How We Experience the Holidays & Our Mind
Tapping into our five senses.
The holidays inspire joy and celebration for many people. It can also be a stressful time for many. The experience we have during the holidays is affected by the relationship we have with the contents of our mind.
According to classical Chinese medical texts, the intent and will are derived and influenced by the internal weather and experience of one’s own mind. Chinese medical theory acknowledges the connection of the mind and the heart. That which resides in the heart, the mind perpetuates and becomes your intention. The will is understood as the intention put into action.
The mind is influenced by the five senses. One of the best gifts of the holidays is that which we give ourselves in freeing the grasp from unintended thoughts. Did this thought of wanting a triple layered chocolate cake come from me or the advertisement I saw on a roadside billboard? If I am to be truly giving it’s my intention that sets the stage for the gift. Should I give out of advertising or societal pressure or thoughtfulness stemming from the intention of my own heart?
Decreasing daylight and temperatures this time of year encourage us to look inward, opening to the intentions of our own heart. Practicing awareness by turning our attention to our own center of being (the heart) is especially important in times of stress and excitement synonymous with the holiday season.
Try this exercise to increase awareness and bring your attention inward.
- Sit comfortably in a chair
- Close the eyes
- Inhale and bring your attention to the acupuncture point yintang, located between the eyebrows
- Exhale and soften the brow, lift the chest and widen the collar bones
- Repeat several times
