How to Fully Enjoy Your Holidays (Minus the Side Effects)
If you’re anything like me, your favorite holiday season includes clear night skies studded with diamond-like stars, happy faces and joyful smiles, a beautiful ski resort, red velvets, snowy chimneys, glowing fire places, red tartan shawls, gold wrapping paper and Milanese panettone. Oh, and add an evergreen wreath covered in red berries, or one with fresh green leaves and bright yellow lemons.
Or maybe, for you it’s more like a red bow tied around your desired gift:
- a new dress,
- air tickets to your ideal destination
- a laptop
- a new car
- a big check
- high-heeled boots
- a white sofa
- a Persian rug
- diamond earrings
- gold plates overflowing with frosted cookies
- chocolate delights
- another item from your wish list
The right to joy
This season is also when we realize, with a sigh, that we all deserve love and happiness—young or old, poor or rich—and tis the season to be jolly. And we worry that we won’t get what we wish for.
There’s also a growing crowd of those so overwhelmed by extra work, solitude, last-minute shopping or the general busyness of the season, who stop believing that the holidays are still about hope, love, enjoyment and generosity.
Then there are others—many—who’ll be rushing to the gym on January 1 to try to lose the dreaded extra weight, courtesy of irresistible eggnogs, holiday cakes or late night champagne.
But what if—for a welcome change—this year we just glowed with cheer, bubbled with energy, felt genuine love for all, looked amazing in our shiny holiday outfits and gained no weight at all?
To make this possible, I’ve put together a quick guide filled with time-tested and science-approved tips for you—so that you can enjoy yourself to the maximum, feel good, look good, do good, and all in a sustainably joyful mood, no matter what!
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Scientific support
Modern research and neuroscience link positive emotions to certain behaviors, and easy ways to trick the brain into experiencing more happiness. This list is easy to implement. Check it out.
- Look at images of celestial beings and divine imagery. It leads to compassion and higher intelligence.
- Smile more. Even if you don’t mean it, your brain will read it as authentic and your mood will improve. Studies show that it also lowers blood pressure.
- Donate money, food or clothes. Studies on generosity show benefits for both your health and mood.
- Express gratitude. Your parents and grandparents might have told you this a lot. But even a Yale study reveals that remembering often what you’re genuinely grateful for boosts your life and increases your well-being.
- Slow down. You can do this by journaling or through a short meditation. Even simply paying more attention to how you feel and your activities through more awareness is healing.
- Be kind. Wishing others well improves your health and increases your capacity to feel happiness.
Timeless wisdom
Ayurveda, India’s holistic system of well-being, isn’t against fun and enjoyment.
In fact, the core principles of Ayurveda are embedded in deep joy and sensual delight without the fear of disease or stress. Why? Because its health guidelines include plenty of healthy sweets, tasty dishes and easy lifestyle tips to keep your body-mind in great shape.
Plus, your waistline will look good because Ayurveda is based on balance. And when you follow an Ayurvedic lifestyle, you won’t gain weight and you’ll look your best: eyes with luster, glowing skin, lots of energy, a pleasant facial expression, and a fit and healthy body.
The secret to restoring health, balance and joy is found in the three main elements or doshas:
- Vata or Air
- Pitta or Fire
- Kapha or Water.
These elements are the keys to everything you need to stay fit, healthy, happy and motivated—here’s how.
VATA
Simply put, Vata is your body’s flexibility, your enthusiasm for life and a willingness to try new experiences.
A Vata imbalance, instead, leads to sleeplessness, anxiety, dry skin or fears.
To balance Vata, and enjoy your creativity and experience pleasant emotions, you need a routine that calms the mind and warms the body.
DOs
- Get enough sleep
- Take an early morning 30-minute walk
- Eat a warm breakfast (oatmeal with ghee or butter is great)
- Try journaling or goalsetting for 15 minutes
- Gentle yoga poses
- Easy meditation
- Stay away from thrillers and fearsome movies
- Eat cooked, warm, salty and fresh foods
- Eat dairies
- Eat an occasional chocolaty dessert (really, you can!)
