Holding More Than Joy

The holidays are often described as joyful and sparkling—a time of connection, generosity, and warmth. And usually, they truly are. They can also feel heavy, lonely, or emotionally complex. Both experiences can coexist. This paradox is part of what makes the season so charged, even for those of us who genuinely love it.

I count myself among those people. I love the holidays and the meaning they hold. And still, this time of year can stir things up—especially around family dynamics that aren’t always easy. My emotions tend to sit closer to the surface. I’m more sensitive, more easily moved to tears, and my mood is less predictable. That doesn’t cancel out the joy I feel, but it does sit alongside it.

The holidays have a way of bringing old memories, expectations, grief, gratitude, and longing into the same room. When there’s an unspoken expectation to be cheerful and put-together, it can feel confusing—or even isolating—when our internal experience doesn’t match the external tone. But there’s nothing unusual about this. Heightened emotion is often part of the season.

Yoga offers a counterpoint to that pressure. On the mat, there’s no requirement to feel a certain way or arrive in a particular mood. Practice invites us to pay attention—to breath, sensation, and the quieter emotional currents moving through us—without needing to label or resolve them. All of it belongs.

Rather than using yoga to make ourselves feel better, we can let it help us feel more honest. To soften where we’re gripping, to rest when we’re depleted, to move gently when energy feels fragile. Especially during the holidays, this kind of practice can feel like a relief—a place where nothing needs to be fixed or made festive.

If the holidays feel joyful for you, I hope you let yourself enjoy them fully. And if they also feel complicated, tender, or heavy at times, you’re not alone in that either. Yoga can be a quiet refuge this season—a place where the full range of your experience is welcome, exactly as it is.