There were many Christmas highlights this Christmas season. EndorphinGirl™’s blog today is about just three – i) Christmas wrapping, ii) Christmas presents and iii) Christmas dinner!

Christmas wrapping. Certainly there could be much to write about
in terms of an endorphin-producing state due to the act of Christmas shopping. Yet, let’s save that for another time and instead get right to the topic of the Christmas wrapping that is required following the
shopping. More importantly the ‘impact’ the wrapping has on producing endorphins! Surely there is some formula that can calculate how many endorphins are produced based on the number of packages wrapped, and the ‘serene’ state that follows? The cutting, the folding, the taping, the wrapping; the cutting, the folding, the taping, the wrapping; the cutting, the folding, the taping, the wrapping – well you get the idea. (Hmm, sounds like the start of a ‘rap’ song). Wait a minute that’s not the type of wrapping story intended. Hold that ‘rapping’ thought a minute and do keep reading if your interest is piqued!

Wrapping Christmas presents requires you to use your arms and related appendages PLUS your shoulders and neck muscles for balance.  The wrapping of both large and small packages requires focused, concentrated movement of the arms and fingers.  In-between several package-wrapping completions, the ‘wrapper’ must also stretch so a slip-in of yoga is a must! And the end result is a well-rounded endorphin-produced ‘Christmas experience’. Okay maybe that’s a ‘stretch’!

Just for the record, the likely yoga poses to be used by EndorphinGirl™
during these wrapping sessions are a downward facing dog [aka Adha (downward) Mukha (face) Svana (dog); and a sun salutation (aka Surya (Sun god) Namaskar (bowing)}.

Side bar - Downward facing dog is a transitional pose which is a great resting and strengthener pose, typically done frequently during a regular yoga class.

Side bar – Sun salutation or salute to the sun pose includes 12 poses which help improve strength and flexibility of the muscles and spinal column through movement and breathing. In particular the pose warms up the body and tones the abdominal muscles. Metaphorically with this pose one is letting go – surrender to the universe.

So do you get the idea about the needed Yoga connection during Christmas wrapping sessions? There seems to be a need to not only rest and strengthen (i.e., downward facing dog) but to flex, strengthen and release (i.e., surrender to the universe) at several intervals between wrappingJ. Serenity follows and some serious Christmas wrapping gets done!

30-minutes alone of a wrapping/yoga episode like this easily leads to a successful endorphin state! The EndorphinGirl™ wrapping formula goes something like this -  

• 3 small wrapped packages + 2 large wrapped packages + 2 downward facing dogs + 1 sun salutation = ¼ done with Christmas wrapping and ‘feeling harmonious’. Well harmonious is maybe a stretch, so let’s settle for ‘feeling happy’!

 
While a ‘Christmas Rapper’ (i.e., rap song) wasn’t part of this year’s actual seasonal happenings nor initially intended in this blog, it has just evolved. So let’s get one out there anyway. Singing can help to mitigate stress and anxiety and that’s what we EndorphinGirl™’s want. And singing is also considered an aerobic activity, which yes produces endorphins.  So clearly becoming the other Christmas ‘Rapper’ has some benefits too as it can truly alleviate the Christmas stress when those happy endorphins get flowing . . . . So if you want to hold on to EndorphinGirl™^’s Christmas Rap for next year, or start to get ideas for your own . . check out

The Christmas Rapper

I said cut, and tape and don’t despair

Wait a minute before you tear out your hair

The arms and fingers make the motion

Don’t let this become a commotion

Get those packages wrapped and you will feel that state of grace

Endorphin like happiness just at the right pace

Downward-facing-dog-it in between

What a Christmas rap rap rap wrapper machine

Sun salutations take the packaging stress away

The Christmas Rapper is here to stay

Okay so this rap song is probably and hopefully the most ridiculous piece EndorphinGirl™ will blog, but even if it gets only one laugh (i.e., even just her own) it was worth ‘publishing’.

Now let’s get back to the Christmas season highlights, particularly the Christmas gifts and Christmas dinner.

Christmas gifts. Top three favorite ‘gifters’, including some gifts - randomly ordered for obvious reasons. . .  

• From EndorphinSon – 5 free hug passes (no explanation required) and super hip ring
• From Jack Steel – annual amorous marvelous Christmas fete and an uber cool leather ‘flight’ jacket complemented with delicate American flag earrings and pin . . . perfecto for riding
• FromEndorphinDaughter – homemade snap of EndorphinGirlMom and EndorphinDaughter (to be used for inspiration-needed prep for ½ marathon training) and a pedi & e.b. gift certificate accompanied with long-standing-will-only-wear black eye liner.

Christmas dinner. This year Christmas dinner was prepared by EndrophinGirl™.  This was a first in the family history. The primary
menu item – turkey. According to family members the turkey was very tasty – so no need to go into any of that. What’s most important to highlight is the affect that a good turkey meal has on the ‘turkey guzzlers’ following the actual enjoyment of eating it. The said affect is counter to what EndrophinGirl™ wants to feel. The turkey enzymes that
get absorbed following turkey guzzling make one feel sleepy. Or is the turkey enzyme thing a myth?  Well, actually it is half myth, half fact. The amino acid, tryptophan, which is found in turkey, stimulates the body’s production of serotonin. Yes serotonin is that feel-good or "happy" hormone. And a rise in serotonin levels calms the mind
and triggers sleep.  (Should there be a SerotoninGirl?, nah!)

But the myth part lies in that in order for the enzymes to really trigger sleepiness, the turkey guzzler would have to eat on an empty stomach, not with the huge holiday spread involved. That coupled with the tryptophan competing with other amino acids in the body prevents it from being fully absorbed so sleepiness from guzzling turkey appears to be mostly myth. Still it’s a fun myth to talk about. It comes up every year at EndrophinGirl™’s Thanksgiving dinner (thanks to cousin Bobby who brought this up many years ago). And now it’s Christmas dinner conversation too!

While EndorphinGirl™ is probably her best audience for today’s blog, so be it. It was fun writing and a lot of solo laughing took place. That said it’s probably a good thing the Christmas season is winding down because it makes her create silly blogging.

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Friday’s EndorphinGirl™ image features her in her new EndorphinGirl™
pajamas. This snap is courtesy of EndorphinSon!

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The New Year will feature both current and new topics, including what an EndorphinGirl™^’s parents must be like, among other topics.  Until then, keep on endorphing!  

EndorphinGirl™