Travel, shopping, cooking, socializing, and
planning can be big stressors during the holiday season. Even fun family
gatherings can take their toll on the nervous and immune systems. According
to Aruni Nan Futuronsky, the Retreat & Renewal program director at Kripalu
Center, it's never a bad idea to hone your holiday survival skills.
"Learning to relax can be fun if you’re realistic," says Futuronsky. "Just a
little effort brings immediate and lasting results."
With more than 30 years of experience teaching thousands of people to relax,
renew, and heal body, mind, and spirit,Kripalu Center has a few ideas about
how to make the holiday time a little more manageable. Here are some simple
tips for surviving holiday stress:
- Notice how your body feels throughout
the day and in different situations. Are you holding your breath or
clenching your jaw? Noticing the physiological markers of stress is the
first step to alleviating it.
- Cultivate the habit of loosening up your
body and shaking off tension. Whether you are in an airplane or shopping
mall you can shrug your shoulders, give yourself a hug, tuck your chin to
your chest or simply yawn to release tension in your upper body.
- Can't resist holiday goodies? Drink at
least 64 ounces of water a day to offset the effects of sugar, alcohol,
caffeine, and turkey with all the trimmings. A little lemon squeezed into
warm water encourages the system to detox and is a flavorful way to ward
off a winter chill.
- A few deep, slow breaths go a long way
to helping your body unwind and clearing your mind. Set a timer or post
sticky notes on your computer monitor as a reminder to breathe deeply at
least three times a day. Transcend tension in traffic or on your commute
by taking a few deep breaths, making sure to exhale completely. Use
nature’s natural filter by inhaling through your nose. Breathing in from
your mouth may subject you to airborne germs.
- Never mind the errands, put yourself
into "time out." Just five to 15 minutes of sitting quietly or stretching
out on your bed will do wonders for your mood. Consider making at least
one area of your home off limits to anyone but you.
- Carry a small one-two ounce spritzer
bottle filled with a mixture of bottled water (or rosewater, if available)
and essential oils of lavender and/or eucalyptus, both of which are
anti-bacterial. Mist your face and hands occasionally to ward off
cold-season bugs, especially in public places.
- Rubbing sesame oil on face, feet, hands,
scalp, or joints -- overnight if possible will promote a sense of calm and
balance. A drop of oil inside the nose will keep it lubricated and prevent
it from drying out from exposure to indoor heat.
"Definitely try to spend some time outdoors
everyday," Futuronsky adds. "As the weather gets colder and we spend so much
time indoors, it’s easy to get out of sync with natural rhythms."
Kripalu Center offers more than 700 experiential learning programs a year in
yoga, holistic health and spirituality that present principles and practices
from yogic and complimentary wisdom traditions in a contemporary and
accessible, yet profound, way. These programs are designed to provide
participants with tools they can use in their daily lives. Kripalu Center, a
non-profit organization, has served people of all backgrounds for more than
30 years, and is located in the Berkshire Mountains of western
Massachusetts, less than three hours from Boston and New York City. More
information is available at
www.kripalu.org. |
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