This season generally involves lots of late nights, alcohol and canapés (which hopefully will be plentiful enough to soak up all that alcohol). It pretty much kicks off early in November around Melbourne Cup Day, and from that day onwards the social calendar can get quite full.
And before you know it, it’s the last week of November and the Christmas parties have started. The lead-up to Christmas can be quite stressful with work commitments and social commitments, and for some reason we have this need to see everyone we know before December 25. “Let’s catch up before Christmas!” we say. “Let’s get together for a drink before the holiday break.” “I’ll have you over for dinner before the year is out!” And so it goes.
And that is just the social calendar. In the meetings and events industry this is the manic time of year – organising Christmas and end-of-year parties and ensuring that everyone else has a great time. Here come the 16 and 18 hour days. It’s enough to make the blood pressure rise just thinking about it!
So I figure we need balance to help us cope with this silly season, which is already upon us. And this doesn’t mean we need to stay at home and miss out on all the fun. All we need to do is to balance our fun with eating well and resting up and we can have a blast and be healthy at the same time.
Keeping your immune system strong is the essential key to keeping yourself healthy and happy. Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and eating well is all part of a sensible, healthy lifestyle.
A diet rich in antioxidants such as green leafy vegetables, deep-sea fish, blueberries, filtered water and vitamin supplements will help to strengthen your immune system. And how good is this: red wine and dark chocolate are also antioxidant foods. But let’s be sensible and limit that to one standard glass of red wine (and not a balloon glass, people) and 50 grams of dark chocolate per day. And no, you can’t save it up and do it all in one sitting.
A very simple yoga routine each day can also be incredibly beneficial to your health. I know that time is an issue with most people, so I have included a routine called Surya Namaskara A which involves an 11-step routine that will assist with your daily wellbeing.
The postures in this routine are not held. Each movement from one posture to the next is synchronised exactly with either the inhalation or exhalation as indicated:
Step 1: Exhale
Stand upright, feet together, energise the trunk, legs, feet, arms and hands looking straight ahead.
Step 2: Inhale
Raise the arms alongside ears, looking between the palms above the head, maintaining energy in the trunk, legs, feet, arms and hands.
Step 3: Exhale
Pivot the pelvis and, keeping the energy in legs and feet (bend the knees if you need to, to protect your lower back), extend the spine along the legs, head towards and the ankles, keeping the abdomen long, hollow and empty, palms to the floor or hands on the ankles or shins.
Step 4: Inhale
Keeping the energy in feet, legs and trunk, extend the spine
forwards and raise the head, keeping the abdomen long, hollow and empty.
Step 5: Exhale and step back
Taking the legs back as far as you can, with feet hip-width apart, bend the arms and bring the chest to the floor with the elbows above the wrists and the legs strong. Ensure the the abdomen, pelvis and legs are off the floor.
Step 6: Inhale
Slip the toes back, move the tops of the feet onto the floor and with the legs strong and straight (knees remaining off the floor), press down with the hands and raise the chest and head, looking forwards, keeping the abdomen and pelvis on the floor as well as the legs and feet.
Step 7: Exhale
Pushing from the hands, roll over the toes and raise the hips straight up, head and chest going down, and push the body into a V-shape, hands and feet only on the floor. Hold for three full, deep breaths.
Step 8: Inhale and step forward
Bring both legs forwards feet between the hands, feet together, legs strong. Extend the spine forwards and look up with the abdomen, hollow and empty.
Step 9: Exhale
Keeping the charge in the feet and legs, extend the spine along the legs, head towards the ankles, keeping the abdomen long, hollow and empty, palms to the floor or hands on the ankles or shins.
Step 10: Inhale
Straighten the legs, draw the naval back to spine, raise the arms alongside the ears, looking between the palms above the head, maintaining the charge in the trunk, legs, feet, arms and hands.
Step 11: Exhale
Legs are straight while bringing the palms down to the sides, arms straight, legs and feet strong. Repeat from step two on the inhale for five rounds.
 Complement your next meeting, event or your own workplace with sessions on yoga, wellbeing workshops, work/life balance, meditation, nutrition and massage. Gabrielle can be contacted on 0417 396 332 or email gabrielle@infinityyoga.com.au. Further information can also be found at www.infinityyoga.com.au.
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