Solstice, intention and 2021

I was blessed to participate in a deeply nourishing online ritual as we move into the darkest period of the year and shift into the light.  

Sally Kempton offered a solstice reset, releasing the karmas of 2020 (oh boy!) and creating intentions for 2021.  I have read her articles, her beautiful book on meditation, as well as got to hear her speak at the Movement Center ashram back in the day.  

One of her articles that I read a few years ago in Yoga Journal was about sankalpas, or intentions, and the new year.   She provided a ritual practice, involving journaling and fire. I used that ritual intention setting, and it powerfully manifested that year and beyond, so I have great respect for the power of intention setting and her wisdom, and I signed up straight away for this offering.  

The question that she offered us to contemplate is what is the deepest truth you are ready to live in 2021?  

 

Yoga in action

In this new pandemic world we are living in my yoga teacher training (which concluded this summer) has been a life line.  Breathing, moving, staying in my body are all my essential self-care practices.  

One of my yoga goals from the start is sharing this resource, this life-line, with my community, and particularly Spanish speaking working class folks (people like my parents and abuelos) who wouldn't have access otherwise.  I took my connections to the promotores de salud community and created a series of classes in Spanish that started 3 weeks ago.

What a joy.  My students are primarily completely new to yoga, which feels like a big responsibility.  They identified their needs in a survey, where I learned that stress reduction, sleep, improving balance and exercise are their goals.  

What I've tried so far:

• The space orientation from "My Grandmother's hands" that I find a great way to open a class and get folks in their space and body straight away.  I wish this book was translated into Spanish!!!
• Yoga nidra is my go to for sleep issues, and I pulled together a yoga nidra script from different sources and translated into Spanish.  I tried it for the first time last week, and they loved it!!  
• I keep to the same basic sequence, which is a solid trauma informed practice, where repetition creates a container of safety.  I tweak a bit and have a different theme each week.  The sequence and themes reflect their survey input.  

What a difference a year makes

It's been a year since my first magical yoga retreat in Costa Rica.  Now I'm in the midst of a yoga teacher training in Oregon, deeply immersed in so many dimensions of yoga - philosophy, meditation, asana, and social justice.  Oh did I mention in the midst of a global pandemic?
I am so grateful for yoga right now, in so many ways.

As I come across resources and insights about how to maintain equilibrium in these times I will use the blog to share them.

Here's one for mindfulness meditation from the wise Sharon Salzberg