Cultivating Fire in the Darkness

Now that Halloween is over and November dawns, we move into "Deep Fall'' in the Northwest. The days are alarmingly shorter (dusk/dark at 6:45 tonight!) and the daily high temperature keeps getting lower. Many yoga teachers see this as a time for enclosing and drawing inward, with slow movements, forward bends, and long held stretches. While that may sound comforting to our instinctual sense of hibernation, I actually feel this is the time to set 'the house on fire' with more demanding sequences and movements, and at a swift pace, to invite our endorphins to go into high gear. In cultivating fire in the darkness we can stave off the gloom that sets in between the lack of daylight hours and the clouds and rain that diminish the precious light we have. Endorphins are our own "happy pills" released by the brain during vigorous activity and other moments. Once we have activated our endorphins, then we can go deep and slow to satisfy that 'hibernation response'. This method has been great for my classes, keeping spirits up and smiles ready through the darkening months. In the winter, I also focus on backbends which are enlivening and uplifting as well (and believed to enhance immunity through the stimulation of T-cells via spinal extension). With all that said, there is also sometimes a real need for quiet and calm to heal stresses of the body, mind and soul. "Yoga for Stress Relief", November 20th and January 9th are slow restorative workshops entirely devoted to rest and support. With both 'fire building' weekly classes and restorative 'events' I think we can all make it through another Northwest winter!