Day 5: spend time alone

Christmas for some is quiet and simple; for others, it is a social whirl. Time alone at some point over the season is important for centring yourself and bringing stillness to this busy period. And the good news is that studies have found even short meditations of 10 minutes or less are effective.

Yogi Hannah Barrett recommends this three-minute ‘connection meditation’ that helps you find alone time even if you can’t physically escape a room of people:

Wherever you are, begin by making a change in your posture, lengthening through the crown of the head to instil a sense of awareness.
Become aware of any sensations in your body, any thoughts or feelings. Be open to them all, and try not to change anything.
Become aware of how you’re breathing. Notice where you feel the breath moving, how different parts of the body move and focus on that place.
Tune into these sensations for a full inhalation, then tune in for a full exhalation.
Finally, bring your awareness to the whole body, the space the body takes up and all sensations that come and go.

Bring on 2023!

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