Balance During the Holidays

Maintain Holiday Balance

It’s almost an unspoken rule around the holidays to let go and eat as much as you can and end up feeling like a stuffed turkey.  Exercise plans get abandoned and the idea of moderation goes out the window.  We all feel, myself included, defeated and disgusted and vow that we will balance it out and make changes once the New Year comes around and get a fresh start.  Why wait until then? Consider committing to balance now.

Balance is one of the most important things I have learned and continue to learn in my yoga practice. Balance is all about awareness, to all aspects of life. Find balance in the body and you will find balance in life. If you are like me this idea of balance did not come to me right away. It took some practical applications to “get it”.  Sometimes you need to feel it in your body before you get it in your mind. Here are a couple of poses to help apply balance to the body:

Balance in Standing Hand to Foot Pose

1) Standing Hand to Foot Pose – Take a moment to find your breath. When you are ready, bring your gaze forward, locate a fixed spot in front of you and place your left hand on your hip. Very slowly inhale and squeeze your right knee into your chest with your right hand. Maintain a straight spine and contract your belly inward.  You can stay right here holding your knee. If you want more of a challenge grab your right big toe and with your right hand and unhinge your knee to whatever degree you can while maintaining a straight spine. Perhaps the balance here is to just hold your knee and stop struggling to straighten out your leg. Continue to gaze forward with a straight spine and hold for five breaths.  Slowly release and repeat on the opposite side.

Balance in Tree Pose

2) Tree pose – one of my all time favorite poses because of its meditative quality. From standing, pour all the weight into your left foot and lift your right heel and place the sole of your foot onto your inner ankle, calf or thigh. Avoid your knee. Press down on the sole of your foot and establish balance on your standing leg. Bring your hips level and in one line. Press your palms together at heart center to help with stability. You can also, raise your hands above you or close your eyes if you want a little more challenge. Take five breaths. Slowly release and repeat on the other side.

Practicing these balancing poses, daily if possible, not only helps develop muscle tone and coordination but more importantly control of your body and cultivation of the mind.   This translates off the mat into more mindful eating, drinking and being merry.

Taking some mindful steps now towards balance in your life before the holiday frenzy starts puts you one step ahead in the New Year.  Happy Holidays!

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and well–being.