Santa 'Pause'

With only a week away, this can be a time of heightened busyness and the balance in our lives can become somewhat tipsy!

I’m so excited about my family coming home and I love the many festivities. I'm also conscious it is a time to be more mindful about balancing all the balls in the air- buying /wrapping presents, planning meals, and getting as much done ahead of time before my kids walk through the door!

What has been helpful to me this year are a number of little tips to help me pause, centre, and come back to my heart so that I can be present in the ‘doing’ rather than going into automatic pilot, just to get everything done.

Here are some of tips if fatigue or stress is throwing you under Santa’s sleigh!

1. Go for a walk outside. There is something so therapeutic about taking a walk, feeling the fresh air in your lungs, the earth beneath your feet, the sky above your head. And if you walk by yourself, or quietly with someone, it allows your mind to take a rest, and in doing so helps to put the chaos back into order. And if you can, take a walk in a park or in a forest.  In the Globe in Mail recently, there was a great article on ‘forest therapy’. Studies show that walking in the forest can significantly lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, along with blood pressure and heart rate. And since it is a place where noise and distractions are replaced with the serenity of nature, it can free up the mind to take what it needs to rest and rejuvenate.

So take time to walk, even if it’s on your lunch break, early in the morning, in the evening…anytime.   

2. If your habit is to turn on the radio or tv when you’re at home, try being quiet, or listen to soft music as you go about your activities. This can also give the mind a rest to eliminate external noise and distractions.

3. Practice gratitude. As you wake up in the morning, instead of jumping out of bed take a few moments to pause- and say thanks. Thanks for your breath, the bed you’re sleeping in, the partner you share it with- whatever comes to mind. And then practise gratitude throughout the day. Sometimes if I’m waiting at stop lights, I start to list everything I can be grateful for. Balance is often restored when we think of our blessings. It’s a powerful practice.

4. Set an intention for the day. Sometimes when we set an intention (for example ‘to be grateful throughout the day') it settles inside of us and can pop up unexpectedly as the day unfolds. Writing it down is even more significant, helping to guide it into our subconscious. I have a jar on my desk that I use as my intention holder, and it's a helpful reminder to re-set over the course of the day.

5. Take a few moments for some gentle yoga. Coming to the mat for even 10 minutes is so restorative. Some hip circles, cat/cow poses, shoulder rolls, child’s pose- anything that would feel good in the body. Keep the attention on the breath and the focus internal.

Here is a simple vinyassa (flow) series that is easy to do and feels so relaxing.

Start by coming into Table Pose. Inhale into Table - Exhale into Cat -Inhale into Cow-Exhale into Downward Dog-Inhale to Table-Exhale into Child-Inhale back to Table.

6. Come back to the breath. No matter what you are doing, we can always return to the breath, the anchor that helps us return to heart, time and time again. This can be brief- even a minute of breath practice is transformative for the mind and body.

It can be as simple as drawing attention to the in breath and the out breath. Here are a few other breath practices that I have found helpful as well.

Using the breath practice above, extend the exhale so it is longer than the inhale. You can count if it helps to stay focused on the breath- 4 counts on the inhale, 6 on the exhale.

The Centering Breath: Take a few natural breaths and then extend the inhale breath into a long smooth breath, followed by a similar exhale. Repeat the practice- natural breaths with intermittent longer inhales and exhales. 

The Box or Square Breath: Imagine the 4 four sides of a box. Starting from the corner of the bottom of the box, inhale up the side of the box, exhale across the top , inhale down the other side-exhale along the bottom. Repeat. If you like you can add a little pause at the end of each inhale and each exhale. It can helpful to count as you start the practice (example, 4 counts on both the inhale and exhale) and then let the counting go once it feels natural.

7. Getting enough rest and eating well before the holiday has always helped me too. It isn’t always easy with social get togethers and festive foods and drinks, but it can help keep or restore balance if needed!

8. And of course, anything else that is your own tried and true practice to help restore balance during challenging times in our lives. Exploring the things that bring us back to ourselves, is an empowering practice in helping us finding peace at this busy holiday time..and any time.

May you enjoy balance in your life and best wishes for a warm and love filled season!

Namaste. _/l\_