YOGA news February 2020
YOGA News
I haven’t written a news post for months. Work, study, Christmas, getting ill and then the misery that is January have all got in the way. And I was thinking maybe it’s time to shake things up a little anyway.
From now on these news updates will be monthly. Hopefully they’ll still be informative and enjoyable. So welcome to my new YOGA newsletter which will be divided into four short sections each month.
Y = yin and yang
O = Om and other mantras
G = gratitude
A = asana
Please do let me know what you think.
Yin and Yang
Yin is the feminine, the moon, the dark. Yang is the masculine, the sun, the light. We need both.
I love the story of Ganesh and the moon. Ganesh the elephant god travels by mouse, one day the mouse tripped and Ganesh fell off, spilling cakes and sweets everywhere - Ganesh has a very sweet tooth. The moon - Chandra - laughed at the sight of this, but Ganesh was not pleased at being made a mockery. So he threw one of his tusks at Chandra and she went out. There was no moon.
With no moon, there was no night, with no night there was no rest and that meant no romance. Everyone was unhappy, including Ganesh, who realised he may have overreacted. (there’s a lesson there for many of us!). But he didn’t want to lose face. Eventually after much persuasion Ganesh agreed to restore light to the moon, but only in full glory once a month. And that’s why the moon waxes and wanes.
The waxing and waning moon is a celestial reminder that no matter what we look like or what mood we are in, we are still the same person, our essence never changes.
Ganesh is the mover of obstacles. Many people believe that you if you rub Ganesh’s belly all obstacles will be removed.
Om and other mantras
As part of my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training I have been learning and playing with a number of different mantras. There are thousands of them which is both exciting and intimidating.
The mantra that seems to be used most often is Sat Nam. It is used as a greeting, a blessing, to call attention to something, to say goodbye, it’s used almost all the time and everywhere. For me personally I like the way we use it as a way to celebrate the breath. We inhale Sat and we exhale Nam.
Sat Nam means the truth is my identity. It’s a reminder that to always align to our truth, to the divine within us.
Sat Nam is a beautiful way to meditate, simply sit up straight with the spine tall, listen to your breath and slowly and deeply inhale Sat and exhale Nam.
I’m loving this song too… and these Oms will definitely be heard in class this month.
Gratitude
This month I am particularly grateful that by Valentine’s Day it will be light at 5.30 in the afternoon. I find the dark mornings and evenings the hardest part of winter, so this is a real milestone for me, a sign that spring is coming and that it’s only a few weeks until the equinox.
What are you particularly grateful for this month? Do you keep a daily gratitude diary?
Asana
It’s the time of year to focus on Love. Valentine’s Day is inescapable, the sea of red hearts throbs in every shop window. And on a personal note it’s my birthday in February, so I have the joy of celebrating with people I love. Energising the heart chakra with our yoga asanas is lots of fun and we can do this with any heart opening or back bending pose, such as Natarajasana, dancer pose.
Another interesting approach is to try to lead with your heart throughout the day. Stand tall in Tadasana (mountain pose), tuck the tailbone slightly, bring the chin in and down towards your chest and drop your shoulders. You’ll notice that your chest expands making it easier to breathe a full breath, which will help keep you calm.
February classes, all at ClaphamSpace, 1 Landor Road, SW9
Tuesdays: 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th at 8.15pm.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Namaste
Claire x
🙏