in this issue
	1) Carolyn's Comments 2) Featured Article: Lessons from a Puzzle 3) Carolyn Recommends 4) Closing Thought

Happy Holiday Season to You!

Last month our featured article was about gratitude, with a challenge to keep a gratitude journal each day for the next 2 months. How are
you doing on that? If you've done it for years, good for you! You already know how potent the energy of gratitude is. If you have just begun at the urging of my last newsletter, great job, keep it up! I'm sure you are experiencing positive changes in your life! If you haven't yet begun, do it today, and again tomorrow, and the next day..... Being aware and writing down things you are grateful for is a wonderful habit to get into!

Here is my gratitude list for today:

I am so grateful for my excellent web-gal, Petronella. She does all the "fancy" work on both of my websites, and has recently spent a lot
of time getting my photo pages updated! I've added a few new pages with photos from Jamaica, Washington DC, my family, and some from the most recent Calyco Healing Training. If you have a minute and want to see what's new on my site, go to: www.taichiflow.com/funphotos.html

Also, I give a "shout-out" to Reina, my original web-gal (Petra's sister). She is the one who created those pretty moving pictures on my
Tai Chi Flow homepage, among many other things.

Another person I am very grateful for is my assistant Jan. It's a huge blessing for me that she understands all the 'techno' stuff that does not
come naturally for me--(I'm much more right brained). This newsletter format, and all the convenient automated things on my site, I couldn't keep up with any of it without her expertise!

One of my favorite holiday traditions is piecing together jigsaw puzzles! From Thanksgiving until around the first week in Jan, my dad always had an extra table setup with a jigsaw puzzle on it. I have carried on this tradition in my own family. Although my "tidy" husband doesn't like having my puzzle-table in the middle of our library (visible from the front door), he is learning what an asset it can be for a family.

It is not often that teenage sons will hang out with their mother for over an hour and just talk, but with a great puzzle, it is a common occurrence in our home. As we work together trying to find the right pieces for the right places, we can talk about all sorts of things going on in their lives that they may not have otherwise shared with me. Or we can just enjoy being together with no pressure to talk at all.

It's also great for a marriage. It gives us a chance to sit down in the evening, put on some great music, and talk and relax with no TV! Also, when friends or neighbors come over for a short visit, it's fun for them to find a few pieces while they are there. In fact, this is such a good thing, I am seriously considering keeping my puzzle table up year round!

I suggest getting at least a 1,000-piece puzzle. Depending on the difficulty, and how often we sit down to play with it, we can go through several puzzles during the holiday season. (Of course young children can have their own kid's puzzle nearby). I must admit, puzzle making is a bit addicting for me. Once I sit down and get into it, I have a hard time leaving the table to get other things done. After all, I am the "Puzzlemiester!"

My kids tease me about finding metaphors for life in any situation. (If you've taken a Tai Chi class from me, you know that I love finding life-lessons in the movements). The nature of putting a puzzle together incorporates SO many metaphors for life, I just had to write a list, so here it is......

~Everything I need to know I learned from a jigsaw puzzle~

Slow down
Take your time
Don't force things into place
Look closely to see what shape things are really in
Trust your intuition
Share your joy with friends
Breathe
You must stand back to see the big picture
Have patience
Follow good examples (picture on box)
Keep track of all your parts
Allow others to help you
Its easier to see solutions with a fresh pair of eyes
Things are not always what they seem
Sometimes you just need to walk away
Often, the piece you are seeking is right in front of
you but your perception is off.

and finally...
Sometimes you search for a long time finding only
what doesn't fit--then the insight comes, allowing
you to connect many pieces at once!

I love when that last one happens! Get yourself a puzzle and enjoy the season!

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? No problem! But here's what you MUST include: Written by Carolyn Cooper, Intuitive Energy Therapist. Creator of Calyco Healing, a unique energy modality that releases blocks on a physical, mental, and emotional level. Also creator of Tai Chi Flow videos/dvd series for Kids, Pregnancy, and EveryBody. To sign up for her monthly newsletter go to www.CarolynCooper.com or www.TaiChiFlow.com

Energy Therapy Session Gift Certificate
Great gift to give someone you care about!
Its easy--Go to: http://www.taichiflow.com/products.htm Scroll to bottom of page, click on the ORDER NOW button on the left to make secure payment online. In the Comment Box put the name of the person you will give it to--so I will know when they schedule. Once your payment is received, I will email you a "Gift Certificate" and you can print it out (on fancy paper if you like). It will be generic, and you fill in the name. On the certificate it will tell them how to log on to my site and schedule their appt. at a time that is convenient for them.
NOTE: I know it's hard to believe, but some people are not open to having their energy cleared. Use your intuition when deciding whom to give this gift to. For the recipient to gain the most benefit from it, it helps if they are open and ready for the positive changes that will follow.

Pocket Nutrition, spray vitamins
What a great idea! Convenient to keep in purse and car. Great for little finicky eaters, teenagers, athletes, seniors, busy people! Also spray 'pawket' nutrition for pets. www.pocketnutrition.com?735
Each container lasts more than a month!

GREAT GIFT FOR THAT BIKING/RUNNING/WALKING ENTHUSIAST:
Road ID personal identification tags to be worn on your shoe laces, wrist or ankle. Don't leave home for a run, walk, or bike ride without it!
www.roadID.com/?referrer=2238

Last month I promised you more info. on Melaleuca's fabulous all natural home cleaning products, but since this month's section is dedicated to "Christmas gifts", I will save that info. for next month. If you can't wait to check it out, go www.lovinbeinhome.com and click on 'get more info' fill in the blanks and my friend Hilda will quickly get back to you.

Not necessarily a stocking stuffer, but great gift idea:
My friends Ann and Angie own a company called Blooming Cookies. It's like FTD flower delivery, but cookies instead of flowers! Send them your Holiday Gift List, whether it's a year-end 'Thank You' for the postman or the gift for someone who is 'impossible to shop for,' and they will create a personalized gift for any occasion and deliver it! How convenient is that? Please visit their site at: www.bloomingcookies.com
P.S. You will receive a 10% discount if you use the promotion code taichiflow at checkout.