Kathleen Gardenswartz
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." — Albert Einstein
This season means indulging in the things that make you feel good. It means giving into the hedonistic pleasures of the season. It leads us directly to being mindful of our senses, our most specialized and innate tools that take in and decipher life experiences. Enthusiastically embrace opportunities to bring comfort and entice your senses this season.
Be present and open yourself up to each celebration, observe and be aware of how you are feeling and responsive to your body’s physical cues. Increase your joy in the present by avoiding the things that lessen it, the crazy relatives, long-lines in stores and living on perpetual autopilot. Chose your holiday plans carefully and look to give yourself and loved ones the most joy and peace possible. Think deep breaths, long luxurious baths and relaxing aromatherapy oils.
All deeply held memories of the season are somehow associated with our physical senses, this is how we take in the world. In turn, those sensory experiences affect our emotions, how we feel about our memories of past holidays. Seek out the sensory experiences that leave you feeling joy and comfort. Think back to the strongest and happiest holiday memories and you will find at least one of your 5 senses at the center of them.
Envision the beauty of the season.
The holidays are filled with magnificence and splendor but often we miss it because we move too fast, unaware of the glory that is in front of us. The most beautiful moments require active awareness, being on the lookout for special moments to catch beauty in progress. Slow down, look around and be present to see the enthusiastic and generous smile, the cold glow of a child’s face and lights that illuminate our coldest season.
Sound of the Season.
Delight in the sounds of the season, the child’s choir, the bursts of laughter around the table as guests linger after an amazing meal. Think of the sounds of the season and revel in them. The quiet, noiseless anticipation on Christmas Eve and the sound of the match bursting into flame to light the first candle on the Chanukah menorah.
Touch.
The textures of the holiday should give us pause. They are soft and luxurious blankets, fluffy and warm sweaters and sharp and crisp like paper. The clean lines of holiday paper are at once carefully wrapped to hide desired gifts and then crunched and waded up in frenzied piles as those prized gifts are once again revealed to their audience. The needles of a tree and the cold, slippery icicles both bring us back to comforting days.
Find a fantastic present to give to someone special. Don’t stress about the process but instead revel in the opportunity to give it to someone you love. Life is so short and the moments we have to express and display our exhuberance for someone we love are fleeting. Enjoy wrapping the present, find special paper that they will want to keep to remember you and place it in clear view as this present waits to be opened.
Taste.
Give into your weakness and longings, but be mindful of your enjoyment of them. The happiest people don’t hide their pleasure, instead they revel in delicious food. They make it, share it and savor each bite. Take time to prepare a special meal that incorporates all your favorite seasonal foods. Invite guests and take pride and joy in the opportunity to be with friends and family and share in its bounty. There is true satisfaction in watching others enjoy a meal that you have caringly prepared. Comfort foods bring us back in time to the days when our responsibilities were few and others were enabling a holiday filled with joyous surprises.
Smell
When I think of the holidays I get a cozy feeling just remembering the smell of juniper wood wafting through the air. That smell immediately takes me back to my childhood home’s cozy fireplace and long runs in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. In those quiet, peaceful moments it is the scents of the season that bring the strongest memories. Think of the deep, rich scents of the holidays and seek out ways to replicate them this season. The glowing light of a fire’s glow and its flickering reflection in a child’s eye gives us pause and comfort.
The holiday is filled with wonder and sharing. Make the most of your holiday by submitting to and enjoying the pleasures it brings. Surround yourself with soft luxurious textures and indulge all your senses. Be mindful and conscious of the beauty in your life and give thanks.