by Ali Dwyer

This time of year can be a really wonderful time as it’s a chance to reconnect with family and friends, and to enjoy the activities that winter weather makes possible. Sledding anyone? However, it often includes extra time in the car, last-minute gift shopping, staying up late and all around getting off schedule. And for a lot of us, this can take a toll on our peace of mind. By adding a bit more focus on staying grounded, we can continue to enjoy the spirit of the season.

Starting your day with a grounding practice and taking mini Eischens Yoga breaks can be the difference between feeling stressed and feeling at ease.

Grounding Practice:

Find a comfortable seated position in a firm chair that allows you to have an upright spine. Put your feet flat on the ground, rest your hands in your lap and let your eyes close. Begin by taking a few deep breaths. Bring awareness to your body by noticing your seat on the chair.  Feel your feet firmly planted on the ground and the weight of your hands on your lap. When your mind wanders and you start thinking about something, try to simply notice that you are thinking (“oh, there’s those thoughts again…”) and then gently bring your awareness back to your breath. Practicing this for as little as two minutes at a time can help you feel refreshed and can make handling life’s little (or big) ups and downs a bit easier. 

For added benefit, try bringing a similar kind of awareness to these yoga postures:

Bridge Pose

Start by lying down on your back. Adjust your feet to be flat on the floor, about hip width apart. Knees are bent and in close to your hips. Just like the seated exercise, feel your feet on the floor, taking a moment to get grounded there.

Using your legs (shins act forward and thighs press up), lift the hips as you inhale and lower down to the floor on your exhale. Coordinating with your breath, come up and down two more times. Then, come up and hold for 30 seconds, breathing freely. Exhale down and take a moment to notice how you feel.

Warrior Three Pose

With your right leg forward, start in Front Warrior and then flex forward from the hips into Front Lunge. Lunge lift-off up onto your right leg, lifting and extending your left leg behind you. Try to balance on your own, practicing breathing freely. Notice how it feels to be balancing on one leg, grounded through the right foot. If needed, you can rest your hands lightly on a chair or yoga blocks for balance. Return to standing and then repeat on the other side.

Don’t forget to share this with others for a more peaceful and enjoyable holiday season.