The Three Minute Holiday Reset
Dec 22, 2019
Hanukka, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are upon us. It's a magical time of year.
It's a time of fondness, feasts, friends, family, and frenzy. Well, unfortunately, frenzy is experienced by many of us in this would-be, should-be peaceful, wonderful time of year. Anyway, during the holiday season in our fervor to express our gratitude and our love for others we sometimes slip into the streams of stress and anxiety. We don't mean to, we know better, but sometimes it just happens. We lose our peace and we stress about gifts, parking, shipping dates, parties, cookies, work deadlines, end of year bonuses, and The Griswolds.
But not this week. This week is going to be different.
This week you are going to enjoy your family, your friends and your food. This week, you are going to have a Three Minute Holiday RESET that will calm your nerves, lower your blood pressure, soothe your gut, and invite warmth into your heart.
If stress tries to pull you in this week, simply do this:
Press Rest for 3 minutes (it's not a typo):
- Find a place to sit down.
- Close your eyes.
- Cross your ankles.
- Cross your arms.
- Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and breathe deep into your belly through your nose.
- Notice and feel your lungs feel up with air from your belly, to your chest, to your neck, and to your throat.
- Notice the peaceful pause when you stop pulling air in.
- Then simply let go and exhale through your nose and notice how the air leaves your body - it's not forced, but released.
- As the air leaves, notice how your shoulders drop, how your chest falls and how your stomach relaxes.
- Notice the restful pause after the air has been let go before you invite air back into your lungs.
Do this for three minutes. That may likely be 36 breaths or fewer. The more you practice this the fewer it will become.
When you have finished, when three minutes are up, take one more deep breathe and make a sigh/humming noise of gratitude as you let the air out through your throat.
Smile as you make this sound.
Then, get up and go about your business - your more peaceful, loving, focused business.
This is a simple yet powerful thing you can do when you feel the stress getting the better of you, or when you realize that it has. You can also do this upon waking and before going to bed. You may even want to do it a few times a day depending on your day and your inlaws. (Come on, smile. That was funny. )
Anyway, Happy Holidays, everyone!
I hope you make wonderful memories and experience pure Joy with your loved ones.
Comments (0)
Please login to comment.