It’s the most wonderful time of the year. We’re all laying the yuletide gay, wrapping our pressies, and preparing for Father Christmas. Yet for some, it’s also a time of stress and perhaps even heartache. Yes, XMAS can be a rollercoaster of emotions, but mindfulness and meditation can help us to stay calm this festive season. Whether it’s by applying the concept of mindfulness to our gift wrapping or doing a special Christmas guided meditation, let’s embrace a little bit of Zen this year. Lord knows I need to.
I hate to say it, but for me Christmas is a painful time. Ever since I emigrated to Canada by myself, I’ve felt homesick at Christmas and I always miss my family most at this time of year, especially my father, who has passed. Plus, I don’t have kids. Seeing everyone else with their family is very much bittersweet. You can probably relate. After all, most of us have lost at least one person in our lives, and Christmas makes that grief more ripe. And even if you’re blessed to have not lost anyone and to have no reason to grieve, there’s still the busyness to contend with.
Put simply, Christmas is a time of year when we need meditation the most. So how can we apply the principles and practices of mindfulness to the holidays? Let’s take a look.
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The Art of Christmas Meditation
I’m going to make my whole Christmas a mindful one this year, in the hope that it will make me a bit less stressed and less homesick, and perhaps it will help me to enjoy XMAS a lot more.
Here’s my plan for a mindful Christmas.
Getting Gifts At Small Local Stores
Christmas retail can be a frenzy of mindlessness as we all scurry to find the best presents (speaking of which, here are some ideas for gifts for Buddhists and meditators).
That’s why I will be shopping at smaller, local stores. Not only is this a great way to support small business, but it is also a more mindful experience simply because those local stores that aren’t in a mall tend to be quieter and more peaceful. Bonus points if you shop at a local store that actually sells its own products.
While shopping for gifts, I’m also going to extend loving kindness (Metta) to the person I’m shopping for, by visualizing sending them compassion while I shop.
Mindful Gift Wrapping
Have you heard about the Buddhist practice called Soji? It’s basically about using everyday chores as mindfulness exercises. I’m going to apply the same concept to wrapping my gifts. I’ll start by laying out everything I need in an organized fashion. Then, instead of haphazardly suffocating the present in a mess of wrapping paper, I’m going to slowly and consciously wrap each gift with love. And when I write my cards, I’ll pause and reflect on each person I’m writing to, and then selectively choose words that perfectly represent my relationship with that person.
Mindfully Eating Christmas Dinner
Christmas dinner is perhaps the most special meal of the year, and this year I want to make sure I enjoy every moment of it. To that end, I’m going to eat Christmas dinner mindfully. That is, when I sit down at the dining table on the big day, I’m going to pause and take a breath, and remind myself to be present. Then I’m going to eat (and drink) slowly and consciously being aware of every bite. If you want to join me in this, I recommend reading my guide to mindful eating.
My Christmas Guided Meditation
Enjoy this merriment-inducing guided meditation for Christmas.
We begin by taking a few mindful breaths just to relax. Then we set our intention to be mindful this Christmas. Next, we visualize our home being beautiful and decorated for xmas. We are sat at a big Christmas table at which is every single person we love. One by one we move down the table, taking a moment to connect with each person and to wish them loving kindness and a merry Christmas.
Have A Mindful Merry Christmas
As I write this there are only ten days until Christmas! Eeek! Santa is busy in his grotto finalizing everyone’s gifts and Rudolf is warming up ready to take flight. Meanwhile, I’m here hoping that I can enjoy the holidays without the stress and the emotions of it all! Will I succeed? Who know. But at least by being mindful I can give myself the best shot at a relaxing and enjoyable XMAS! Have a good one!
Paul Harrison BSc is a qualified meditation teacher who believes in genuine, authentic meditation. He has more than 15 years experience in teaching meditation and mindfulness both to individuals and to corporations and is the author of four books on meditation. He has been featured in Psychology Today, Breathe Magazine, Healthline, Psych Central and Lion’s Roar.
Paul studied meditation in beautiful Oxford, UK, and Hamilton Ontario Canada, and earned his degree at Staffordshire University.
Paul’s biggest inspirations include Thich Nhat Hanh, Jon Kabat Zinn, and Jack Kornfield.
“My goal is to provide the most authentic meditation sessions so you can harness the power of your own mind for personal transformation” – Paul Harrison