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A Peaceful Yoga Christmas

Francesca Silva

AMGT_Christmas_12.25.081.jpgAh, Christmas…a time of cheer, goodwill to all and joy to the world. Wait – what planet am I visiting from?!

If we listen to all the panic around us, we’ll hear that retail is in a decline in this economic downturn. Well, it probably is but I wouldn’t have thought so when I was at the mall yesterday.

Before going to my yoga class in the evening, I decided to do a few hours of Christmas shopping. Mumsie was comfortably ensconced at home with her “Lifeline” pendant and a neighbor on stand-by, so I felt comfortable heading off to the nearby mall with my shopping list.

I should have suspected this shopping business wasn’t going to be a breeze when it took me almost 25 minutes to find a spot in the parking lot – or maybe I should call it the “war zone” since there were many other drivers who were fighting (almost literally) for spaces. “Hopefully, it will be better inside” I remember thinking.

Ha! That’s me – the eternal optimist!

The mall was full of people who were rushing about frantically, so I plunged right in with them, looking for the “perfect” gifts for everyone on my list. Finding them was only half the problem, though, as I then had to line up to pay for them. While waiting in one of the many long lines, I looked around and realized that almost everyone had the same looks on their faces – stressed frustration! The good old Grinches were out in full – and I was right there with them!

By the time I was done, I was feeling so stressed that I decided not to go to my yoga class, so I called my husband to tell him I was heading home instead. I was taken aback when he responded with “No way – you’re going to that class. You need it! Your Mum’s fine. I’ll be home in about ten minutes and will get dinner ready.” Before I could argue, he added “Just go!

My husband’s a smart man – he probably knew that if I headed home, I would end up taking my delightful mood out on him and he wasn’t having any of that. So off I went (reluctantly but dutifully) to my yoga class.

When I arrived, the first thing our instructor said was, “So who’s feeling particularly stressed out these days with Christmas coming?” Every single hand shot up! Our instructor smiled serenely and said, “This is the time to let go of all frustrations and focus on ourselves” – and that’s exactly what we did. As we went through some soothing yoga relaxation techniques, I felt all the stress and tension drain away from my body, leaving me feeling calm and relaxed.

After class, I floated home and gave my husband a big thank-you hug. My feeling of peace stayed with me the whole evening and well into the next day. Reflecting on how wonderful I was feeling toward one and all made me realize that yoga has given me the perfect gift.

Instead of stressing ourselves out looking for something special for a loved one, let’s take a moment to recognize that the perfect gift is right in front of us. It’s the gift of sharing the peace we feel with everyone around us, be they loved ones or strangers.

So happy holidays to all of you – and may the peace of Christmas remain in your lives, not only during this holiday season but in the New Year ahead.

~Namaste.

[tags]christmas, shopping mall, xmas gifts, peaceful yoga, perfect gift from yoga[/tags]

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