Coping with Stress During the Holiday Season

It's that time of year again, where you have over stressed your budget, your time, your life.  You are surrounded by all the joys of the holiday season, but still you find yourself overwhelmed and exhausted.  Trust me, you are not the only one.  Today we focus on ways to reduce the stress, so you can really enjoy this special time of year with those you love.

I found this wonderful article from the Mayo Clinic offering ways to reduce stress and depression during this busy time of year.   You can find the full article here http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20047544 or read the tips they provided below:

1. Acknowledge your feelings. If someone close to you has recently died or you can't be with loved ones, realize that it's normal to feel sadness and grief. It's OK to take time to cry or express your feelings. You can't force yourself to be happy just because it's the holiday season.
2. Reach out. If you feel lonely or isolated, seek out community, religious or other social events. They can offer support and companionship. Volunteering your time to help others also is a good way to lift your spirits and broaden your friendships.
3. Be realistic. The holidays don't have to be perfect or just like last year. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children can't come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videos.
4. Set aside differences. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don't live up to all of your expectations. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are they're feeling the effects of holiday stress and depression, too.
5. Stick to a budget. Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend. Then stick to your budget. Don't try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts.
   
Try these alternatives:

• Donate to a charity in someone's name.
• Give homemade gifts.
• Start a family gift exchange.
6. Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list. That'll help prevent last-minute scrambling to buy forgotten ingredients. And make sure to line up help for party prep and cleanup.
7. Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can't participate in every project or activity. If it's not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.
8. Don't abandon healthy habits. Don't let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt.
   Try these suggestions:
   
   • Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don't go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks.
   • Get plenty of sleep.
   • Incorporate regular physical activity into each day.
9. Take a breather. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm.
   Some options may include:
   
   • Taking a walk at night and stargazing.
   • Listening to soothing music.
   • Getting a massage.
   • Reading a book.
10. Seek professional help if you need it. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical complaints, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine chores. If these feelings last for a while, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.

At a Touch of Prana we know what it's like, because we too feel the effects of too much stress during the holiday season.  Make sure you find ways to give back to yourself,  maybe commit some time to practicing yoga at home or in a studio, give yourself some quiet time to reflect and meditate, or if you are in the area visit A Touch of Prana for your Yoga, Aroma Therapy, Reflexology or Reiki needs.

A Touch of Prana will be offering a special donations Restorative Yoga Class on Thursday, December 17, 2015 from 6:30pm - 7:45pm. All donations will be going to Macomb Hope Center in Macomb, MI.  Call us if you would like to reserve a spot for this special Restorative Class at (248)990-4395.

Namaste,

Jesse

Joyfulness

“Find out where joy resides, and give it a voice far beyond singing.  For to miss the joy is to miss all.”  Robert Louis Stevenson

As we continue to practice gratitude in our daily lives and appreciate our blessings, the big and small, we start to give rise to joy.  We begin to rejoice in our own good fortune and in the good fortune of others.

Joy is our natural state of being.  We are born joyful.   The difficulty in staying joyful is we live in a society of wanting things and having things to be happy.  Wanting things takes away from our joy, and having things is just a temporary joy that will eventually fade away.  “True happiness comes from our attitude toward things, not from things themselves.” www.wildmind.org

So how do we spend more of our time in a state of joy?   

Here are some suggestions from www.wildmind.org:

1.       Smile
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Thich Nhat Hahn

Smiling has an effect on how we feel.  Even when things are not perfect in our lives, smiling can make us feel better and reminds us we can deal with our pains and fears.  Smiling is contagious and brings positive feelings to us and to others around us.

2.       Appreciate

When we express our appreciation for what we are grateful for, we bring more joy into our lives. We can express appreciation through writing a thank you, telling someone what we appreciate about them, or meditate on what we are thankful for.

