New Intentions for a New Year

As we continue to navigate the harsh realities of living with and through a pandemic we still need to bring ourselves back to other realities: that Light casts out Darkness, Love conquers Hate, and forgiving ourselves for being human allows us to touch the Divine in whatever form we seek it or wish to embody it.

In Ayurvedic terms the Gunas,, or qualities of the mind, can help point us in the direction we need to travel:

Sattva is balance.  If everything is running smoothly we don't need to make changes as we are happy where we are.

​Rajas is instability but also the impetus behind change, both "good" and "bad".  If we have no desire for change and no impulse to make changes in our current situation then change doesn't happen.  This is not necessarily a good or a bad thing.  Sometimes we may need to stay where we are because we feel safer there.  Perhaps we need more support, better ideas, or the proper tools.

Tamas is stability but also stagnation;  which way it manifests can be assessed by noting if you feel "stuck" vs feeling "comfortable" or "safe".  It can be a challenge to know the difference between Tamas and Sattva as they can appear similar to each other from the outside (this is why it's so difficult for people to know if a Guru/teacher is the "real deal" or a pathological abuser sucking us into a cult.

With so much going on in the world today learning how to take care of ourselves in  healthy ways is key to our resilience.  The foundation of the style of Yoga Therapy I share is based on breath awareness.  Feel free to access the two free Teachable courses, with recorded guidance sessions, to help build your own resilience practices and may your year be a time to heal, to love, to build a better future for all embodied beings.