“Come closer, cried the Sea… Come closer, follow me…. Let me show you what you’ll be… if you’ll only follow me…”     From Water Song, by Kapito

Amidst the hustle bustle of the Holiday season, whether shopping for Hanukkah or Christmas (or like me – both,) finding the time to primp and prepare your hair, your face, your home and your family for the arrival of relatives, loved ones and mortal enemies, where do we find time for yourselves?

Today begins what is known as the Halcyon Days, a period starting one week before the Winter Solstice and ending one week after.  Mythology ties this period to both an agreed settling down of Nature’s forces itself and, during a time when we were so much more tied to Mother Earth, of ourselves.

The origin of the term

In ancient Greek Mythology, Aeolus was god of the winds, worshiped and feared by sailors for rough seas or withheld gusts.  His daughter was the beautiful Alcyone, who fell in love with a mortal, a seafaring king by the name of Ceyx.  During a particularly rough sea passage, Ceyx’s ship sunk, dragging him under to the depths.  Distraught, Alcyone (or Halcyone) dove in after him and disappeared.

Because of the love that Halcyone showed for Ceyx, the gods were touched, and decided to transform the two of them into birds, so they could always be together in flight, safely above the rough seas.  Aeolus agreed to maintain the seas calm for a two-week period each year, enabling Halcyone and Ceyx to nest on the water and lay eggs.  The myth is tied to the Kingfisher bird, from the Greek Hals (the Sea) and Kuo (Brood on,) although the bird actually breeds in the Spring, and nests near the water, not on it.

What Halcyon Days means today

To this day, the myth of the two airborne lovers persists with sailors, who know the end of December as the Halcyon Days, tied to a period of calmer seas and good fishing.  In modern times, the term Halcyon Days is used to describe the “good old days,” or times in the past when the going was good, or easier for us.

Of course we can relax a bit when the Holiday season is over, and we are surrounded by opened boxes and dirty plates.  Everyone has finally gone back home, and we can finally quit sucking in our gut and wipe all that makeup off.  We can get that great outfit drycleaned and hung back up, and contemplate how to lose those extra pounds.  But what about now?  How do we find a way to calm the tumultuous currents we are experiencing now, before the guests arrive?

10 relaxation techniques

From WebMD, I found 10 practical methods of relaxing, and will paraphrase them here, along with some of my own advice…

1. Meditate - Any form of repetitive, calming exercise can be considered a form of meditation.  This would include taking short (or long) strolls, or swimming laps in a pool.  You could draw or paint, knit or bake.  Just find something you know in the past has made your inner storms calm down.
2. Picture Yourself Relaxed - Find the most comfy pajamas you have, and put them on.  Your favorite perfume or cologne? Yes.  A scented candle? Even better.  Lie down or relax on a comfy couch, and imagine yourself somewhere relaxing.  If you can purchase a CD with sounds from that environment, Mazel Tov.  Imagine yourself there as strongly as you can, and let your mind wander for a bit.
3. Breathe Deeply – When we are under a lot of stress, our bodies react as though we are under physical duress, shortening breaths and preparing us for that instinctive Fight or Flight response.  Take a big ol’ deep breath, using as much of your body as you can.  Breathe in deeply and let it all out slowly.  Relax your core muscle group and repeat the breathing exercise at least 10 times, feeling the tension melt away with each breath.
4. Look Around You – This can be done in conjunction with meditating or breathing.  Simply open up your mind and stop thinking about what you are worried about.  Focus on things around you.  If you are walking, this is the part where you actually notice the roses before you smell them.  Look all around, and think about what you are seeing right now.
5. Drink Hot Tea - Caffeine is a stimulant. Duh.  If you are trying to relax, stop drinking it and move over to decaf.  How about a nice herbal tea, like chamomile, or black tea, which has cortisol in it, a stress-reliever.  Practice a bit of the previous steps while enjoying your tea…
6. Show Some Love - Find a loved one or a pet and snuggle up.  Studies have shown that sharing physical contact with others in a social environment lowers both blood pressure and stress hormones.
7. Self-Massage – Try rubbing your back, your neck, your shoulders.  Or better yet, get one of those Shiatzu massaging pillows and lie down with it.  Close your eyes and practice #2 (above.)
8. Take a Time-Out – Whenever things are getting really bad, take some time to go somewhere and relax.  In the mall? Go get a pretzel (I know, they have lots of calories…) or put the bags you have so far in the trunk and walk around outside the mall for awhile.
9. Try a Musical Detour – Turn on soft, relaxing music while you are busy.  Research shows that 30 minutes of classical music has the same calming effect as 10 mg of Valium.
10. Take an Attitude Break - Instead of closing your eyes, keep ‘em open while working and think about pleasant things, such as obtaining something you are working towards, when you met your spouse, or a previous vacation.

As a goddess, Alcyone could not control what her mortal lover Ceyx did.  He had to be who he was, and I am sure it was stressful for Alcyone to see him being tossed about on the ocean.  We can’t control everything going on around us, but we can control how we deal with it.  So go find some candles and soft music, put on the PJs and get the massager.  You are worth it, you know…

While plunging headfirst into your Holiday preparations, try adding in some of these techniques, and see if your mental load lightens a bit, and some of that Holiday cheer comes back into your life, to carry you aloft.  Let me know which techniques worked the best for you, and what you did to improve on them.

Happy Holidays, and may you find calm seas upon which to hatch new ideas…

Steve