I happen to LOVE Christmas. I love the yummy smells of baked goods, Christmas decorations, entertaining and gift giving. That said... I do not love the chaos or anything that turns to an obligation. Over the years I have learned ways to make the most of my holiday so I can actually stay in LOVE with the season. All I need to top it off is a little snow!
1. Staying rooted in recovery during holiday happenings
- Make more meetings.
- Keep the phone lines open. Reach out and stay connected to support network (AKA my roots).
- Pray more.
- Read more (especially Step Three).
- Keep literature in the car.
- Go to obligatory gatherings late and leave early.
- Bring your own car.
2. Staying rooted in recovery through yoga
- Do more grounding practices. This means slow with a focus on feet and legs. Include poses such as child's pose, down dog, mountain pose, chair pose, warrior 1, forward folds, garland pose
- Practice mindfulness. Enjoy each moment, stay in today, be present in actions and experiences.
- BREATHE DEEPLY - Practice pranayama (breathwork) daily. Throughout the day when feeling the chaos, S L O W down physically and B R E A T H E deeply and slowly
- Use the Prithivi (Earth) Mudra to get connected with the element of Earth.
3. Staying rooted in recovery through self-care practices
Many of these are things we should be doing regularly but often get even more overlooked during the craziness of the holidays.
- Get plenty of sleep
- Don't skip meals
- Drink lots of water (always :)
- Plan daily downtime
- If the schedule has become overwhelming - cut things out
- Say NO when necessary
- Get some exercise
- Journal
- Celebrate me time, make it special. Have some cocoa or tea, enjoy your holiday decor, light some candles, put on your favorite music or movie, put on your favorite cozy clothes and blankets. Be a gracious hostess to yourself.
- Make showering or taking a bath special, beyond the daily routine of shampoo, scrub and rinse. Try shower steamers, bath balms, aromatherapy, body scrubs, or anything that you would not normally indulge in. If you really want to go for it find recipes to make your own natural bath products!
Use this First Chakra Third Step meditation to support grounding