November is a great time to begin to think about how you would like Christmas to be in your home. So often we can get a little stressed about the holiday season because if we’re not paying attention to our actions, we can very easily get wrapped up in the hype of Christmas and the image of what a perfect Christmas should look like. We can find ourselves living outside of the moment and partaking in often mindless activities such as buying even more decorations, even more food and even more elaborate gifts in an effort to obtain that Christmas feeling.

In the end, what we often experience is the physical stress of trying to do too much and the financial pressure of January’s credit card bill.

Mindfulness Exercise

So, this month, my suggestion is to set aside some time to make a list of what the perfect Christmas would be like for you.

Take your time, think about the sounds, smells, tastes, sights and textures you like most about Christmas and when your list is complete, give yourself some more time to sit and think about how you could help yourself experience that feeling this Christmas. Be patient and don’t force it, the answers will come. Let it sit for a while: it’s still only November, but remember your focus for Christmas 2016 is less about the external hype of Christmas and more about that personal true magic of Christmas in your home.

If you are the person who organises Christmas in your family, share the load this year, involve everyone in your plan and even if they don’t jump on board straight away, your sense of calmness and enthusiasm for the real magic of Christmas in the midst of the usual frenzy will be contagious.

Physical Exercise

This month’s physical exercise is designed to also help with our mental focus. It is a seated version of the yoga posture known as the eagle and it involves crossing the legs over each other and the arms across each other: actions that aid our left/right brain balance.

We begin by sitting up nice and straight and placing the arms outstretched in front of you. Cross the arms so right is above left. Bend the left arm at the elbow until the fingers are pointed towards the ceiling. Then bend the right arm at the elbow until the back of both arms are facing each other. Rest your arms here.

For your legs, simply cross left over right and, if you can, tuck the left foot behind the right calf. If that doesn’t work for you today, don’t worry. Take as long as you like here, focusing on your breathing and when you feel ready, repeat on the opposite side for the same length of time.

Something to Ponder

Christmas time should be a whole month of bringing the mind home from all the year’s stresses, ups and downs, fears, disappointments, joys and sorrows.

Allow yourself to enjoy the lead up to the big day by doing some small Christmassy-type things each day in December: play the Christmas songs that hold fond memories for you, buy yourself something you really want and leave it under the tree for 25 December.

Set aside a date now in your December calendar which will be a day of rest for you, a day for you to indulge in something that you enjoy, that really refreshes your spirit and recharges your energy. You can do this alone or you can arrange this date with a member of your family or a close friend, someone whom you feel good being around.

Make sure that the other person is aware it is a day when you will both be totally unrushed and unhurried for a full day: it’s not another activity you are just trying to fit in December. It is a day to savour. Make this day a personal priority, even if the other person can’t make it.

Remember, happiness is an inside job. CL

find out more

For further information, visit www.croiyoga.ie. For more practical mindfulness exercises, visit Catherine Callaghan Yoga on YouTube.