By Joy Heartsong

The time between Thanksgiving and New Years is the most stressful 6 weeks of the year.  Some say it has to do with the lack of sunshine.  I believe it has to do with familial stress and money.

Joy Heartsong is one of my favorite energy workers and energy movers.  Her Seven Steps to Less Stress will teach you how to move the stress out and the love in.

“‘Tis the season to be jolly…” as one popular carol proclaims. Yet, it’s easy to lose the true spirit of the season with the formidable list of all the preparations and “must do’s” looming before us. The good news is…it’s not too late to add spice to your holidays and ease to your life. Yes, there is still time to keep the “jolly” and release the “folly” in the season.
 
Are you one of those over-achiever types who gets so focused on shopping, wrapping, decorating, signing, baking and cleaning that, almost before you know it, you find yourself feeling stressed, resentful, rushed and maybe a little depressed? If so, take a closer look at what you’re doing to yourself and what you can do to shift this pattern. (By the way, this works for other situations and responsibilities too.)

 
Follow the seven easy steps below.

1. Discover: First, convince yourself that it’s okay to take a few minutes to relax. Trust me. You’ll still get the important things done. Now close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. See a picture in your mind of what you really love about this very special holiday. What is it that makes you feel really good, peaceful and joyful? Where are you? Who is with you?

1. Determine: What is really important and what isn’t? (Hint: You already discovered what makes you feel happy and energized in the first step.) What can you do cheerfully within your timeline? Share with family and friends who will be affected by the changes.
2. Delegate: How can you delegate what you are no longer willing to do or have time to do? How can others help or participate? If it’s important to you, hire someone to do some of the work or trade services.
3. Delete: If it’s something that drains your energy or consumes too much time, you may choose to cross it off your to-do list.
4. Delay: Let go of the need to have everything done now. Some things can wait. Cards can be sent out any time during the year or as a new year’s greeting/update. Redecorating? Chances are your guests won’t care either way. Postponing may work better when you aren’t so busy and can give more attention to the details.
5. Devote: Focus your energy on doing what feels good to you. You may find it’s having more quality time for sharing with your family, engaging in spiritual activities or volunteering to help others in need.
6. Develop: Finally, develop an attitude of gratitude for every gift of life (whether it makes you glad or sad), each person and every experience that comes your way. If you really need to do something that you’d rather not do (like going to work), change your thoughts about it. Consider all the reasons you have for feeling grateful for having this job. Then your greater appreciation helps you feel good about going to work. Develop a sense of being at peace with what is.

 
You have the power to create that sense of feeling good inside…the one that feels like love, peace and joy. Feeling good is not determined by what you say and do; it’s how you feel about what you’re saying and doing that affects your energetic vibration. Use the seven steps above, as often as you choose, to help you shift into a place of feeling more peaceful and loving.
 
Now that you have a way to determine and prioritize what’s important to you, what makes you feel good and what brings you more joy, delight in the choices you’ve made that allow you more time to relax and receive the joys of the season.

Aluna Joy Yaxk’in ~
www.AlunaJoy.com

In Mayan tradition, there is a greeting that many people working with Mayan wisdom know of. It is the law of In Lak’ech Ala K’in, which means I am another yourself (A modern day interpretation). It also means I am you, and you are me (A traditional Mayan interpretation). We have come to understand that this Mayan greeting is an honoring for each other. It is a statement of unity and oneness. In Lak’ech Ala K’in mirrors the same sediment of other beautiful greetings such as Namaste for East India, Wiracocha for the Inca, and Mitakuye Oyasin for the Lakota. It doesn’t matter which culture you come from. But when one of these sacred greetings is given, there is always an action of placing the hands over the heart.

The more I walk the Mayan path, the more I understand the depth that In Lak’ech Ala K’in teaches. This greeting has become more than a simple, honorable Maya greeting. It has evolved into a moral code, and a way to create a positive reality for all life. As we near 2012 with all its doom and gloom prophecies, we have a moral obligation to Spirit to live the code of In Lak’ech Ala K’in.

It is common knowledge these days that every action we take in our lives affects all living things. We understand that if we act negatively, our actions impact all life negatively. When we act positively, we affect all life in a positive manner. When we live the Mayan code of In Lak’ech Ala K’in, we know that every action we take is out of respect for all life, and we are living and giving from our hearts.

