Every year, we have four opportunities to not only experience the seasons but to embrace them. To embody those seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter and the energies they represent.
Winter is a dormant season, one in which we are asked to be still, to listen, to learn, to reflect and to turn inward. Spring brings new life, new chapters, new opportunities and the chance to grow. Summer is about enjoying all that life has to offer, having fun and living in our fullness.
Autumn is a slowing of the seasons, the chance to plant seeds for spring and to harvest what we have built throughout the year. A time to release what is finished. What does fall mean to you?
Does fall mean bringing in the fruits and vegetables of your garden and storing them for winter? Does it mean relishing the shortening days and catching up on sleep? Or does it mean falling into the reality of your own life?
We think of the word “fall” as a negative – to fall back, to fall down, to fall out of favor. But to fall into yourself and your life is a great and positive thing. It’s an acceptance but it’s still a potential leap of faith. Can you really let go and let be?
Yoga, breath-work, meditation – these are all ways that you can fall into your physical, spiritual and emotional self. If you are on your mat and you hear the words “let go” – what does that mean to you?
Releasing what you’ve been working for in favor of what you already have - is that a way to fall into yourself? What can you let go of right now so that you are free to embrace and enjoy what you have?
Every season brings with it some effort – tilling the ground in spring, running and playing in the sun in summer, kindling the hearth in winter – but fall gives us ample opportunity to let go. To release and relieve and reflect.
In your yoga practice and in your life – where do you need more reflection? What do you need to harvest from your current efforts? What do you need to release so that you are prepared to settle into the stillness of winter? Each cycle, each season feeds and supports the next. We are grateful to have you in the practice room as we explore these seasons together.