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Summer Solstice

“The sun’s rise and the sun’s retreat bookend our days with awe.” – Julia Baird, Phosphorescence

The sun’s energy and solar cycles can be powerful and splendid energies to work with. The sun has nourishing and healing properties. I always feel better after bathing in sunlight on a cool, crisp yet sunny day. Feeling the energy from the sun radiate down on the crown of the head, travelling down the body, down the spine to the fingers and toes. Sunrise can be an ideal time to practice yoga or meditation with the intention of new beginnings, whereas sunset is ideal for the intention of releasing and letting go.

In Dru Yoga we honour the awe and wonder of the sun with the Salutation to the Sun sequence or in Sanskrit Surya Namaskara. Practising the sun sequence warms, strengthens and energises the whole body, activating your inner fire. It can be done slowly in a meditative way or more dynamically for aerobic exercise. Done regularly the sun sequence brings great emotional and mental balance. It is best practiced at sunrise or sunset to harness the power and strength of the sun to set your intentions.

The term solstice is derived from the Latin solstitium. It’s made up of the Latin sol, “the sun,” and sistere, “to stand still.” The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year before the sun’s path reverses direction and in the southern hemisphere it is on Monday 21 December 2020. This year on the Summer Solstice Jupiter and Saturn come so close to each other they will almost look like a single shining planet in the sky. If you are a night sky observer you will have noticed Saturn has been trailing Jupiter across the night sky over the past few months. The two planets will draw closer and closer in the next three weeks, until they appear together above the western horizon around an hour after sunset on December 21, 2020 at 7.22pm. This event, known as a grand conjunction, happens about once every 20 years and you can read more in this ABC News article.

This year’s Summer Solstice is an auspicious time to honour the sun and allow the welcoming arms of nature to embrace you. Join me in partnership with the Friends of the Bunbury Garden Labyrinth to practice yoga and mindful walking on Monday 21 December 2020, 5.30pm to 6.30pm at the Bunbury Garden Labyrinth, Cobblestone Drive, Bunbury. This will be the last yoga class I offer for 2020 and there is no charge however if you can please indicate you are ‘going’ on the Facebook event or RSVP via email to text to myself. Bring your own mat, water bottle and maybe hat and sunglasses. We will practice the Salutation to the Sun sequence and a pranayama practice known as Surya Bhedana or “piercing the sun” which assists to access the solar qualities such as joy, enthusiasm and creativity. This will be followed by an opportunity to walk to labyrinth mindfully and closing with a short standing meditation.

To celebrate the end of Term 4 and the end of 2020 I am also inviting you to come along to an EquanimiTEA morning tea at the Capelberry Cafe Saturday 19 December 2020, 10.45am. The morning tea will be held straight after the last Saturday morning yoga class at the Capel Community Centre 9.30am to 10.30am and you all are welcome to attend this class as well with your 10 class pass or paying for a casual class. Coffee, tea or other beverages are being provided FREE courtesy of the Shire of Capel and LotteryWest funding for local business support and there maybe even some free cake!

2020 has been a big year for all of us and I have decided to take a full break from offering yoga classes over Christmas and New Year so I will not be offering regular weekly yoga in the park over the summer school holidays this year. Watch my Facebook page for some FREE pop up yoga and mindful walks around the parks of Dalyellup in January. Classes will recommence for Term 1 the week of Monday 1 February 2021 and it is my intention to continue a regular weekly class Monday evenings in Dalyellup, Friday mornings in Gelorup and Saturday mornings in Capel. Class prices will remain the same: $10 per class if book for a whole term, $12 per class with a 10 class pass ($120) or $15 per class for casual attendance. In 2021 I will also be offering an annual pass of $400 per annum (paid upfront) to attend any regular weekly yoga class (unlimited so could attend all 3 classes per week) or $40 per month paid by recurring direct debit. Please contact me if you would like to know more about this annual pass.

I look forward to sharing the end of 2020 with you over the next few weeks as we take time to rest and reflect before setting our intentions for 2021 with courage, inner fire, sparks of passion and the power of the Celtic Goddess Aine who represents the spark of life. A reminder of the radiance of summer and of the power of love and joy to help us find light in the dark.

There’s an App for That!

I am a Dru Yoga teacher and thus teach meditation from the perspective of a yoga teacher. As I wrote in a previous blog post the eight limbs, or facets, of yoga include asanas (postures and sequences) and works towards dhyana (meditation). My view is that there is no separation of yoga and meditation, as it is all yoga. That said I will soon qualify as a Dru Meditation teacher and be eligible to join as a member of the Meditation Association of Australia separate to my membership to Yoga Australia. I also facilitate Mindfulness Works Australia 4 week “Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation” courses which approach meditation from a different and non-yogic way.

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Breath is Life

There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing. We take over 25,000 breaths in a day and in the last couple of days wearing a mask at work and other indoor public venues I have become even more aware of my breath. The last time I was wearing a mask I became very aware that I breathed through my mouth and not my nose more frequently than I thought. This motivated me to take a deep dive into the book “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor. I can highly recommend reading this book to any human being that breathes!

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Mindfulness, Meditation & Relaxation

There are many definitions of mindfulness and meditation. There are also many and varied methods of mindfulness and meditation practices. Sometimes mindfulness and meditation are terms used interchangeably and in some ways they mean the same thing and in other ways they are quite different. There are “sound meditations” offered where participants lie down to be bathed by sounds. I would say these are more sound relaxations however some forms of conscious relaxation could become meditation. In fact practicing a progressive muscle relaxation and/or body scan done seated or lying down is a technique that combines the benefits of relaxation and meditation.

