DO AS I SAY - 12 STEPS TO A HAPPY HOLIDAY

Falalalala!  It's December and there are a plentiful number of holidays to celebrate!  People will gather!  People will eat!  People will give and receive gifts!  But first there is planning and shopping and cooking and wrapping....  There are performances and religious services to attend.  Families far and wide will be visited either easily or with considerable effort.  December is a month that can easily exhaust a person while the pressure is on to create a Norman Rockwell Hallmark Holiday experience.  Whew!

That's why I hope you will follow my lead.  I have a few tips for you:

1.  Never, ever miss a yoga class.  EVER!  It's so important to stick with our normal physical, mental, and spiritual routines. We must continue to move our bodies with intention, focus our minds and "be" in the practice now more than ever.

2.  Always sit in silent meditation at least 30 minutes each day.  60 minutes is preferred.  Your mind will calm and you will find yourself refreshed at the end of your meditation and your energy will expand.

3.  Always do some aerobic exercise to keep your big, generous Christmas heart pumping along -- as above, 30 minutes minimum, 60 preferred.

4.  Add some weight-bearing exercise to your physical routine.  Three 40 minute sessions a week of free weights or resistance machines will do it.  There are heavy boxes to lift and carry.  Be strong!

5.  Shop early.  Better yet, make your own gifts.  Stores will get more crowded as Christmas nears, so, really you should be completely finished by now and on to wrapping.  Set a few days aside to make homemade jams, baked goods, cookies, cakes -- maybe even homemade soaps and lotions!  Your friends will appreciate a homemade gift so much more!  Whatever you do, choosing just the right gift for everyone on your list (and some "extras" for those times you may need to give but forgot to buy something) is of upmost importance.  Don't be a Christmas Scrooge.

6.  Send real, old-fashioned Christmas cards.  Don't cave to the modern tech e-message culture.  Everyone loves your Christmas letter and family photos.  They can pick them up and read these over and over!  What a thoughtful gift from afar to your cousins and old college roomies.

7.  Take the kids or grandkids to see Santa, the Nutcracker, neighborhood Christmas light displays, concerts, plays, library programs...you know.  Also, crafting, baking, building Gingerbread Houses; provide some childcare for sick days, snow days, and festive sleepovers.  Be a terrific parent/grandparent and make sure they don't miss a single magical moment!

8.  Volunteer!  Do as much as you possibly can to be out in the community helping others and donating your time to untold worthy causes.  Christmas is selfless.

9.  Eat healthily.  This is no time to weaken your resolve.  Bake, but don't indulge.  Time to switch from Peppermint Mochas to an Americano (no room for cream!)  Just say no to fudge (re-gift).

10.  Be sure your home is decorated beautifully for your family with just the right combination of sophistication that will appeal to discerning adults coupled with a home that is welcoming to a 2 year old.  Make everyone who visits comfortable and happy.

11.  Stay calm.  No one wants to see you angry, exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated, and stressed.  The holidays are about peace, love, and joy.  Act like it.  (Getting 8 hours sleep each night will help.)

12.  Don't drink too much.  No one wants to see that either; it's unbecoming to end the party with a sob-fest or a raging diatribe.

I hope you find these tips helpful.  I'm not saying I'm actually DOING any of these.  In fact, none of them.  Except #12, because I don't drink alcohol.  My diatribes and sob-fests are not chemically induced.  They are the natural result of trying to live up to #1-11.

Happy December!
Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/141159769544377842/