We can give our hearts in a positive manner every day by saying In Lak’ech Ala K’in to each other, to the trees, to the sky, to the birds, and to the stars. You can greet each sunrise by saying In Lak’ech Ala K’in. Each and every day we have together is sacred, so acknowledge this day by giving it your heart. Remember when you give in this way, you are also giving to yourself! You are not giving your energy away to something separate from yourself. Y ou are giving to another part of yourself!

I understand the challenges in staying positive in these days where the energy is so compressed that we can hardly breathe, but there is one simple exercise that can turn it all around for us. Each day, simply walk in gratefulness. We can say In Lak’ech Ala K’in to that which gives us life everyday, and that is the heart of the Great Spirit. Instead of solely taking from the Great Spirit by asking for insight and direction, give back your heart, love, and appreciation. You will be amazed at the results. If we open our hearts and send gratitude, it opens all doors that were previously closed to us. Remember you are a part of Great Spirit! When you give to Great Spirit you are giving to yourself.

We can practice In Lak’ech Ala K’in tirelessly, because when and what we give to others is giving energy to ourselves. When we give, we receive. So how do we know if we giving right? It is really simple. When we are energized by our giving, we know we are giving from our hearts and from the code of In Lak’ech Ala K’in. If we feel drained or exhausted, it is possible that we gave out of fear, lack, obligation, ego, or a need to be accepted or liked. The more one practices In Lak’ech Ala K’in, the clearer we will become about our motivations regarding our actions, and the more we will receive. Remember . . . what goes around comes around exactly the way it was sent out. If you don’t like what life is sending to you, look at what you are sending out to life.

When we begin to live and practice In Lak’ech Ala K’in, a lot of our old ways of doing things will no longer work for us. For instance, we cannot act like victims anymore, and we cannot live out of fear either. We find ourselves no longer preparing for disaster; instead we anticipate a glorious future. It is time for us to rewrite the prophecies. They have become obsolete. The past will become just a bad dream, and the future will become a beautiful vision of which we will create right now.

When we practice In Lak’ech Ala K’in, we quit being neutral in our world, because we understand that Spirit works with those that take action. We begin to take action by adding to the positive experience of this dimension. So what kind of world do you want? Don’t just stand there waiting for the world to appear in front of you. Spirit helps those who help themselves. It is up to us.

When we practice the moral code of In Lak’ech Ala K’in, we are producing and sending positive and vital energy that can literally transform our troubled world into Paradise. When we live from In Lak’ech Ala K’in, we are putting to use our natural ability to create our reality. We are affecting the collective consciousness of humanity in a positive way. The Cosmic Maya, also known as the “Star Elders” or “Invisible Council”, understood this natural power to create their reality. Their sacred calendars mapped the natural laws of the universe. Now it is our turn to come to this understanding. It is time for us to walk as the Star Elders did so many years ago. The time has come for us to change the world.

The more humanity begins to live In Lak’ech Ala K’in, the less we will think in terms of our separateness. There can be no competition, jealousy or envy between us, because we are pieces of each other. We can share and help each other with our connections, ideas and resources without fear that there will not be enough to go around. When we live the reality of unity, abundance and wholeness, there will be unity, abundance and wholeness! The more of us that participate in the creation of a better world, the quicker it will arrive. We will have peace, love, harmony and unity, and will finally have arrived home.

Aluna Joy Yaxk’in is an internationally known author, spiritual life coach, sacred site guide, alternative historian, ordained minister and modern mystic who inspires and encourages others to recognize and accept their own authentic divinity and connection to God. Aluna Joy Yaxk’in, PO Box 1988, Sedona AZ 86339 Ph: 928-282-6292 Webpage: www.AlunaJoy.com E-mail: alunajoy@alunajoy.com
Copyright © 2007 – Permission is granted to copy and redistribute this article on the condition that the content remains complete, full credit is given to the author(s),
Center of the SUN – Aluna Joy Yaxk’in, PO Box 1988 Sedona, AZ 86339 USA Ph:928-282-6292 Ph/Fax:928-282-4622 Email: alunajoy@1spirit.com website:www.AlunaJoy.com