Yogic Secrets to Holiday Bliss
The
practice of yoga gives us valuable tools in managing the stress
and anxiety through the holidays. Practicing meditation, pranayama,
pratyahara and sakshin allows us to be calm, centered and in
control of our normal unconscious reactions to holiday stressors.
Meditation allows the mind to be calm, centered and relaxed and is
a quick and effective way to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety
before, during and after stressful situations. Pranayama is yogic
breathing techniques that can be used anytime to calm, energize,
harmonize and tranquilize the body. Pratyahara cuts off external
distractions and draws the focus of the mind inwards to our
bodies’ core. Sakshin is a detached state of consciousness, where
we witness life events and have the perspective to choose how to
respond to them.
These four techniques can be combined for an effective approach to
dealing with any stressful and emotionally or psychologically
reactive situation. The key to dealing with holiday stress is to
become aware of the events and situations and their corresponding
physical, mental and emotional reactions. Once you have identified
potential holiday stressors, follow the five steps below to emerge
un-stressed, calm and happy.
Be Prepared
If possible take a few moments to meditate and center yourself
before leaving home or engaging in a stressful situation. Create a
calm, compassionate and patient mind space and attitude. Visualize
yourself in the situation reacting in a positive yogic way.
Become a Witness
Consciously step back from the situation and become a witness to
your external and internal environment. See your life as a car
driving down the highway and become the driver of the car,
watching everything that is happening outside of the car and being
in conscious control of what is happening to the car itself.
Breathe and Feel
Stop or pause any unconscious immediate mental or emotional
reactions to the events around you and simply see and feel what is
going on. Draw your awareness deeply inside your body and
experience and feel what is happening in the present moment. Focus
on your breath, breathing slowly, smoothly and deeply into your
belly. Feel your body’s physical response to the situation without
reacting.
Choose Consciousness
Once you have short-circuited your initial unconscious response to
holiday stressors, then make a choice on how to respond to the
situation. You may choose to simply not respond and continue being
present to everything that is happening in the moment. You may
choose to deepen your practicing of meditation, pranayama,
pratyahara and sakshin. You may want to choose the opposite of
your usual response, instead of becoming irritated and angry,
practice patience, compassion and kindness.
Take Time to Recover
After any hectic holiday experiences take some time to recover and
rejuvenate your body and spirit. Just a few minutes of pranayama
or meditation will eliminate any accumulated tension or stress and
help calm the body, mind and spirit.
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