- Stay warm
- Drink warm water throughout the day
- Drink organic licorice tea
DON’Ts
- Eat cold or raw foods
- Eat leftovers
- Skip meals
- Drink icy latte or too much caffeine
- Stay up past midnight every night
- Run on the treadmill or outside for over 30 minutes
- Skip dressing on your veggies
Final tips: do not spend too much time alone. If you miss someone, help a person in need or go out with a friend. The resulting warm feelings will heal your heart.
PITTA
Your drive for success, passion, your bright eyes, beautiful skin, deep intelligence and intellectual interests are governed by Pitta. Good digestion—the foundation of perfect health—also depends on sustained fire or Pitta.
A Pitta imbalance, instead, leads to irritability, heartburn, and excessive ambition that can harm relationships or cause ruthless competition.
To balance Pitta, and enjoy your success and peaceful emotions, you need a routine that cools both the mind and the body.
DOs
- Go to sleep before midnight
- Eat a cooked apple or pear for breakfast
- Swim for 30 minutes
- Walk briskly 5 times a week
- Jog early in the morning
- Eat fresh pomegranate
- Yoga
- Calming meditation
- Eat cooked, cool-to-warm, fresh foods
- Eat a nutritious fruit dessert (occasionally)
- Stay cool
- Drink room temperature water throughout the day
- Eat fresh dairies (not aged cheese)
- Eat green salad
- Drink organic mint tea
- Drink warm milk before bed
DON’Ts
- Eat too much hot, oily, fried, sour or spicy foods
- Skip lunch
- Eat at your computer or on the run
- Eat leftovers
- Drink too much alcohol
- Stay up past midnight every night
- Run in the sun if you live in a tropical climate
- Use a sauna
- Skip sleep for late drinking or competitive games
- Skip meals
Final tips: do not get involved in a heated discussion at work or among relatives. Spend time in leisurely activities and if you can afford it, splurge on a bit of luxury. Looking at beauty and putting cooling rose petals in foods, drinks or your environment heal anger and lead to more loving relationships.
KAPHA
Your calmness and sweet demeanor, your attractive, large eyes, your incredible stamina, and great memory are your forte, dear Kapha.
A Kapha imbalance leads to weight gain, lethargy and sadness. In this state, motivation and drive are greatly reduced.
To balance Kapha and experience more interest in physical activities and life in general, you need regular exercise, a diet of light, hot foods like soup and avoiding sugar and breads. A variety of experiences is important to keep Kapha motivated.
DOs
- Have caffeinated tea or coffee in the late afternoon to help you stay up longer and avoid excessive sleep.
- Skip breakfast or eat a cooked apple or pear with cloves. Add cinnamon and cardamom
- Run or walk briskly for 1 hour daily
- Eat spicy legumes (dal, chickpeas or lentils)
- Resist taking naps during the day
- Eat roasted pumpkin seeds
- Power or hot yoga
- Reduce or skip cheese and milk (occasional goat cheese is fine)
- Avoid oily and sugary foods
- Eat dessert only on special occasions or substitute with a pomegranate, apple or pear
- Eat popcorn instead of wheat toast
- Stay warm
- Drink hot organic ginger tea or Indian chai
- At the gym, try to sweat or use a sauna
DON’Ts
- Sleep during the day
- Eat lots of wheat
- Snack on sweets
- Eat leftovers
- Drink too much alcohol
- Sleep late
- Skip your exercise
- Resist change
Final tips: get more involved in your social life, volunteer to help someone, go out and enjoy a variety of new experiences. Travel to a new destination. For emotional support turn to a friend or trusted relative.
No matter what your body type is, and in which ways you choose to celebrate your holidays, stay cheerful, practice meditation to avoid unnecessary stress and enjoy yourself. Email me at info@shreemlab.com and let me know how you liked these tips and how your special holiday is going!
Here are my best wishes to you for a wonderful holiday season—the best you’ve ever had so far!
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Disclaimer
The purpose of this article is to provide information on traditional Ayurveda. This information is not meant to diagnose, cure or prevent disease. If you have a health issue, please consult your physician, and check with your doctor before taking herbs or supplements
