It is a well-known fact that the Holidays have a tendency to bring out the worst in families. How many times have you heard people say: “So glad it’s finally over!”

Can you relate?

No matter how long the bitter aftertaste of dysfunctional holiday gatherings lingers in the air, everyone at the core wants peace. Even that one person who seems to be the cause of all the havoc truly wants peace deep down.

These days a lot more is happening than just messed up family dynamics being forced to gather up around the Christmas tree. Has it come to your attention that things in general have shifted on our planet, not just for us as individuals but for all of humanity?

The number of tragedies that has happened to many of my close friends over the past 3 months seems to break a record with relationships having dissolved, couples separating or getting a divorce, people gaining weight or getting sick, the list is endless. It’s been a true up and down ride for many people in the world. The reasons for this shift are a multitude. To a large degree our mass consciousness affects all of us, including those of you who do not watch the tube and abstain from reading papers, another big part is simply astrological; these are exiting times for human mankind’s evolutionary life journey.

This season is resting on us like a cold blanket, making us go into hibernation, we want to talk less and spoon up more, we want to eat more soup (or eat more all together), and we tend to be more introverted. It’s truly a time for reflection, some do it consciously and others do it intuitively. Even the hours of the shining sun has been reduced and the moon’s appearance on our sky increased, literally; perhaps you know that the moon is in charge of gravity, the mysteries of life, reaching to the depth of our very souls, she is in charge of the dreams we dream, our intuition and so on. Our moon is responsible for our in-breath, for contraction. She affects our third eye and many other amazing qualities. In balance the sun shines outward and takes charge of our outside personality, and yet the sun is totally in charge to expand our solar plexus, if we would just let it. Our sun represents expansion with every out-breath we give.

For the next few months my encouragement for you is to breathe, to breathe in and out with a deep purpose, with goals in mind and with intention.

The following is a breathing exercise that comes with miracles attached, practice these techniques several times a day, and in particular during those stressful moments.

1. Fill your abdomen and chest with a deep breath
2. Hold it for eight seconds
3. Let the breath go as slowly as you are able to
4. Repeat this process seven times

If you have not done any deep breathing exercises you may get a feeling of being out of breath and you may have to take a regular breath between the seven deep breaths. That’s okay. The best times to do this exercise is first thing in the morning and last right before retiring while laying down in your bed. You can also do this exercise while you are driving. Or when you are waiting in line and anywhere where you remember to do it.

It is important to remember that are you breathing in the mysteries of life so when you breathe in, make sure your intentions are positive. Your solar plexus opens up just like the sun’s rays come to rest upon earth when that cloud moves out of the way. In fact, your solar plexus is a small version of our big sun in our galaxy and it has the same affect on your body and your surroundings as does the sun on Mother Earth. When the sun shines it is a gift of love, a gift of giving, so when you breathe out you are doing the same. Just like the sun warms up our planet when we breathe out we do the same for others. It is essential therefore that we breathe out only love and gratitude for the people and all beings of this planet, always aware that just like the rays of sunshine hit the moon at night, our solar plexus too bounces off its rays to our inner being and thus affects the people around us. Your breath has the capability of giving life and sustaining life. So go out there and breathe, always knowing that your breath has tremendous power, therefore breathe with love and gratitude.