Keeping Christmas calm with yoga techniques

With less than a month to Christmas, it’s not uncommon for us to feel some ‘holiday stress.’ Many of us still have lots of shopping, decorating and baking to do. There’s also the planning of Christmas dinners, at home and with extended family, that often requires lots of travel and sitting.

Needless to say, with the added stress of shopping, planning, over-eating and lack of time for regular exercise, it’s not uncommon for our body to feel stiff, sore and tired and for our head to be spinning.

Here are some tips to get you through the next few weeks:

1. Take time to consciously breathe. When stressed, we tend to shorten our breath or even hold our breath, without realizing When feeling any level of stress or anxiety, take time to notice how you are breathing. Simply becoming aware of our breathing helps to slow it down and deepen it. After initially observing your breath, begin to practice some balanced breathing by inhaling for 4 counts and then exhaling for 4 counts. After 10 or 15 rounds, begin to lengthen the exhalation to 5 counts. Imagine that, with each and every inhalation, you are breathing in warm, soothing relaxation into your body. With each exhalation, imagine that you are breathing tension, tightness, discomfort and dis-ease out of your body If, after a while, you wish to release more tension, increase the exhalation by another count, bringing you to a 4:6 rhythm. With practice, you may find yourself able to achieve a 4:8 rhythm where you are inhaling for 4 counts and exhaling for 8 counts.

2. Step out for a Time out. Take time to get outside for some fresh air. Even if it’s for 10 minutes, getting out for a short walk can work wonders for relieving stress and fatigue. Fresh air and movement do wonders for your body, mind and soul and stepping out for just 10 minutes can provide a perfect little ‘time out’ to regroup before resuming all the tasks that are at hand.

3 Create a plan Take time to sit down and set up a schedule that outlines, day by day, what needs to be done to get you to Christmas Day. If you are like me and have a tendency to procrastinate, you will find added stress in mind and body if you leave everything to the last minute. Make your plan manageable and allow time to focus on doing something relaxing each and every day.

4 Once you’ve created a plan, implement it! Again, if you are like me, you may be inclined to create a plan, put it on the fridge and ignore it.