Finding Balance During the Holidays

Been feeling a bit out of balance lately? Me too. According to Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, we are well into Vata season which can make us feel a little bit spacey, dry out our skin, make our digestion a little questionable and leave us generally just feeling ungrounded. And it sure did seem to sneak up on us quickly this year! What’s worse, we know that the holiday season is close at hand and all of these things may get exacerbated even more by all the hustle and bustle and stress.

But Yoga and Ayurveda are here to help! Here are a few simple ideas to help you maintain balance (and maybe even your sanity) as the busy holiday season approaches.

The qualities of Vata are light, dry, rough, clear, active, cold and mobile.

The tastes associated with Vata are pungent, bitter and astringent.

These are the qualities and tastes that we want to AVOID at this time of year. There is a basic principle in Ayurveda that says Like Increases Like. If you remember that little catch phrase, you’ll know just what to do. Here are some examples relevant to the holiday season:

At a holiday party? Avoid the dry crackers and cold raw veggies. Now is definitely not the time for the salad! Head for the soup, especially if it has a root vegetable base. Warm mulled apple cider with some warming spices is a great choice for a beverage. Go easy on the alcohol, they don’t call it fire water for no reason! Find the items that are cooked, not super spicy, maybe even a little bit sweet and have some weight to them. Mmm… pumpkin pie…

Got a million family members to see? Try your best to not over schedule yourself. Can you spread out the merriment over the course of the holidays? Maybe you see Aunt Tilly at Thanksgiving, and then see Aunt Marge the week after. Or maybe you can even wait to see those friends you’ve been meaning to see until after the New Year. It will give you a little break from all the running around to recover (see active and mobile above) and prolonging the joy of the holiday season isn’t the worst thing in the world (providing you find it joyful, but that’s for another post).

Got some outdoor activities planned? Maybe you have a tradition of cutting your own Christmas tree or caroling with friends or family. Maybe you go for a hike on New Years Day. Great!! Just pay special attention to staying warm. Don’t forget to leave a good quality thermos with some of that hot cider or hot chocolate in the car for when you’re done and make sure you have a good layering system. If you’re like me and you always seem to have cold hands and feet no matter how good your gloves or socks are, consider picking up some chemical hand warmers or maybe even ask someone to get you a rechargeable hand warmer for a holiday gift or maybe even these reusable ones.

Outside of the days and times of celebrating, here are a few other ideas:

Maintain a daily routine - I find this one particularly challenging, especially with my all-over-the-place work schedule, but as I’ve been reminded lately, keeping some kind of daily routine is huge for balancing Vata. It really doesn’t have to be complicated. As I mentioned in this video, one thing I’ve implemented lately is a strict sleep and wake schedule. Just that little container for my day has made a huge difference in my energy levels in a short period of time. And hey, maybe that’s a good excuse to get out of that party you really didn’t want to go to a little sooner anyway ( What?! Don’t tell me you don’t have those! ;-) ). If you really want to go for it in this area you might investigate Ayurveda’s recommendations for a full daily routine.

Choose physical exercise that is slow and grounding - Yoga anyone? But seriously! Your yoga practice can either help relieve your symptoms this time of year or make them worse. If you always do a hot, fast paced practice it may be time to slow it down and cool it off just a bit. Maybe you add some strength training to your weekly exercise regimen (this is really never a bad idea at any time of year). Walking can be a great form of exercise and time in nature can be very balancing to Vata, but be sure you’re staying warm if you head outside.

Create a home environment that is soothing - The Danish concept of hygge was pretty popular a year or two ago and it still holds true for this time of year, especially in places like New Hampshire that are cold and dark. Light some candles, put on the big sweater, drink copious amounts of your favorite tea, turn off the TV, fire up the fire place and enjoy some coziness and warmth.

Up your self care game - This can be tough when we’re just SO BUSY and have so many things to do. But if you don’t fill your own cup you have nothing to give. Consider that what your loved ones really want is the best version of YOU this holiday season, and that isn’t going to be the you that is stressed to the max trying to make it all happen. Go get a massage. Book an acupuncture appointment. Shut the door to the office and do some Yoga Nidra. Take the time to read a good book for pleasure rather than study or research. Do what will nourish you the most and protect that time like you would any other important appointment.

