craving hibernation

There is something so wise about following nature's cues to move inward in the winter months. Just as colder temps invite us to spend more time indoors, protected from a harsher environment, so too do shorter days and longer nights invite us to spend more time inward and in contemplation. When we're aligned with natural rhythms, this season of the longest night (Solstice), is our opportunity to digest the symbolic harvest of the year. 

The challenge, of course, is that culturally we barely give ourselves enough time to digest our current meal, much less time to mull and turn over the lessons and teaching of the year past. Especially this time of year as we ratchet up our responsibilities, commitments, and extroverted social time. I've come to understand my own sense of overwhelm as a symptom of mental-emotional indigestion. A sign I haven't taken time to really receive the nourishment from my previous experiences, nor let go of the aspects of them that aren't useful to me any longer. I now see this as an invitation into more alone time, more unscheduled time, more time in practice and contemplation.

Each year as the calendar begins to close, I like to readjust my daily routine, my practice, the layout of my week, and the flow of my year. I take into account what's working well, and what needs tweaking, and how I want to feel in my daily life. This year I've also taken a social media hiatus over the holidays, which has been delicious and nourishing in so many ways. I invite you into some down time too, a little less outward movement, and little more inward stillness. May the practices of Yoga & Ayurveda support you in your digestive process this season.

I look forward to the opportunity to walk the path with you in 2019.

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