This is the darkest month of the year and the lack of daylight can present some challenges for many of us. When the sun rises around 8am and starts to set at 3:30/4pm, it can feel like we are somehow ‘losing out’ and it’s difficult to fit in what we may be used to doing in a single day.

The key here is to lean into the natural cycle. Like all animals, we humans need rest and winter calls for more of this. The sun (‘surya’) is our life giver and without it, things must slow down. During the winter, the sun hits us at an angle, so we feel less of it even during the daylight hours. This is all perfectly natural and what we have evolved to live in tune with. We take more rest in the winter and then we have more energy for the long days of summer. 

Some ways of honouring the darkness include quieter, more introspective activities such as reading, cooking and of course, our yoga practice. Yoga is a beautiful practice to enjoy particularly during the darker season since it allows us to be entirely with ourselves, yet we can gain the benefit of still being a part of a community, all practicing together without the need to be social in any way at all. Yoga is also a great way to find the balance of feeling connected without exhausted. Our practice reconnects us to the eternal light within. We are reminded how to connect to that part of ourselves that is our greatest teacher, our greatest light, our greatest potential no matter where or when. This kind of contented embodiment is such a powerful tool to carry us through the shorter days! 

Join us for Yoga Unplugged on 30th December at 6.30pm-8pm, to close the year, honouring the darkness and the light. This workshop is available both in the studio and online, here to assist you in melting away physical and mental tensions, promoting deep release, and offering relaxation for the body and mind. Book here.