Weather the Winter Storms
The cold blustery winter weather may be depressing and dreary but for Mother Nature it is a time of stillness and replenishment before the rebirth of spring. As yogis we can use the eternal wisdom of nature to reflect and nurture our asana practice, as well as contemplating our lives away from the mat. SVADHYAYA is one of the eight limbs along the path of yoga as described in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra; it refers to self-study which historically included the study of ancient texts as well as the physical body. From a modern perspective we can interpret SVADHYAYA as self-inquiry; fine-tuning our skills of observation and heightening our awareness. With the cooler weather, we can turn inward to observe the moment to moment changes in the mind and the body. Try applying this awareness to the postures in your practice: how does my body feel? am I present in this moment? what is taking me away from this moment? At first, it can seem overwhelming to do it in all postures, so instead just start out with one or two and observe your self. Applying svadhyaya to each posture individually we begin to recognise our own individual truths both on and off the mat cultivating a deeper sense of awareness, creating balance and a sense of interconnectedness, which is the ultimate goal of yoga; recognising that we are all one. Namaste
