A Meditation for the Holiday Season

You need a holiday meditation because although the holiday season can be a relaxing, enjoyable time, there are also elements of it that can contribute to anxiety. Buying gifts on a tight budget, visiting family you don't see often, traveling to visit family, or even just having more free time than usual can lead to anxiety.

The holiday season often brings a change in routine at the very least, which in turn can make coping with your anxiety more difficult or even directly exacerbate your anxiety. You may have established coping skills for anxiety that you use on a daily basis, but when you have scheduled visits with family or friends, it can be difficult to find time to use those skills. Today, I want to share with you a meditation that can help you relax even when you have limited time to find space for yourself. 

The Value of Holiday Meditation and Meditation in General

Meditation can provide immediate relief when you are experiencing anxiety. Although you may think of meditation as something that requires hours upon hours a day to see an effect, you may still find it beneficial meditating for just a few minutes. Meditation provides an opportunity to center yourself and engage with the natural relaxed, positive state you always hold within yourself.

If the holiday season is anxiety-inducing for you, the value of meditation increases even more. Cultivating a sense of calm is a phenomenal way to improve how you feel while handling all of the responsibilities and stressors of the holiday season. So today, I'm sharing with you a visualization meditation I've enjoyed using that can take as little as five minutes to complete. 

Restful Meditation for Holiday Fears

1. Visualize your light. I began using this meditation when I realized that I didn't consider my positive qualities very often, and instead was focused on the negative ones. To counter this, I began meditating by visualizing a small ball of light in my chest that to me represented my positive qualities and my natural state of peace. I start meditating on it being very small and concentrated, which to me represents what happens when my mind forgets about these positive qualities. I begin by breathing deeply and focusing my attention on that central point of light. 
2. Allow the light to grow. Once I've concentrated on that point of light, I visualize it growing and moving further through my body. I like to start with it extending down to my feet and then up to my head. As the light extends, I try to notice any tension in that area of my body and gently allow it to release. I enjoy this stage very much because it helps me bring my mind and body into alignment so that my positive qualities allow my body to relax and my body's relaxation allows me to focus even more on my positive qualities. 
3. Share with others. I maintain step two for as much time as I have available or wish to use, focusing on cultivating the light within myself so that it fills my entire body. Once I've achieved this, I like to visualize that light being shared with the people in my life that I'm grateful for. This is a beautiful step, especially during the holidays, because it brings me back to what is good about myself and extends that positive perception to the people I care about. Sometimes even my closest friends and family can get on my nerves or ask too much of me, and by embracing this third step, I bring myself back to a place of love and kindness. This can make all the difference when I'm trying to have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday with my family.

I hope this holiday meditation will help you engage positively with yourself and your family this holiday season. Please share your experiences and comments below!