‘Tis the Season of Darkness to Light

Oh Vata Season! You truly are having your way with us during the holidays, from exhaustion and confusion to anxieties and an onslaught of commitments. And more, of course…

Nature is begging us to take a rest. Darker mornings, earlier nights – the earth has quieted, beings are retreating for hibernation and our circadian rhythms are shifting.

But all the parties! Winter is the season of celebration and the rituals of the season require us to be expansive with our time, our energies and our emotions.

But we MUST learn how to utilize the practice to rest and allow our practice to mirror nature’s patterns.

Perhaps personal moments on the mat and meditation cushion are earlier with the light. To generate heat, we utilize Surya namaskars; to nourish, we incorporate restorative postures; to massage our organs and fight off illness, we add in gentle twists (asanas may address the organs of intestines, lungs, and stomach for optimal health because we know as the seasons are changing we are the most susceptible to colds and flu.)

If dealing with depression or just experiencing a bluer moment, perhaps our flow is focused on gentle heart openers, which can shift energy and invigorate the lungs.

This is the time to turn inward, listen, observe, and then position ourselves on the mat with an intention to find stillness, breath, energize without over exerting, and caress an overactive monkey mind.

Last but not least? Savasana. A long, lovely savasana.

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