The end of the year brings on so many thoughts and feelings.

We begin to feel the buzz of the holiday season: The planning, parties, scheduling, family gatherings, shopping, overindulgence in food and booze, and late nights.

It’s easy to toss everyday life – including our self-care practices – out the window.

Suddenly there’s no time to exercise or practice yoga, and definitely no time to meditate. When the mind is in overdrive with to-do lists, sitting still and getting quiet can seem impossible.

We might feel like it’s ok to let our practices go for a couple months.

“I’ll get back to it in January.”

Is it possible for us to stay on our spiritual path during the holiday season?

First, what does spiritual path even mean?

I once read that Chögyam Trungpa said, and I’m paraphrasing…

There is no separation between your spiritual path and your life path. Your everyday activities, work, relationships, mindful practices, exercise, care-taking, cleaning, and cooking ARE your spiritual path. Your life path IS your spiritual path.

When our minds get tangled up in the chaos of the world and day-to-day life, taking care of ourselves often goes on the back burner.

When we don’t pay attention to finding a balance between our outer world of activity and our inner world of quiet, mental chatter and emotions take over.

We get bombarded by thoughts while caught up in daily activities, and slowly, the quality of life diminishes.

The spark fades, and we become exhausted, overworked, and grumpy.

Sound familiar?

Finding a balance between our outer world of responsibilities and our inner world of quiet is a heroic feat.

Connecting to ourselves is one of the greatest skills we can develop. And we can’t just do it once and expect it to stick.

It’s a skill that needs consistent attention and cultivation.

This time of year, so many of my students ask, “How do I stick to my practices when life is so busy?”

Here are three suggestions I offer…

 

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1. Make a sacred pledge.

If you’re struggling to stay on track, create a sacred pledge: A secret agreement with yourself to devote time to your practices.

Don’t just tell yourself you’ll do this. Think about what’s reasonable at this time, and write it down.

To maintain the sacredness of this pledge, keep it to yourself.

Sharing your intention can dilute it. What was your personal aspiration turns into an effort to fulfill the expectations of others.

2. Shake hands with laziness.

In Buddhist thought, busy-ness is a type of laziness. This sounds so counterintuitive, but it’s true!

Busy-ness is a way of avoiding working with our minds and bodies. When we get busy we lose sight of what’s essential. Everything feels urgent, and our priorities become cloudy.

The holidays are a wonderful time to look at our values, embrace some level of laziness, and decide what’s really important.

We can sit in conversation instead of jumping up to do the dishes, or luxuriate in a morning meditation that’s actually more important than making five different types of cookies.

3. Practice Kalyana Mitta.

This is the Buddhist concept of Spiritual Friendship.

A Spiritual Friend is a “good friend” and a “noble friend.” These are the friends and “guides” that help us stay connected to our pursuit of awakening, and our truth.

Do you have a person or group you feel supported by? Research tells us that true community contributes hugely to our health and wellness.

 

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Learning to create a balance between our inner and outer worlds is a lifetime skill that’s cumulative.

Cultivating harmony allows us to move through life with greater ease, clarity, and equanimity. It will lead to the fullest expression of who we are.

Meet the holidays with a sense of reverence for yourself and your needs.

Use these tools to bolster you, and enjoy the feelings of grounded sensibility, genuine connection, and unbridled joy.

I want to thank you for supporting me on MY path, and wish you a winter season filled with ease.

Happy Holidays!

With love,
Michele