Holiday Spirit: Spiritual Practices for Connection and Peace Amidst Chaos

In this episode, I explore the gifts of spiritual connection during the holiday season. I share a personal experience with my spirit guide, Anya, and reflect on the importance of pausing, practicing gratitude, and setting intentions during the holiday rush.

Learn simple spiritual practices to stay grounded, connected, and peaceful, and hear a special channeled message from Anya on how to find peace and acceptance in the midst of holiday chaos. Plus, get a sneak peek at my upcoming Learn to Channel course.

00:00 Introduction to Spiritual Signs
00:56 Welcome and Episode Overview
01:08 Personal Holiday Reflection
01:31 Connecting with Spirit: A Personal Story
03:08 Practices for Spiritual Connection
04:11 Amplifying Spirit Messages During Holidays
06:03 Channeling a Message from Anya
07:08 Anya's Insights on Holiday Connection
13:13 Reflecting on Anya's Message
14:26 Conclusion and Invitation

https://intuitivereiki.com.au/channelling/

Contact us

Hosted by Lisa Brandis, founder of Intuitive Reiki International and one of Australia’s leading intuitive teachers, this podcast is your space for spiritual insight, healing, and personal transformation.

Each episode empowers you to trust your inner wisdom, strengthen your connection with your higher self, and develop your intuitive and channelling abilities—whether you’re new to energy work or an experienced healer.

With over 20 years of experience as an Intuitive Reiki Master, channel, and spiritual mentor, Lisa shares powerful stories, practical tools, and guided practices to help you awaken your gifts and live with clarity and purpose.

💫 Ready to go deeper? Join Lisa’s community and receive your FREE Guided White Light Meditation to reconnect with your intuition and begin your own transformational journey: intuition.scoreapp.com

▶️ Learn more at: www.intuitivereiki.com.au and https://intuitivereiki.online

If you love the show, please hit the follow button! It’s a simple way to support us and help us keep sharing the wisdom.

Connect with Lisa:
Facebook: Intuitive Reiki International
Instagram: @lisabrandis_
LinkedIn: ...

Episode Transcript

Lisa Brandis (00:00):
Notice the signs, repeated patterns a song that

(00:04):
really resonates, or even asudden insight can all be gentle
nudges from spirit.

(00:56):
Hello and welcome back.
I'm so glad you're here todaybecause this week's episode is
all about the gifts ofconnection.
Tapping into spirit during theholidays.
For me, the holidays are a timethat is filled with so much
love, gratitude and quality timetogether, but they can also

(01:17):
bring moments of reflection.
For me, this season always feelslike an invitation to slow down
and to really deeply connectwith ourselves, with others, and
also with spirit.
Let me share a moment thatstayed with me over the years.
One quiet evening I sat alone bythe Christmas tree.

(01:38):
My girls were fast asleep in bedand I just was really present of
the energy in the room that Iwas sitting in.
The soft lights from theChristmas tree were glowing
gently in the dark and I recallclosing my eyes.
And just taking a really deepbreath and letting that
stillness just wrap around mybody.

(02:00):
And it didn't take long before Ifelt that all familiar presence
of my spirit guide Anya.
And I could hear her connectingwith me and she communicated to
me the words Relax Lisa, connectin with gratitude and let the

(02:21):
moments, the peace of thismoment, fill your mind and your
body because love flows when youallow it.
And I'd been quite stressedduring the day and it was really
a moment of exhaustion that ledme into that space of connection
with my spirit guide.
And this really just representsone moment of connection with

(02:41):
Anya that is like many of theothers.
It was a powerful reminder thateven in the busiest times,
connection is always possible ifwe take a moment to pause and to
simply breathe.
So in the midst of the holidaychaos, carving out moments,

(03:04):
quiet moments can feel a littlechallenging, but it's so worth
it.
Here are a few simple practicesthat you can try.
The first one is to pause ingratitude.
So those of you that havestudied Reiki with me understand
it's one of the core foundationsin the Reiki healing system.
And it is also, as I've spokenbefore, the antidote to anger

(03:27):
and worry.
So when you take a few momentsto really quietly reflect,
whether it's in the morning orat the end of the day, focusing
on gratitude, opens your heartand makes space for meaningful
connection.
My second point is use nature toground yourself.
If you're feeling overwhelmed,step outside and let the sounds

(03:48):
of nature, or even thosebeautiful twinkling holiday
lights, bring you back tostillness.
And number three, set anintention.
Spirit connection often beginswith a clear intention.
Even saying to yourself, I'mopen to receiving creates a
pathway for guidance.

