7 Ways to Beat Holiday Stress

By Carla Lord

Shopping. Decorations. Shopping. Family. Shopping. The holiday season is supposed to be a magical time—the most wonderful time of the year. So how is it that many of us tend to wind up feeling tired, drained, and stressed out? You don't have to be among the many who feel this way, though. Let's take a look at how you can spend more time singing holiday carols and less time singing the holiday blues.

A good place to start is to take a look at the usual suspects—the main contributors to holiday stress. Finances top the list, being cited in many reports as the number one stressor for Americans during the holiday season, a time when expenses can often meet or exceed the funds in the bank account. Then, there's shopping . . . the choices, the lines, and the overall mad rush to get something for everyone on your list. And then there's family. Ah, family. Tensions invariably run high during the holidays, when so many individual personalities are often crammed together into one very condensed amount of time. Cooking, cleaning . . . it can seem like the list of things you have to do—and the short time in which you have to do it—is insurmountable. Here are a few things to keep in mind that can lighten the load and give you the feeling that there really is peace on Earth.

1. Spread good cheer—not beer. The holidays are a time when temptations are everywhere . . . eggnog, cordials, and visions of sugar-powdered desserts dancing in your head. One serving of traditional eggnog has 250 calories, 117 of which are from fat! Holiday bingeing can ruin all the hard work you've put in this year to get fit and stay healthy. Limit how much alcohol you consume (and never drink and drive!); instead of having a second glass of champagne, drink fruit juice or water. Take small portions when you eat your meals, and don't go back for seconds.

2. 'Tis better to give than receive. A great thing to do whether you're on your own or you're part of a group for the holidays. Remembering that there are people who are less fortunate than we are is not only a great humanitarian deed, but it can also lift your heart and add a kick to your step. While you're shopping, grab an extra something to donate to a food bank or a shelter, or, if you have the time, get involved "hands-on" by volunteering in a food drive. Be a mentor and play Santa to a needy child . . . the list can go on and on. Sometimes, even just a smile or a kind word is all it takes to brighten someone's day.

3. Jump into the New Year. Exercise! Bet you didn't see that one coming. Even though you may feel busier now than you did at any other point this year, don't slip from your routine. Make time for your workouts—you'll feel good about your own discipline and your body will thank you. You won't have the feeling after the holidays that you need to start over for your New Year's resolution . . . you'll just be continuing the regimen that you've committed to. Plus, keeping a steady workout schedule will make it all the easier to work off those guilty pleasures you've indulged in (come on, we all know there will be at least one). Exercise is also a great stress reliever; you'll feel more at ease just through the workout you're getting. Kick or dance those stressors away while doing Turbo Jam® or Hip Hop Abs®—and stay fit at the same time! It's win-win! And to make sure you don't fall off the wagon, schedule workouts in WOWY SuperGym® to keep yourself accountable.

4. Leave the masks for Halloween. For many people, this time of year can be quite difficult, and so feeling like you are acting and putting on a fake persona can add to the stress. Don't allow the holiday cheer to bring you down; do allow yourself to listen to your body. Feelings of grief, depression, and loneliness should not be ignored. Check out community events or call friends or family members to get involved in activities. If the blues feel overwhelming or seem to be increasing, don't hesitate to consult a professional—many employers offer EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs) that can give you a good start.

5. Check your list twice. Although it may be too late for this year, don't wait until "Black Friday" to commence your holiday shopping—start making your plans early. Shopping online can save you the effort of going out on the hunt in myriad stores for your gifts of choice (it's also eco- and wallet-friendly, reduces emissions, and saves you gas money!). And now there's even "Cyber Monday" for the serious online shopper. If you're going to play host to your family and friends this year, start thinking about how you want to arrange your party and how you want to organize the meal, so that you can shop accordingly. Will you do all the cooking, or will your guests contribute to a potluck? Making these decisions early can help you avoid those annoying last trips out to the store.

6. Don't shop 'til you drop. Instead of giving your loved one a gift, offer to give a donation to a charity in his or her name. Perhaps there's a cause you both feel strongly about, or maybe there's a cause you feel your loved one may really enjoy becoming a part of. You don't have to give away your life savings, but whatever you can do will certainly help. From global warming to malaria to cancer or AIDS, someone can always benefit from your good will, and both you and your loved one can feel good that you've done something to make the world a better place. And after all, isn't that the spirit of the season?

