The Christmas holiday Season can get pretty crazy. Everyone knows how it feels to be frantic, overtired, un-centered, or lonely at this time of year. This is too bad, because these Holidays can become true Holy-days and can be a time of greatest joy, if you are willing to make it so. Try a few of these suggestions—they may help!

  1. While you are shopping for or wrapping or mailing or distributing gifts, pray for the person(s) to whom you are giving it and say the “Gratitude” affirmation (see #2)
  2. While you are address and mailing Christmas cards, pray for the one to receive it and use this affirmation: “I give thanks to the Giver behind each gift and to the one Giver behind all that I give [and receive].” From Affirmations for Self-Healing by Swami Kriyananda.
  3. Also use the above affirmation when opening each gift or Christmas cards.
  4. Save your gift tags and the Christmas cards you receive. Keep them in a basket in your meditation room and take one a day to pray for in the coming year.
  5. Take a “Christmas Vow” for all or part the month of December. For example: eating no sugar, meditating a longer amount of time each day, cutting out “fillers” like TV, videos and low energy reading materials, or doing more Kriyas than usual if you are a kriyaban (Kriya yogi).
  6. Study! Suggestions: re-read the Christmas story from the Bible—chapters #2 from Luke and Matthew are the best. Read slowly at the close of your meditation and feel the inner meanings of the words. Read Master’s teachings on Jesus and Christmas. Email me for suggested “Christmas Bibliography.”
  7. Put out a picture of Jesus that you like. Make a small Christmas altar and look at his eyes, praying for the inner Christ Conscious to come to you in this season.
  8. Set up a small “Nativity Scene” on your altar and/or re-do your altar for the Christmas season with decorations, twinkling lights, poinsettias, etc.
  9. Consider participating in an 8-hour meditation, on or near December 23. If possible, do it at an Ananda center or meditation group. If not, do it on your own. Unimaginable blessings can come from Yogananda and Christ during the Christmas season, if you put forth extra effort. Be sure to have both a “spiritual Christmas” and a “social Christmas” to keep things balanced, as Yogananda taught by his example.
  10. Play tapes or CD’s of Yogananda’s voice, especially those made during the Christmas Season or around his birthday (January 5th).
  11. Have and light daily a special Christmas candle.
  12. Get more light into your light at this darkest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (the winter solstice is on the 21st of December). String colored or white lights all around your home.
  13. Read Secrets of Peace on Earth, by Swami Kriyananda, reading one page a day (and meditating on it) for the whole month of December.
  14. Practice conscious forgiveness of those with whom you may have issues; take part in a Purification Ceremony or other rituals which have meaning for you.
  15. Take a time of silence and seclusion. The week (or a few days) leading up to Christmas or the week between Christmas and New Years Day are often good times to do it.
  16. Look around you to see who might need extra help or energy. Serve in any way you can find to offer service to others. Call and/or get together with those you know who might be ill, sad, or lonely especially at this season.
  17. Music! Music! Music! Have uplifting Christmas music in your life. Chanting or listening to music is great! Ananda has much wonderful Christmas music to offer you. Attend a Christmas concert.
  18. Love, give, serve, and remember who you are.
  19. Consider coming to Ananda for all or a part of the Holidays. Christmas at Ananda is such a wonderful experience. I spend my first Christmas here in 1977 and promised myself never to be anywhere else. I’ve kept that promise!
  20. On Christmas morning, very early, before anything else happens, meditate deeply and let the Christ Consciousness be born in the cradle of your heart.

20 Comments

  1. Savitri,

    I am grateful to have found my way to this blog, right before the “madness” begins in 2011. This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, and right after that uplifting day, starts the season of emotional highs and lows; too high expectations and the disappointments that often follow, and so many pulls that can take one away from one’s center.

    I shall keep the “20 ways to spiritualize Christmas” close at hand as a reminder of what this season is really about: It is a special opportunity to, in your words, “let the Christ Consciousness be born in the cradle of your heart.” May I not forget this.

  2. Savitri,

    These are beautiful suggestions. How do I find out which recordings Master made were recorded during the Christmas Season or around his birthday?

    AUM

    Pat

    1. Hi Pat, if you find the talks online you can just read the description of them — it will tell you when they were first recorded.

    2. blank

      Hi Pat, I will contact you directly by e-mail to let you know the answer to your question. Blessing! Savitri

  3. I lost my daughter in August and we wonder how we will get through Christmas without her,. Now I will take the sympathy cards sent to us and pray for one person every day. what a beautiful idea. Thank you

  4. I wish you all of Ananda the merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year.
    May Yogananda bless you like never before and the Three Kings and the Christ Babe. I wish you the very best and a glorious Year ahead. Lets love God like never before.
    Love and light, Dominic Lagae

  5. Hi Savitri, thank you for a beautiful article. I am always looking for ways to spiritualize this beautiful & holy season. Will you be kind enough to send me the Christmas bibliography you mentioned. Thank you very much.

  6. I am not apart of this community but subscribe to the e letters/announcements and so glad I do! These suggestions Nayaswami Savitri are just beautiful and filled my eyes with tears of joy! I will pick a few and start implementing them right away. Blessings, thank you and Merry Christmas to you and all at the Ananda Center.

  7. Dear Savitri Ji, Thank you for this beautiful article :).
    Very helpful guidance

    Jai Guru
    Prem

  8. I am in Tucson now and am part of the Ananda center here after all these years. My husband passed away in September so this is my winter home. Just want to say how much I appreciate your support over the years and certainly the wisdom offered in this article.

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