The #holidaysEASEon

Can you feel it? During the last month of the year, the pace seems to accelerate. People are already starting to ask, "Are you ready for the holidays?" Ready for what, exactly? Already, there's a palpable, collective expectation of stress. And it's not even December yet.

What if we all expect ease instead?

What if instead of trying to pack more in — more parties, more gifts, more friends, more family, more food, more workouts... — we prioritize a pause? Rather than forcing an early morning run when you have a packed schedule, sit for a few minutes and focus on how you want to feel for the rest of the day. After a long day at work, put your Legs Up the Wall for five minutes before racing off to eve holiday parties. Recognize that some days what you need most is to just let go of your to-do list and rest. Perhaps most importantly, allow yourself to absorb all that you've accomplished in 2014.

This is the #holidaysEASEon.

From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, be still for at least five minutes a day. You can call it meditation, you can call it quiet time, you can call it deep breathing — call it whatever you want but just gift yourself that time to be still. Then, choose for the resulting feeling to set the tone and notice how that affects your attitude, your energy, and your interactions.

It's not a challenge — it's an invitation to ease. A few minutes of stillness is radical — revolutionary — and serves as a simple reminder that it's always available to us, even when things get a little cray.

Every day, we'll use Instagram and Twitter to share how we're staying easeful this time of year.

Help us spread the ease by sharing your own pics with #holidaysEASEon and tag @athletesforyogahq.

Can you feel it? The ease...

Erin TaylormeditationComment