7. Silent night. Get plenty of rest, and try to avoid overdoing it with the caffeine. Your body needs the time to repair. When you take into account all of the health-related problems to which a lack of sleep can contribute—including obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke—it's safe to say it's important to get enough shut-eye. If you find it difficult to "turn off," try doing something relaxing to unwind. Whether it takes reading, herbal tea, listening to music, yoga, or meditation (like in Yoga Booty Ballet®), allowing your body to relax before going to bed can do wonders for your ability to get enough rest. Pleasant dreams, and don't let the reindeer bite.

Going Gaga for Yoga!

By Denis Faye

"Basketball is an endurance sport, and you have to learn to control your breath; that's the essence of yoga, too. So, I consciously began using yoga techniques in my practice and playing. I think yoga helped reduce the number and severity of injuries I suffered. As preventative medicine, it's unequaled." —Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." —Author Unknown

Face it, nonbelievers; you're losing the war against yoga. Once the province of hippies and Beverly Hills housewives, the practice has now become a go-to activity for increased athletic performance, stress relief, physical therapy, and just plain feeling good. Yoga studios continue to pop up around the country, which isn't surprising given the practice has made it into the American College of Sports Medicine's top 20 worldwide fitness trends for 4 years running.

True, there are still forms of yoga validating that old cliché that it'll bend you into a pretzel and send the uninitiated to the ER, but that's just a small segment of what's available. Today's practitioner can choose from dozens of forms for every need and skill level.

So let's take a look at the different forms of yoga and figure out which one—or ones—will work for you because, as Tony Horton puts it, "If more and more people are involved in yoga, thenmore and more people are being helped. It doesn't matter what kind it is."

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Yoga originated in India, approximately 5,000 years ago. And just so we can get it out of the way, yes, it's associated with Hinduism and Buddhism, and, yes, it can have a strong spiritual aspect. That said, as yoga becomes Westernized, many of the resulting forms heavily downplay that component. You're just not going to reach divine enlightenment sweating through a Bikram yoga class or session of ChaLEAN Extreme® Dynamic Flow Yoga.

And in the event that you are looking for a little spirituality, it's important to remember there's a difference between "spirituality" and "religion." As the yogi Swami Chidananda Saraswati explained, yoga has transcended Hinduism to become a science that works with any religious dogma. "Yoga comes as life-giving waters, the living waters to revive that withering, languishing inner spiritual core," he explains. "It can make religion alive for anyone, be he a Christian or a Muslim, and it gives back to you the life within your religion."

Or you can remove the religious aspect entirely and just use it to help with your own self-awareness. "Even if it's really athletic, it's a mindful type of exercise so I think you still get the spiritual benefit," explains Yoga Booty Ballet® cocreator Teigh McDonough, whose workouts, including Yoga Core, feature a strong mind-body-spirit connection. "I think that's a big reason why it's popular. It benefits you more than just exercise."

That said, spirituality isn't the primary reason many of us do yoga. Some Western practitioners prefer to think of it simply as a series of asanas, or positions, that bring with them a wide assortment of physical fitness benefits. Yoga increases flexibility and balance. It also increases stamina given, to hold some of the more stressful poses, you need to learn how to breathe through the stress. It also strengthens muscles. Some forms will help the crowd pleasers like biceps and abs, but all forms work your stabilizer muscles, the ones that keep your joints safe and allow you to push your other workouts harder.

Another nice thing about yoga is that it's not about perfect form; it's about the journey to perfect form. Many sports and activities require you get things just right to reap the most benefit from them. If you don't know how to shoot a basketball, you won't make a basket. If you don't know how to dead lift, you'll throw out your back. With yoga, the fact that your heels can't touch the ground during downward-facing dog is irrelevant; you're already getting the benefit just by trying.