(04:11):
Okay, so spirit communicates inmany ways, but the holiday
season has a way of amplifyingthose messages.
So for those of you that arealready connected with your
spirit guides, who have done mylearn to channel course, or have
automatically started to intuitand tap into the energy when

(04:31):
you're doing Reiki, or even justif you've experienced it through
other courses or throughmeditation, notice the signs,
repeated patterns a song thatreally resonates, or even a
sudden insight can all be gentlenudges from spirit.
I love the term lean back intothe seat of your soul.

(04:51):
So Gary Zirkov described findingthe seat of your soul allows you
to shift from the noise of themind and into the love and peace
of your spiritual self.
And I think sometimes weovercomplicate connecting with
spirit.
They're always here.
They're always willing tocommunicate with us.
We just have to ask and reallyhave a clear, understanding that

(05:15):
when we breathe and relax andsurrender into the moment, our
guides will bring throughmeaningful messages and quite
often we dismiss them becausethey come through our own
thoughts just like our mind doesand sometimes it can feel a
little bit like our imaginationbut of course we've got to
interpret the messages throughour mind So it is going to feel

(05:35):
a little familiar because we areoften connected to our intuition
without even knowing that's whatwe're doing and connecting to
the spirit realm is just alittle step beyond what we're
already doing.
So trust what you feel, thatfirst instinct, the message that
comes when you're still is oftenthe clearest.
And then our little monkey mind,as I like to call it, gets in

(05:58):
and starts to overanalyze andtherefore distort the messages
from spirit.
So now I want to take thisdeeper and invite you to join me
in connecting with spiritdirectly.
I'm going to channel a messagefrom my spirit guide Anya to
help us explore this week'stheme of the gift of connection.

(06:18):
So before we begin, I invite youto settle in wherever you are,
whether you're listening at homeor if you're in your car or out
for a walk, take a moment topause, close your eyes if you
can, or simply focus on yourbreath.
Feel your feet grounded to theearth and just let yourself
relax.
And as I connect with Anya, Iwill invite her to share her

(06:42):
insights on how we can all leaninto the spiritual gifts of this
season.
Her wisdom often surprises meand I hope it will resonate with
you too.
I connect with Anya, I inviteher to share her insights about
how we can lean into thespiritual gifts of this season.
Her wisdom often surprises meand I hope it will resonate with

(07:03):
you too.
Let's listen together.

ANYA (07:09):
Ah, yes, yes, we are here.
We are here.
Oh, we often love the invitationwhen you call us through and ask
us to be here to support you onyour physical journey.
And we do feel the pressure, theintense activities.
And even though as we experienceit through you and with you,

(07:30):
they can be times of joy andtimes of fun.
It is as if we see your, timepacked, jam-packed with
activities that are all a partof gift giving and celebrating
the year that has been andcoming together.
And it can often feel likeyou're just moving through the

(07:53):
experiences almost in a superdrive.
And we invite you to set theintention before you go out,
even when you are all dressedand ready and you find yourself
behind the wheel of the car,just take a moment before you
set off on your journey, set anintention to connect, to really

(08:13):
appreciate the experience,appreciate the environment that
you find yourself in.
It is an opportunity for you toengage with work colleagues and
to laugh and reminisce aboutwhat has been.
And also.
To really take time to connectwith your loved ones and to

(08:35):
celebrate the meaningfulrelationships that are in your
life.
Christmas and this time of yearmeans so much to so many
different people and weunderstand that different
cultures celebrate this time ofyear in many different ways, but
we would like to speak mostlyabout it being the end of the
year and the wrap-up of the yearthat has been.

