During the holiday season I find myself turning inward. Not because it is close to the end of the year and I am supposed to find, "all that I am thankful for," or because, in order to move on to the New Year I need to clean out my closet (not clothes, but the things that no longer serve me), but to remind myself of all that I am grateful for. It is the time of the year to celebrate abundance & cultivate gratitude for all we have. To find the joy that is inside each and every one of us.
Our yoga practice can help bring us this sense of gratitude and abundance. Virginia Iversen, in her article, "Cultivating a Sense of Abundance in a Yoga Class" states that, "A peaceful, expansive sense of abundance will help offset the frenetic pace of the consumer and social aspects of the holidays."(Iverson) The holidays will look different this year and that, in and of itself, could potentially cause us to focus on what we don't have and not on all of the wonderful things we do.
Find a place where you can sit and reflect; a place where you feel secure and stable, a place where you can let go of that which is not serving you and bring in what does. Sit, close your eyes, soften your jaw and let your tongue rest. Feel your breath, coming in and going out, settling you into a place of quiet. For the first few breaths, just breathe; try to keep those distracting thoughts as they are, fleeting thoughts. Like the clouds in the sky (visualize)so too are these thoughts; let them float on by so that you can focus on the thoughts that bring a feeling of abundance, joy, and gratitude.
I believe that during the holiday season it is so very important to keep our practice consistent. It is easy to say, "Oh, I need to do this, or I need to do that," and before you know it the day is done and our practice has been put aside; we find ourselves feeling this sense of emptiness and frustration. Our practice is often the one constant during the holidays that keeps us grounded... don't lose this important benefit.
Writer Emily Madill wrote a beautiful piece, "How to Tap into your Joy," which highlights the importance of looking inside ourselves to find the joy that is waiting to come forth. As I read through the five tips I found myself resonating with each, so I wanted to share them with you.
Be still and quiet enough to hear our unique inner voice and spirit. Often the outside noise drowns out the wise voice within is. Give ourselves the space to really listen. Our joy is right below the surface just waiting to play. When we listen, our joy will show us the way.
Keep Joy Simple
Joy is not complicated and neither is accessing it. We don’t need to search for joy. Remind ourselves we are all worthy and capable of experiencing joy.
Just Be Joy
If we want joy, we can start by ‘being joy’. We can be joyful in our thoughts, the words we speak, our interactions with others and our overall demeanor.
Laugh Your Way to Joy
Personally, this one is my favorite. Laughing is powerful. Laugh at yourself, laugh with a friend, laugh with your pet. Whatever you do, be sure to laugh as often and as loud as you can. It’s nearly impossible to not feel joy when you are midway through a belly laugh with happy tears streaming down your cheeks. Laughter is a gift that’s available to us all the time. The more we laugh, the greater sense of joy we feel and spread out into the world.
See Joy
When we start seeing joy in the faces of people around us and the pure magnificence of our surroundings, we experience a deep feeling of joy within ourselves. Breathe it all in. You may be surprised to see how much joy exists in our world, and even more so in recognizing it’s always present within you.
Yoga Sequence Ideas:
- Ease tension by putting the spine through its full range of motion. Twists, Forwardbends, Backbends and Lateral Extensions cleanse the body, make the spine smile, and bring a sense of calm.
- Stretch muscles, boost your energy levels by increasing the blood flow to the large muscles that support the back.
- Feel more supple and free. Clear the lines of communication between the body & mind.. helping you stay calm and connect with positive feelings like gratitude & joy.
- Open your heart chakra (Anahata) feeling the expansiveness & love in your heart. (backbends, bridge, fish)
If you could have for props: Mat, Blanket, Blocks (or two equal sized books), a Strap of some sort, and a Firm Pillow by your mat before practice, that would be wonderful.
Gentle Practice: Tapping into the Joy
For those that do not attend the Gentle Yoga class the cost is $10.00.
Payments can be made to:
Love to hear from you. Thanks: Debra
BallMindYoga Facebook Page
Love to hear from you. Thanks: Debra
BallMindYoga Facebook Page
Resources:
Iversen, Virginia, "Cultivating a Sense of Abundance in a Yoga Class," Aura Wellness Center-Publications Division, 2012.
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