It’s starting to look a lot like…Winter!
Here we are prepping and getting ready for a Winter wonderland.  A time to hunker down, stay warm, and move into a more inward state.  While many find the excitement of the holidays cheery and uplifting, not everyone shares this same joy.  For some, the holiday season brings up uncomfortable feelings and added challenges that can foster depression and loneliness.  Due to the pandemic, this winter will have an added degree of solitude that contribute to the heaviness and stress we are already carrying.   While solitude can be scary, it can also be a time of healing, creating, and transforming.

Winter has traditionally been a time to slow down and reflect on our year, what has worked, what has not, what we wanted to do and be, and what we ended up doing and being.  Mother Nature mirrors this natural behaviour as we see the birds have all gone south, the animals have gone into hibernation, and the plants and trees have gone dormant and asleep.  The rhythm of this season, personally, is a perfect match for deepening my yoga and meditation practice.  Doing yoga and meditation has helped me keep my own emotions at bay by spending time on my mat moving, breathing, and assessing how I am feeling, where those feelings are coming from, and if the thoughts around those feelings are true or imagined.  While all our feelings are important to feel, equally important are the thoughts of the mind and being able to recognize where they are generated from.  Meditation creates a safe place in which to be with the beliefs we have and allows time to recognize the fears, stressors, sadness and pains of our life.  In the safe haven of our mat, we can acknowledge what we so often ignore when we are ready and willing to look at them, instead of allowing them to pop up at a time we least expect it or want it to, which can cause us to simple react based on our programed survival instincts.

This winter, I encourage you to follow Mother Natures lead and take time to reflect on your past year.  Use this time to let go of accumulated stress, worry, and fears which can help to release much of the tension in the body, bring peace to the mind, and uplift the spirit.  I invite you to explore the many ways yoga and meditation can support your health and well being by committing to a little bit everyday. 5 min, 10 min, 30 mins, or more…whatever you can do will make a world of difference! May this winter bring you many opportunities on your mat to experience loving compassion for yourself and others.  May it transform your fear into peace, sadness into joy, hate into love.
Wishing you all a Blessed and Merry Christmas Season.
Namaste