The holidays are a busy and stressful time for most people — with work, shopping, get-togethers and all kinds of other events, it’s a wonder we stay sane at all.
I’d like to offer a simple mindfulness practice that might help. The secret to survival and having a wonderful time during Christmas is to try stay in the moment.
This is something I work on all the time, and it’s easy to forget.
This is a mindfulness practice to bring presence and relieve stress. It allows you to be with your loved ones (and yourself) in a more loving way.
Here’s the practice:
- Let go of everything you need to worry about, and just drop into the present moment by taking a deep breath and slowly release;
- Notice what your body feels like;
- Notice your surroundings;
- Notice what it feels like to be alive in this moment;
- Let go of any resistance to what is happening and just be;
- Open up to everything around you with a sense of acceptance;
- See if you can be kind to yourself for a moment. Turn inward and give yourself some kindness;
- Bring calmness and relaxation into this moment;
- Relax your body, relax your face, and have a relaxed, gentle attitude toward your experience.
Enjoy the moment.
