Finding Peace in the Chaos: Surrender Through Restorative Yoga This Holiday Season

The holidays can be a magical time of year—a season of love, family, friends, gratitude, and giving. Yet for many, it’s also a season filled with mental, physical, and emotional stress. It’s a time when bank balances drop, credit card balances rise, and feelings of loneliness or reminders of loss can surface. As if that weren’t enough, there’s often an endless to-do list and a constant need to be on the go, leaving little time to care for ourselves.

Despite the busyness, making time for self-care is crucial. As we approach the winter solstice, with shorter days and longer nights, we’re invited to slow down, turn inward, and listen to what our minds, bodies, and spirits truly need. This season is a wonderful time for introspection and reflection on the year that’s ending—preparing ourselves to set intentions for the year ahead.

One approach that has helped me during this time of year is the art of letting go and surrendering. This means releasing expectations—of myself and others, of gift-giving, of perfect holiday meals, or attending every event. Consider this: each day, we process thousands of stimuli, and during the holidays, it can feel like sensory overload (hello, flashing lights and festive songs!). While these can be joyful, they can also leave us feeling unsettled. Here’s where we have a choice: we can react by clinging to judgments and expectations, amplifying our frustration and stress—or we can surrender, allowing things to unfold as they will.

By embracing surrender, we open ourselves to being present and truly enjoying the small, beautiful moments of the holiday season—whether it’s cheesy holiday movies, festive treats, or simple time spent with loved ones.

Creating a self-care routine, especially one that includes restorative yoga, can help nurture this mindset. Restorative yoga calms the nervous system, encourages mindfulness, deepens self-awareness, and fosters introspection. It helps us shift our reactive patterns, retrain ourselves to relax, and release any physical or mental tension we may be holding. Restorative yoga can actually help rewire our stress responses, making it a near necessity this time of year!

Even if you only have 15 minutes a day, I encourage you to try it. Below is a short sequence to get started. Gather any props you have—blankets, pillows, or bolsters—set a timer, play gentle music, and surround yourself with a calming scent. Then, let yourself fully unwind in the holiday spirit of surrender.

Restorative Practice

Make sure to use lots of props, your goal is not to strengthen or stretch, but to relax and feel supported. Feel free to stack them up and adjust them to a place that feels good for you before you settle in.

If you’re looking for a place to start with props, check out Yoloha Yoga, their Unity Mat, the one I’m using in the pictures below, is absolutely amazing!*

1. Supported child’s with bolster. 5 – 10 minutes. 

2. Forward fold with blanket under sit bones and bolster under torso. 5 minutes.

3. Seated wide legged fold with bolster. 5 minutes.

4. Elevated twist with blanket under hips and bolster in between knees. 3 – 5 minutes each side.

5. Supported bridge with bolster under hips. 5 – 10 minutes.

6. Reclined butterfly with bolster under spine, blanket under head, and blocks under knees. 5 – 15 minutes.

7. Savasana. Your variation, as long as it’s relaxed as possible. 10 – 15 minutes.  

Remember, surrender is much more than what happens on the mat—it’s a mindset we can carry with us into our everyday lives. Our practice becomes a foundation, teaching us to release control, embrace the present, and respond with grace. As you make space for yourself this season, allow your time on the mat to renew your mind, body, and spirit. Give yourself the time and space you need to reset, recharge and clear your mind so you can enjoy this time to its fullest.

*I sometimes use affiliate links in my content. This means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.