It’s that time of year again! Time to gather with family, relax, enjoy good food and conversation, and leave all of your stress behind. Right? No?
If that’s not how you typically experience the holiday season, then here are a few quick tips for staying Zen.
1. Do the 2 Minute Drill
The 2-Minute Drill is your single best defense against stress during the holidays. If you don’t know it, then you can learn it here. Even if you’ve never learned Tai Chi or Qigong from me or my teacher, you can still make good use of the 2-Minute Drill.
Imagine that it’s Thanksgiving Day. Imagine that you’re stressed out. (Ah, but I repeat myself.) Now imagine sneaking away from the crowd, maybe into an empty bedroom, and doing Lifting The Sky for 2 minutes.
I’m not promising that the stress will be completely gone in 2 minutes, but it will definitely be better. Try it, and let me know how it works in the comments section below.
2. Practice Twice a Day
My students know that those who consistently practice twice a day — once in the morning, and once in the evening or at night — get the best results. If you are already practicing twice a day — congrats! Keep up the good work. I’m sure that your holiday season will be more Zen than most.
If you’re not practicing twice a day, then start. Start tomorrow. Set a goal of practicing twice a day for the entire holiday season. Believe me when I say that it will make a huge difference.
If you haven’t learned Qigong or Tai Chi from me yet, then just do the 2-Minute Drill twice a day. It’s not as powerful as the 15-Minute Routine, but it’s much, much better than nothing.
3. Enjoy Your Food.
Enjoying our food.
It’s fascinating to watch my Sifu, Grandmaster Wong, eat a meal. He truly enjoys every bite. Granted, he’s a Zen Master, but still, we can learn something from his eating habits.
Look at the color of the food. Smell the aroma as you pass dishes around the table. Savor the different combinations of flavors. Put your fork down and chew each bite thoroughly. That’s Zen.
It’s ironic that people spend so much time preparing food for the holidays, but are too stressed out to enjoy it. Don’t be one of them. Even if you’re stressed out, even if someone at the table starts talking politics, just focus on the food. Savor every bite.
If the food is bad, then this will be considerably more difficult.
4. Keep Your Mouth Open
Dr. Chuck with his mouth gently open in class.
Not when you’re chewing, silly! But the rest of the time, keep the mouth gently open. My students already know how important this is. Unlocking the jaw helps to relax your entire nervous system, and keeping the mouth open lets the negative energy escape.
Whenever you feel stressed out, check your jaw. Is it tense? I bet it is! Now relax your jaw and open the mouth gently. You’ll feel the difference immediately. Close it whenever you need to swallow your saliva, and then open it again. Make this a habit.
5. Be Grateful
This one isn’t easy, but it is very powerful. When you’re stressed out, it is difficult to practice gratitude. And yet gratitude is the antidote to stress.
Are you stressed out because the turkey is overcooked? Be grateful that you have plenty of food to eat, unlike billions of other people on this planet. Are you stressed out because someone is talking politics? Be grateful that we have the freedom to agree to disagree. Are you stressed out because of the holiday traffic? Be grateful that you have a car, not a bicycle, to take you where you’re going.
Zoom out from the specifics of your life, and be grateful. If you can do this, and it’s not easy, but if you can manage it, then you’ll stay Zen not just during the holidays, but through your entire life.
From the heart,
Sifu Anthony
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This was truly great Holiday tools!
Thanks, Lela!
That was nice and also funny! Every time you mention gratitude I think of Masaru Emoto’s “The Hidden Messages in Water.” For those who haven’t seen what a water crystal affected by human feelings of gratitude looks like it’s worth checking out – it’s by far the most magnificent and beautiful! Since we’re mostly water I certainly understand why you put such emphasis on it.
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