Om for the Holiday

The holidays are approaching -- whether you like it or not. Some folks hate em' while others love 'em. Either way, there tend to be ups and downs concerning holidays. Some folks feel sink into depression and loneliness at this time while others fret over "holiday enforced" time with family while others stress out trying to make everything perfect. It's not all bad, of course. Some folks love cranking up the holiday music, decking the halls, and entertaining till they drop. Others fall somewhere on this spectrum.

Here's a little holiday survival guide to help you bring a little OM into your holidays:

• Let go of perfection. Don't have anyone to spend the holidays with? Estranged from family? Without a significant other? Forced to spend time with people that you aren't all that fond of in the name of familial peace? I know a lot of folks that are dealing with these issues and a whole lot more this holiday. Maybe it's all of those holiday commercials depicting perfect families, loving mates, in picture perfect surroundings that make us feel like our reality isn't good enough. There is no "should" in regards to the holidays. They don't necessarily need to be filled with expensive presents or family or even turkey (shout out to all the vegetarians out there). Make the holidays reflect your deepest desires rather than perfection. If you don't have family, spend time with friends or volunteer and help others (contrary to popular belief -- you're never alone. There are always people out there who welcome the company of others). Don't eat meat? Serve Tofurkey or salad. Don't feel like celebrating? Take time for yourself and go on a retreat (Kripalu offers an extensive schedule of retreats during the holidays). If you're wanting your holiday celebrations to honor tradition but reflect a your personality and beliefs, inject them into your holiday. For the environmentally conscious among us, go green this Thanksgiving.
• Say NO to holiday hustle and bustle. When I ask people who groan when the holidays are mentioned why they dislike the holidays, they typically use the word obligations in their answer. Many are overwhelmed with tasks, commitments, and traditions that no longer work for them. Try making a list of all of it and then going through it with a critical eye. Do you need to do all of it? Can you let something go (last year I didn't send Christmas cards and it lightened my load and my mind considerably)? Can you plan ahead to make things less stressful? The holidays don't have to be a blur of rushing and stressing. Be sure to schedule in some yoga time, meditation time, or breathing time to keep the stress at manageable levels. You'd be amazed at how 5-minute breathing breaks 4-5 times per day or 20 minutes of meditation a day will keep you calm and focused through periods of stress and overwhelm.
• Fuel yourself wisely. I know, I know -- there are a lot of tempting foods that come out of the cupboards to tempt you at holiday time. We hear about holiday weight gain every year in the media.  The good news is that you're not doomed to eat poorly at the holidays -- you just think you are. Be sure to drink plenty of water and follow the simple golden rule of food -- everything in moderation. You can eat whatever looks tempting -- just not huge portions of it. And if you're like me, who suffered from a "I have to eat it or I'll hurt feelings" complex for years, get over it! You can politely decline foods that you don't care to eat without causing a war. Just smile when you deliver the news that you couldn't possibly eat another bite and all will be fine (trust me -- I do this all the time). If you need a little help with maintaining your health -- and weight -- this holiday season, I highly recommend this wonderful program by health coach Christi Collins. It's filled with common sense, helpful tips, and motivation.
• Use commercialization to your advantage. Gotta be honest -- I'm not a huge fan of all of the rah, rah advertising that comes with the holiday, and I tend to think that stores opening at 5:00AM is a little odd but...you can typically find good sales around the holidays and/or shopping that benefits worthy causes. For example, one of my favorite source for clothes -- Tranquilit.com is having a rocking 4-day sale in which everything is 40% off (from Nov. 27-30 use code NOIRFRIDAY at checkout to get the hefty discount). If you're looking for adorable holiday cards this season and want to help animals (I'm a big fan of animal charities), the Animal Rescue Site is offering a wide selection of goodies in their shop -- and the proceeds go to helping animals. If you'd rather donate to others causes with your holiday shopping, click on the hotlink and choose from fighting hunger to raising money for breast cancer, literacy, child health, or rainforest conservation. All worthy causes. If you're going to spend money this holiday season, you may as well get good deals and help a worthy cause.
• Remember the most important thing. It's all about gratitude. Even when you don't feel like you have much to celebrate or you're feeling down or depressed, you still have things/people to be grateful for. This holiday, spend 10 minutes first thing in the morning making a list of what you're grateful for. List as many things as you can in a 10-minute period. Do this every day through New Years and you'll find that your attitude shifts for the positive. Also, try dedicating your yoga practice to someone who needs it (perhaps they are going through a hard time or you just want to send them love). Sit with your hands in Anjali Mudra for a few minutes before you begin your yoga practice (even if you can only squeeze in 15 minutes) and dedicate your practice to someone in need while sending them love and peace.

If you can do nothing else this holiday season do this -- BREATHE! And remember -- the holidays are supposed to be fun, so breathe in pleasure and joy and breathe out stress, impatience, and unhappiness.

May your Thanksgiving be a day of joy and gratitude that extend throughout the entire year!

Namaste!

Comments

[Indiana Heart]

Spend at list 10 min in the morning making a list of what you're grateful forour heath

[Samantha M]

What a help this is. I actually tried letting go of perfectionist tendencies this weekend - and everything went more smoothly than I could have hoped. I also hope to try your gratitude techniques from your 11/26 post.