Stopping, calming, resting, healing...

Here, in the Northern Hemisphere, we are entering the darkest phase of the year, until the sun is reborn at the winter solstice in December. The dark half of the year gives us an opportunity to pause, rest, and rejuvenate. Just as the oak tree stays alive over winter by stripping itself of leaves and using almost no energy, we too can look for opportunities during this autumn-to-winter period to enter a place of stillness and simply be utterly present in the moment. 

This year, during a global pandemic, as autumn turns to winter, it is more important than ever to stop, calm our system, to rest, and take the time out to heal. Below are some seasonal meditation questions which will allow you to consider how to create some healing space during the coming season.

• How will I go about nurturing and nourishing myself over the winter?
• Which yoga practices will energize me and help banish the winter blues?
• Which activities nourish me, and which activities deplete me? How can I increase the nourishing activities and reduce the depleting ones?

The Autumn to Winter chapter in the Yoga Through the Year book has a yoga practice aimed at bringing light into the darkness and brightening up the dark days of autumn and winter. Sun imagery is used to lift the mood and shake off seasonal blues. The practice honours the autumn-to-winter urge to hibernate by including poses that draw the awareness inward, such as Standing Twist, forward bends, and Child’s Pose. To avoid the autumn-to-winter slump we include backbends to open the chest.​ Our yoga practice offers us many ways of lifting our spirits and lightening up the dark days of autumn and winter.

See also:
How to Use the Meditation Questions
Autumn to Winter Page
Samhain Page
Plant Seeds of Hope