Whether you celebrate it or not, how are you feeling about the approaching festive season? Whatever you are feeling why not use the festive season to practice mindfulness with your family and friends? This can be a way to connect with others in a simple and joyful way.
Here are some ideas for friends and family mindfulness activities at Christmas:
- Snow Globes
If you have a snow globe, place it in a prominent position in the home. When you or anyone else feels like a time out, go to the snow globe and shake it. Then as the snow settles feel your feet on the floor and observe the snow settling in the globe. Then when the snow has settled move mindfully on to your next activity.
If you don’t have a snow globe, you can make one (see crafting below) or you can watch this YouTube HERE
If you have children, set a challenge for them to be still, for them to feel their feet on the floor and to quietly watch the snow settling. Then take time to celebrate their success at the challenge with a seasonal joke, a song or a dance together.
- Crafting
Crafting can be a great way to be mindful. HERE is another YouTube video with instructions on how to make another snow globe.
When crafting, on your own, with family or friends or with children, take time to pause, to feel the feet on the floor and to smile, allowing the smile to reach your eyes. Take time to reflect on and to celebrate all of the causes and conditions you have in your life that enable you to have this time for crafting.
- Festive lights
At this time of year there are many beautiful displays of Christmas lights in people’s houses or in shops or businesses. When you see a light display, pause and notice any colours, and changing and flashing. Feel your feet on the floor, enjoy the display and say some kindness phrases for whoever created the display. Wish that they may be happy, be well and be at peace.
Make this a game that you play with family and friends. Share with them the beauty and wonder of the light displays.
- Festive I-spy
On a walk or a car journey, make a list of festive things to spot as you travel.
For a walk, you might take the walk yourself beforehand and make a list of interesting, beautiful or unusual item that your friends or family can spot. You might like to ask a question about each item so that those playing the I-spy game have to pause and notice details. Write them down on a piece of paper or card, to hand out with a pen or pencil to everyone and then do the walk with them. When you get back celebrate with a mug of festive hot chocolate.
For a car journey, you might not be able to do the journey beforehand, but you might choose a list of generic things that you and your players can spot. Here is a list to set you off:
- Holly
- Christmas tree
- Father Christmas
- Flashing Christmas lights
- Reindeer
- Snow
- Santa’s Sleigh
- An elf
- A Christmas wreath
- Presents
Ask your passengers to shout out whatever they see. Then round the game off with some festive singing.
- Join our community sits
All over the Christmas and New Year period our experienced team of Mindfulness meditation tutors will be guiding meditation practices on Zoom each evening at 7pm and each weekday morning at 10.30am. These are completely free of charge and there is no need to sign up. Just visit our home page and click the ‘Join Daily Practice’ button at the time of the session. We would be delighted to have you join us.
We are also running Christmas Meditation days over the festive period, these online practice days take place on 28th, 29th and 30th December and 2nd January. So, if you need some self-compassion over the festive period, then join one of our online practice days. We’d love to see you there!