I suspect that I m not the only one who finds holidays with family more than a little stressful.

Every year I make sure that I pack clothes to dance/exercise/move in, a mat for yoga or stretching or for collapsing on the floor in an emotional heap.

To put it plainly and shamelessly:

this year, my Awareness Through Movement® practice kept me sane and calm in the face of challenging family circumstances.

In other words, this daily practice helped me to avoid losing my temper after being told that

first, my mother had been moved to another facility without my having been made aware and

second, no one had any idea who approved it or

finally, who moved her – AGAIN.

My practice helped me to avoid a meltdown  when the nurses caring for my parents STILL had no idea who I am and thought that my parents’ daughter is their accountant named Susan.

It also helped prevent me from making a snide, snarky and possibly regrettable phone call to said accountant.

This practice soothed my jangled nervous system so that what was usually the heart-wrenching experience of watching a shocking downhill decline became more manageable.

While I  experienced some the usual emotional roller coastal ride that usually occurs during my visits “home”, it wasn’t as dramatic a ride this year.

My heart could be quiet rather than constantly foreseeing imminent  tragedy. My mind was less occupied with future loss and could be more present, making the time I spent with my parents richer.

I am grateful.