Dawn Williams Yoga
Yoga for People with Parkinsons
In partnership with
How is the build up to Christmas affecting you so far? This month, let us ask ourselves how we might best approach the season as Yogis or a people who want to keep balanced? This is the time when the consumption of food, drink and buying presents can tilt us into that rajasic place of feeling stressed, anxious and worrying about Christmas itself either because of having too much or indeed of having too little of any of it.
When we are excessive in the consumption of food and alcohol it might feel like taking in nectar at the time but can leave us feeling poisoned the next day. We begin in the rajasic state of excess and then we end up in the tamasic state of dullness and lethargy. Another example would be in relationships when we get stressed because we cannot fulfil the demands of others or spend too much time with people with whom we are in conflict, then we enter into the rajasic state of feeling frustrated or angry.
Here are some practices to keep you focused on the experience of Christmas as a transformative time of wholeness and harmony for yourself and hopefully for those around you.
1. Make an intention for yourself every day to live from an inner place of peace, joy and love.
2. Turn that intention into an action and say one word of appreciation to someone each day. This someone could even be yourself.
3. Observe your breath as it is for 5 minutes at the beginning and end of each day to become conscious of the gift of your own being.
4. In an emergency when you want to react to a stressful situation, BREATHE!
5. Try standing in the Tree Posture before you have the next drink or even whilst you are having the next drink to assess if you need that drink or not!
6. To be easy on yourself as you are not perfect.
I hope these tips might be useful.
Wishing you all a Christmas season filled with peace, joy and love.
