Holiday Helper

If the holidays stress you out, you are not alone. Not everybody gets along with their family, or if you are away from loved ones, it can be very difficult to go through the holidays without them. For students, it can be hard to switch from 'study mode' to stress-free, 'chill-out mode'.

Whatever the cause, we all know that times of intensity of any kind can induce some stressful feelings, and a great way to keep from being overwhelmed by those feelings is meditation.

Transcript

Hello World,

I am so grateful to offer this meditation to you.

Let's begin by finding a comfortable position and check in with your body,

Relax and notice what feels right for you.

Please close your eyes and take three long deep breaths.

Our breath is how we all connect to one another.

During the holidays,

Many of us create a picture-perfect image filled with expectations.

Rarely do these mind-made fantasies come true,

Yet we cling to all ideas that blind us to the beauty of the present moment.

When we let go of perfection and stay in the present moment,

We have the opportunity to see love everywhere.

Breathe in deeply and release expectations.

Being in the present moment,

We find good fortune,

Humor and connections with our loved ones and an increased capacity to manage difficulties.

Rather,

Let's breathe in kindness and love and breathe out worry and attachment.

Even when things fall apart,

There is so much to see and feel,

It is a wonderful opportunity for growth.

Let's breathe in and observe the normal reactive spiral of our minds without judgment.

Noticing and focusing on our breath is a powerful way of de-escalating holiday stress.

Let's breathe in again.

Notice whatever is going on in your body and your mind and come back to your breath.

If you feel stressed or relaxed,

Just let it go and come back to the breath.

Now picture the coming holidays.

Take a moment to notice what comes up in your mind when you imagine the holidays and all the dynamics that arise.

How does your body feel?

Is it tight or restless?

Do you feel tired or energized?

Just notice and let it go.

What emotions arise?

Maybe it is a mixture of joy and stress,

Dread and excitement.

Just notice this and let it go.

Come back to your breath.

Right now there is nothing to do,

No person to be,

Nowhere to go.

Now in this moment,

Sitting and breathing is all there is.

Now take a few moments and bring your friends and family into your mind as you picture each of them,

Wish them to be well,

Happy and peaceful.

Breathe in,

Breathe out.

Bring your focus back to your breath.

Allowing the holidays to happen,

Taking good care of yourself,

Practicing mindfulness and kindness to yourself and others,

And keep coming back to your breath.

Enjoy it.

Find the love and beauty.

Embrace new tradition.

Open your heart.

Do what needs to be done and let the rest go.

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you be peaceful.

Choose loving-kindness.

Reviews

Beautiful. I loved when you said embrace new traditions. Christmas started feeling like a chore to me yeas ago and brought me no joy. This year I didn’t do all that was expected of me because it felt like the movie Groundhog Day. I found a saying that said don’t continue doing holiday traditions that leave you overwhelmed, tired, and broke. so I will only do things to bring me joy now when it comes to holidays.

Thank you 🙏 Bhante 💛
May you be well
May you be happy
May you be peaceful
🙏✨💛☺️🕊️💫

Many good suggestions for the coming holidays, which often do stress me out. Thank you kindly for your guidance.

Very peaceful, it really helped me with my current mental state, so thank you Bhante🙏☮️

A wonderful mindfulness and loving kindness meditation. Thank you for sharing this with us.

So blissful to meditate to. Thank you 🙏🏻

So helpful, thank you. This is a wonderful idea for a meditation

This was very good and peaceful. I enjoyed the forest sounds in the background and the simple guidance. Thank you.

Wonderfully helpful! Thank you 🙏

Just exactly what I needed. A wonderful gift. Many thanks and many Blessings. 🕊🙏🌲

Thank you dor sharing this uplifting holiday themed meditation experience, I am grateful for this gift.🙏

Helpful during stressful times. Thank you so much