This meditation is here to help you defuse holiday stress.
It's to help you take a more mindful approach towards the holidays,
Towards any stress or tension that can come with it.
We know the holidays as a time for happiness,
Togetherness,
Peace,
And joy.
But the reality of it is that a lot of us are trying to hold it together,
Trying to stay sane.
Maybe some of us don't do as well when we're out of routine.
Maybe you and your family aren't too close.
Maybe the social media posts of friends hanging out or people traveling around the world having fun make you feel like the grass is greener somewhere else.
It's so easy to get caught up in comparison,
Perfection,
Or the idea that you're not doing enough.
So in this meditation,
I encourage you to tap inwards to notice your breath,
To notice the thoughts in your mind,
And just to let go of any expectation.
So I invite you to find a comfortable seat,
Tuning into your breath,
Allowing the eyes to close or the gaze to lower.
As you take these first couple of breaths,
I want you to tune into the body.
Notice where the mind is currently.
In stillness,
So much can come up.
So the first few moments of any meditation is really to ground you into the space,
Ground you into the moment.
There's so much we think we should be doing during the holidays,
But I encourage you to use this moment to find your own version of what the holiday season means to you.
We don't have to recreate images of what we see on TV,
Social media,
Feeds,
Advertisements.
It can be really,
Really stressful sometimes.
Maybe it's unreachable to you.
Maybe the standard is not something you want to conform to.
Maybe it's not something you really like or maybe it's something you absolutely love.
Whatever it is,
Know that the holidays are going to look and feel different for everybody.
Take another deep breath in and a full exhale out.
Another deep breath in,
Filling your lungs,
Filling your ribcage,
And a full exhale out.
A quote I loved recently said,
Any picture-perfect image of the holidays we build up in our minds,
Fillable expectation of how life should be,
Rarely gets met for long.
So instead of trying to conform to a standard,
Instead of aiming for perfection and letting every little detail or situation bring us worry,
I hope you use the holidays to tune into what you need the most.
Whether it's a day of rest,
A day of doing nothing,
A day of spending time with family or friends,
Or going out to experience the world,
I hope you see the deeper meaning behind it.
Whether it's grounding in connection,
Giving yourself time for self-care,
Just finding what you really need without expectation.
Taking a few deep breaths,
Bringing the awareness into whatever is going on in the mind.
Start to picture your version of the holidays.
How does the body feel?
Maybe it's tight,
Tensed,
Exhausted after a full year,
A full year of hard work,
A full year of experiences.
Notice what comes up.
Whatever comes up,
It's just a thought,
And if the thought isn't serving you right now,
Allow yourself to let it go.
Relax deeper into your breath,
Focusing on yourself and your version of the holidays.
Remember that the holidays are whatever you want to make out of it.
Don't feel the need to conform,
To settle into anyone else's expectation or impression or image.
Start to bring movement into your fingertips,
Into your toes.
If it feels comfortable,
You can take your arms over your head for a full body stretch.
When you're ready,
Start to open the eyes,
Noticing your environment,
The space around you,
Bringing yourself back to the space,
And we'll end this meditation with one round of breath.
So take a deep breath in,
Feeling the sides of the ribcage,
Reaching up through your spine,
And a full exhale,
Out,
Side,
Out.
Thank you for joining me on this meditation today.
I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.
