Shine your light! Bring the soft, warm, kind, and full-of-compassion smile to your heart in meditation and yoga.
With courage, faithfully bring it again and again to lighten your load. Toss out those unnecessary bags on your sleigh.
Let the inner smile lift your spirits and those around you.
Merry merry, happy happy with a ho, ho, ho–bring the presence of the inner smile to this holiday season.
Today as the days begin to grow longer, and tonight the first night of Hanukah, we can remember the miracle of light.
A star, a little bit of oil… a red nose—light!
Not our easy flip of a switch, but the real power of light.
A hug, a smile, a laugh–the uplifting miracle of light. Joy!
Tip #8–Meditate on this light. Contemplate it. And share it!
On the 7th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Tip #7.
Santa has Rudolf’s red nose; the shepherds had a star.
We have love, compassion, and joy to guide us.
Tip #7: Harness yourself to these and let’s “Dash away, dash away, dash away all!”
On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Tip #6.
Silence! Nothing more. Not a peep. Not a ho-ho-ho!
The peace of that silent night can be yours.
Give yourself its respite–in a yoga pose, in meditation, with the breath… maybe over a cup of tea or with a night walk.
Restore yourself with smatterings of silence this holiday season.
Enough said… ho-ho-ho!
On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Tip #5.
Take the time to connect to your sense of the wondrous and miraculous, let it uplift you, and share its benefits most generously.
Look for this not in more of anything, but in what yogis call santosha–finding contentment even if only for a few moments and if seemingly beyond the pale of possibility. Herein lies true happiness and peace on earth.
On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Tip #4.
It’s so easy in the busy-ness of the holidays to give up your meditation and yoga practices.
This, however, is when we most need them–when busy with family and friends, there’s bound to be some stress or tension no matter how great the love.
If for no other reason, do your yoga and meditation to bring your best self to others, to recenter, to refresh whether it be to bring a bigger smile to what you do or simply to endure the best you can.
If you’re really that busy, strike a favorite pose or two, take a few conscious deep breaths, meditate even for a few minutes…
Be faithful to your practice this holiday season. It’s a real gift to you and everyone around you!
On the 3rd day of Christmas, Santa gave to me… Tip #3!
The jolly old soul may be a natural, but for many of us joy does not come so easily.
It take commitment so we’re not swept away by anger, jealousy, fear… worry… sadness….
Rather than let yourself be overrun with overcommitments and holiday responsibilities, take a breath and periodically reorient yourself this holiday season.
Say “I am going to do this with joy,” and really mean it for yourself and those around you.
Maybe you can’t be Santa, but returning to this commitment again and again over the holidays, you might just find yourself smiling a little more, and possibly even laughing with your belly shaking like a bowl full of jelly.
Ho, ho, ho!
Here is another yoga tip to breathe easier this holiday season.
Should emotions run high at that holiday work party or family Christmas dinner, greater calm and balance is available right at the tip of your nose with your breath!
Find a quiet spot, take 2 or 3 deep breaths, and feel your feet on the ground. Then close your eyes, and preferably breathing through your nose, count your inhale to 4 or 5, hold your breath for that same count, and exhale with one count more. Repeat this at least 3 rounds.
Open your eyes and feel the difference. Maybe a little calmer, more centered? If not, simply repeat this practice until you feel better.
Greater calm and equanimity are really always with you… a breath away!
Here is one more breath practice that might come in handy this holiday season:
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Tip #1:
We all know the holidays can be an intense time of year stirring up all kinds of strong and/or conflicting emotions.
However, you can turn things upside down and refresh your perspective with a simple restorative pose like legs up the wall for even just 2-5 minutes.
Rather than being pushed up against the wall this holiday season, kick your legs up the wall and breathe a little easier.
When we bring joy to this world, we bring its delight to ourselves and to those around us.
Yoga and meditation can help grow our connection to this joy.
The Every Day Yogi 