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A Heartfelt Intention

Goals are external achievements. Intentions are about your relationship with yourself and others.

As 2021 comes to an end it is a time for new beginnings, making plans and setting goals. Many of you will make or consider making New Year resolutions. As an alternative I invite you to consider focusing more on your core values and intentions rather than setting specific goals. Goal setting is still a very valuable practice particularly for the completion of tasks and they can motivate you. It is particularly helpful if you make those goals S.M.A.R.T – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. But setting large, unachievable goals can set you up for failure and this is why so many New Year’s resolutions are not fulfilled or not even started.

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Feeling Anxious? Yoga May Help.

Many of us have had feelings of anxiety and this is normal however when these feelings persist, happen for no reason or impact our regular activities in life it may be the sign of an anxiety condition. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released data in December 2018 that indicated that 13% or 3.2 million Australians had an anxiety-related condition, an increase from 11% in 2014-15. Data released in August 2020, as part of the ABS Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, indicated that over two in five Australians reported feeling nervous (46 per cent); restless or fidgety (41 per cent) and that everything was an effort (41 per cent) at least some of the time in the previous four weeks. Beyond Blue states that anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia with 1 in 4 people likely to experience anxiety at some stage in their life.

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One Foot Forward

“Once you’re facing in the right direction, all you need to do is put one foot forward.” – Zen saying

One of the causes I have chosen to support this year is the Black Dog Institute One Foot Forward walk for mental health in October. The mission of Black Dog Institute is Science. Compassion. Action. They are the only medical research institute in Australia to investigate mental health across the lifespan and their aim is to create a mentally healthier world for everyone. 1 in 5 of us will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year. In Australia that’s around 5 million people. And roughly 60% of these people won’t seek help.

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Yoga for Well Being

The theme of the 2021 International Day of Yoga is “Yoga for Well Being” which is very relevant in this time as the world deals with the impact of a pandemic, particularly the lasting impacts on our mental health. But yoga for well being has always been my theme as according to 2017-18 data from the ABS 47% of Australians have 1 or more of the top 10 chronic health conditions. Mental health, back pain and arthritis are the top 3 most common chronic health conditions for both men and women.

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Appreciate the Good and the Good Appreciates

I was recently asked to contribute a blog post to Ahead for Business which has been developed to support small business owners to take action on their own mental health and wellbeing through personalised resources and tools that are tailored to their specific needs. More than 4 million people experience mental ill-health each year and almost half the population has experienced a mental illness at some time in their life. I reflect on my own journey into small business as a solo owner operator and some of the challenges and tips I have to share.

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Ahimsa

With all that has been unfolding in the world over the last year or so I have found myself coming back to the Yoga Sutras to find equanimity in these polarising times. Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga outlined in the Yoga Sutras provide the means to achieve the ultimate state of balance and harmony both within ourselves and the world around us. One of the most acclaimed exponents of these principles was Mahatma Ghandi.

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Stillness

Happy New Year. I don’t feel the need to make New Year resolutions but I do see benefit in spending some time reflecting on the year past and setting an intention for the year ahead.

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Summer Solstice

This year’s Summer Solstice is an auspicious time to honor the sun and allow the welcoming arms of nature to embrace you.

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Be Kind

Today is World Kindness Day and locally Choose Respect Bunbury continues to share the Choose Kindness message. Their message cards ask us to show some care and to share some kindness. Last year I shared the message to spread seeds of kindness because as the saying goes in a world where you can be anything, be kind. Small acts of kindness can ripple out into our families, communities and the whole world.

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Serene full moon on my morning walk in nature. Serene full moon on my morning walk in nature.
#fullmoonyoga #yogaquoteoftheweek #fullmoonyoga #yogaquoteoftheweek
Full moon yoga this evening with the Salutation to Full moon yoga this evening with the Salutation to the Moon sequence and Soma relaxation. 🌕 #chandranamaskar #druyoga
Yikes my Dru Meditation Mastery assessment is only Yikes my Dru Meditation Mastery assessment is only 3 weeks away. Where did the last 18 months go? If you are interested to move mindfully, relax and practice breath and concentration practices I offer these on Zoom Wednesday evenings 6pm and Thursdays mornings 6am. 🙏🏼💗😊
The weather might be a bit wintery but the heaters The weather might be a bit wintery but the heaters will be on at the Gelorup Community Centre for 9.30am Dru Yoga class. Bring a blanket to keep warm in relaxation. Casual attendance welcome, $18 per class. Suitable for every “body” and no previous yoga experience required. 🙏🏼💚💙🥶
Wednesday evening online Dru Yoga classes will now Wednesday evening online Dru Yoga classes will now alternate each week between finishing in either a 15 minutes four stage relaxation lying down or a seated (chair or cushion) meditation to finish the class. As the winter weather arrives join us at 6pm for an online class from the warmth and comfort of your own home. 🙏🏼
#meditationquoteoftheweek #meditationquoteoftheweek
#yogaquoteoftheweek #yogaquoteoftheweek
A bike ride in nature. Love this sculpture inspire A bike ride in nature. Love this sculpture inspired by Noongar symbolism and the sheoaks. A mandala to focus the mind. #heartandhome
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