By Karie Wik, LMBT, CYT

True Significance of the Holiday Season

The end of our calendar year, for many of us, marks a time for celebration, gratitude, and reunion. We reconvene with our families and good friends, some of whom we haven’t seen for the last eleven months. We exchange cards and gifts with our loved ones, share food and drink, and perform rituals passed down through generations. Over the years, the communities with which we share our special celebrations may shift and change, as will the details of our rituals. Still, for many of us, underlying stress can overshadow the beauty of these celebrations, reunions and communions. We forget about the true spirit behind the holiday season and become consumed with anxiety, attachments or grief. Although this is a very special time of the year for many, it can throw many of us off balance. Investigating the reasons behind seasonal stress can be the first step to managing it effectively.

Mental Stress

Mental stress can be caused by a Vata imbalance - specifically by the subdosha, Prana Vata (vayu) that can become out of balance due to a change in routine, overstimulation, irregular eating habits, or simply an overload in mental activity.

Physical Stress

Physical Stress during the busy holiday season is a double-sided coin. On one side is stress resulting from over-active bodies, rushing around at the shops, rising early and going to bed later than usual, or overexerting oneself in any number of holiday traditions (tree decorating, playing with children, dancing and partying, or flying around the kitchen preparing a feast.)

The other side of this coin involves inactivity. It is customary in our culture to overindulge in food and drink, to sleep in on our vacations, to skip our gym time to spend time with visiting family, or to simply treat ourselves to some well-deserved downtime. Kapha dosha is particularly disturbed and involved when we slow to a halt, and eventually we begin to accumulate ama, or impurities that can clog the channels of the body, further disconnecting the body from the mind.

Emotional Stress

Emotions can cause extra stress to the body and mind at this time of year as well. Losing a loved one prematurely, feeling alone, or handling tenuous family relations can cause a rise in emotional reactions, depression, frustration or anger. Pitta imbalance can occur as a reaction to these stressful situations, causing a disruption in our digestion, which can cloud the body and disconnect our mind from our bodies. When we overload our bodies on sweets, fats and alcohol our digestion also finds it impossible to keep up, forcing impurities to accumulate in the body.

Treatments

Mind (Mental) - Balance Vata and Pitta by striving to remain calm, centered, and grounded. Treatment to soothe an overactive mind is Shirodhara


The Shirodhara is a profoundly relaxing treatment in which a soothing stream of warm oil is poured over the forehead. The oil pour follows a head, face and neck massage. Time is permitted after the treatment for the mind to integrate and re-awaken. This treatment calms the central nervous system and integrates the mind and body.



Body (Physical) - Balance Vata and Kapha by maintaining your regular sleep pattern as much as possible. Modify your yoga practice to reflect and balance your other activity (slow restorative practice for an overactive, hectic schedule, and brisk, flowing practice for those prone to too much lounging over the winter break.)

Spirit (Emotions) - Balance all three doshas, but pay close attention to emotional eating or irrational emotional behavior; add Marma Therapy to your next appointment to help unblock subtle energy points and reconnect body to mind.