Most forms of yoga that Westerners are familiar with derive from Hatha yoga, which was developed in India in the 15th century. Essentially, it's a series of asanas combined with pranayama, the specialized form of breathing that brings a good yoga session together. "Hatha yoga is a practice in which you're giving your mind and body an opportunity to work synergistically," says Tony, who includes yoga workouts in P90X® as well as his One on One with Tony Horton series. "It gives flexibility, strength, and balance—all through the physically difficult asanas."

From there, the form can go several different directions. Here are a few examples.

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Anusara yoga. Founded by John Friend in 1997, Anusara yoga is one of the bases for Yoga Booty Ballet. It challenges physically while allowing for positive self-reflection, or "flowing with Grace" as they call it. "Anusara's alignment system is just so sophisticated," says Yoga Booty Ballet cocreator Gillian Marloth Clark. "I love it because it's so biomechanically advanced, and it interweaves the spiritual practice. But that's just an undercurrent; it's not right out in front of you. So if you're solely searching for a physical workout, it's got the whole thing covered."
Gillian adds that it's also a great workout for rehab. "It's got strength and flexibility," she says, "but the biomechanics and the alignment really do rehabilitate injury and prevent injury, which is so important."

Iyengar yoga. If you're looking for rehabilitative work, Iyengar is excellent as well. Developed by B.K.S. Iyengar in India, it's a very prop-heavy practice, requiring an array of belts, blocks, blankets, and pillows. The point of Iyengar is to bring the body into alignment, the idea being that this will speed recovery of injuries and address chronic pain.

Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. A vinyasa is a dynamic flowing posture that connects asanas. It literally means "breathing synchronized movement." These movements figure prominently through the practice, making this a more physically demanding form. Although Ashtanga features sets of specific sequences, the vinyasa technique is used in a looser form known as flow yoga, which ChaLEAN Extreme creator Chalene Johnson uses in her yoga-based workouts.

Kundalini yoga. This is one of the most spiritual forms, as well as another basis for Yoga Booty Ballet. Kundalini yoga focuses on tapping energy, or prana, from the base of the spine. While it includes asanas, chanting and meditation also play a big role. But before you hit the hippie alert alarm, keep in mind that getting into this space can empty your brain of the day's issues so you can focus on exercise. "I choose it because it's a great way to give into a meditative state at the beginning of a workout," says YBB's Teigh McDonough. "It helps people to warm up physically, mentally and spiritually—and very quickly, too. It helps people get out of their busy minds."

Power yoga. On the other end of the scale, there's what Tony Horton describes as "the gym class of yoga." Derived from Ashtanga yoga, the spirituality is downplayed in power yoga. Instead, focus is put on the physical aspect and really pushing those postures hard. "It's more of a workout and less of a mind-body-spirit thing," says Tony. "I find nothing wrong with power yoga if that's going to get you off the couch, but there are plenty of other kinds of exercises that are going to do that. So why not take the opportunity to do something that is the antithesis of what you're doing?"

Bikram yoga. Another "extreme" practice, Bikram yoga is also known as hot yoga. Classes take place in a 105-degree, 40-percent humidity room. The idea behind this blistering heat is that it deepens stretching and relieves injuries, stress, and tension. "The system is great," says Gillian. "It's an excellent workout, if taught properly. It's a great physical workout, and it's an excellent way to get long and flexible."
Unfortunately, the unique environment means that you can only really do it at a Bikram yoga studio, and only after plunking down $20.00.

Forrest yoga. A physically challenging practice founded by Ana Forrest, Forrest yoga incorporates Native American elements and often focuses on everyone's favorite muscle group, the abs. This vinyasa-heavy practice is intended to promote emotional healing and the release of toxins.

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You probably noticed how much the various practices overlap. As Tony notes, "Different types of yoga have converged, just like with rock and roll." And to further complicate things, teaching style heavily influences a practice. For example, a Hatha yoga class can be a gentle opportunity to learn the various asanas, or, as is the case with P90X's Yoga X, a first-class, spine-twisting challenge. So if your first session is a disaster, try a few more with different instructors before throwing in the sweat-drenched towel.

If this article has helped you make your yoga choice, fantastic, but even if you're as confused as ever, that's not such a bad thing. Now that you at least know that all these forms exist, you can get out there and figure out firsthand which one is right for you. Just as is the case with those stubborn heels during downward-facing dog, the journey to finding the right practice is half the fun.