My Top 5 Yoga-Inspired Ways to Endure (and even enjoy!) Family Time This Holiday Season.
“If you think you are enlightened, go spend a week with your family.”
The holidays have a magical way of bringing out the best…..and most challenging aspects of family life. Ram Dass’ famous line always resonates because it is so undeniably true. Nothing tests our patience, presence and inner peace quite like gathering under one roof with the people who knew us before we ever dreamed of stepping on a yoga mat, or sitting on a meditation cushion, connecting to our “highest selves”.
This is exactly where yoga becomes more than just a set of poses — it becomes a living practice. Yoga reminds us that beneath our reactions, our stories (or grandma’s), and our triggers, our true nature is divine. At our core we are love, patience, generosity and inner spaciousness and these qualities can carry us through even the most chaotic holiday dinner.
Use these 5 yoga-inspired suggestions to help you stay grounded, present, compassionate, and sane this holiday season:
1.begin each day with a “micro practice”
You may not have time to make it to class or an hour to dedicate to a full practice, but even 5 minutes of intentional breathing or gentle stretching before the day begins can shift everything.
Try:
10 deep belly breaths
1 minute of cat/cow
a few rounds of your favorite version of sun salutation
This short practice will remind your nervous system that you choose how you show up, and allow you to show up centered, steady, and connected to your deepest nature.
2.use the power of the pause
Family dynamics often trigger old patterns of behavior. Yoga teaches us the “sacred pause”: the space between stimulus and response where freedom lives. Before reacting, try silently asking yourself:
“What would love do here?”
This tiny pause can transform anger and tension into understanding, a snarky response into compassion, and reactivity into a thoughtful response from a place of presence.
3. refresh your perspective with a “mental child’s pose”
In an āsana class child’s pose symbolizes surrender, humility, and safety. You may not literally drop to the floor during your family dinner (although you could!), but you can return to the mental energy of this common āsana.
When conversations get heated, or you feel overwhelmed, imagine sinking into a soft, spacious inner child’s pose.
Let your breath slow down.
Let your shoulders drop.
Let yourself soften.
It like a reset button that is available to you anywhere, anytime.
4. Practice loving-kindness toward that “difficult” relative
Metta meditation, or loving kindness mediation, is perfect for family gatherings. Think of that one relative who reliably tests your peace. Instead of bracing for impact, silently offer them a simple intention:
May you be happy.
May you feel safe.
May you experience love.
When you offer loving-kindness you are not excusing their behavior, your are freeing yourself from being entabled in it. Loving-kindness can allow you to respect your boundaries while opening your heart.
5. Remember your true nature (and everyone else’s)
The deepest teaching of yoga is that our essence nature is divine — pure awareness, pure love, pure spaciousness. The same is true of your family members, even if they (and we) forget it occasionally.
When you remember that beneath all of the holiday stress and decades old storylines there is a shared divinity, it becomes easier to meet each moment with patience, generosity, and humor.
Yoga isn’t about being perfect — it’s about coming home to who you really are.
And holiday gatherings? They are the advanced course. They give us countless opportunities to practice compassion, boundary-setting, forgiveness, presence, and most importantly, love.