Gratitude and the Mindful Use of Energy for Winter

"The real miracle of life is not to walk on water or thin air but to walk on this earth." – Thich Nhat Hanh

Brahma: The god of our own understanding, the divine, essential truth.
Char: To move, connect, or engage.

11/25/2024

Hello everyone,

Welcome back to a moment of pause. I invite you to take a few cleansing breaths, steadying your inhales to meet your exhales. Today, reflections and integrations from my heart & mind—may they offer something valuable for you.

The seasons change, we change, and yet our practices remain steadfast—an anchor to revisit, renew, and rediscover. A dear yogi friend reminds me that gratitude is a daily practice, not one reserved for holidays like Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for yoga, family, the kindness of others, and even the discomforts of life—the cold, the wet, the stressors, and the unexpected. These experiences, like rain that brings rainbows, teach me to lean on others, grace & understanding toward self, and to ground with an open heart to the gifts of shelter and love around and within me.

As winter approaches, the invitation is to anchor in gratitude with integrity toward balance. This feels especially timely as we settle into a new home and neighborhood—a process of orienting, shedding, and discovering. Gratitude helps clear the path between head and heart, allowing us to align our words and actions with integrity.

In this spirit, I’ve been exploring Udana Vayu, the purifying wind of expression and ingestion. It asks us to balance truthful speech with kindness and consideration. Reflecting on moments of stress over the weekend, I saw how unkind words could arise toward loved ones. This practice reminds me to pause, recalibrate, and express with clarity and care, with a ton of grace to not swallow my emotions, appreciating forgiveness and space.

This time of year can stir mixed emotions—joy, nostalgia, loneliness, or longing. Amid these feelings, the ethical guideline of Brahmacharya offers wisdom: the mindful use of energy. It invites us to walk the middle path, balancing rest, community, indulgence, and self-awareness.

As you move through this week and beyond, I offer these reflections:

• Are you spending a balanced amount of time in rest and connection?
• Are you expressing your needs with heart and integrity, or swallowing them?
• Are you taking in life’s offerings with thoughtful discernment?

"Before you speak, ask yourself: Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it true? Does it improve on the silence?" – Sathya Sai Baba

May your mind be clear. May your actions flow from integrity and heart. May you use your energy wisely and find grace in moments of imbalance. Smile, breathe, and anchor in gratitude for the gift of life, just as it is.

"Quiet the mind and the soul will speak." – Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

With love and light,
Maya

This week public offerings:

In Studio @ YoYoYogi- Monday @ 6 PM: Mellow Monday, a 75-minute integrated yin yoga class.

No live online classes this week as we continue settling into our new home. Ongoing offerings will resume next week. Be well. Be generous. Be kind.