This year, we at Leeds Sanctuary are acknowledging that the Christmas season can be a complicated time. We recognise that for many people, Christmas creates challenging and tangled emotions. It can be a very exciting time with opportunities for much joy, but it can also enhance feelings of grief, anxiety and loneliness. Mass celebration at a time when many are unable to celebrate, perhaps due to poverty or war, can also raise feelings of guilt, and holding these emotions together can be overwhelming and exhausting.
With this in mind, we are hosting two opportunities for you to acknowledge and reflect on these emotions, and we have created some digital resources you can use privately too.
The first in-person event is on Tuesday 10 December at 5.30pm, at Mill Hill Chapel (follow this link to find out more and register your interest).
The second is an online Workshop which will focus on acknowledging complicated feelings, and how we might find gratitude and be kind to ourselves at the same time. This will be on Tuesday 17 December at 6pm (follow this link to register).
In addition to these in-person opportunities, we have recorded a meditation which you can listen to below, or through Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Music, or your usual podcast platform.