february

The reason God made February short a few days was because he knew that by the time people came to the end of it, they would die if they had to stand one more blasted day.
--Katherine Paterson

Tell me about it. I have officially had it with winter now; the cold, the wet, the having to wear tights. Roll on summer!

sprung?

Is it just wishful thinking or, despite the damp, is there a smell of spring in the air?
(or is this just nature lulling us into a false sense of security, before hitting us with blizzards in March?!)

twelfth night - much love

(old christmas cards cut into hearts and packed away for gift tags for next year - inspired by this post)

When taking down the Christmas decorations
Instead of feeling sad,
I fill the box with love, with hope, with joy
And seal it tight.

This way I know that in December
When I open it again,
I will be surrounded by the love
Of Christmas past.

winter solstice

image from prancingpeacock.com

As the sun begins to show its head over the treetops and the snow makes the early morning silence of my cul-de-sac even louder, I scrape ice from the windshield of my car and remember that today is the shortest day.

Today I let the darkness enfold me and remember the year just gone.

Tomorrow I let the light back in.

Opening out

I went to a Pilates class last night run by my friend Katrina, who is also a yoga teacher (so honestly it's pretty far removed from the Pilates if you are a sort of Body Control Pilates type - but it's exactly the sort of Pilates I like - we use Ujjayi breath - very un-Pilates!!). I find I have to go to Pilates every couple of weeks for so to just check in with my alignment again. Alignment and physiology are so important to my yoga practice.

Katrina was talking about the changing of the seasons - I know she finds this time of year as depressing as I do. She said we all have a tendency to close in on ourselves, to want to hug ourselves - whether that be actually or metaphorically. So to counteract this we did an "opening out" practice. Lots of chest/shoulder/hip openers. Lots of grounding. Lots of strength.

And it felt gooooood!! :)

The Changing of the Seasons

The first signs of winter have begun to show themselves here in the UK. It's still only October but the mornings and evenings are darker, the leaves are turning and there is a hint of unmistakable chill in the air. Not to mention the long grey featureless days of nothingness which are so typical of East Anglia from about October to March every year.

I won't lie to you, I find the winter months extraordinarily difficult. I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and without my lamp that simulates sunrise I honestly don't think I could even get out of bed in the mornings. It can be truly beautiful in England at this time of year but I always approach autumn with a feeling of dread knowing that the days will get shorter, colder, drearier. It would help of course if we had had any semblance of summer in this country over the last few years but....

To counteract the onslaught (and for me it truly is an onslaught) of winter, I allow my yoga practice to change, to slow down, to become more introspective. I focus on poses that ground me, that keep me in the here and now and that warm me. Lots of Ujjayi breath, lots of standing and balance. It helps, it is as close to hibernation as I can get. :)

My yoga changes with the seasons, with my body, with my mood. And thank goodness it does because until I can afford to retire to the Gold Coast it is all I have!

The light is filtering through

I have been feeling kind of numb lately. I guess that's why I've not been updating that much. Since Christmas I have felt stuck in a rut, uneffected by anything, emotionless. Both my yoga practice and my teachign have felt rather jaded. I read quite a few blogs of people who are just starting out on their yoga teacher training and are filled with such excitement and anticipation and I remember that feeling and I envy them. Because somewhere along the line yoga teaching becomes a job like any other and like any job, some days I'm afraid you just don't want to do it. But it doesn't have to be this way. I just have to remember where to find my inspiration.

Partly it's the fibromyalgia fog, which has been particularly bad, and partly it's the pain, which has also been particularly bad and partly I suspect it is the time of year. January and February always seem so bleak, with so little to look forward to.

But now March is here and the crocus and daffodils are in bloom and there is hope of summer.

My epiphany happened this morning during my early morning yoga practice. The sun was filtering in through the gap in the curtains lighting up a ray of dust motes (and the ubiquitous cat hair) in the air and suddenly I realised "life isn't so bad". Life is not a rollercoaster of excitement, there are things I have wanted to achieve that I have been unable to do, but I do run my own yoga business and I do make a difference to my students. I need to focus much more on the simple things, the little things. And then life is sweeter.

So today I take my inspiration from the sunshine and the fresh air. From a cup of Earl Gray and a piece of fruitcake. From the simple pleasures of the world around me.

Rites of Spring

The first day of spring approaches (as does a forecast of snow as usual and the mad rush to bring the plants back indoors before they are killed by the inclemency -- but that's another story), and I find my mind turning to rites of spring, rites of passage, letting go of the old and drawing in the new.

Usually at this time of year I change my yoga practice. Through the winter I tend towards a gentle restorative practice, lots of seated and supine postures; but as the spring arrives and the energy starts to rise from the ground again I bring back sun saluations, strong standing sequences and more intense twists. It changes my perspectives on life for the new seasons, re-energising and renewing; as well as kick starting me from my sluggish, hibernatory winter coat.

This year is slightly different. I am still suffering in the back department and still under chiropractor's orders to keep it simple for a couple more weeks before bringing stronger more classical yoga postures into my practice again. So while my practice itself won't be changing, my attitude to it will.

The biggest change for me this spring, which really is starting all over again from a brand new bulb almost, is that tomorrow is my last day in my corporate job. After tomorrow I begin spring and my brand new life -- dedicated to teaching and studying yoga.

One of the most important things for me about this, which fits in nicely with the change in the seasons, is that I will be able to change the time of day at which I practice. I currently practice, be that classical yoga or my chiropractic exercises enhanced, before bed. I'm tired, eager for sleep, dozing during savasana. From Friday onwards I will no longer have to leave the house at the crack of dawn to get the train to work and will be able to practice in the morning when the energy is ringing and I have the whole day ahead of me.

So sing out for the start of spring and all the possibilities it brings!