Maybe you know the season.
It's a few days before the festivities.
You finish one thing and remember three more.
There are lights to put up,
Something to buy,
A corner to clean,
A message to reply to.
Someone asks what time you're hosting or when you'll visit.
And you tell yourself you'll sit down after this one last thing.
And the mind starts yapping.
Yapping.
Yes.
Did I remember everything?
Will people feel welcome?
What will the family think?
We have always done it this way.
I should be enjoying this.
I need to keep going.
Some of the thoughts may come from love,
Care,
Tradition.
Or wanting everyone to feel included.
Others may carry shame,
Comparison,
Old expectations,
Or the pressure to make the festival look a certain way.
They can all arrive at once.
Until the celebration starts to sound like a list of things you must do.
You might already be having that list.
So before we get back to that list.
Let's give you a little time to arrive here.
Find a position that feels comfortable enough for now.
You can sit,
Lie down or shift your body as you need to.
You can close your eyes or keep them open and let your gaze rest on one place.
Now gently feel where your body is supported.
On the back of the bed while lying down,
Maybe on the chair,
On the wall,
You're standing next to.
Notice your feet and the weight of your body resting here.
You don't have to change your breathing.
Just notice.
That the next breath is coming and then going.
Now bring your attention to your hands.
Are they resting?
Or still holding some tension.
If it feels comfortable.
Let your fingers soften a little.
Relax a little.
Notice your shoulders next.
Have they been holding themselves up all day?
You might let them drop just a fraction.
Not because they have to relax?
But because they are allowed to stop working for a moment.
Notice your jaw.
Your forehead.
Your neck.
You don't have to make anything feel different.
Just check in with yourself as you are.
Try asking yourself.
How tired am I right now?
What have I been carrying all day?
What might I need next before I carry on?
There may be an answer straight away.
There may not.
You don't have to work it out.
For a moment.
You don't have to do anything about the list.
Let it wait.
Gently ask yourself.
What expectations are taking up space for me this festive season?
There is no pressure to find the one right answer.
Perhaps you are carrying expectations from family,
From your community,
From what you have seen others do,
From the way things have been done,
Or from yourself.
Perhaps it's about the house looking in a certain way.
Perhaps it's making a particular meal.
Visiting people,
Welcoming guests.
Keeping everyone happy.
Or taking part in celebrations even though you are really tired.
Maybe some of these things feel really meaningful to you.
Maybe some feel heavy.
It can be both.
Now,
Gently bring to mind one thing on that list that keeps coming back to you.
You don't need to choose the biggest or the hardest thing.
Just choose one that's been asking for your attention.
Ask yourself.
Do I want to do this because it matters to me?
Am I doing it because somebody is counting on me?
Or am I worried about what people might think if I don't?
There may be more than one answer.
Take your time.
You don't have to explain or defend it.
This task could be important to you.
Maybe you have been doing it for your family for years.
Maybe you're tired of being the one who remembers everything.
Maybe.
You want to do it,
But not in the way or on the schedule everyone expects.
Whatever you notice.
Let's stay with it for a breath.
You are allowed to care about people and still feel tired.
You can value a tradition and still need help.
And you don't have to decide everything right now.
Try noticing where this expectation lands in our body.
Notice your chest.
Is it tightening?
Notice your shoulders.
Are they stiff or are they rising?
Or is your mind simply speeding up?
There could also be something else you could be feeling right now.
With this one breath.
Allow yourself.
To relax your body.
With a little understanding that you have been trying to manage a lot.
And it definitely makes sense that your body or mind might be screaming or simply asking for a gentle pause.
Now imagine the moment when that particular task.
Or any of the things mentioned on the list comes up again.
Perhaps someone asks you about it?
Or you notice it still waiting to be done.
Before answering,
Keep yourself.
Ask yourself.
What do I actually have room for today?
You might still want to do it.
But maybe in a much more simpler manner.
You could also ask someone to do it with you.
Maybe you need to say,
I can't manage that today.
And that's completely fine.
Notice what you would want to say if you didn't have to make the answer sound perfect.
You don't have to make a big decision in this moment.
Just notice.
That there may be more than one way to take part in festival celebrations.
It can include the care you give others.
And care for yourself too.
If it feels comfortable.
Place a hand somewhere that feels reassuring.
Or hand over your heart or your arm or resting on your lap.
You can simply notice the warmth of your hands too.
Take a gentle breath.
As you breathe out.
See if your body can soften.
Just a little bit.
You don't need to force anything away.
For this moment,
You can let the expectation be here.
Without letting it decide everything for you.
This is your safe space to pause.
Try these words silently.
Or change them.
So they sound like your own.
I can pause.
I can choose what I have room for.
I can enjoy the festival in my own way.
Notice how these words land and make you feel.
You don't have to believe them completely or feel calm right away.
Just let them be something kind you can offer yourself today.
This is a guided pause you can return to whenever the festivities begin to feel like too much.
Anytime.
Or even each day if it helps.
You don't have to get it right.
You can pause,
Notice what you are carrying.
And choose what feels manageable right now.
Take one easy breath.
Wiggle your hands.
Wiggle your feet.
Notice the room around you.
And when you're ready.
.
.
Return to your day at your own pace.
Namaste.