3.       Feel Love

Love is one of our deepest needs and the experience of loving is deeply beneficial and brings about a sense of wellbeing and joy.  You can evoke this loving joy by remembering the beauty in a loving gaze (watching a sleeping baby), or a loving touch (recalling a loving hug from a friend, parent, child).  You can meditate on joy and loving-kindness while feeling the loving energy of the Universe surround you.

4.       Think Positive

Our brains have a tendency to move towards the negative, but we can train our brains to think positive.  Practice turning off the negative thoughts by turning on the positive thoughts. There is always a positive side to every life experience even if our brain is moving towards the negative.  When you find your brain moving towards a negative thought, take a deep breath and focus on the positive.

The more we practice positive thinking the more joy we will experience.  Take a moment to meditate on all the positive and wonderful experiences happening in your life, the life of others, and in the entire Universe.

Joy is natural to an open heart.  Whether you are practicing heart opening yoga poses, showing your appreciation through loving-kindness, or thinking positive, remember to smile at yourself and others.  Joy is contagious.  One joyful smile brings another and another.  Keep spreading joyful energy everywhere you go.

“Joy does not simply happen to us.  We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” Henri J.M. Nouwen

Namaste,

Betsy

The Law of Giving and Receiving

“The universe operates through dynamic exchange . . . giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.”  The Chopra Center

Giving and receiving is not just something that we do around the holidays; it is a way of life.  What we give in our lifetime; we will receive.  Giving is a way of being.  I am not talking about material gifts, although that is a way of giving; I’m talking about giving from our hearts.  I’m talking about listening to someone’s pain and sorrow, giving a hug to a friend, family or a stranger.  I’m talking about silently wishing love, peace and happiness to your coworkers, family, friends, the grocery store clerk, the mailman, the garbage collector, and the person standing in line in front of you. 

Receiving from the heart is just as important as giving from the heart.  Receiving can sometimes seem harder than giving.  We should practice receiving with open arms and with gratitude.  Just look around you and receive all that nature has to offer, the snow on the trees, the blue sky, the beautiful butterfly on the flower, the thunder storm, mountains, lakes, the ocean.  Receive the simple things in life, the smile, the hug, children laughing, the smells of the kitchen, and spending time together.  Practice receiving by being present and notice all of the beauty that surrounds you.

Here are three steps from the Chopra Center to practice giving and receiving.

I will put the Law of Giving and Receiving into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:

1. Wherever I go, and whomever I encounter, I will bring them a gift. The gift may be a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. Today, I will give something to everyone I come into contact with, and so I will begin the process of circulating joy, wealth and affluence in my life and in the lives of others.

2. Today I will gratefully receive all the gifts that life has to offer me. I will receive the gifts of nature: sunlight and the sound of birds singing, or spring showers or the first snow of winter. I will also be open to receiving from others, whether it be in the form of a material gift, money, a compliment or a prayer.

3. I will make a commitment to keep wealth circulating in my life by giving and receiving life’s most precious gifts: the gifts of caring, affection, appreciation and love. Each time I meet someone, I will silently wish them happiness, joy and laughter.

Notice how being mindful of giving and receiving changes your life.

Wishing you a very wonderful Thanksgiving holiday full of giving and receiving love, harmony, and laughter.

Namaste,

Betsy and Jesse

The Power of Gratitude

“Gratitude for the abundance you have received is the best insurance

 that the abundance will continue.”  Muhammad

                In the book The Power by Rhonda Byrne (which by the way is an excellent book to read and live by) she writes about the Key of Gratitude, one of the Keys of Power.

 “The Key of Gratitude states when you are grateful for the things you have, no matter how small they may be, you will receive more of those things.  If you are grateful for the money you have, however little, you will receive more money.  If you are grateful for a relationship, even if it’s not perfect, the relationship will get better.  If you are grateful for the job you have, even if it is not your dream job, you will receive better opportunities in your work. Because gratitude is the great multiplier of life!”

