Thanksgiving is right around the corner which means the holiday season has begun and with it come busy schedules, family filled celebrations, gift lists, and other fun-filled events that may also bring with them some festivity-related stress. Luckily, there are a few ways to make sure you keep your cool and get the most out of your holiday experience. 

Ayurveda teaches us that taking care of our inner health, meaning our mental and emotional state, is just as important as the ways we take care of our physical health. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can often leave us feeling emotionally and mentally drained, but there are Ayurvedic mindfulness exercises to address and replenish your mind and spirit so that you truly enjoy this beautiful time of year. 

Find balance 

 Learning ways to find inner balance when your outer world is hectic can make your life more enjoyable and healthier overall. We wanted to share a few ways that you can calm your mind and create inner peace.

Implement a daily self-care routine

Self-love looks different for each individual, but one thing we know for certain is that everyone needs and deserves to experience joy every day. Finding little things that you can implement into your daily routine to make yourself feel good will go a long way in helping you manage stress that you may experience in daily life, especially during the holiday season. 

Things like establishing a daily skincare routine and making time for exercise can really make a difference in your physical and mental health. Getting your body moving is a great way to boost hormones, like endorphins and serotonin, that induce happiness and increase your energy and ability to focus. 

Consider your emotional and mental health when creating a daily self-care routine

  “When you look good, you feel good” is a common phrase we’ve all heard at some point, but Ayurveda teaches us the opposite. When you feel good, you look great. Taking care of your emotional and mental health is key to establishing inner confidence and joyful energy that radiate to everyone who comes in contact with you. 

Ayurvedic practices like meditation, mindfulness and mantras go hand in hand and can also be implemented into your lifestyle separately to help you live a more tranquil life.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness go hand in hand. Mindfulness is a quality while meditation is a practice. Mindfulness can be described as the awareness that you experience as a result of allowing yourself to be in the present moment, paying attention on purpose. Meditation is one way to help achieve mindfulness by allowing you to quietly and purposefully focus on something like your breathing, your body, or your thoughts. Once you begin implementing mindfulness into your lifestyle, it changes the way you experience daily life. 

Mantras

In Sanskrit, mantra means a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, or a syllable, word, or group of words believed to have psychological and spiritual power. We wanted to share a few mantras we love that you can repeat throughout the day to help you stay balanced, unbothered and happy. 

I am grateful

This is a great mantra for any time of day, but it becomes especially helpful during times of frustration, anxiety, or anger. Refocus your energy by repeating this mantra while envisioning something or everything you are grateful for. Suddenly, the problem at hand seems insignificant in comparison with all of the great things you have in your life. 

I am gratitude

This mantra is wonderful for creating a surge of joyfulness within yourself. You embody gratitude for everything in existence and realize how connected you really are. Use this mantra to boost your spirit when you feel disconnected or depressed. 

I recognize my true self in every person I meet

This is a great mantra to keep in mind during the holidays when many of us are surrounded by groups of people out in public or at gatherings of family and friends. We are all alike in many ways that can sometimes be difficult to recognize and therefore, we all need and deserve a little compassion from time to time. Use this mantra when you are feeling impatient or emotionally triggered by someone to help you reach a balanced peaceful state.