Saturday, December 14, 2013

Winter Hibernation?

The seasons have changed, and with them the inner world has shifted. It is deep winter here in the north: snow on the ground, aurora sometimes overhead, and we are entering the time for hibernation. The time to feed the slow burning heart fire that warms soul and body both through the long cold. 

For me, the last workshops of the year have culminated. Frontline Wellness was a true honor and a joy to teach.  The group of providers who joined me on this first journey inspire me in so many ways. They are brave, vulnerable, strong, smart and gifted. Their experience has enriched me, my teaching, and this program they helped me to pilot. 

I spent the early part of this week in Anchorage sharing yoga wellness practices with a room full of vibrant, courageous women who work as legal advocates. ANDVSA (The Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault) hosted a conference addressing topics on legal advocacy and wellness. I had the opportunity to bring the Frontline Wellness workshop tools and share them with these inspiring women.  

With this cycle of workshops finishing, and the winter fully present, I have the chance to breathe deeply into my own practice, and let that feed my weekly teaching. In FW, we talk about the idea of practice, as something we return to, as something to cultivate. Teaching is, in many ways, my true practice and I am learning to bring ever more authenticity to those moments when I speak from my mat to that of a student. Winter is a time of drawing in, turning inwards and of diving deep, and as a teacher it is a time for me to both bring back what I find there, and create the space for my students to dive down deep into their own selves. 

What is winter's hibernation for you? 

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