The word 'solstice' combines the Latin words sol for 'Sun' and sistere for 'to stand still'. Today, yoga is widely known as a movement discipline, but these simple experiences of stillness have always been the goal. Without stillness there is no samādhi.
I'm learning through my practice of 'being in the cycles' that many of our outer seasonal customs mirror beautifully our inner experiences should we care to pay attention to them. So, as we prepare to light bonfires and send fireworks into the sky I figure it makes perfect sense that once in a while I might have an inner bonfire, or festival of sparks, that forms a perfectly normal and natural part of my own inner seasons and cycles.
Continuing our journey through the seasons and the eight limbs of yoga here we arrive at the Summer Solstice and our fourth gateway - the traditional yogic practice of prāṇāyāma. The word prāņayāma consists of two parts: prāņa and ayāma. “Ayāma” means “stretch” or “extend” and prāņa refers to our life force or energy. So, literally what is meant by prāņayāma is to stretch or extend our energy (I like the phrase 'conserving our energy').
Most of us begin our yoga practice with an interest in āsana (pronounced ah-sana) - otherwise known as postures. Practicing āsana allows us to develop a better relationship with our body, to really feel our body and learn how to use it and move it wisely. For many of us this deepening relationship with our body begins an enquiry into other aspects of ourselves, like our breath, our thoughts, our feelings and our spirituality. Whether or not that's what we intended, we find ourselves on the path of yoga and we might start to seek for a map of the territory.
Imbolc is a wonderful time to consider the first of Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga - Yama - as this guidance is all about our relationships. As we move through the gate out of winter hibernation to be more 'in the world', we can perhaps bring more awareness or consciousness to how we treat ourselves… Continue reading Imbolc / Yama
The third of the niyama is tapas. When translated from Sanskrit, tapas literally means ‘heat’. It is the heat that we create when we confront our habits, or the things we have become habituated to. It is often described as ‘discipline’ but I prefer to think of it as moving away from our comfort zone, or “sitting uncomfortably”.
