Last month, I shared the inside scoop with you about my first panic attack. Since then, I’ve done as much as I can to prevent a re-occurrence, and the holidays are an excellent time to practice! For many people, Christmas is difficult as it is. Add to that a worldwide pandemic?
Most would agree that our experience of this season will be anything but traditional. I’m thinking more ✨Silent Night✨ than Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. For some, that’s a relief! Perhaps you’re solitary by nature. For others, it’s a huge letdown. Maybe the hustle and bustle of the holiday is what makes wintertime come alive for you.
Either way, all of us wonder:
Do I buy a Christmas tree? Who will notice? 🎄
Do I decorate the house? 🏘️ Who will see it?
Do I buy gifts? Who will they open them? 🎁 And how much is shipping?! 📫
What about the magic, the mystery, the drama, and the micro-miseries we have all come to know, love, dread, and expect as Hallmarks of our beloved Noel?
One of the post-panic promises I made to myself was to become an “equal opportunist.” I choose to see every situation and circumstance as being equally capable of creating joy as disappointment, gratitude as grumbling, or anticipation as fear. It is the promise and empowerment of CHOICE. 💪
COVID Christmas
As an equal opportunist, I know several reasons why a COVID Christmas is lined with silver garland. It invites us to consider what really makes Christmas the most wonderful time of the year. A COVID Yuletide means more time, energy, and willingness to turn inwards and question the sense in buying presents for people who have everything they need—and then some. Is a gift proof of love? A family tradition? An unwritten holiday rule? Is it consumerism blown way out of proportion? Innocent fun? All of these? I don’t have the answers, but I do believe they are important questions to ask.
Solitary Confinement or Self-Care?
A more solitary season means more time for self-care. Without fail, fewer people come to class the week of the 25th. As shopping stress escalates, grocery lists accumulate, and last-minute dashes pile up in the Christmas countdown, self-care slides further and further down the list of priorities. And yet, this is the most important time to practice! Yoga is known as a powerful tool for both preventing and managing stress; yet, when we find ourselves under pressure, we don’t have time for it. 🤔Fewer engagements may mean more time to do what you love more often—whatever it is that nurtures your soul.
My job, as I see it, is to do what I can to make that happen. How? I can offer more classes or classes at different times. I can remind you to breathe and to move with awareness. I can teach postures that dissolve tension and provide a guided relaxation to cultivate lightness in body and quietness of mind. These are my gifts to you, but in order to receive them, you have to show up.
The last days in December will weave postures around a theme of self-care and compassion. Our New Year’s Day Yoga will remind you that self-care is NOT selfish, that you matter, and that your health and wellness are a worthy investment. Let’s commit to that promise together and see that we follow through.
Take care of yourself and each other. I’ll see you on the mat,
Eryn
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