Mindful and Meaningful Holidays
The Yoga Way to Get the Most From Your Holiday Season
Take the time for quiet reflection and careful self-assessment this holiday season to pursue only things that mean the most to you.
Create Time for Quiet Reflection.
If there is one thing most students learn during a yoga practice, it is the value of spending an hour in the present moment doing what is best for them. It feels good to take time and live in one’s own body.
One thing that often happens during the bustle of November and December is that many people skip workouts in order to fit in the parties and shopping that “need” to be done. What needs done first is that you take care of yourself.
“There are some things I accomplish not by doing, but by stopping doing. Creativity, intimacy, growing and awareness, for example, will not emerge unless I take time out from many of the activities that keep me so busy." – Anne Wilson Schaef, from PauseWorks
Everything else seems to fall into line once you take proper care of you. If you carve out a few moments each day to catch your breath and check in with yourself, you will be better able to face the challenges of spending time, money or paying attention to the myriad distractions of the holidays.
Understand Your Priorities
- What is your favorite thing about the holidays?
- What are the most important traditions in your family?
- What are the things about the holiday season that make you crazy?
- What parts of your holiday routine take more out of you than they give back?
If you truly understand what’s truly important to you and your family, you will be better able to prioritize activities and expenditures.
For most people, the thing that’s most important is spending time with loved ones and reconnecting with people they only see this time of year.
Try to decide if tangible or intangible gifts are more important to you. Some families choose to skip the craze of shopping malls and maxed-out credit cards. Instead of gifts, each member of the family gets to choose an activity that everyone will do together. Whether it’s ice skating or volunteering in a soup kitchen, you will value the memories built together far more than a trinket under the tree.
Gift exchanges are another way larger families mitigate the high costs of a consumer holiday: drawing names from a hat and then collaborating to get each person the one perfect gift.
Say “No.” When You Need It
Remember the principles of Mindful Speech - “Is it True? Kind? Necessary?" Sometimes “No” is the kindest thing you can say. It is kind to you because you will refrain from over-committing yourself. It is also kind to others. If you cancel at the last minute, or are simply too distracted to enjoy yourself, it will reflect on the entire event.
Better to say a kind “No”, expressing sincere regrets at the onset.
Embrace the Season
One of the best parts of the holiday season is that everyone seems to be willing to be cheerful.
Smile at the frazzled cashier behind the register. Make jokes with the people in long line with you. Say “excuse me!” as if you were at fault when someone jostles you, and wish them a genuine “happy holidays” when they turn back to look at you.
Staying present within the spirit of the season while you’re in a crowded mall or a traffic-jammed highway will help you feel calmer and more relaxed.
Staying mindful and aware of your real priorities will allow the magic of the holiday season to envelope you!
