The most stressful time of the year: How to THRIVE during the Holidays
I used to refer to the Holidays as the “Hellidays,” and that was when I was drinking copious amounts of booze to “cope” with my stress. The problem is that alcohol is so toxic to our system that it was actually creating more stress and a vicious cycle. Plus, it disrupts the sleep cycle. I felt like I was always playing catch up, yet never actually catching up; temporary relief for a permanent problem:
chronic stress
Wouldn’t it be nice to feel like you’re ahead of your to do list? Imagine actually enjoying the holidays!
Here’s how… use what resonates:
Meditate in the morning: set a timer for 3 minutes
If a timer drives you crazy because you’re constantly thinking about when time is up, Then use a song: I love Maneesh De Moor’s OM first thing in the morning while I’m still trying to wake up! It’s longer than 3 minutes, but you will thank yourself later if you get caught up and end up meditating longer.
How do I focus my mind?
Use the Breath. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Then, reverse the order and breathe in through the mouth and out through the nose. Continue this alternating semi-circular breath for 3 minutes.
If having trouble concentrating, focus the eyes at the tip of the nose. This particular eye focus feels like you’re cross eyed, but is extremely effective for staying focused in meditation.
Prayer Hands. Another way to balance the hemispheres of the brain is by bringing the hands together in prayer pose at the heart center which is the middle of your chest.
Chant OM. Chanting has so many neurological benefits that it requires another blog post to even begin to explain them all! I promise to follow up with that later…
Yogi Bhajan said the 1st Step to Happiness is Commitment. We are meant to commit, so the word is commitment. In the meantime, just START to incorporate 3 minutes into your day. If not in the morning, pick the best time for you and commit!