Do you have any aversions to holiday events that you plan to attend or host? To practice mindful awareness in real time is to carry our meditation practices into daily life where it matters most. I’ll share a few ideas for practicing during the season. Please share your own ideas in Comments.
- If hosting, be mindful of your own needs while anticipating needs of your guests. Request help from a relative or friend in advance of hosting.
- Prepare as far in advance as possible so you can allow time to relax before guests arrive.
- Be curious and flexible in your thoughts about difficult people. Understanding is gentler and healthier than criticism. Be mindful of ways you can be difficult.
- Notice how many times you say you hate something. How does the repetition make you feel? Try repeating a loving thought about someone who is delightful to be with.
- If you dislike cleaning house before and after hosting an event, ask yourself, why am I awfullizing about it now? You might begin to see your labor of love differently.
- Prevent anticipatory anxiety by noticing the rising sensation, then interrupting it by saying, not now, or saying your name out loud. Terry! Live in this time, not in some other time.
- Turn your attention toward the beauty and wonder of being alive, to the peace in whispering three words of wisdom, let it be. We can’t make everything be what we want.
- Don’t minimize effects of loss. Allow friends to embrace you and share in honoring your loved one. Genuine connections are not impositions for people who care.
- If you expect to be alone for the holidays, create a new ritual, plan recreational activities, do something you’ve never done, take a vacation. Otherwise, you risk amplifying loneliness.
Enjoy Thanksgiving! And if you can’t, be grateful for moments of silence and let peace find you.