You can really feel the energy ramping up—shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, sending greetings and gifts. And that’s on top of everything else we have to do to keep our life running smoothly at the end of the year.

Very often illness or injury is a way for our body to say ENOUGH. If we get sick with a flu bug, sore back or worse, we have to slow down, take a few things off our calendar, and get more rest. If you’re not a fan of being under the weather, you’ll like to hear this:

The season of fall and early winter has many qualities such as “dry” and “cold” that we’ve discussed in earlier posts. There’s another quality that becomes quite evident right about now—"movement.” We see it in the wind, the blowing leaves, and the migration of the birds. Because the season already has this quality, we have to be very careful about overdoing in this season, otherwise our hyperactivity causes imbalance in our system. Results include colds, flus, bronchitis, pneumonia, nervousness, anxiety, fear, restlessness and insomnia. Sound familiar?

Ayurveda teaches that “opposites heal.” You might like to try these ideas to restore balance:

Take one thing (or more!) OFF your calendar each week. Look in the mirror and tell yourself “It’s okay to say ‘no.’”

Exercise LESS vigorously by walking rather than running, doing slow flow yoga instead of Sun Salutations, and supplementing your regular yoga practice with restorative and yin yoga.

SIT quietly for 5-10 minutes every day (twice a day if you can). Watch the birds eating at a bird feeder, sip a delicious cup of tea, gaze into an icon or flower, and express gratitude for your good health.

May you know peace, love and joy this holiday season!

It’s the season of gratitude, so I thought I would offer you some gratitude practices inspired by the Yoga tradition to bring your body and mind in sync with the Thanksgiving season.

Body gratitude practice: Unroll your yoga mat and stand to the side. Take a full breath in and out as you place your hands on your heart. What is one thing you are grateful for in this moment? It could be as big as a promotion at work or as small as hot water for a shower this morning. Just choose one thing.

With awareness, step on the yoga mat and stand in Mountain pose. Inhale to lift arms overhead, palms touch overhead, exhale to bring hands to the heart center. Repeat a few times. Inhale to lift arms overhead and arch the back, hold for three breaths, breathing into the chest. (If this is stressful for your lower back, place the hands on the lower back for support)

Bend forward from the hips and place the hands on the floor or a block. Hold for three breaths. Place hands on hips and stand up again.

Step the feet apart a little more than shoulder width. Turn the legs out so you can easily bend the knees and squat halfway down without stressing your knees. Inhale, lift the arms up as you straighten your legs; exhale and bring the arms down as you bend your knees. Practice several times.

Stand up and turn the heels out. Bend forward from the hips and place hands on the floor or a block. Bend the right knee, then the left, going back and forth several times. Finally, straighten both legs, bend forward in the center and let your mind quiet down. Hold for several breaths.

Bring the feet together. Have a seat on the floor.

Mind gratitude practice: Sit on a blanket or a cushion on the floor, or sit up tall on a chair with feet well-grounded on the floor. Place the backs of your hands on your legs and turn the palms up. Breathe naturally and easily through the nose. Remember a time when you were happy. Try to remember all the things that contributed to that happiness—where you were, who you were with, what you were doing, what you were wearing. Use all of your senses—seeing, hearing, touch, taste, smell—to make the remembrance as real as possible. (pause)

Let go of the scene you created and simply isolate the feeling of happiness. What does it feel like in your body? Does it have a color, a shape, a texture? What other feelings or thoughts accompany it? (pause)

Let that feeling take over your whole body, bathing your body in color, light or the sensation of being happy. (pause)

Link that feeling of happiness to a place in your body so that you can return to this feeling anytime you need to or want to. (pause)

After several minutes, bring your hands together in front of your heart center and bow your head to your own heart. Let gratitude arise in your heart. Namaste