How to Introduce Grace into your daily life this Holiday Season

Hello friends, and Happy December.  This month I have an interesting intention for us all to consider, myself included, which is Grace. 

Last weekend I sat down with my 6-year-daughter and wrote out all the activities we had planned this month on her hand-made December calendar.  And after staring at the finalized ‘document’, I felt my heart start beating faster with anxiety.  How was I going to complete all these tasks?  Extended chorus practices, dress rehearsals, concerts, fundraisers, school performances, toy drives, church candle-lighting commitments, breakfasts with Santa… all in addition to our regular routines of school, work, and extra-curriculars!

I can already foresee myself running around frantically, attempting to usher impeccably dressed and groomed children out the front door to said activities.  Meanwhile, I am a haggard mess, muttering obscenities under my breath and glaring at my husband.  Not exactly the picture of Grace, yes? 

Well, if you can relate to any version of this, today I’ll share a few thoughts on how we can both transform this vision to a more elegant, graceful version of our Holiday selves.  And I’ll also provide a takeaway or two of how we can give and receive a little grace. 

Definitions

Let’s start with a few definitions of the word, Grace:

1. An act of mercy or a pardon
2. Simple elegance or refinement of movement
3. A prayer or blessing before a meal

There’s actually 4 more – it’s quite a diverse word.  Let’s unpack these, shall we?

Grace via Pardon

How many Instagram photos have you seen of perfectly cut out sugar cookies or intricate pie crusts thus far this season?  Or department store worthy Christmas trees and front door décor?  Do these images inspire you to replicate the creations, or depress you with feelings of ineptitude?  I admit, I feel both – I’m inspired to try, and when I fail, I’m depressed!  

This year, why don’t we make a deal, and give ourselves a little grace – in the form of a pardon.  You are officially relieved of partaking in any artsy, fancy holiday tradition that doesn’t bring you joy.  The last phrase being the most important – I repeat, ‘bring you joy’.  If crafting gingerbread houses intricate enough to be photographed in Architectural Record floats your boat, by all means, continue.  But if you’re doing it for comparison’s sake, or any other reason, let it go.  Move on to the next holiday activity or find a new tradition.  And if you need ideas, take a tip from Olaf, and watch him sing That Time of Year.  If you haven’t seen it, sit back and watch this 3-minute video.  It’s hilarious for adults too, especially the ‘breaking and entering’ part!

Grace via Elegance

Now here’s my personal favorite, and also the most challenging for me right now.  How can you exhibit more grace or elegance about your person this month?  I have a lot of ideas here…forgive me if I go off on my soap box. 

“To achieve order within, begin with outward order“

Sarah ban breathnach, author of ‘simple abundance – 365 days to a balanced and joyful life’

Let’s start with the example I shared earlier: the frazzled mother.  Maybe you do not possess any children, but I bet you can relate to the miserable feeling of being late to an event and not looking your best.  Here’s my top tip to me and you – get ready earlier! 

It’s December, friends, and the schedule you have allotted to your personal grooming must be doubled.  And probably tripled for each child.  There are so many unknown factors to throw in that will cause you to be late and annoyed: bad weather, additional traffic, lack of parking.  Additionally, maybe you have to iron your shirt, or locate last year’s Christmas sweater (or wash it first).  Whatever you force your kids to wear, they will argue, so you’ll need a bribe.  When I had our family photographed here, you better believe I had presents and treats, and promises of sweets.  By the way, thank you to Cindy, Mark’s mom for capturing our Christmas Card photo in record time. 

I could go on, but you see what I mean.  You may have laughed when you read this, but in all seriousness, these two quotes are 100% true and profound:

“Everyday poise is acquired or lost before we leave our homes.“

“When we feel at ease with ourselves, we feel at ease with the world“

Sarah ban breathnach

When you allow yourself extra moments to groom and dress yourself to your highest standard, and arrive to your appointed place on time or early, you will radiate self-confidence.   

A tall order, I know.  Let’s work on this one together. 

Grace and Yoga

There are a million reasons to do yoga, and many better reasons, but one is this: I am a firm believer that practicing yoga regularly, in a studio, will make you more graceful. 

Maybe you’re already a dancer or a former ballet student and you’ve got this down – wonderful – you’re an inspiration to us all.  But for the remaining 99 % of the population who weren’t taught to point our toes or lift our chin or relax our shoulders, there is a world of yoga teachers out there who would love to help you.  Myself included.   

And I’m not just referring to the graceful poses you form during class, and I’m not just talking to women.   The gentle shifts and adjustments you make on your mat, will eventually become second nature and travel with you.  You’ll find yourself correcting your posture as you stand in line for your coffee.  You’ll travel to the front of the classroom or conference room with a confident and elegant stride.  Maybe, God willing, you’ll remove your nose from your phone and arch your neck gracefully to observe your neighbors long enough to give or receive a smile (yes, you!).  We can, and should bring grace, elegance, and fluidity of movement to our stature, stance, and stride – from the minute we walk out our front door, to the moment we return.

Yoga Philosophy

But don’t take my word for it.  The benefits of yoga have been recounted via text for thousands of years.  I’ll quote a few here, but first I’ll briefly explain that our typical western idea of Yoga may be inaccurate or incomplete.  I don’t write this to pass judgement, only inform.  I didn’t know this either until recently. 

Most of us think that Yoga includes going to a studio and performing various postures led by a teacher.  And you’re not wrong, there’s just more to it.  This is called Yoga Asana, asana meaning posture or pose. 

When I attended Yoga Teacher Training, one of our lessons was dedicated to the 8 Limbs of Yoga.  What I learned, was that traditional Yogis follow these guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. The 8 limbs are written about in detail in the “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” which is a collection of Sanksrit sutras on the theory and practice of yoga.

Yoga Asana is just one of the 8 Limbs.  There are 7 other ways to practice Yoga, 17 if you count each individual Yamas and Niyamas. Earlier this year I wrote about one of these here, Saucha or Cleanliness, if you’re interested, and I plan to include more into my posts in the upcoming year so please check back in. 

So back to the Yoga Asana, I’d like to share these quotes with you, written by a Yoga Guru, explaining the benefits of practicing yoga on the mat:

“Asana brings steadiness, health, and lightness of limb…Asanas can be done alone, as the limbs of the body provide the necessary weights and counter-weights…Asanas have been evolved over the centuries so as to exercise every muscle, nerve and gland in the body.  They secure a fine physique, which is strong and elastic without being muscle-bound and they keep the body free from disease.  They reduce fatigue and soothe the nerves.  But the real importance lies in the way they train and discipline the mind. “

B.K.S. Iyengar – “light on yoga”

Now there’s a few reasons to take up or resume a yoga practice, yeah?  But seriously, yoga asana is kinda a one-stop shop to help fulfill our two definitions of Grace:

1. It can “soothe the nerves” due to daily stress and schedule overload, allowing us to give or receive a grace-pardon
2. It can assist in “lightness of limb”, aiding in our daily grace-elegance.   

Grace via Blessing

As always, thank you for reading and indulging me as I sprinkle my December thoughts upon your screen.  I’ll leave with our final definition of Grace – a blessing over a meal, or a short prayer.  Have a graceful and peaceful holiday season, friends. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. 

Numbers 6:23-27