Refilling the Holiday Vessel

"Self Care is not a selfish act...

We do it not only for ourselves,

but for the many others whose lives we touch."

-Parker Palmer

I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season. Or at the very least, surviving it.

As someone devoted to the physical, mental and spiritual health of our community, I worry this time of year as I watch folks get caught up in a frenzy of activity in the name of making these holidays wonderful for everyone around them (and yes, parents--I'm mostly thinking about you). A real toll can be taken on our minds and bodies, all in the name of the Holiday Spirit, if we don't stop regularly to engage in crucial self care.

The physical demands alone can be exhausting: late nights wrapping gifts, hours standing in the kitchen preparing meals, rushing through crowded stores, lifting and decorating, traveling long distances. Our bodies bear the brunt of our ambitions to create perfect moments. Add to this the disruption of our normal routines—skipped workouts, irregular sleep schedules, less-than-ideal eating patterns—and we find ourselves running on fumes precisely when we need our energy most.

The mental and emotional weight can be even heavier. There's the pressure to meet expectations—both our own and others'. The stress of budgets stretched thin, of not enough hours in December days, the complexity of family dynamics that intensify when everyone gathers together. We juggle schedules, manage disappointments, navigate difficult conversations, and try to maintain our composure through it all. And than there are those for whom the season also carries grief for those who are no longer with us, or loneliness that feels more acute when surrounded by messages of togetherness. Even joy itself can be exhausting when we're trying to manufacture it continuously for weeks on end.

My biggest holiday wish for all of you is that as you pour so much out of your vessel, you find the time and the ways necessary to replenish it. Get your rest. Get your exercise. And heck yeah, get your martial arts time in. These aren't luxuries or indulgences—they're the foundation that makes everything else possible. That hour on the mat isn't time taken away from your loved ones; it's the reset that allows you to show up fully present for them. In this time of giving, please give these things to yourself—it's what makes giving of yourself possible.