According to Rhonda Byrne, gratitude is the bridge to love.  “It is impossible to feel sad or have any negative feelings when you are grateful.  If you are in the midst of a difficult situation, look for something to be grateful for.  When you find one then look for another and another because gratitude is the bridge from negative feelings to harnessing the force of love.”

The power of gratitude takes practice.  The more you feel gratitude, the more love you give; the more love you give; the more you receive.  So practice gratitude every spare second you can, whether you are driving, walking, cleaning, playing, or working.  Give thanks from your heart for the love, joy, peace, and harmony.  Give thanks for your body, for your health, for your family, for your friends.  Give thanks for your home, food, water, money, and clothing.  Give thanks for the wonder of life, for the fun and excitement, for the sorrow and growth opportunities.  Give thanks for the Universe and its greatness.

Ending today’s blog with a quote from Meister Eckhart “If the only prayer you say in your entire life is – Thank You – that is enough.”

Thank you to all our friends and family.  May we all take our love and gratitude and spread it all around the world to be bring peace, joy and happiness.

Namaste,

Betsy

The Benefits of Gratitude

We continue with the theme of gratitude this week, as we move toward the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

I start today with a big thank you to all the men and women who have served our nation.  Today, as it is Veteran’s Day, I recommend taking some time out of your day to remember those veterans you know and those you never were able to meet.  People who fought hard to keep us safe and bring us freedom.  Those courageous men and women who saw things they cannot forget, and still kept fighting for what was right. 

I stumbled across this wonderful article on Gratitude and studies on its health benefits and ways to show your gratitude.  I recommend everyone take a few minutes out of their day to read this article from Harvard Health Publications, http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/in-praise-of-gratitude.  

The article gives many great ways to cultivate gratitude; writing a thank you note, thanking someone mentally, keeping a gratitude journal, counting your blessings, praying, or meditating.  All of these are simple ways of showing your gratitude.  

By putting your gratitude out into the universe you truly feel happier and more positive, as you look at the amazing bounty that surrounds you and focus in on what matters most.  Finding ways to stay positive and not get stuck in the negative has so many health benefits, and people who tend to show gratitude, tend to have more positive thoughts, which leads to a healthier and happier life.  I found this quote from John F. Kennedy this morning, and thought it appropriate to share today, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”      

I leave you today with a beautiful poem by Gary van Warmerdam.  I used this poem in my Thanksgiving yoga class last year, and it seemed to touch not only me but all of my students as well.  I share it in hopes it moves you too. 

Thank you Life

Thank you for this breath
Thank you for this inhale
Thank you for this exhale
Thank you for this Life

Thank you Heart
Thank you for this pounding
Thank you for this pulsing
Thank you for this Love

Thank you feet
Thank you for this walk
Thank you for this run
Thank you for the Dancing

Thank you Eyes
Thank you for the Sunrise
Thank you for the Sunset
Thank you for all the Colors

Thank you Ears
Thank you for The Music
Thank you for the Rhythm
And Thank you for the Stillness

Thank you Hands
Thank you for the Caressing
Thank you for the Clapping
And Thank you for the Holding

Thank you Mouth
Thank you for the nourishment
Thank you for the Wine
Thank you for the Kisses

Thank you Nose
Thank you for the Flowers
Thank you for the Pines
Thank you for the Sniffles

Thank you Arms and Shoulders
Thank you for the Carrying
Thank you for the Burdening
And Thank you for the Hugging

Thank you Voice
Thank you for the Expression
Thank you for the Word
Thank you for the Gift of Creation

Thank you for this Day
Thank you for the Light
Thank you for the Stars
Thank you for the Night

Thank you Self
Thank you for the Laughter
Thank you for the Play
Thank you for You

Thank you for the Emotions
Thank you for the Joys
Thank you for the Tears and Sorrows
Thank you for the Richness

Thank you for the Abundance that is.
Thank you for the Abundance that is given.
Thank you for the so many experiences and so many things
Thank you for this Dance.

Thank you Life

Namaste, 

Jesse