Hi, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In this session, we're going to explore relating to the holiday season. So we are in the holiday season right now. You may celebrate different holidays depending on where you're living, your background, but this does tend to be a time of the year where there is a focus on the holiday season and coming together. And it can bring up different things for different people.

For some, it can be a very cheerful time of year. It's an opportunity to connect with family. Maybe slow down, maybe do a lot of shopping. On that note, it can also be very stressful time of year for many. There's just a lot to do.

Maybe following certain scripts about what should be done at this time of year and making sure you keep up with everyone else. It can also be really painful for many. Maybe we don't have people to connect with during this time of year or it's the first year or many years that we're spending it alone, or it brings up memories of how things used to be, and that can be painful. So I just want to acknowledge that this is a period of time that brings with it so many different experiences. And sometimes we can have these expectations for how it's supposed to unfold or what we're supposed to be experiencing.

And especially when it comes to the media, there are all these scripts about how this time of year should play out. And I really want to give you permission to just toss all of those aside. If you want to relate to this in that way, you're welcome to. Of course, sometimes we can have a lot of fun with them. But how do you want to relate to this experience to this time of the year? What feels right for you? Is it about family and connection? And if so, what would it be like to really prioritize that? If it's about gift-giving and presence, and you're excited about that, what would it be like to really focus on your excitement in that way, rather than playing out the script, but really letting yourself enjoy that process so that it is fulfilling.

If this is a time that is bringing up some pain, what would it be like to acknowledge the pain that is there, but also orient to yourself in a loving way? Allow this to be an opportunity for connection, perhaps with yourself, or to reach out to some people who you haven't talked to in awhile. Reach out to friends and say like, actually it would be really good to connect, I'm in need of that right now. That might be a growth edge for you. So when we let go of the ideas of what this time period should be like, it gives us more permission to really attune to what we need and what would feel good to us. And there are so many different ways for it to unfold.

I guess, just from my perspective and us here at Mindfulness.com, we want to let you know that, that we're here for you, we're thinking about you, we're grateful that you're on this journey with us. And as always, thank you for your practice. It's not just for you, but it's for your relationships, your communities and our world at large. And we're grateful to be on that journey with you. Thanks so much.

Let's settle in for today's meditation.