The holidays and festive season can be an intense time in that we may find ourselves organizing travel, entertainment, family gatherings, shopping, gifts and so much more. Emotions, egos, expenses and expectations can run high which can make us feel somewhat depleted. While it is also a time for joy, pleasure, love and togetherness, we may still feel the need to rest and recover afterward. Techniques like meditation and conscious food choices can help you do just that.
Here are some tips on how to reduce stress, restore your balance and strengthen your immune system.
The first step is to restore the ‘Pranic Energy’ (Life Force) back into your system, so avoid post-holiday crash diets, lifeless processed foods and foods cooked in high temperatures. Opt for fresh foods with a high content of vitamins and minerals to nourish and energize the system. Try implementing good quality fresh fruits and vegetables into your eating program. Oxygenate the system with fresh air and by drinking water.
The second step is to meditate. While the mind is curious, active and helps us understand our world, it is also where judgments, emotional turmoil and stress can manifest. Try to reduce screen time, noise and disturbances which invade your potential for peace. Instead, try to find a tranquil space to ‘quiet’ the mind and take a step towards meditation.
Here are some tips on how to meditate. Drink a glass of water at room temperature prior to meditation. Stay bare foot, and keep some part of your body connected to the ground. Find a comfortable position to sit in for approximately 15 minutes. Close your eyes, and commence by exhaling through the mouth and then take a slow deep breath through the nose extending to the abdomen. Hold each breath for a few moments exhaling tension and all which does not serve you. Repeat this rhythmic breathing, and focus on taking in the life force, or ‘Pranic Energy,’ with each inhale and exhale. Focus on the rhythm of your breath and heartbeat. Try to listen to your heart beating. If you can’t, try placing both your hands on your heart, and feel the beats. Each beat pumps the life force through your system. Focus on its function. Understand that there is an inner intelligence that coordinates the functions of your body. Try to connect. Appreciate that there is (Prana) a Life force within you that needs your love, care and focus. Send love and gratitude to your inner being. Feel the warmth within you because you have started to notice your being in a deeper and non-judgmental way. Keep your awareness on your breathe, and let the body revive itself. Enjoy the process, and feel the bliss. Conclude with an inner whisper of what you would like to say to yourself.
As an example, you can say, ‘I am grateful for my creation,’ or ‘I am Love.’
Make it a point to engage in meditation, and reconnect with your beautiful creation each day. This is a journey to self-love.
The third step to restoring balance and energy is to keep your awareness of the here and now. Don’t let your thoughts wander off into past regrets and future fears and judgments. This is how vital energy is wasted. Pay attention to your thoughts. You will soon manage to control how you spend your energy. Refocus on thoughts of gratitude and your love for life. You will slowly but surely change the program and habit of thoughts that do not serve you well. Remember that you have the power to manifest a well and enriching life.
By Martha Wiedemann