If you think you're enlightened,
Go spend a week with your family,
Ram Dass.
Take a slow breath in and let it release gently.
Your holidays might feel full,
Full of voices,
Full of memories,
Or even full of silence that just feels so loud.
I'm inviting you,
Wherever you are,
However you are,
To take this moment just for you.
Breathe in,
And let your belly be soft,
And let your jaw be soft,
And let your shoulders drop.
Family has a way of reminding us who we once were,
Not always who we are now,
And that can feel frustrating,
And old patterns can show up.
And you're not doing anything wrong,
You're simply being human.
So let's release some of that holiday pressure.
I'm going to invite you into a lion's breath.
It's a fun,
Playful,
And perhaps somewhat ridiculous way to blow off some steam.
I think it's right on theme for these holidays.
And the way that we do a lion's breath is we inhale through the nose,
And then we exhale,
We stick out the tongue,
You can even make a sound.
So we'll do it together.
Inhale fully,
Fill your lungs,
Lift your chest.
And exhale,
Stick the tongue out,
Bulge the eyes.
Your eyes are wide when you do that,
And you can let it be exaggerated,
Let it be messy,
Maybe even a little bit wild.
It's a chance to release the tension that you might not even realize you were holding.
So let's go for it again.
Inhale big,
Bold,
Fill your lungs.
And exhale,
Lion's breath.
And if you laughed a little bit,
Wonderful.
Laughter is a nervous system hack.
It's magic.
So coming back,
Letting your breath normalize,
Maybe have a smile on your face,
And we'll move through some affirmations to come back to center.
So in your mind,
You can repeat,
I stay connected to myself today.
I choose space before reactivity.
I remember my own center.
Family can bring out the oldest versions of us,
But you're allowed to be the person you've become.
Place a hand over your heart,
Feel the warmth of your own belonging.
You're allowed to take breaks,
To reset,
To walk outside,
To breathe,
To begin again at any moment.
Let your shoulders melt,
Your mind quiet for just a breath or two longer.
May today and this time be peaceful wherever it can be,
And perhaps humorous where it needs to be.
You might just take one more lion's breath on your own right here and now,
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
I hope you laugh a little today.
This lion's breath is always available just in case your enlightenment needs some extra support.
Have a great holiday time wherever you are,
And remember,
You've got this.
