Om for the Holidays

Do you feel yourself speeding up, stressing out with increased December activities? Don’t cancel those Toastmasters meetings. Instead, consider a fun alternative. Have a holiday party, meeting in-person, online or hybrid. Change up the regular agenda and really get to know one another. A part of the goodness of Toastmasters is sharing experiences and the comradery of the members.

To keep yourself healthy and coping well, be sure to take time out for self-care. I try to take a few minutes out each day to quiet down, even shut down, in order to refuel. Think you don’t have a place to do this? Mute yourself! Or should I say mute others! We’re good at that now. 😊 How? Take out those noise-canceling headphones, lie down or lie back in a chair. Or use a sitting yoga position. There is a reason the Lotus position has legs crossed with thumbs and middle fingers touching. This position helps block out other energies, especially negative energies.

Om is the mantra, a drawn-out repeated sound, that is often used in meditating. The symbol means finding self within and a sense of the entirety of the universe. Om and other mantras help us balance energy by calming our thought centers – that inner chatter. Putting that inner to-do list on hold for even 10 minutes can be revitalizing.

You can revitalize your Toastmasters group during this time as well. We Zoom by day and Zoom by night, then zoom around running errands on the weekends. Is it any wonder that we are tempted to cancel a Toastmasters meeting? During a club meeting have the members take time out for a mid-meeting stretch. Keep your meetings on the calendar to welcome guests. They will be refreshed by a relaxed meeting or a more social holiday party atmosphere.

There are many means of creating positivity during this emotional time: meditation, prayer, music, nature, even simply smiling. I hope that you find the value of the pause, not only in your public speaking but in all parts of your life this season. Let’s go Om for the holidays.

Namaste (bowing to you in peace)

Cathi

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