Holiday Meditation For Stress Relief. The Power Pause Practice.
A holiday meditation to reset your body and mind for a stress free season.
Hello and happy holidays! This time of year is filled with rich moments and experiences.
Maybe you absolutely love this season and are in a place of peace. Or perhaps you really struggle this time of year. Maybe you feel alone. Or family dynamics are challenging. Or you just feel overwhelmed by a mix of all the emotions. You have moments of peace and joy and other moments of loneliness, anxiety or even sadness.
Wherever you are is okay. Please remove the expectation that your holidays are supposed to be any certain way – show yourself compassion and take care of yourself by letting go of “holiday perfection”.
Personally, I love the holidays but struggle to cope with seasonal stress. All the events, to-dos, and desire to “do it all” weighs me down. Over the years, Ive found ways to help myself so I don’t turn into a grinch. One of my seasonal stress busting strategies is to practice what I call the “power pause”. This simple practice involves finding a few minutes to stop, be quiet, and reset on a daily basis. I don’t need much time, even 1 minute goes far in helping me to reset my mind. During these daily “power pause” moments, I choose to practice a few minutes of deep breathing or a simple guided meditation. I find that when I take the time to give myself a few minuets to reset, I am able to return to the busy holiday life as my best self. I’ve shared this tip with my coaching clients and they report back that it’s helped! Practicing a power pause can have many positive results like preventing holiday binge eating, better communication with loved ones, or managing holiday travel. I thought since this practice has worked for so many of my clients, it might be helpful for you. Here’s how to do it:
Holiday Meditation For Stress Relief: “The Power Pause”
- Find a quiet space for yourself. This can be outside on your front porch, in your car, in your backyard, in the back of the airplane, in your closet – wherever works! Politely excuse yourself from the holiday festivities or just say you are going to the restroom and will be right back (you won’t be gone for long, promise).
- Once you find space for yourself. Pause.
- Take a DEEP belly breath. To do this, breathe in so that your belly fills with air first. Then move your breath into your ribs and last into your chest.
- Hold the breath for a moment.
- To release the breath, move the air in reverse. Let it exhale out through your chest, then the ribs, and then through the stomach.
- Do this deep breath 5 times total (if you have more time, feel free to do more). In through the belly, up to the chest. Out through the chest, then down through the belly.
- As you breathe, let your shoulders drop and actively release tension all throughout your body.
- Let your forehead relax. Soften your jaw. Let the deep breath wash over you. Feel your nervous system calm down.
- As you let your body relax, shift your mind back to focus on your intention for your day / holiday. How do you want to show up in this moment? Who do you want to be? What are your goals for this time in your life. Have a clear vision of how you want to show up and live positively in this moment.
- After you’ve completed at least 5 cycles of deep breathing, bring your awareness back. Notice how you feel. Do you feel less anxious, nervous, stressed, or on edge? Do you have more calm, clarity, and peace? Return to your day or festivities in this state of being. After you practice the power pause, observe if it helps influence the rest of your day.
Done consistently, this power pause meditation can help you direct your life in the direction of your intentions. I suggest practicing the power pause at least once a day when you feel you need to hit the reset button. Try out this technique this holiday and let me know in the comments below if it helps you honor your healthy living goals.
My intention in sharing this holiday meditation with you is to remind you about what is most important not only this time of year but in every moment of every day, which is to be present in your life and fill it with love.
Want to practice this holiday meditation with me in real time? Click the video below to try it for yourself now.
Holiday Meditation For Stress Relief : “The Power Pause”
Avoid holiday weight gain, ease anxiety, and feel better in your body with virtual coaching. Sessions are custom fit so you see results. Stay fit & positive this season, contact me here to get started.
With love and blessings to you,
Caroline
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