Mindful Holiday Eating

The holiday season is upon us! A common tradition to celebrate includes feasting on rich foods and decadent sweets. What a perfect opportunity to really enjoy this abundance!

Here is a quick reference for using mindfulness to make your holiday dinner a unique experience and not just a delicious meal.  

Mindful Eating Exercise

1. Gratitude. Look at everything in front of you. Acknowledge your abundance. (Where did it come from? How long did it take to prepare? Who prepared this meal? How much money was spent to share such a bountiful meal?) Take a moment to be truly and genuinely grateful for all of it.

2. Less is more. Do not fill your plate. If you take heaping portions you may be eating to get full, when you really only need to eat until you no longer feel hungry. Try the different foods and get more of those things you really like if you are still hungry.

3. Slow down. Spend more time chewing, smelling, tasting, and talking with those around you. Get the most out of this special feast by making it last.

4. Breathe. It may sound silly to add this step, but it is pretty common to get so caught up in the  excitement of the holiday that you forget to really take those deep, satisfying breaths.  Take a few moments during the meal to take a nice slow deep belly breath with a slow peaceful exhalation.  Your digestion will be better and your body will be more relaxed.

5.  Savor. How does it smell? Is that a hint of cinnamon? When is the last time you enjoyed this food? Enjoy the taste, smell, and texture for as long as possible.  

Happy Holidays!

Pre-Sleep Rituals

If you’re tired of sleepless nights, a pre-sleep routine can help shift your mind from being busy to at ease. Training your mind to prepare for sleep requires discipline and consistency. There is not a one-size fits all routine, just the routine that works best for you. Working your way backwards can help you determine the amount of time you need to unwind (usually around 1-1.5 hours).

Grab a journal and a pen and write what your favorite evening rituals are + what a perfect pre-sleep routine would look like for you.

Some evening ritual ideas:

Warm Baths

Warm baths and showers help raise your body’s temperature and make you feel drowsy. Next time you take a bath, try adding Epsom salt to reduce inflammation and relax your muscles. The magnesium in Epsom salt helps relieve stress and can also release a migraine or headache.

Dim the Lights

Limit the use of overhead lights at night. Replace overhead lights with dimmers, table and floor lamps, or even fairy lights. Add a sense of naturalness by burning wood in a fire.

Log Off

Set boundaries on your computer and phone to avoid zoom-scrolling and answering that oneeee more email. Most cell phones also now allow “time limits” on certain apps which helps us from getting “stuck”. Allow yourself at least an hour or two before crawling into bed to set your phone on “do not disturb” mode. Having these healthy boundaries will let you focus on the present moment and help you wind down your mind.

Declutter your Space

Make your bed during the day so that your bed is inviting when it’s time for sleep. Clear out any dishes or put away any clothes. Make your bedroom feel clean and like a sanctuary, so that you can feel more calm and peaceful. What is something you can add to your bedroom or even just to your nightstand that will make you feel good when you walk into that space?

Cooler Temperature

Set the temperature to be really cool. Whether that means adjusting your thermostat, turning on a fan, or cracking open a window. Researchers say that the best temperature to get optimal sleep is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, you get to avoid waking up with night sweats in the middle of a deep sleep!

Gratitude Journal

Allow yourself the space and time to journal to clear your mind before shutting your eyes. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, perhaps just a few sentences on how your day was and writing an affirmation. What happened to you during your day that made you grateful?

Skin Care

Your evening skin care routine is important. For an evening routine, we recommend: cleansing, toning, and applying a facial oil (or a sleep mask). Part of keeping your skin fresh means making sure you have fresh sheets on your bed. Silk pillow cases are less likely to trap bacteria and can reduce chaffing or irritation.

Cup of Tea

Sipping some tea that’s infused with calming properties can help you ease in to those zzz’s. Look for teas with Chamomile + Valerian. Chamomile contains antioxidants that can promote sleepiness and act as a tranquilizer. Valerian is a type of root with sedative and sleep-enhancing properties. Lavender, Rose, Passionflower, and Lemon Balm are also known to have anxiety + stress reducing effects.

Stretching or Yoga

If it’s not too stimulating, moving your body in the evening might help you sleep better. Avoid activities like cardio and HIIT, and replace them with yoga to help relax tense muscles + release stuck energy.

Guided Meditation or Rhythmic Breathing

Taking even just 5 minutes before bed to draw awareness to your breath can reduce anxiety and stress significantly. Try a simple Box Breathing technique: inhaling for a count of 4, hold top of inhale for 4, exhale for 4, and hold bottom of exhale for 4. Repeat this exercise as many times until you experience a calming effect. Some of our favorite guided meditation apps are Headspace and Calm. You can find sleepcasts (storytelling), sleep music, and guided “wind down” meditations.

Like any new habit, you may not start to see the benefits for a few weeks or even months. One of the most important parts of your routine will be going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning.

Pre-sleep rituals will not only prepare you to unwind for a more restful sleep, but they will also set you up for a quality morning and next day.

Resources

“Bedtime Routines and Sleep Rituals for Restful Sleep.” Retrieved from https://www.verywellhealth.com/bedtime-routines-and-sleep-rituals-for-restful-sleep-3014947.

“How To Create An Effective Bedtime Ritual For Better Sleep.” Retrieved from https://thesleepdoctor.com/2018/09/23/how-to-create-an-effective-bedtime-ritual-for-better-sleep/.

“The 7 Best Teas to Help You Get a Better Night’s Sleep”. Retrieved from https://www.oprahmag.com/life/food/g25604298/best-tea-for-sleep/.

“How Valerian Root Helps You Relax and Sleep Better.” Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/valerian-root#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2.

Be Grateful to Everyone

You may already be familiar with Pema Chodron’s work. Her writing and teachings have inspired many to live a more grounded and spiritually-aware existence. Pema Chodron has written many influential books, including When Things Fall Apart, The Wisdom of No Escape, and Living Beautifully, to name a few. 

One of her excerpts from Start Where You Are is titled: Be Grateful to Everyone. This slogan teaches us that when we reject or dislike other people, we are actually rejecting or disliking pieces of ourselves. If we are able to be grateful to everyone, in turn, we are able to be grateful to ourselves. 

Pema writes, “If we were to make a list of people we don’t like--people we find obnoxious, threatening, or worthy of contempt--we would find out a lot about those aspects of ourselves that we can’t face. If we were to come up with one word about each of the troublemakers in our lives, we would find ourselves with a list of descriptions of our own rejected qualities, which we project onto the outside world” (p. 56). 

Another way of understanding this idea is: “...other people trigger the karma that we haven’t worked out. They mirror us and give us the chance to befriend all of that ancient stuff that we carry around like a backpack full of granite boulders” (p. 56). 

Sitting with the reality that we all have unfinished business and baggage we carry around is tough. Reflect on how this happens for you, without attaching any guilt or shame. Once you become aware, you can begin to change habits and patterns. Start by taking a curious stance and when you notice yourself becoming annoyed with someone, ask yourself, “what piece of this other person is actually a reflection of what needs attention in me?” Be patient and kind to yourself as you dig down to the issues coming up in yourself. Through this practice, you can start to embody the idea of being grateful to everyone. 

References
Chodron, P. (1994). The Pema Chodron Collection. “Be Grateful to Everyone.” One Spirit:

Shambhala Publications, Inc.