What I’m Holding Dear as We Move Into December: Ritual, Promise & Intention

As we move into December, something ancient stirs.

The days shorten. The light thins. The nervous system if we let it begins to exhale.

December is not meant to be conquered. It’s meant to be entered.

This season asks for fewer resolutions and more reverence. Less striving, more remembering. And as I sit with what feels most essential right now both personally and in my work I keep returning to three quiet anchors:

Ritual. Promise. Intention.

Not as productivity tools. Not as self-improvement projects. But as devotional companions for the darker half of the year.

Ritual: Creating Rhythm in the Dark

Ritual is how we signal safety to the body.

In Ayurveda, rhythm is medicine especially when Vata energy rises, as it does in winter and in perimenopause. When the world feels unpredictable, ritual becomes a steady drumbeat beneath our feet.

Ritual doesn’t have to be elaborate. It doesn’t need to be aesthetic or Instagram-worthy.

It can be:

• Lighting a candle before your morning tea
• Stepping outside at the same time each day to meet the light
• Placing a hand on your belly before bed and whispering, I’m here

Ritual says to the nervous system: You belong here. You are held.

In December, I’m holding ritual dear as a way to stay rooted not rushed—through the holidays. A way to remember that my body responds more to consistency than intensity.

Promise: A Sacred Agreement With Yourself

A promise is different than a goal.

Goals often come from the mind. Promises come from the soul.

A promise is what you vow to protect when everything else pulls at you.

For many women especially in midlife December can feel like a season of over-giving. Over-performing. Over-functioning.

So this year, the question becomes:

What is the promise you are making to yourself as the year closes?

Not a promise to do more. But a promise to stay.

To stay with your breath. To stay with your body. To stay honest about what you need.

My promise this season is simple and fierce: To not abandon myself for the sake of the calendar.

Intention: A Soft Lantern, Not a Demand

We often treat intentions like quieter goals. But true intention is not something you chase it’s something you carry.

In yogic and Ayurvedic wisdom, intention is a direction of energy. A subtle orientation of the heart.

In December, intention becomes a lantern. Not lighting the whole path just the next few steps.

An intention might sound like:

• I move at the speed of trust.
• I choose nourishment over numbness.
• I honor the season I’m in.

This isn’t about setting intentions for who you’ll become next year. It’s about honoring who you are now.

December as a Threshold, Not an Ending

Culturally, December is framed as a finish line. But energetically, it’s a threshold.

A pause between what has been and what’s still gestating.

This is the season of composting. Of letting the old stories soften. Of trusting that rest is not stagnation it’s preparation.

When we honor December through ritual, promise, and intention, we align ourselves with nature rather than fighting it.

And that, especially for women in perimenopause and beyond, is everything.

A Gentle Invitation

As you move into this month, I invite you to reflect:

• What ritual is calling to you now?
• What promise do you need to renew with yourself?
• What intention wants to walk beside you not push you forward?

You don’t need to answer perfectly. Just honestly.

That’s where the wisdom lives.

If this resonates, you may enjoy my 5 Day Stillness Challenge or taking my Perimenopause Support Quiz both designed to help you slow down, tune in, and reconnect with your inner rhythm during this season.