Embrace the Darkness

If you’ve been feeling a little edgy lately, a little off your game; you are not alone.  This time of year invites all types of discomfort and uneasiness.  We are moving into the time of deep darkness.  Not only are we short on daylight, but this weather pattern has offered us more gray skies than I can remember in years’ past.  The wonderful thing about practicing Anusara Yoga is that we practice looking for the good in all things.  We are fabulous ‘spin’ doctors.  We can choose to appreciate the darkness as a warm embrace.  It nurtures us and brings us to a time of deeper contemplation. 

This week we will open our heart to the darkness and find the beauty and the good within.  Our open hearted practice will include daring backbends and simple ones too.  We will also spend time preparing to sit in a deep meditation on the wonders of this darkness.  There is fun to be found and at Good Life Yoga we will uncover it. 

Forgiveness

Signing on to become a human is the toughest and most rewarding assignment you’ve ever been offered.  When you took this job, you knew the difficulties involved.  From your vantage point you asked for the big, deluxe package called:  Live, Learn and Love – this is the one that included all possibilities.  This meant that you’d get a chance to experience the full gamut of human potential.  As such, you’ve made mistakes, and done some really stupid things (this is the ‘Learn” part in the Live, Learn and Love package).   Others around you signed up for this same gig and have done and are doing the same all around you.  These hurts and mistakes both given and taken build up and separate you from accepting and receiving unconditional Love that is your birthright. 

Here’s the good part now.  There is hope and Light in this situation.  There’s a way back to Love - because, it’s all Good.  In your infinite wisdom you also chose to bring with you a “Get out of Jail Card Free”.  This is the card that says, no matter what you do – and you will do, again, incredibly stupid, hurtful, awful things, you must remember that making mistakes, and being part of other’s mistakes is inherent to the plan.  Also part of the plan, and this is what you must remember, is forgiving yourself, forgiving others and moving on.  The problem is remembering to do this.

This week, we remember to do just that.  As the leaves begin their letting go process it is an excellent time of year to practice forgiveness; both of the self and of others.  This week we nurture our being with the kind act of letting go of grievances both large and small.   In the process of giving away our hurts an offences we move brilliantly back into that place of Light and Goodness that is our chosen birthright.  Last week we worked on Muscle Energy and this week the emphasis will be on Organic Energy.  We also begin to put more core strengtheners on the docket along with building up strong ankles and wrists.  It’ll be ‘slippery’ season before you know it, and we will be prepared!

Recipe for a Steady Seat

The pace of change happens so quickly sometimes that we often feel ungrounded, distracted and anxious.  These feelings can cause us to feel helpless and out of control.  If you’ve been experiencing this range of emotions – add in there a big dose of crankiness – welcome to the discomforts of the rapid seasonal change that is upon us.

The more we practice Anusara yoga, the more we understand just how deeply therapeutic its Principles of Alignment, methodology and philosophy are.  This practice is an asset to our lives.  It serves us.  When we go to the table this week to partake in its offerings we shall select a heaping dose of steady holdings, counted breaths and slower transitions between poses.  We will take an additional helping of hip openers and forward folds as well.  For desert, a no calorie longer held Savasana with extra blankets, pillows and the like.  This intention, to hold steady and slow down will help to counteract the range of emotions manifesting from the rapid seasonal change.  And who doesn’t want that right now?

Come to Good Life Yoga this week.   We have just what you need.

Recess! 

The last couple of weeks we’ve been pushing the brain power on spirals so I thought a little R and R was in order…Recess and Relaxation!

Come to Good Life Yoga this week and get set to play.  Enjoy your favorite poses – you get to choose – (it’ll be easy, I promise!) and we’ll save time for some deeper restoratives at the end.  Can you say “legs up the wall” and Supta Baddha Konasana?   Well even if you can’t, you’ll enjoy the restoration these poses provide.  Transitioning to fall has zapped some of our energy and so let’s go with the flow; recharge and reestablish our momentum.  We can do all that and have a blast, too.  Ah, life is good.