It's very easy to let Christmas pass you by without truly enjoying and appreciating its magic.
Everything leads up to that one special day,
And then,
Within the blink of an eye,
It's gone,
Vanished until next year.
Instead of really enjoying Christmas,
We end up living outside of the moment.
And after Christmas,
There's the evaluation of the past year and thinking about what the new year will bring.
And those worries and thoughts bring with themselves unpleasant feelings like anxiety,
Fear,
Sadness,
Stress.
Does it sound familiar to you?
Finding a mental quiet space and consciously managing our feelings is extra important at this time of year.
So,
Let the Mindfulness Seminar help us to cope with difficult moments during this holiday season.
Please take your favorite position and concentrate yourself on this practice,
Closing your eyes if it's okay for you.
1.
Reach the present moment.
Notice where are you now,
In which place and in which position.
Can you feel the contact of your body parts with the surface beneath you?
2.
Recognize.
Be aware of yourself,
Of your body sensations,
Every little sensation in your body.
Try to pay attention without judging,
Only observe your body sensations.
Also try to be aware of your emotions,
Pleasant or not.
Do you feel anxiety,
Fear,
Sadness,
Guilt?
Or maybe joy?
Or happiness,
Excitement,
Thinking about the next days of holiday?
Everything you are feeling now,
It's okay.
Let it be here as it is.
Try to recognize also your thoughts about Christmas stuff and problems.
Observe your own internal dialogue.
Are you caught up in negative fear-based thinking?
Practice noticing your mental state without judging,
Only observe with openness as if you were a scientist or a curious child.
3.
Relax.
Which activities help you to slow down and let go?
Maybe listening to the music,
Take a bath or something like this?
When you could not practice these ways to relax,
You can always connect with your breath.
Try now to observe your breath without modifying it and relax your mind and body.
Follow the air that gets in and then at its pace gets out.
In and out.
You can feel the air inside your body and outside your body.
When your mind drift your attention away,
Try to take it back gently and softly to your breath.
And now you are ready for the number 4.
Review.
So gently review your own options and ways that you might respond to a difficult situation.
Ask yourself what can I control?
What can I change and not change?
Do I have a choice in this situation?
There is something I can do about this situation.
Or do I need to accept it as it is?
Then 5.
Respond.
Try to respond to those questions from your deepest,
Wisest self.
And stop fighting the emotions like fear,
Anxiety,
Sadness and letting go of worry about the past or future outcomes of these holidays.
Now we move to the 6.
Return.
Check in with yourself and bring yourself back to mindfulness and awareness of the present moment with openness and curiosity.
Return to your body,
Your sensations,
Your breath.
Take your time to feel the present moment.
At last the 7.
Restart.
Restart your present activities with new awareness and an open attitude towards the next days of holiday season.
Begin it by gently opening your eyes and moving yourself softly and slowly.
So when you are worried and overwhelmed,
Remember the 7 hour of mindfulness that you can find written in the meditation description.
Best wishes for a mindful Christmas and a satisfying New Year from Mindful Out!
