FOLLOWING THE WISDOM OF WINTER

Here's what you can expect each week:

Week 1 w/c 2 Nov - Introduction to Following the Wisdom of Winter

‘Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.’

~ Thoreau

To move through each season in the same way is to ignore the opportunities they each uniquely offer us. Winter is no different. It offers us rest, renewal, nourishment and taking stock. In our 24/7 world it may seem impossible to slow down but giving yourself just 1% of what winter offers will make a huge difference to your wellbeing.

This week will be an introduction to the programme where we will explore any habitual thoughts or beliefs that we may be holding onto about how we feel about winter and look at techniques for both on and off the mat, to begin to widen our perspective, to gain an appreciation for winter and see if there are any shifts we can make in our daily life so we can following the wisdom of winter rather than fight against it.

Week 2 w/c 9 Nov - Balance & Harmony

‘What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.’

~John Steinbeck

Balancing the yin and yang of life is so important for health and wellbeing. The two may be very different, yet they need each other in order for everything to harmonize and achieve balance. During this week we’ll exploring befriending the darkness and seeing it as an opportunity to become more conscious of the inner workings of our mind. We will use balance poses and breath work to deepen our understanding of how balance creates harmony in our inner and outer world.

Week 3 w/c 16 Nov - Reflect, Release, Renew

‘If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.’

~Anne Bradstreet

It is said that it is often winter that speaks loudest. It is a time to deepen our understanding of ourselves and reflect on where we’ve been, what we’ve achieved and learnt, the parts of ourselves that are ready to release so that new growth is possible. Our busy lives often do not allow us to have even the smallest notion of completion. This week we’ll imitate the wisdom of the tree in winter by letting go of unnecessary baggage so that we have space to nurture and nourish that which is really important to us.

Week 4 w/c 23 Nov - Clarity & Perspective

‘Our inward winters take many forms – failure, betrayal, depression, death… But, for me, winter has a greater gift to give. It comes when the sky is clear, the sun brilliant, the trees bare... It is the gift of utter clarity. Winter clears the landscape, however brutally, giving us a chance to see ourselves and each other more clearly, to see the very ground of our being.’

~Parker J. Palmer

Our yoga and mindfulness practice is like going into a darkened room and gradually turning up a dimmer switch so that the light reveals more and more of what is in the room. We may see many useful and important things, but we may also see all kinds of junk piled up in the dusty corners!

This week will be all about allowing, not fighting reality and using techniques such as gratitude and loving kindness to open out our lens of awareness. In doing this we invite in true appreciation and optimism for this one precious life.

Week 5 w/c 30 Nov - Natural Flow & Ease

'People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.' ~ Anton Chekhov

How many times have you rushed ahead not really knowing where you’re going, what you’re doing or why? Just ticking things off your endless to do list and getting to the end of the day feeling depleted and as if something is missing, thinking that there must be more to this life?

Winter teaches us to slow down, to pause and to enjoy the journey instead of rushing ahead and missing out on all the little details and intricacies that bring us joy.  This week we will explore how it feels to pause, even among the busyness and all the doing, and how we can bring this into everyday life to create a natural flow and ease.

Week 6 w/c 7 Dec - Inner Glow

‘In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.’

~Albert Camus

We all have our own inner light that we are born with. We see it in young children and gradually over time it dims. Our practices can help bring it back alive so this week we’ll stoke the inner flame by having greater awareness of our meaning and purpose in life and our values that ultimately lead to fulfilment. We’ll also come home to our unique selves and experience a natural sense of energy, inspiration, creativity and confidence.

Week 7 w/c 14 Dec - Hibernation

‘I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, 'Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.’

~ Lewis Carroll

As we move from late autumn to winter, we sense that nature has gone inside, she’s releasing back down into the earth, into her roots to strengthen from the inside out. As I planted bulbs this September, I thought of how long these little bulbs will be underground for and how they need the cold and dark to prepare and be able to bloom this coming spring.

We are like those bulbs! We need the cold and dark, the rest and stillness to be able to grow and flourish in our lives. This week we will focus our attention on being rather than doing so that we can enter the festive season feeling well and happy from the inside.

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