Tickling new-year thoughts jumping up and down.

I had always wondered about life. Setting up a toolbox of rules and measures was one of my top priorities until that one (un?)lucky day when I woke up and all the collection of data I was securing was mysteriously gone. Where? How? Why? I recall the heavy sounds of my steps around the house, strolling in panic, opening each and every drawer….Where are you all gone, certainties of mine? And most of all, how can I survive without you? I felt that all my once-tied-up ends were loose again and no light was passing through the curtains.

Many things happened since then. Wonders, tears, travels, smiles, loves, jobs, scenarios, houses…. Life has been moving on and I had to decide to either catch with its swift pace or remain behind, pondering how it would have been if only I could…

Life is about letting go

Impossible to define how long it took me to get to truly comprehend this simple statement but sometimes, no matter how much we struggle to keep it simple stupid, things decide to take over and get tangled. And I am not thinking about external events, touching us on the surface, making us shiver for a second to then disappear.

The eternity of our being has to be cultivated on a daily basis. Starting from the scratch of those minimal instants we are given every day. The smell of my morning coffee, the meowing of my cat, the dawn ray of the sun making it through the curtain… It has been wisely said that life is what happens while we are busy making other plans and this is precisely what I am talking about.

For 2009, we can make plans or not make plans or, better still, make plans knowing and accepting that most of them will be left unrealized and are nothing but channels that link us to the real wonder – the truth of life. The beauty of the unknown path. The height of the ultimate leap. The smile of the intriguing stranger.

This is meant to be a non-exhaustive guide for all of you who care about energetic channels and do feel like pampering them a bit during this upcoming Christmas and new-year time. All in all, isn’t this the perfect occasion to finally heal ourselves and show our loved ones that there is much more to be taken care of than the worldwide economic crunch?

Tiny presents, sparkly boxes, smart words and enchanting shapes…. For an instant that means everything. Life is now, how does it sound? Let’s tickle our senses and turn this scenario into our own version of contemporary wonderland. Enjoy the smallness and stimulate your mind to think big.

Sound: To Build a Home, Breathe, Dawn, Fleur… Marvelous words, I wanna hear more!
Deeply intense bits of sound played by this British-based jazz and electronic band, which I‚Äôve had the luck to discover in Tokyo and now is following me everywhere I go. Hint for a great experience‚Ķ Use it as a background while pleasing your other senses with the upcoming instructions…

http://www.cinematicorchestra.com/

Taste: Bubbles on your Tongue. Cherishing your Palate. This is Heaven for my Taste Buds!
Let me say it straight. I am an innovator but certain pleasures don’t change and go far beyond tradition. When Mr. Chocolate Fondue met Ms. Orange and Lady Strawberry it was love at first sight. A few moments later, Monsieur Champagne came and the four-some that followed should win a Nobel Prize for its attempt to generate worldwide peace. Hide a Fondue Set under the pine tree and make sure that your fridge is well organized with all the necessary ingredients to turn Christmas into a bitterly sweet (and aphrodisiac) journey.
Fondue sets available at http://www.amazon.co.uk/

Touch: My grandma used to say ‚ÄúIf feet and neck are warm, then you are ready for the storm…”
Love and adore your neck, while protecting your Vishudda Chakra (the throat one) and your creativity channel from wintery threats of bugs and flues. Wrap it in warmth and use colour-therapy to avoid the grey-sky syndrome. Not only useful but, apparently, the fashion item of the year! Your Chakra will be particularly thankful if pleased with blue and purple shades, enhancing its power and recharging its battery.

http://www.topshop.com/

Olfaction: “Mom, it stinks in here! Oh baby, this is perfume, you will adore it one day!”
There is nothing as mighty as smell… So ensure that your Christmas is intensively scented with cinnamon and cloves candles around the living room and your pillow is lightly sprinkled with a rain of lavender drops. Sacred Indian incense can burn freely around the house and you will guarantee a magical atmosphere for your beloved ones to gather around you.

http://www.nagchampa.com/

Sight: “I stretched my eyes as far as they could see but the view of you is what they seek.”
If Christmas is about love, make sure to have those belonging to your heart circle around you. Look at them in the eyes; share your thoughts, fears and expectations. Hug and kiss them profusely. And yes, take pictures to remind you of them (and vice-versa) during those hectic days when all you can see is the busy screen of your computer. A shot is a key to your more immediate memory so why not allow yourself to some creativity this year with new angles and extremely fun options.

http://www.lomography.com/

The Sixth Sense: “Now is such a precious time!”
Life is a game, agreed. A hard one, way too realistic, dragging us in between its storms, allowing us to forget way too easily the power of playing. This Christmas set aside some time to play the game of life with family and friends, to discover in depth the true meaning of certain wise signals we are usually too busy to recognize.
Zen Tarot game available at http://www.osho.com/

This being my first tickle, I wish all of you the greatest and deepest journey into love and wisdom for this Christmas and new year. And don’t forget to recharge your batteries for the newborn, needy year!

Arianna is an international law graduate currently working for a business intelligence company as a senior producer. She lived in New York and now based in Barcelona, Spain. She considers herself a wannabe writer in spite of her moody relationship with her unpublished novel.