(08:57):
December is a time for childrencoming out into school holidays.
It's a time for families beingtogether and celebrating.
And it is also a time to reflectand reminisce on those loved
ones who are no longer with you.
And whilst we understand thatthis can bring a certain amount

(09:19):
of sadness.
or a reflection on those lovedones, it can also be meaningful
when you can recall and rememberthat their essence lives on in
your hearts.
And you can fondly recall theways in which they, your family,
your loved ones would surpriseand delight you.
And often it's these times ofyears that you can lean into

(09:43):
that experience of unconditionallove and understanding that
their, are, Many, many ways inwhich you can move through this
Christmas or this holidayseason.
And we also wanted to remind youthat everything is okay.

(10:03):
Quite often it is theexpectations that then create
anticipation somewhat in thenegative and also in the
positive that can derail you.
So.
Breathe, make sure that you aregetting adequate sleep, enjoy
the moments and the differencesthat come and whilst we

(10:25):
understand it can also bechaotic, really find a way to
accept people as they are.
It is when our expectationsdon't match up in the
experiences that are unfolding,especially with families or when
there are dynamics where thereis difficulty or even when the
work has just piled up and thereis a lot of stress, and one's

(10:48):
carrying the weight of the worldon their shoulders.
It can really be powerful toshift into that beautiful,
unique connection with your ownguidance.
Knowing that spirit is here foryou in every moment of every
day.
And as Gary Zirkoff said, youcan simply just lean into the

(11:09):
spirit of your soul with a fewdeep breaths and just the
intention to really lean intothe peace and the harmony that
is.
In presence right here, rightnow, and then continue to
reenter the world with a feelingof love and a wind supporting

(11:33):
you as you move through the nextfew stages.
Segmenting can also be reallypowerful, especially when you're
finding yourself particularlybusy and full, it can be really
helpful to just break down yourdays.
into smaller segments whereyou're just simply intending to

(11:57):
get through each segment with asmuch ease and joy and
playfulness as you can.
Spirit is always here as areminder to awaken you to the
different beauty and the uniqueconnections that are available
when one lives primarily intheir mind's perception, life

(12:19):
can take on a very differentquality.
When one can sit back into theseat of their soul, they can
find that they can move throughthe exact same experiences.
With a sense of ease rather thantrying to control through one's
mind's direction and action.
So we hope that this has givenyou some insights and some tips

(12:40):
to gently navigate your waythrough this holiday season.
We love connecting and speakingwith you and if you have Any
questions, please feel free toconnect with us and share them.
We are Anya.
We are here to nurture, uplift,teach and inspire you on your

(13:04):
Connecting to Spirit journey.
Namaste.
So as I reflect on Anya'smessage, then they're really, I

(13:25):
think if I was to choose oneword to wrap up that message, I
would just say it is acceptance.
Whenever I feel Anya's presence,it's almost like there's no
judgment about the business.
There's no judgment about, Whatwe're eating or drinking or how
we're moving through thisholiday period.
There's just a sense ofanticipation and excitement and

(13:46):
acceptance, and I love that,when we just accept our loved
ones as they are, when werelease expectations on how
people should or shouldn't be orwhat we expect of ourselves.
Most importantly, it's just away of.
I don't know, taking thepressure off and really allowing
us to just relax into all thebeauty in all the chaos that

(14:09):
comes with this Christmasperiod.
So thank you for holding spacewith me today and for allowing
Anya's message to flow through.
I hope her words brought you asense of peace and clarity as
you move through this Beautifulyet busy season.
As we wrap up, I want to remindyou that connection is always

(14:30):
available to you, whether it'sthrough a quiet moment like I
experienced by the Christmastree or a deep breath taken
during the rush.
The gift of spirit is therewaiting to support and guide
you.
And if today's episode resonatedwith you and you're curious to
explore your own ability toconnect with spirit, I invite

(14:52):
you to join me for my learn tochannel course, beginning in
March, 2025, this program isdesigned to help you strengthen
your intuition, trust yourmessages and feel empowered in
your connection to spirit.
Details are in the show notes oryou can reach out to me
directly.
I love to answer any questionsthat you have.

(15:12):
Take time this week to pause,breathe and lean into the seat
of your soul.
Let the love and peace of thisseason fill your heart.
And until next time, stayconnected and let your light
shine.