Finding Space During Christmas
Tis the season to be Jolly!
For some though it can be a time of stress, worry and anxiety as we tend
to rush around preparing for Christmas. Wrapping paper, buying food, presents,
decorations, cards and lets not forget the tree!! Christmas day for some is the tearing open of
presents, forgetting who they are from instantly, hot sticky kitchens and
arguments between family! It of course
does not need to be that way.
Take time to be in the moment. Firstly I would like to suggest appreciating
the season. One (if you look at nature)
of rest and restoration. A time to
conserve energy ready for the burst of Spring.
We as a family have been enjoying the fresh sprinkling of frost. Wrapping up warm and heading
out in our boots to hear the crunch under our feet as we venture out into
nature to see where Jack Frost has been.
Oh what fun!
Perhaps take time to think about your Sankalpha, or your
intention for next year. Perhaps a wiser
choice than to lose those extra pounds put on following the excesses of
Christmas?? Having recently moved house
there is no room for indulgence, just simple pleasures. Asking Aylah what she wants from Father
Christmas she replies simply a “Yo yo for me and a toy train for my baby” (a
baby brother or sister due May) how
sweet and so simple. This year will be a
time for us to really appreciate our Christmas celebrations with Aylah before
she is joined by her sibling, and what fun I am sure next year will bring.
Let us take a look at Patanjali’s Eight fold path of Yoga
and in particular the first two steps the Yamas and Niyamas. Yamas are guidelines to Social Discipline and
the Niyamas are guidelines to Individual Discipline.
Yamas
1-
Ahimsa – non violence to self and others
2-
Satya -
truth. Being true to self in words and actions (however see Yama 1)
3-
Asteya – Non stealing
4-
Brahmacarya – Sexual responsibility
5-
Aparigraha – Abstention from greed
Niyama
1-
Sauca – cleanliness
2-
Santosa – Contentment
3-
Tapas – Austerity, commitment to your yoga practice
4-
Svadhyaya – self study
5-
Ishvara Pranidhana – Surrender to the Supreme
Soul
During the Christmas Season let us particularly remember
Ahimsa - we can really apply this when our family gatherings have the potential
to be a little fraught. Let the moment
pass; Aparigraha - Christmas can be a time of over indulgence, remember the balance
of moderation; and Santosa – being content with the gifts that you receive
For further reading on the Eight fold path click here
Also take a look at this easy visual guide
Christmas is a time of love, for some the love of the birth
of Jesus and for others love for those we share our lives with, family and friends. Let us give thanks for the many riches that we
have – even if we need to ‘pull our belts in’ this year there are many that
find Christmas difficult, financially and emotionally. Let us take time to be grateful for not just
the riches of a warm safe home but also of the love and the joy that we are able
to share with others.
So when you are buzzing around preparing for Christmas take
time to pause. Enjoy your breath and
take time to find the space and the joy between breaths. ‘tis the season to be jolly’ after all.
Why not take time to
find that space during our end of year wind down, relaxation classes and Yoga
Nidra Wednesday 12 December at Old Catton Church Hall 9:30am and Monday 10 and
17 December at Inner Space 7:30pm
Thank you
At this time of gratitude and reflection of the year gone
past, I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to you all. I do feel so very blessed to have you in my
life. A special thank you to those that
joined me at the Woodman in Catton four our now traditional Christmas
gathering. It was so lovely to see you there.
There is still the Christmas tea gathering for the Inner
Space crew at the Bicycle shop after class on Monday 17 December.
Active Baby Yoga
Hooray! Thank you to those that have shown interest in the
Active Baby Yoga class. This is to start
Thursday 3pm. This is a 6 week course
for your more active baby. Baby needs to
be sitting strongly and moving around/crawling or walking. We learn new songs to more active Yoga
moves. Classes include scarves, balls
and noisy toys. A fabulous way to bond with your little person. If you would like to join this course please
message Jessica@blissyoganowich.com
Festive Season Schedule
Last Class
Catton Wednesday 12 December
Baby Yoga Thursday 13 December
Inner Space Monday 17 December
Pregnancy Wednesday 19 December
Classes in the New Year
All classes resume week commencing 7 January
InnerSpace Monday 7 January 7:30pm
Catton Wednesday 9 January 9:30am
Pregnancy Wednesday 9 January 6:30pm
Baby Yoga Thursday 10 January 1:30pm
Active Baby Yoga Thursday 10 January 3pm
Have a super safe and Joy filled Christmas. See you on the mat. Much love xxx
