The holiday season is supposed to bring a feeling of light-heartedness and good cheer, but many of us fall prey to extra stress and tension brought on by this time of year. Family gatherings, buying gifts, cooking, decorating and a whole host of other things that can cause us to get stressed out, which can make us fall into unhealthy habits such as overeating, drinking, and lack of exercise.
Taking time for yourself in the midst of the chaos for a yoga class or some “you” time can make all the difference in the world. Yoga allows us to stop, focus on our breath and our bodies, and become much more aware of what is happening in the “now” as opposed to the past and the future. It helps us realize that most things are outside of our control, but we can control our own reactions to the events happening around us. In my experience as a yoga teacher, most stress is caused by overthinking, or what I like to call “analysis paralysis.” It’s easy to get overwhelmed when we feel like there is so much to do and not enough time to get it done, and also when we feel that others have expectations of us that we are not sure we can fulfill. This is a recipe for accumulated stress in the body which manifests as tightness, sore muscles, fatigue and lack of sleep. If we don’t take the time for ourselves to reconnect to what is truly going on inside, we can end up making ourselves sick, and then we certainly cannot enjoy all the blessings of being with family and friends.
Yoga and meditation help relieve stress by:
– calming the mind
– relaxing the muscles
– bringing awareness to the present moment
– understanding our patterns of holding tension
– quieting down so we can tune into our inner voice as opposed to external voices (those of our
friends, family, co-workers, etc.)
– generating more love and compassion for ourselves
All forms of yoga and meditation offer health benefits; it really doesn’t matter what type you practice. If you have your kids at home with you on holiday vacation, it doesn’t mean you need to skip out on practice. Have the kids join you in a fun, easy routine or pop in one of the many yoga DVDs available if you can’t make it to class. At the very least, take a time out and practice some simple breathing awareness exercises. Slowing down the breath, even if that’s all you do, will help to slow down your overactive, anxious mind and offer immediate relief. The best part is you can do this anywhere. So…set an intention for this holiday season to enjoy your family and friends, and the feeling of connection and love around you. I wish you all less stress and more peace! Enjoy!
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