Dynamic meditation to achieve calm during the holidays

Yoga teacher, author and Lululemon ambassador Kino MacGregor said: “Keeping mentally strong during the holiday season can be a challenge. If you feel like your heart or mind is pounding, or you’re breathing fast, it could be a sign that you need to take some time for yourself.

One way to do that is to focus on your breath, find stillness, and do some gentle movements.

“With a short movement meditation, you can achieve a natural state of calm within yourself,” says MacGregor. Whether you want to see your parents-in-law in a more balanced state or you need to calm down after a great party, try this sequence to treat yourself to some peace in the midst of the frenzy.

A ‘moving meditation’ to find calm during the holidays

Constructive resting posture

1. Begin lying on your back and bend your knees. Separate your feet just a little wider than hip-width apart and let your knees rest. Place the tailbone on the ground. Let the shoulder blades rest slightly under the upper back. Place your hand wherever you feel comfortable, be it on your stomach or chest. Close your eyes.
2. Focus on deep belly breathing and try counting down your breath from 10. Say to yourself, “10 in, 10 out, 9 in, 9 out” to bring awareness to your breath, body, and mind. Friend.

twist

1. Continuing from a constructive resting position, bring both knees to your chest, gently embracing the shinbone.
2. Extend your left leg and keep your right knee close to your chest.
3. Reach over the outer edge of the right knee and hold the right knee with your left hand.
4. Exhale and pull the right knee over the center line of the body and gently toward the floor on the left side of the torso.
5. Inhale again and raise the right arm upwards to create space and length for the torso.
6. Exhale and extend your right arm to the right and look towards it.
7. Hold for 10 to 20 breaths, then repeat on the other side.

Viparita Karani

1. Continuing from the twist, bring both knees back to the chest and gently hug the shinbone again.
2. Inhale and lift both legs toward the ceiling, pointing the feet and pulling the legs toward each other.
3. Place both hands on your torso or below your hips for a little extra support. Close your eyes for deep relaxation.
4. Hold for 10 to 20 breaths, then return to a constructive resting position.