Slowing Down

"We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again."

Katherine May 

In 'Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times', Katherine May gives a meditative honoring to the season of winter. She marks the feeling of a season in one's life as a wintering season. The joy, the sadness, the cozy, and the cold are all woven into this beautiful book about the need for rest, replenishment, and renewal within the seasons of our lives. 

In New England, where the glory of each season is only here for a short while, there is a need to pause, to connect with the beauty in nature, to hold the moments with all your senses, to remember the feeling of each passing month.

Supine twist with extended leg supported by a strap. 

Being in the season of winter now, there will be some days you may not want to get out of bed. Do it anyway. Find some space to lengthen, reach out your arms and legs, reawaken, and linger in the first stretch of the day. Lean into your supports, a wall, a block, or a strap can encourage and promote a softening within sensation. I'm not a morning person, in fact, morning is a difficult time for my body as it takes me a while to comfortably move my tight joints and stiff muscles. As the day progresses, I move more fluidly and the season of my day arrives. 

Just like there are seasons within a year, we have seasons within our days. 

As humans, we move with purpose. We rise from sleep to attend to our body's needs. Most of us work and have responsibilities to care for those we love. The job runs the game. Lately, I've been trying to carve out small moments within my day to pause, move, breathe and take time to concentrate on a single task. It's not as easy as it sounds! My busiest days are working days, and those are the days I need to slow down more, take intentional deep breaths, and make space to stretch. 

Throughout the day there are so many transitions happening moment to moment we barely notice the transformations within them. As a lover of movement, I take great care in how I move throughout my day and am influenced by how others move, communicate, and express themselves. Another layer of this gentle observance can be found in nature. The way plants and animals adapt in an effort to survive is a full awareness of the season they are in, and they move based on their needs. In opposition, we have the luxury to open into the season we are inspired to become.

 Different seasons are felt by our senses and our emotions as they move through us. 

When I wake up in the morning my body is cold and needs time to wake up. My whole being feels like it moves from winter into spring as I make preparations to nourish myself (coffee!), and get ready for the day. After moving and a shower, my body is warm, limber, and a feeling of summer settles into my bones. The sun sets, the temperature cools, and evening winds down the day. There is a gathering to make dinner and a grateful feeling of fall fills my heart.

As a child, I've always enjoyed discovering the seasons through fresh eyes. Every year I grew and matured within my abilities to really see, hear, smell, taste, and touch all that nature has to offer. When I became a mother, sharing in the joys of a first snow in winter, a little green in spring, the warm summer sun, and the abundance of fall guided our days as a family. Slowing down to celebrate and honor each season as it arrives is a way to connect the magic of my childhood and pass it on to my children.

This February I will be sharing offerings that inspire moving, breathing and meditating.

Free 4 part meditation series inspired by nature.

Rest & Restore brings a winter's rest into the body, heart, and mind.

Relax & Renew guides us into spring. 

Soften & Shine honors the light and warmth of summer.

Unfold & Unwind creates space as summer fades into fall. 

Virtual Slow Flow Yoga 

Wednesday 

730p-845p

*(no class 2/17)

This is a pay-as-you-can class ($5-15)

Click here to sign up for class via Paypal.

If you are having issues with the link, or don't have a Paypal account, please email me.