Dear Friends,
The Winter Solstice and Holy Days of many traditions are upon us. The Solstice tomorrow represents the shortest day and darkest night. The word solstice is derived from the latin solstitum. Sol is the sun and the root sistere means to make stand or the point at which the sun seems to “stand still.”
A bit of a wordsmith, I like to play with origins to go deeper and glean more import. From sol (the sun) I also see Soul (the light of our Being) and from stitum I see sthiti which in Sanskrit (the language of yoga) also means to stand or to stay, to abide and to pause. Sthiti is the unsurpassable calm that arises out of the ground of our Being. Sthira, another Sanskrit term means stability. We can take this further by going into the yoga sutras, chapter 2 verse 46 which states sthira sukham asanam. Su means good, kha means space and asanam is the act of sitting down. In essence, it is to sit down, to take a stable meditation seat, to become still and pause into that good space that is our essential Nature; the light in the heart that is beyond all sorrow, darkness, and loneliness. Here’s the rub though ~ we have to slow down and turn within, to literally pause like the sun on solstice and go into the dark cave in order to see more clearly that holy light that returns us to wholeness. Carl Jung speaks to enlightenment as making the darkness conscious. To draw near the light is to turn within. This is sacred work; to mine for our own gold in the shadow of our wounds that house the very gift of being; the spark of the divine that chooses to be you. The deepening of your own presence is the best gift you can give AND receive. This can be both a joyous as well as a challenging time of the year for many. I invite you to tend and care for this flame through your practices that return you to original Nature and once brightened to share it with others so they too may see the astonishing light of their own being. May your holidays bring you contentment and peace.
I have a number of offerings beginning this weekend with Sun and Moon Practice at Moksha Yoga Phx, continuing with my annual Christmas and New Years Day yoga at Dance Theater West, as well as Sankalpa Crafting on December 29th and the Four Desires weekend January 17-19. Looking forward in 2020 I am honored to present Indu Arora for a very special training in February. Teachers, this is a great opportunity to replenish your cup and be inspired. Finally, I’m so excited to announce a retreat to Greece in September and a return to Mallorca, Spain in October. When you have a moment scroll down or visit my website to find more details. I hope to see you soon even if just on social media where we share snippets of our life. It’s a wonderful way to stay connected when there may be many miles and oceans between us. Presence can be felt in many ways.
From my heart to yours with Love,
Mary
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