Christmas.... the Yogi way.

hristmas is a season to have fun, to, to spend time with loved ones, to indulge in delicious food, to party and have a well-deserved break and a good time.

Modern life can demand a lot of us, not only physically but also emotionally. Current society is moving fast and at times we feel like we have to catch up, finding ourselves in a swirl that can swallow us in, bringing us out of balance. Although Christmas is a fabulous time, it can also bring extra concerns, buying Christmas gifts, feeling the effect of being targeted by endless marketing campaigns from retailers inviting us to buy more, to acquire more, to give more… activities that can be distracting us from what Christmas is all about: Enjoying time with family and friends.
So, this year, for me, I am seeking to strike a balance between letting go and keep grounded. I don’t want to end up feeling I over did it in January, having to spend time trying to get myself back to center. So, I want to invite a kind of Yoga to my holidays, and I am not talking only about Asana, I am talking about Balance, about being present and fully enjoying the time with family and friends, it is about giving & receiving, instead of feeling un-grounded or begin dragged by too much consumption.
So here is my Yoga approach to Christmas:

1. Stress free Christmas – I will not allow little things to disturb my time. I always stress about cooking a high quality meal, instead, I am going to stay grounded, and have fun while cooking a simple dish for my friends to enjoy.
2. It is about appreciating people, not about buying them “stuff”. I always make candles for my friends, they are handmade by me and they reflect certain aspects of their personality that I appreciate. They always feel valued when they get this. Feels right to me… (not sure if this is right for them haha)
3. Twists – I will give in into nice food and drink, but I will help my body to cleanse from it, twists and yoga helps to stimulate the cleansing & digestive organs.. so I will get them to work even If for 20 min.
4. Time for reflection. I always take time to reflect, winter solstice represents for many a time to go inward, to reflect, to learn, so we can prepare for the next year to achieve our goals. So, I burn incense, play drum and do yoga. Also, I celebrate, reflection also brings the accomplishments done in the year past… I pat myself on the back for the good stuff too!

So, a quick reminder for those who are thinking, what is grounding?

To be ungrounded is to feel un-connected, feel spacey, think too much or feel too much anxiety. Therefore to be grounded is to re-connect ourselves to the earth, feel rooted to the ground, to be in our power, to become aware of the tension and consciously let it go, as a result, we feel “present here and now” in everything we do. 

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So, with above in mind, have a very Happy  & “Grounded” Christmas!!
 
Thanks for reading
Namaste
Lourdes ​