Tag: Sacred

^{(Title image: Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash)}

Sunday, November 30 marks the start of Advent. While this is a time period associated with a Christian tradition that encompasses the four Sundays and intervening weeks preceding Christmas—and is considered a season of preparation—I believe that it’s a season that can be appreciated by all, regardless of religious beliefs.

Certainly, stores are very willing to cash in on Advent calendars, some of which are extremely elaborate and quite expensive. That’s a sad reminder that where there’s a tradition, there’s a way to make money off of it.

There are more mindful ways of treating this season. While I celebrate Advent every year, as I’ve gotten older, the way that I focus on this time of the year has changed.

It used to be common to “give something up” for Advent. As a child, it was generally sweets, so that when the Christmas holiday came around, we would enjoy desserts all the more.

However, there are more meaningful ways to spend the 3+ weeks prior to end-of-year holidays.

Instead of “giving up” something that I might simply go back to once the holidays hit, I use Advent to help me form new and important habits, or to reinforce practices that I might have allowed to slip.

This year year has been a challenging one for me. I found myself pushing meditation back to evening time, right before bed…and I’d often fall asleep before I was done.

With so many changes and stressors in my life, I have spent too much of the day running, exhausted and not paying attention to what my body and mind are feeling. So for this Advent season, I’ve decided to reacquaint the rest of my day with staying mindful and present.

Therefore, my focus has turned inward. I am paying more attention to sensations in my hands and feet, starting with the physical aspects of making my morning coffee (decaf) and tea (matcha). I have set a reminder on my phone to check in at least once an hour to see where my body is in space, no matter where I am. When I do so, I consider how long it’s been since I stretched my limbs or had a drink of water. In doing so, I anchor myself in the present moment and remember that difficulties ebb and wane like the tides.

Yes, I still have a lot of take care of, and the last month brought some painful changes that I have to fully deal with. And I can’t truly “slow down” at work the way some might suggest. But mindfulness works with my schedule.

Staying present means that I can keep pace with my responsibilities instead of allow them to run roughshod over me, since it helps me avoid a sense of overwhelm. Yes, that requires discipline as my tendency is to allow myself to get swept up in the torrent of anxiety and busyness that is my life. But I remain conscious of the fact that I get done what I can, and that is enough.

For anyone who feels that this isn’t “religious” enough, I disagree. I find that experiencing the present moment may be one of the most sacred things that you can do. You honor the nature of the season by being a participant in it, not simply a passive passenger in the whoosh of activities that mindlessly steamroll us through the holidays in the New Year.

I wish you a joyous Advent season!