As the temperatures soar and salt water beckons us, it is easy to swap our dedicated yoga practice for icy cold beers or Friday afternoon sundowners at the local….
Now we are not saying there is anything wrong with that, sign me up for margaritas any day! Balance is the key to living a fruitful and fulfilling life but although Christmas calls for a time of celebration, it can also bring undue headaches caused by extra monetary stress, family demands and extensive party invitations leading to over indulgence, energetic burnout, tiredness and stuck or stagnant energy in the body.
By maintaining your regular Yoga practice you can continue to down-regulate your nervous system which can in turn alleviate stress, promote more natural energy, feel more joy towards those around and create healthy habits to bring with you into the New Year!
By developing and maintaining your regular yoga practice during the silly season you will be much better equipped to tackle one of the craziest times of the year. From difficult in-laws to downing one too many champagnes – here are our top tips for how to maintain your downward dog practice this holiday season.
1. Switch your nighttime practice to the morning
With the extra light in the morning – there is nothing more satisfying than waking up with the sunrise and committing to an early morning yoga practice to bend and mould the body to support its natural waking up process. Yawn the body open in one of our 6am yoga class every Monday to Friday. Not only does this help set up your day the right way, it will promote sustainable energy throughout the day – giving you more time to enjoy the present moment with your family and friends after work.
2. Lay your clothes out the night before
Organisation is key when you are wanting to create healthy and lasting habits. By laying your yoga clothes out the night before you are making it easier on your future morning self to get ready for your practice. No one likes to look for an outfit when you are half asleep and this lack of organisation is just one way your mind could deter you from committing to your early morning flow!
3. Commit to a certain number of classes per week and put it in your calendar
Just like social arrangements, work commitments and medical appointments – it is wise to diarise your workout schedule too! By pre booking into the Mindbody app and also scheduling into your calendar you set both a subconscious and conscious commitment to practice. Accountability and action will take you places!
4. Encourage your friends, family and significant others to practice a class with you
Swap your sundowners for sun salutes! By practicing Yoga with friends and loved ones you are promoting a healthy connection with each other, whilst trimming the waistline. Christmas is a time for slowing down and bonding with the wonderful people in your life – what a great way to appreciate the people you have around you by practicing together! Laugh with and challenge each other to a handstand during our progressive class every Tuesday night at 6.30pm.
5. Meditate 5 minutes a day
Meditation doesn’t have to be sitting in a seat cross legged – it can be washing the dishes and being fully present in the moment, walking to your car and feeling the ground beneath your feet. Presence and gratitude unlocks the beauty of life. By consciously committing to 5 mins meditation per day and more if you can, then you are able to cultivate a certain sense of calm in your life, even if you only feel it fleetingly each day. Eventually you may notice this ripple into your everyday life more like when you are stuck in traffic travelling to family and friends for Christmas, the kids are wild with excitement over Santa or some other external force throws you off balance.
Final Words
Ultimately, the tail end of the year asks us for pockets of reflection and to think about creation for the year to come. By continuing your commitment to your yoga and meditation practice over this period you cultivate space in both your mind and body to ponder 2019. Giving permission for your body to create space at such a busy time of the year will assist in handling the occasions of stress and appreciate the moments of beauty in everyday life. Diminishing your practice over the period could make it harder when you decide to making a come back in the year 2020! Lucky we have some tips for New Year Habits too! Phew!