Well, we just got through the-elections-of-elections, are battling a scary virus that most of us hadn’t heard of pre-2020, are in a unique state of isolation and ramping up for the holiday season. Stress much?

We are being presented with a novel opportunity to expand our present moment awareness. When tensions are high and you’re compulsively Googling gift ideas to try to make up for the painful fact that some of us aren’t safe to be in physical proximity with our families, take a beat and try one of the following:

1. Before going to bed, lie down flat on the bed. Shift the muscles in your body into a place that feels aligned, but not restrictive. With your body aligned for clarity, scan the body and the mind and recall the day. Start with the early morning as you scan from your feet, and land at night’s end at the top of your head. Feel your mind/body allow rest through the crown shakra, gaining awareness of your own divinity.

2. Stop. Catch yourself when you are about to say something and you have a moment of doubt. If you have an inkling of doubt that this will bring positive energy to your day, stop. Observe the sounds outside of the building you are in, inside the building you are in, and then the sounds of your own breath. Observe, pause, act. Is it still worth saying?

3. Make a sound. An audible, dramatic exhale is a great place to start. What’s the risk if you’re alone? Feel funny, still? Imagine exhaling all the pent up negative energy in your being, allowing for the best possible variation of yourself. I’d imagine that may be motivating! Make sound.

4. Trataka meditation. Light a candle in your home. Sit on the floor or on a chair so the flame is at about eye level and a couple feet away. Stare at the candle and allow yourself to focus. If your eyes water, you may blink a couple times, but try to hold steady, returning your attention to the candle’s flame. Focus on light flowing through you with each inhalation. The goal is for the room to fade and your awareness to become more and more attuned with the flame. After a couple moments, come back and sit with your eyes closed for one minute.