Although the holiday season is in full swing, you may not be feeling the joy of the Christmas spirit to its fullest extent if you are contending with negative emotions, such as fear, grief or sorrow. The holidays can be quite challenging for many people, especially if they have lost somebody they love during this time of year. Many people also become quite stressed by the financial strain of the holiday season. However, many of the joyous feelings that the holidays evoke can be kindled from within your own heart. Nurturing the uplifting feelings of joy, peace and love is truly the essence of the Christmas spirit.
When you feel joyous, peaceful and full, it is much easier to be generous and loving with the people in your life. However, it can be difficult to feel these feelings if you are struggling with negative emotional states, such as fear, despair or loss. If this is the case for you, by practicing Yoga regularly you will be able to more easily shift out of these negative emotional states. As Yogis and Yoginis, by engaging in a balanced and comprehensive practice of Yoga postures, pranayama exercises, chanting, and meditation, you will be able to truly nourish the light within your own being.
Back bending Yoga asanas are some of the best postures for releasing constriction throughout the front of the body, including the heart chakra area, throat, upper shoulders, and quadriceps. These are areas that often become constricted when we are experiencing loss, grief and sadness. According to the Bible, the opposite of joy is fear. When we feel empty and sad, we often feel that things will never get better. This sense of fear prevents us from experiencing the divinity within our own hearts. In order to feel the fullness of your own being and offset this pervasive sense of fear, practicing back bending Yoga postures will help to facilitate the release of negative emotions that may be preventing you from experiencing the full joy of the Christmas spirit.