12 Days of Straightforward Yoga Practices for Finding Peace and Calm

Merry Restmas and to all a calm, quiet season

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Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, December can be a busy month, full of stress and stressed-out people. If you’re somewhere with winter weather conditions, navigating slippery roads as a pedestrian or driver can create tension in the body. There’s traffic in the streets and the stores. Everyone is everywhere, and in a season where the mind and body want to rest, we are surrounded by chaos.

I remember walking along the canal last year — a common weekend activity — and realizing the canal was open for skating. Immediately, I felt a sense of panic. A general sense of impatience and frustration encased me. People struggled to find parking, corral their kids, and figure out where they needed to go to get on the ice. Meanwhile, all I wanted was a leisurely walk and fresh air. No part of me wanted to struggle through crowds, getting jostled around. Even when I left the path, opting for the side streets, I encountered honking and cars running up on curbs, trying desperately to navigate roads narrowed by both the snow and poorly parked vehicles.

By the time I got home, I was physically and mentally exhausted. The bottoms of my feet hurt, and I felt out of breath, even though I hadn’t walked nearly as far…