Dear Friends,
I am so excited to share with you my Holiday Self-Care Rituals, a series of 6 yoga classes to help you navigate the holidays with joy and grace.
You can find them all at the top of the Yoga Rituals library.
{7-day FREE trial for new members}
The most wonderful time of the year can also be stressful -
juggling work on top of the holiday overload, travelling, shopping, hosting guests, and attending parties. All this on top of the uncertain and nervous-system triggering times we are still navigating with Covid.
Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle!
Keep things simple and focus on what makes you happy.
Carve out some time for yourself, the same way you would make time for any holiday party.
We all have tools inside of us to help us maintain our calm and inner peace during the holidays (and any other days).
Here are my 6 Holiday Self-Care tools and matching Yoga Rituals:
#1 Break a sweat
Staying active during the holidays is so important not only because of the abundance of treats and feasts, but also to put you in a better mood and to keep your body healthy and disciplined. So get outside for a long walk in a winter wonderland (or if you're somewhere warmer, go for a run outside in the park), or ignite your inner fire with this power yoga ritual.
Power Ritual – Candy Cane
(45 minutes - all levels)
This ritual is designed to make you sweat and build your inner fire to burn away any impurities in the body + in the mind. We keep the mood festive with candy cane pose, pictured above.
>> START PRACTICING
#2 Feel & Heal
Sometimes it's not easy to find the time to be alone with our emotions, especially during the holidays because it is such a social time of the year. What happens when we don't listen to our emotions is that we don't fully process them and they get "trapped" in the body, usually around our shoulders, chest, and hips. This creates tension in our body and in our mind. When we soften, open and connect to our energetic heart space, and take the time to really feel our current emotions, we release old emotions from the past that are creating blockages around the heart. When we feel and act from an open heart, everything we do becomes love and compassion, towards ourselves and others.
Yin Ritual - Polar
(70 minutes - all levels)
A deeply healing and intuitive practice focused on opening and connecting to the heart. Plenty of back-bending to open the front of the body, and some hip openers to release pent up tension in the lower body.
>> START PRACTICING
#3 Use positive affirmations
A powerful way to heal, transform or enhance an aspect of your life and bring positive change into the New Year. Use your affirmation as a mantra or a "jingle", on and off the mat.
This is my "jingle" for the holidays:
I am worthy of pursuing my passion and purpose.
Vinyasa Ritual – Jingle
(35 minutes - all levels)
This full body vinyasa flow opens with 5 positive affirmations. Each one is like a "jingle" or a slogan for your practice; you may choose one to focus on as we move.
>> START PRACTICING
#4 Slow down
The holidays can sometimes feel like a marathon of celebrations and events. So slow down, tune in, take the time to actually enjoy this beautiful time of the year, do what makes you feel more connected to your inner self - be it treating yourself to a massage or a facial, going for a stroll outside, or making yourself a cup of hot chocolate and reading a book.
Slow Ritual – Snow
(45 minutes - all levels)
This ritual centres on the water element with a focus on releasing tension in the hips. We move at the pace of snow falling, lightly, softly and peacefully.
>> START PRACTICING
#5 Find balance
It’s easy to get swept up in all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season - hosting guests, shopping, cooking, travelling... Finding balance among the holiday overload can help avoid burnout. Do more activities that recharge you, and restore your inner balance, whether it's hiking outside in nature with a friend, skiing, or curling up on your couch and watching a movie.
Yin Yang Ritual – Peppermint
(60 minutes - all levels)
Sweet and spicy like peppermint, this full body ritual combines yin and yang in equal measure to leave you feeling energetically balanced.
>> START PRACTICING
#6 Make sleep a priority
Sleep keeps your immune system strong and recharges the body and mind. So make sleep a priority this holiday season, especially if you're feeling exhausted or ill, don't hesitate to cancel your plans and find time to be still and recharge.
Restorative Ritual – Hygge
(60 minutes - all levels)
Need a yoga recharge? This ritual is perfect to do at the end of the day if you feel drained but you need energy for your evening plans. I recommend curling up in cashmere and lighting a candle in your own hyggekrog or cozy corner. Inspired by the Scandi lifestyle, which encourages us all to swaddle up against the outside
world.
>> START PRACTICING
This holiday season, make time for self-care rituals that bring you calm, joy and inner peace!
Please share the love with your friends and family.
Teaching and practicing online can sometimes feel a bit lonely, so let's stay connected! I would love you to tag me on Instagram, and show me your self-care space at home or away :)
Happy Holidays!
With much love + warm hugs,
Emilia xoxo