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Because chocolate advent calendars aren’t that good for you.  1. Take a seat and treat yourself to a gentle exercise for the throat and neck. Creating awareness around this physical part of your body is one of the best ways to rid yourself of tension and stress that might linger around this holiday season. Pick up my guided version on the page Yoga Anywhere, Anytime and use the code OM at checkout to receive it for free! (offer expires 12/8/2020) When you perform this mudra it is also believed to channel the God Brahma, the creator of the world who has four heads pointing in all directions. 2. Set a timer for two minutes. Try to choose a gentle tone or set the timer to vibrate. Standing straight or sitting without a backrest, close your eyes and without any judgement listen to your breath. That's it! 3. Dig into the truth of something. Next time you’re feeling bored, instead of checking your e-mail or social media, spend 15 minutes researching something that you’re curious about! For example, ‘Where do my hummingbirds spend christmas?’ Or, ‘What clever solutions have humans implemented to combat historical plagues?’ Avoid indulging in sensational information, recognise propaganda and use critical thinking to take you closer to the truth!
5. Spend some quiet time with just yourself. Go for a walk or shut your door, turn off all ringers and notifications, tell your household to respect your solitude and try, just try, to not think about anything for 3-30 minutes. In Yogic Practice this is called Maun. It can be very difficult in the beginning, but will eventually start having profound effects. 6. Practice moderation. Cut back on screen time, eat less of something delicious, abstain from saying/thinking something negative about someone or simply ask yourself, ‘Can I cut back on this one thing (anything!) just for today? 7. Pray. No rules as to whom or about what. Simply spend 1-3 minutes with your eyes closed, perhaps bring your hands close to your heart and practice connecting with the universe.  8. Recognize an unnecessary rule that you are obsessed with and break it. This is not for the sake of being naughty, but rather to practice letting go of micromanaging yourself. 9. Use social distancing to your advantage to abandon the company (online or IRL) of someone who is uninspiring, unmotivating, and unsuitable to you and your goals in life. Don’t be cruel about it, don’t kick someone who’s down, but do use our current situation as a great opportunity to purify your social structure. 10. Create awareness around your hips and shoulders to allow yourself to more easily relax. Pick up Yoga Quick Fix with focus on the hips and shoulders on the page, Yoga Anywhere, Anytime and use the code SHANTI at checkout to receive it for free! (offer valid 12/10-12/17/2020)
12. Reach out to someone. Write a letter, text, email or post and let them know that you are thinking of them! 13. Practice 10 min of Pranayama and Meditation. You can either do this on your own or fast forward 15 min into the Brahma Mudra Practice that you downloaded on day one, and use the end of that class to guide you. The class is available on the page, Yoga Anywhere, Anytime. 14. Learn something about yourself. Write down how you perceive what is happening in our world today and highlight something positive you’ve experienced as well as something you’d like to change or revert. After it’s written down, put it somewhere safe for later reflection. 15. Write a to-do list or mind-map. Whether the holidays mean a bunch of prepping, working, or just figuring out what the heck and how in the F things are gonna go off this year, write down what you know you want/need to get done. No overthinking!
17. Stretch! Mindfully stretch your body any way you can/want/need or seek guidance through the Restorative Practice of Supta Padangusthasana. Get the download from the page Yoga Anywhere, Anytime and use the code OMSHANTI at check out to receive it for free! (offer available 12/16-12/24/2020) 18. Sing, out loud and uninhibited! Maybe it’s a christmas carol, a prayer, a pop song or a silly kid’s tune. Sing by yourself or invite others to join. Sing, sing, sing and let the vibrations of your voice wake up the spirit!
20. Review your Journal from day #11, your self discovery exercise from day #14 and your mind map or to do list from day #15. 21. Meditate. Do this seated or lying down without falling asleep. You can do this on your own or use the end of any of the three practices from day #1, #10 or #17. 22. Pay attention. Dedicate this day to listening without unnecessary replying or reacting. This is what we have been building up to, the big gift in calendar entry #24 will shine brighter through this step. The previous entries have been interpretations of good habits as per ancient scriptures and most of them are obvious good lifestyle modifications. You have so far practiced some silence throughout the month and today you’ll be making the effort of LISTENING all day. You’ve got this and don’t worry if you slip up, remember, it’s not that serious!  23. Let go of expectations, any and all. The future is unknown and you do not control the universe, the only thing that you can actually control are your expectations. Just let them go!
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August 2022
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