LOVE & LIGHT

This season’s practices and this image reminded me of the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, of finding jewels in the dark and bringing them with us into the lighter half of the year. One that I hope to explore more this term.

The compassion that arises in the presence of suffering - Sara-Mai Conway

I was late to work this morning, it was just so beautiful walking along the river.

I did stop to take photos, but mainly just stopping to take it all in, breathing it in as it beckoned me to slow down.

‘It’ doesn’t do the experience justice, ‘them’ and ‘they’ feels more appropriate as I felt a sense of connection, of life, of ‘kin’. If you’ve read Robert McFarlane's recent book ‘Is a river Alive” you’ll certainly understand this sentiment - if you haven’t yet, then this is my latest book recommendation!

Blue sky, warm sun and beautiful golden light dancing on the trees, playing on the water, shining through the leaves revealing their jewel like colours and life in their veins.

These crisp, sunny mornings anchor me in gratitude, it feels like a parting gift from summer.

Gratitude, not for the summer that has been, but for this moment of slowing down, relishing the space between Summer and Winter, reminding me to be fully present with the simple humbling beauty of it all. This gift could be the light that will shine through the darker half of the year, to cherish through the winter.

Love & Light is a term that floods though the world of yoga, and often manifests as toxic positivity;  an all pervading dismissal of anything negative, invalidating struggles and challenges that we all might experience and of the suffering that is occurring around the world.

As if to remind me not to get lost in the positivity of experiencing this humbling beauty, I stepped in dog poo!!!

(Cue screeching to a halt, beautiful moment spoilt, sound!)

Reality is not always ‘love & light’ in the positive sense, this term’s blog and practice is an invitation to explore love & light in different ways; on our mats, in our lives and in our participation within community and the world.

We all need sunlight to live and thrive. As we move into Autumn and Winter, with shorter days and less light, it’s a valuable time to move inwards and find a source of light within us. Finding a more nurturing way of being with ourselves, with the intention of ‘love’.

Dark only exists in the absence of light and shadows only appear when light lands on something. This time of year we get to experience the gorgeous golden hour, when where the light lands reveals a beautiful, golden hue. However, without it landing on something we may not have been able to ‘see’ or experience that golden-ness. Without the contrast of the darkness descending, the golden hour wouldn’t appear.

Light shows us our shadows as it shines a light on us. It reveals our obstacles (that which blocks the light) as well as shadows cast on us that are not our own, the dark season invites us to sit with those, with love. Deep work is done in the darker half of the year.

The darker half of the year is also about strengthening our resources which will mean strengthening our sense of community, supporting ourselves and one another.

Strengthening our resources can start by shedding the busy, outwardness of summer as the trees shed their summer leaves. This shedding and slowing down helps to reduce overwhelm in this season of transition. This process can feel a little like finding a dappled piece of shade in the fierce heat of midsummer - we can still appreciate the vibrant warmth and colour around us but the shade provides a little bit of relief from the busyness, the too-muchness of summer, it feels a welcome moment to pause.

Creating routine and anchor points within our day or week strengthens our resources, supporting our immunity and overall well-being.

Ensuring we find activities or seek company that lights us up, that sparks joy or a sense of belonging, is really important to include in our routines. These become our ‘anchor points’ which keep us steady in the winds of Autumn and the darkness of Winter.

Including practices that root and ground us, remembering who we are and what we feel, is so important for connecting us to that light within, back to our true selves. Using practices like slowing down and leaning into gratitude can connect us to joy despite what may be going on in our lives or in the world around us. When we are lit up, we are better able to light others up and take constructive action in our communities and the wider world.

The light is essential, but as we move through the seasons we recognise that it’s the energy we store from it that keeps us going, keeps us thriving rather than surviving. The light is beautiful but it doesn’t stay all day. In the same way we can explore our practice and our lives, not taking things at face value, not lingering on the surface of experiences or how things look. Autumn and Winter encourage us to go deep, to explore how things feel.

The practice of enquiry, bringing light to our practice, situations and conversations, informs  us, then slowing down to see how it feels within us. How things lands and how it takes root - will it nourish and sustain us or drain and deplete us.

Not following others regardless, but making independent choices and decisions, taking actions that are in alignment with our deepest truths.

Our practice of yoga is rooted in a knowing that ALL life is warmed by the same sun, breathed by the same air, and supported by the same earth.

Not ALL life is valued equally however. This inequality is a misunderstanding formed by our complex human minds. The simple beauty of it all is the realisation that we are all a fragment of life, the impermanence and unification of that is humbling.

If we can shine a light on the things that aren’t right or aren’t just, to bring love and grace to those experiences, I believe that is a valuable part of our practice on and off our mats.

Our practices of quietly and simply exploring deeply, shining a little light on what we find and feel, are like seeds germinating in the earth during Autumn and Winter, before growing and blossoming when we re-emerge into the lighter cycle of the seasons next year.

The quality of the soil and how nourished that germination phase is, is crucial. The seed doesn’t do that all by itself, it takes a village as they say!

Looking closely below me as I walked I was mesmerised by the beauty of decay, and how nourishing it is for the soil and all the seeds that will be buried deep within the earth over winter. The bones of our practice, bones give us structure and support, regardless how the flesh is arranged around that structure. I felt so drawn to this leaf, its shape and details reminded me of our spines and the beautiful curve of balasana (child’s pose). A great pose for an Autumn practice, forward bends invite us to move within, which can be grounding, calming and soothing. This obviously depends on your hips and knees as to how soothing it is mind you! Nevertheless this provides a great opportunity to see where or why it doesn’t feel good and potentially choose a modification or alternative that serves you better.

Nothing in nature thrives all by itself, sharing and cooperation are evident all around us, these symbiotic relationships are what keep life cycling on. Take time to explore the deep connections you have. The most supportive, nourishing connections may not be the ones you expect. They may not be the easiest, or the closest relationships, they may even be tentative connections with people, places and animals that you don’t know very well yet, now is the time to discern what will nourish and support you through the darker half of the year.

Gratitude, connection, cooperation and community are the gifts that keep on giving, that keep us alight from within.

I hope, either within classes or through the ether of these online blogs, that we are forming a community that honours ALL life. That explores the light and the dark from a place of love and grace, leading to compassionate words and actions as we contribute, share our light and honour the simple beauty of this world and the fragments of life within it.

Om shanti

🙏

Sophia