The holidays are made special by spending time with our loved ones and creating beautiful memories. But it can also be quite busy and stressful. A Mayo Clinic article says that “Nearly a quarter of Americans reported feeling ‘extreme stress’ come holiday time.” There’s gift shopping, house decorating, cooking, hosting families and countless other tasks that need tending to. Don’t forget to take breaks whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed. Try these gentle and mindful yoga poses for the holidays so you can recharge, stay calm and actually enjoy the festivities.
Try these gentle and mindful yoga poses for the holidays
1. Hands to heart and belly
Zabuton meditation mat in rose quartz by Ajna Wellbeing
Reconnect with your inner sense of calm with this seated pose. The centered part of you always trusts that everything is as it should be. You can tap into this grounded and joyful part of you anytime, if you can simply pause and allow it.
Get into a comfortable seated position. Put one hand to your heart center and the other to your belly. Feel the sensation of your own skin as you close both eyes and focus on the breath. Hold this posture for 1-5 minutes or more.
2. Neck stretch
Speak up if you need to. The holidays can be stressful especially if we don’t set healthy boundaries with others. Using our voices can be very empowering. Neck stretches are helpful in relieving stress and releasing blocked energies within our throat chakra.
Staying in seated position, bring your left hand up and over to your right ear and gently stretch the neck towards the left. Lower your right hand to the ground for support. Close your eyes and take 1-5 breaths as you feel the strain melt away. Repeat on the other side.
3. Cat and cow
Practice flexibility and letting go. A lot of our disappointment stems from our expectations. Yoga teaches us to let go of outcomes and focus on enjoying the moment as it unfolds. Release ideas of how things should look like, how people should act or how events must happen. Let go of control and allow some flexibility in your mind in letting things be and you might just find more acceptance and ease.
Cat and cow is a great movement to practice spine flexion and releasing tension all over the body. Start in table top position. To do cow, inhale and bring the chest down, tailbone up and bringing the shoulder blades closer together behind you. Gaze is looking up or ahead. Exhale and do cat by looking at your navel, belly in, and bringing the shoulder blades wide behind you. Repeat cat and cow 3-5 times.
4. Camel
Open your heart to more love and gratitude. Remember what the holidays mean to you personally and be purposeful and clear with your intentions. For many the holidays are about spreading joy, celebrating family and the birth of Jesus Christ. If you’re not religious, you may think of it simply as a celebration of love. Sticking to your intentions allow you to be more purposeful, more loving and grateful rather than being distracted in things that matter less. Camel is a great posture to open the heart and practice more love and acceptance.
5. Supported fish
Set aside time to recharge and reflect on your own mind, body and spirit connection. You have nothing to offer others when your own sense of self is lost and depleted. Practicing restorative poses like supported fish allows you to come back to you- the part of you that’s always joyful no matter the season.
Gently lay down on your back with a yoga bolster or stack of blankets or pillows underneath the spine. Rest in awareness, close your eyes and let all the stress melt away. Want more stretch? Try the supported hero pose below. Follow the same steps above and then cross your legs.
The holidays can be challenging but with mindfulness, you can always find your center. Remember to pause and find some downtime to stay calm and center yourself. These five gentle and mindful yoga poses for the holidays can be practiced altogether or one pose at a time. Take a minute, an hour, half a day or however long you need! You owe it to yourself because your peace of mind is worth more than any holiday event.