If you want to learn more about Ayurveda and your own personal constitution I highly recommend taking the quiz on the Banyan Botanicals website (no affiliation, just love their resources). You’ll learn more about your particular make up and what may be out of balance for you right now. And if you find yourself really wanting to know more, head over to Amala Wellness and get a consultation with Susan Morgan, a real Ayurvedic practitioner in our area who can do a full evaluation and get you headed in the right direction for your own wellness goals and unique constitution.

I hope you found these ideas helpful! Did I miss something? I’d love to hear what you’re doing to keep yourself in balance during this busy time of year. Leave me a comment to let me know and share with our community!

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Be here now

As I'm writing these words, a rough week for many of us has just come to an end. And not a very satisfying end. An end that has more of a question mark on it then ever. Many of us have been forced to relive our own traumas that we may have set aside for years. Many of us may have engaged in heated debates with friends or family members. Many of us are feeling worn out and dragged through the dirt thanks to media in many forms.

I don't care what side of the debate you stand on. What I care about is that you take care of yourself in the best way possible right now. One strategy I've been using and I'd like to offer to you is being fully present. How can that help in times like these? Read on.

This may seem like the exact WRONG time to be talking about being present. How do we do that when the present is just almost too much to bear? I’ve asked myself this question a lot this week. I’ve wondered how do I stay present with what’s happening, keep being an informed citizen and yet not loose my mind as I watch horrendous suffering come to the surface in others and old traumas rise in myself as well? How do I do any of this when all I really want to do is run and hide?

First, I have to know my limits. I am only human. I can do my best and my best has to be enough. My limits may not be the same as yours. I have to accept that. My limits may not be the same as those of my family and friends. I have to accept that and I have to call upon them to respect my limits and respond in ways that honor my boundaries. I may need to speak clearly about my limits to others. I may have to accept that they will not appreciate my limits. I will need to honor them anyway the best I can, perhaps without their help or support. No one else can know your limits. Only you can know where your boundaries are. Be clear in protecting your limits. And when you’ve reached that limit, turn off the TV, put down the paper or turn off or put away whatever it is that all this was coming to you through, or ask the person you’re talking to to allow you to change the subject or simply walk away. It’s more than ok to make it stop for awhile.

Second, I can use what I know about the brain and yoga/meditation to stop the repetitive loop of past traumas playing out in my mind. Did you know that when you relive a memory, your brain doesn’t know if it is something that happened in your past or if it is happening right now? Many times the same chemical responses, such as the release of stress hormones, can be found when we recall an event. If we end up in the endless thought loop of remembering a trauma, we are basically putting our bodies and minds through the same experience over and over again. Sometimes we need to do this to make sense of the event, to find resolution or to simply fully deal with the trauma. But sometimes we can get stuck in a pattern of thought that just becomes harmful. This is why knowing your limits is first. If it’s time to get those negative thought loops to stop, being present is where we begin.

How? Start as above in step one and turn off the news, put down the paper or the social media or whatever it is that’s triggering you. Choose a technique you find calming. Your technique might be similar to one you use in meditation. You can follow your breath, you can look at an uplifting image or you can repeat a mantra. Whatever you choose, bring your mind fully to it. See it, feel it, experience it for all that it is. The more curiosity you can bring to it the greater the chances of stopping the cycle of damaging thoughts.

But what does that really do? It empowers us to reclaim the here now. And the here and now is actually pretty safe if we really look at it closely. If you are reading this you are likely sitting at a computer or looking at a device. If you take a deep breath and let it out the next breath is going to come. And the next. There is no one attacking you. There is no one hurting you. You are just here, reading these words and taking a deep breath. It’s all pretty simple right here and right now. The next moment may not be that way. But this moment is. This breath is ok. This breath is safe. In this breath all is well.

So you take this little vacation from it all and you live and breathe to see another day. To take action in another moment. You are rested enough and centered enough to do whatever is next. And that is all anyone can ask in these crazy times we live in.

And if you truly need help processing and dealing with it all, remember that yoga and meditation can only take us so far sometimes. Don’t be afraid to call and ask for professional help. There’s no shame in that. That’s also part of knowing your limits.