This Winter has been a doozy! Lots of sickness, sniffles, fevers, record-breaking temperatures and snowfall! It has been challenging just to stay afloat. Interestingly enough, the winter season is connected to the water element and all we are really meant to do is float; float along the currents of the oscillating waves around us. It can be challenging, however, to remember to go with the flow in the Winter time when our constantly, on-the-go, 24/7, around-the-clock technologically overcharged universe never stops.
Due to illness, I was actually forced to stop and slow down, even when I did not think I wanted to. My body was exhausted from the past year of development and challenges and accomplishments and she basically said, "If you are not going to slow down, I am going to force you to." So I experienced a recurrence of vertigo (an interesting challenge for a yoga teacher) followed by the flu! To top it off, every time I made a plan to teach a class or practice with friends, these appointments were cancelled due to snow! So the universe had other designs for me and I had no other choice than to follow suit.
All of these repercussions, it turns out, were related to the Water Element or the Kidney energy of Winter. Vertigo is an inner ear disorder and the ears are the external organs related to the Kidneys. The flu is a water illness with congested sinuses and lungs. And the snow, well that's obvious. So what have I learned? I have learned (once again) to go with the flow. Even though I am the founder and owner of three small businesses, I have learned that I am not really in total control and this winter has reinforced that.
I have decided to consciously tune out and close down (For Real!) during subsequent winter seasons. I have learned that the New Moon in February, the traditional Chinese New Year, is a much more realistic and suitable New Year. January 1 has always felt too early to reset and charge forth into a new year when the previous year has barely closed. I have re-learned to listen to the universal rhythms of nature as well as my own unique personal biorhythms. Sometimes we need to get literally or figuratively knocked down with something before we truly integrate it. Alright, Universe! I got it! What about YOU? What have you learned (or reinforced) during your hibernations this Winter? What are you willing to change this New Year?
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Happy New Year!
With Love,
Sara Pope Agelasto
Co-Founder, iHanuman
Love. Service. Devotion. Yoga.
Latest Teacher: Heather Haxo Phillips
We are Excited to Welcome our Latest Teacher: Heather Haxo Phillips is a certified Iyengar yoga instructor at the Junior Intermediate II level, among the highest certified Iyengar teachers in the East Bay. She is Director of Adeline Yoga and has been teaching for 10 years. Heather serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Iyengar Yoga Association of Northern California. Look out for live class recordings from Heather in Our Next Newsletter! Help Us Extend a Warm Winter Welcome to Heather!
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Winter: The Water Element: The Kidneys
In the Winter, we connect to the Water Element of fluidity and flow, the movement of the tides and the rise and fall of the waves. The associated organs are the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder which govern the flow and function of water in our bodies. The Kidneys also store the Vital Essence, our internal reservoir of life force. Spiritually, Water energy has to do with our will power and ambition. When our water energy is clear, we are connected to our true essence, the "Will of Heaven". Meditation and Yoga are powerful tools for quieting the mind and connecting to our true essence. Try Jan Barrett's Audio Connect to the Quiet or Betsy Downing's Yoga Nidra practice to assist your quieting Yoga practice during these last few weeks of Winter. Photo Credit: Art Print by Sharon Cummings
Featured Yoga Download: Senior Teacher, Elise Miller, MA Yoga for Scoliosis
Recorded live at the Swami Satchidananda Yoga Ashram in Buckingham, Virginia, these 7 videos include Parts 1 & 2 of Elise Miller's Yoga for Scoliosis Teacher Training. Meant to introduce teachers and students to the practice of yoga for scoliosis and to serve as a complementary resource for graduates of Elise Miller's Yoga for Scoliosis Teacher Training. View the sample videos and download the training now! Also check out Elise Miller's Yoga for Scoliosis Video and Intermediate Yoga Now!
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