Unwind Your Mind By Susan Salaz
Breath work, yoga and meditation can be valuable tools to help handle the stress and chaos that often come with the holiday season. These practices can also bring peace and calm to the coming year.
The holiday season can be many different things, depending on your traditions and beliefs, but one thing it does not have to be is stressful. Sure, you are busy and the month might feel like it’s flying by, but sit back and take a deep breath. You’ll feel better for it. “Once you take time to feel and breathe and connect to your body, it just changes everything,” says Karen Fox, passionate yogi and owner of The Yoga Studio, with locations in Broad Ripple and Carmel City Center. She calls it the ABCs of Yoga: Awareness of your body, your Breath and your Connection.
Fox says anyone can do this, even without a yoga class. She recommends sitting by yourself in a quiet space with your eyes closed. Breathe through your nose and notice the effects this has on your body and mind. “The very basic tool of the yogi is awareness,” she says, explaining that this simple practice can relieve tension and allow you to let go of thoughts. Once you have mastered this, she does recommend the structure of a yoga class to benefit from the full circle of healing that the physical component of moving the body brings. “This heals you from the inside out and gives you an opportunity to begin again.”
The adaptability of yoga makes it an excellent resource anytime, but incorporating it into your daily routine can significantly increase the benefits mentally, physically and spiritually. Begin with your breath, and as time allows, you can incorporate dynamic poses and flows that will add strength and flexibility to your body, as well as clarity and emotional stability to your mind.
If you want to go even deeper with your breathing practice, consider learning the skill of meditation. This ancient practice, accessible to everyone, is still relevant in our modern world, focusing our attention and uncluttering our mind. Benefits can include decreased anxiety, improved concentration and problem solving skills, increased positive energy and a feeling of rejuvenation. Guided meditation, or visualization, is a good place to begin. With a voice as your guide, you are led through a series of visualizations, breathing techniques or mantras in a step-by-step format, training your mind to be still and in the present.
The stress of the holidays isn’t going anywhere, but with a few deep breaths, you can make a conscious effort to slow down and enjoy all of the beautiful moments that come as well.
If you want to go even deeper with your breathing practice, consider learning the skill of meditation. This ancient practice, accessible to everyone, is still relevant in our modern world, focusing our attention and uncluttering our mind. Benefits can include decreased anxiety, improved concentration and problem solving skills, increased positive energy and a feeling of rejuvenation. Guided meditation, or visualization, is a good place to begin. With a voice as your guide, you are led through a series of visualizations, breathing techniques or mantras in a step-by-step format, training your mind to be still and in the present.
The stress of the holidays isn’t going anywhere, but with a few deep breaths, you can make a conscious effort to slow down and enjoy all of the beautiful moments that come as well.