Have you ever watched one of those holiday movies where everything is ideal? The holiday decorations to the festive dinner look picture perfect. Everyone is feeling cheery, even the snowflakes seem to sparkle with merriment.
The holidays can be a very happy and a very rewarding time of year. Yet not everyone will feel overwhelmingly jolly during the holidays. There are different degrees of happiness that we may feel — and we won’t always have uplifting moments at the exact same time as others.
Everyone’s mental, emotional and physical energies have different rhythms. Some may have more buoyancy and excitement, while others may be feeling quieter or more reflective. Whatever the rhythm, having acceptance of how we’re feeling can release any inner pressure we can put on ourselves or on each other because of what we think we “should” feel.
To help find more ease during the holidays try breathing in an inner attitude of acceptance to adjust to whatever rhythm we might find our self or others in. Breathe a little deeper and a little slower than usual as if you’re breathing through the heart area. This can help our mind and energy to stay more focused in the heart.
Even a little heart focus can help us adjust to the ebbs and flows of our holiday experiences
Regardless of what societal “shoulds” tell us about how to act and feel, the holidays don’t have to have a lot of fanfare to be meaningful. There may be times that a lower key holiday can be a uniquely nice experience. The quieter moments can often turn into opportunities to see people and places in a fresh light.
Wherever we fall on the spectrum, this is an important time of year to keep our heart sensitivity tuned to care and compassion for all, no matter what their variation of the holiday experience.
In the true holiday spirit let’s support each other by extending our patience and kindness – and let’s be sure this includes our self as well!
With Care,
Your Friends at HeartMath
