As the snow  flakes begin to fall, holiday decorations are on the rise. Christmas carols resound at every turn and this can mean different things to different people.  For many of us, the joy of the season is inherent. We think of family, food, and colorful displays of red, green, silver and gold. But, along with this seasonal kaleidoscope comes one other color, the holiday blues.

We all experience the holiday lows to some degree. We bombard ourselves with sensory, emotional and mental overload to the point where we are so stressed out we often get depressed.  Maybe it’s the financial burden that comes with living up to expectations of  what the season should be in a time when our finances aren’t what we think they should be.  It could be the sudden realization that you have entirely too many things to do and not enough time to do them. Perhaps it’s the almost certain reality of putting on a few extra pounds that you’ve worked so hard to drop.

This is where  a mini yoga session can help. Right here, right now take a moment for yourSELF!

Be Still and Breathe

Forget the mat.  Stay right in the place where you are and BE STILL, really still!  Now, bring your attention to your breath. Follow it as it flows into your body, and quietly notice the space when it stops. Release the breath ever-so-gently, and once again, bring attention to that rest between the next cycle of breath.  Repeat.

Feeling any better?

Bringing in Some Clarity

Now, bring that awareness you used to notice the spaces between the breaths  to where you are. Simply observe your thoughts. Disentangle yourself from them and watch them. Try not to judge them, just notice. Give this detached observation  a few moments to solidify. The reigns of your mind are back in your hands. Now is the time to use them with gentle, masterful control.

Introduce an Intention

Keep it simple, just one intention at a time. It can be anything. Your intention can be a simple word that evokes a desirable feeling such as peace, calm, or love. Allow this one thought form to expand and permeate you with its emotional effect. See yourself breathing in that intention, and allow it to firmly seat itself in that space between the in-breath that you discovered earlier. Let it grow roots in that moment and grow. As you exhale, imagine it growing like a beautiful flower, carried along with the out-breath expelling any negativity as it blossoms. Repeat this cycle a few times.

Give Thanks

Bring yourself to Namaste - inside and out. In your own way, express gratitude for this moment. Give thanks to this practice of yoga and how it can and will help you reconnect to yourSELF.

Yoga can be done anywhere and at anytime. The practice can last a few minutes as in this example, or a lifetime. What it is sure to bring is a greater sense of SELF and centering within that place of calm that will help you overcome the inevitable stressful moments that seem to arise during the holidays or at anytime.