Winter
Yoga and the Rhythm of the Seasons
Frosty morning: frozen moment. Photo by Marc Perri
The winter solstice - the longest night and shortest day - has just been celebrated - well okay, June the 21st was over a week ago now - and for me it acts as a marker to honor the dance of time, and the cycles of life.
This year,
in particular, I reflected on the turns and swirls this dance of life takes us on. In and out of beauty and
sadness, in and out of joy and bewilderment, in and out of trust and fear. Each solstice, I am reminded and humbled as I realise these cycles are huge and strong like an ocean tide - flowing and ebbing. Despite your many intentions and efforts these cycles can sweep you up and carry you away in the eddy of life. The practice of yoga - sadhana - offers an opportunity for greater clarity and awareness even when the way forward may seem a little blurry and obscured. Trust and faith in the process of life even though the path continues to change...shifted in shape, colour, direction.
The swirl of life
A two minute mandala by Margot
Return to the rhythms of nature.
Winter a time of silence, solitude and sleep.
A time to store energy for the year; a time of replenishment, reflection and rest.
Where does this leave me on my mat/daily life?
Dinacharya
Dinacharya or daily routine is a process you can use to harmonize your daily rhythms with nature's larger rhythms. These larger rhythms follow a pattern of expansion and contraction.
Winter is a time of contraction: muscles tighten, stiffness appears and energy depletes. Self massage is amazing - oil the body, oil the joints, keep
the fluids quietly moving (see post below). Massage the mind with stillness, meditation, and connection to the universe.
Early to rise:
Get
up early and renew yourself in relative stillness and silence before
you head out to actively engage with the world. Early morning is an
ideal time for meditation. I make mandalas from items collected from nature. I find sitting in winter unappealing first thing in the morning though quite happy to sit later in the day. I was relieved the day someone suggested that anything can be a meditation if done with focus and quiet.
Mandala meditation. Mandala and photo by Margot.
Winter is also a great time for a simple movement practice such as yoga or Qi Gong
Simply
moving for ten minutes each morning wakes the body up without
stimulating the mind. Go for a walk and smell, see and feel the world
through movement.
Winter
is the perfect season to
start a gentle flowing practice interspersed with restorative yoga
practice.
Gently flow and play...
Playing in the soft winter sun....rug up, stay warm, wear lots of layer and warm colours.
Photo by Marc
Wiggle, jiggle, dance, shake, move to music, flow in and out...
Just to get you thinking... below is a sample of a short flowing sequence based on Viniyoga
principles. I often add circling with the top arm forwards then
backwards. Be careful with doing too many options on one side as this
can cause stress. In this pose stress could accumulate in the hip/sacrolliac
joint. I generally only do two or maybe three asymmetric postures when I
am feeling stronger. Gentler if you swap from side to side or even add something different in between. It is also interesting to explore the complexity of a pose like triangle that is often mistaken for a straight side bend when in fact it is a range of spinal movements - forward bend, lateral flexion, extension, rotation. A celebration of spinal movement rather than action in the hips. Move the spine - it feels great!
Image from: sequencewiz.org/
Restorative Yoga
Restorative Yoga is a practice dedicated to deeply nourishing the
body through mindfully resting the body and mind. The practice focuses on
'being' rather than doing. as an extensive range of yoga props (blocks,
bolsters, blankets, straps, the wall, floor, eye pillows) are used to create a
fully supported practice allowing body and mind
to unwind.
Book yourself a class and explore for yourself or have a look at some of the resources below.
Resources
Yoga Journal http://www.yogajournal.com/health/2617
Early to bed:
Making evenings a quiet time. Spend time with your family and friends. Get to bed by 10pm as often as possible. This will help strengthen your entire system as this is a vital time for your body to repair and renew itself. Going to bed early will make it easier to get up early and enjoy the beauty of stillness and silence before the day begins.
Sweet dreams!
Light and love,
Margot
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