December can feel full, tender, joyful, heavy, or all of the above at once. When life feels hectic or emotions are rocky, the simplest practices often create the most meaningful shift. A few minutes of breathing or gentle awareness can help you reconnect with yourself in a steady, workable way.

This month, I’m sharing a series of mini practices designed to fit into real life. You can use them whenever you need a small reset or a reminder that your own heart is still the center of your experience.

Here are the practices for the month:

🕯 Mini Practice: Open Hearted Breath Awareness

Sit comfortably and rest your hands on your chest.
Close your eyes and breathe into the space beneath your palms.
Feel your chest lift with each inhale.
Let your exhale soften away tension from your shoulders and jaw.
This practice creates a gentle sense of ease and presence.

🕯 Mini Practice: Mountain Pose Breathing

This is lovely first thing in the morning.
Stand tall with your feet grounded.
Lengthen your spine. Relax your shoulders.
Inhale light. Exhale tension.
Repeat 3 to 5 slow breaths and notice how your body feels more centered.

🕯 Mini Practice: Pause in Reclined Bound Angle

Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together.
Let your knees open and rest your arms beside you or on your chest or belly.
Take 5 slow breaths and notice the rise and fall of your torso.
On each inhale imagine space expanding across your heart.
On each exhale soften and release.
Stay for 1 to 3 minutes and allow your body to unwind.

🕯 Mini Practice: Candlelight Calm

On Christmas Eve, take a quiet moment for yourself.
Light a candle if you enjoy doing so.
Sit or lie comfortably and bring your attention to your heart center.
Inhale slowly and imagine a warm glow filling your chest.
Exhale and let seasonal stress or busyness melt away.
Let the light expand through your whole body and settle you.

🕯 NYE Mini Practice: Standing Sun Breaths

Welcome the new year with an uplifting pause.
Stand tall with your feet steady beneath you.
Inhale and reach your arms overhead as if drawing in fresh energy.
Exhale and lower your arms while releasing heaviness from the past year.
Repeat 3 to 5 times and let each breath create clarity and renewal.