The holidays have a way of arriving before we have made room for them. The calendar starts filling, the conversations about who is going where begin, and suddenly we are making decisions about meals, money, travel, family, and how much of ourselves we can reasonably offer. There can be a lot of love in this season. There can also be grief, complicated relationships, and a level of expectation that would be exhausting in any month. Add the instruction to enjoy every minute, and we have given ourselves another job.
I've been shifting my meditation practice to twice a day as we move toward the holidays. Sanity is part of the reason. So is my interest in supporting my body, including my immune health. After what I've been through physically, I'm paying closer attention to the demands I place on myself and the space I leave for recovery. Having a meditation practice does not make me immune to stress. Teaching meditation certainly does not give me a special exemption from being human. I still need to sit down and practice.
What interests me about a second practice is the chance to check in again. The person who begins the morning with a little room to breathe may be carrying a very different load by late afternoon. A conversation, an unexpected request, or a few hours of getting things done can change how we feel. Sitting again gives me time to notice what I'm carrying before I bring all of it into the evening. I can listen to my body, feel where I am holding tension, and allow something to remain unfinished for a while.
I'm also curious about the research on meditation and the body, especially immunity. In a small randomized study published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2003, researchers found a greater antibody response to an influenza vaccination among people who completed an eight-week mindfulness program than among a waiting-list control group. It is a fascinating finding, but it measured one particular immune response. A later systematic review of 20 randomized trials found tentative evidence of effects on some immune markers, with considerable variation between studies. Neither tells us that meditating twice a day prevents a winter illness. My twice-daily practice is a personal choice, not an established prescription for immunity.
That distinction matters to me. I want to be curious about the possibilities without asking the science to say more than it does. There is stronger clinical evidence for some outcomes: a 2016 trial of adults with chronic back pain found that a program combining mindfulness meditation and yoga improved pain bothersomeness and physical function compared with usual care. Meditation can have a meaningful place in caring for ourselves. We can explore that while continuing to eat, sleep, rest, and seek the care our bodies need.
For the holidays, the useful question may be less about fitting in an ideal practice and more about noticing when we need one. Before opening the calendar, before answering a difficult message, or after getting home from a gathering, there may be a few minutes available. You can feel the support of the chair, let your breathing find a comfortable rhythm, and notice what is present without immediately trying to fix it. If sitting still feels difficult, a quiet walk may be a more accessible place to begin. Listen to your body rather than turn meditation into another seasonal obligation.
This is the spirit I want to bring into my next series of classes: time to practice together, listen, and explore how meditation fits into the lives we actually have. The holiday season gives us plenty to work with. How do we recognize that we are reaching our limit? What helps us pause before agreeing to something we cannot comfortably carry? How do we stay connected to ourselves when there is so much happening around us? I'm interested in making room for those questions alongside the practice.
I'm sharing new meditations on Calm by Lane: Meditation for Life, too, so there is something available when you want guidance at home. You can choose a practice that fits the time and attention you have that day. If you want another way to explore my work, the Calm Resilience System is currently $179, down from $199 — a $20 saving, or about 10% off. A class, a podcast meditation, or the system can be a place to begin; you can also begin with a few quiet minutes on your own.
As the season approaches, I want to leave room for the parts I enjoy and be honest about the parts that take something out of me. For now, meditating twice a day is one way I'm making that room. I'm giving myself two opportunities to notice how I am doing, adjust what I can, and meet the next part of the day with a little more attention. That feels like a practice I can bring into the holidays.