidance makes everything easier. Sometimes just knowing someone is available brings comfort. You get to choose what support looks like for you this season.
Wishing You a Gentle and Grounded Holiday
Wishing you a peaceful, grounded, joyful Thanksgiving, in whatever way you celebrate.
The intention of this message is simple. You deserve calm. You deserve compassion. You deserve space to breathe. As you move into the holiday, remember that you do not need to earn rest or perfection. You only need to show up as yourself and take moments of care where you can.
May this season bring you connection, softness, and the reminder that you always have a way back to balance.
