Revisit, Refine, Renew: Becoming through Life's Weather
“As I move through motion and rest, I find steadiness in the rhythms I create.” – Morgan Harper Nichols
Good morning everyone,
As we meet Monday, in your ever evolving becoming, Morgan Harper Nichols' words remind again and again steadiness can take many forms. Some days, it's about showing up with presence; other days, it's about embracing the slower, quieter seasons of building piece by piece. There’s always an invitation to pause, reflect, adapt, and simply be.
Winter continues to hold, the sun continues its steady rise, and the winds remind us that change is constant. It’s easy to get swept into the current of our busy lives, but we can always return to presence by anchoring inward. Let this one be a moment for you: adjust your seat, soften your gaze, relax your jaw and reconnect with your breathing. Take a deep, cleansing inhale, hold it briefly, and exhale slowly with a sigh. Then let your breath welcome you back into your body. Invite a steadier rhythm—without force- one that supports you here and now. Connect a bit more deeply.
In my own morning practice, I reflected on how staying inspired on our paths often calls us back to shraddha—faith in the process, faith in ourselves, and trust in the unfolding of life’s lessons. It’s not always easy to hold that faith when things feel heavy or uncertain looms, but there is wisdom in slowing down and tuning in. Wisdom came on the mat yesterday for this week that I welcome you to explore:
How can I revisit, refine, and renew?
Where are the glimpses of connection in my life, and how can I nurture them to brighten my heart and uplift my spirit?
Atha Yoga Nusasanam- and Now the Yoga Begins.
A Lesson in Presence
Life delivered me an unexpected lesson recently when a good deed I intended to complete didn’t go as planned. I’d prepared physically, mentally, and emotionally, and after hours of patient waiting, my body grew fatigued, my stomach unsettled, and I was turned away. Frustration and disappointment washed over me, followed by a sea of mental replaying—analyzing how I could have done better, feeling like I had wasted my time when the day had started so well. My body felt sluggish, my mind clouded.
In yoga terms, the blend of tamas (heaviness) in the body and rajas (restlessness) in the mind overcame me—a combination of stagnation, discontent, and lack of motivation that leaned heavily into old coping mechanisms like snacking, distraction and restless action. These dysregulated states created more residue, with familiar patterns of self-criticism bullying the parts of me that simply needed compassion. Despite all the tools I’ve cultivated, I found myself unsettled, discomforted, and fully immersed in the states of dysregulation that are part of the human experience. And I didn’t like it.
“I think 99 times and find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me.” – Albert Einstein
When circumstances require us to set down all that is before us and within us, what tools, what teachers are we left with? Time. Presence. Impermanence. There is nothing to do here. And yet, simplicity is not always easy. The extended pauses with the waves, the tension of resistance, frustration, and stagnation—all of these moments illuminate the parts of us that demand to be heard. Suppressed feelings rise to the surface, and while it can be profoundly uncomfortable, they hold important messages than can be found in the body’s wisdom if we quiet enough to listen.
“To be an open-hearted human means coming to terms with the fact that there will be some pleasure, some pain, and not much control over that. Equanimity grows over time, with perspective.” – Tempel Smith
We don’t have to have it all figured out. Life will continue to deliver what we need, and yoga teaches us to meet those moments with curiosity and care.
Revisit, Refine, Renew
In acknowledgement of the very realness of life's weather, your own story, may it be context for you to return to this week's considerations:
- Revisit: Return to your practice with fresh eyes. Invoke tapas- nourishing self discipline- to come to your practices. Create the conditions- schedule or delegate tasks that give you space for your yoga and your self-care practices.
- Refine: Within the practices, get curious about the details—within your breath, your movements, bring in focus, curiosity, exploration.
- Renew: Allow your efforts to create spaciousness, alignment, and the possibility of ease within you.
As Aquarius season brings its winds of creativity and collaboration, let’s embrace this invitation to reimagine and align with what feels true alongside the climates of uncertainty (ecologically, politically, personally). Come back to your becoming. To you- trusting what ripples out to our collective from your inward care. If January felt like false starts or routines didn’t fall into place, know there’s still space to align at your pace. Nature is nourish soil, and so too can you. Let this be a time to resource yourself, to pause, and to trust in the wisdom of balance. Reconnect more deeply. To what matters most.
“May I lean into the feminine wisdom that whispers when the world shouts. May I slow down, even when life tells me to speed up. May I feel the truth that my worth is not tied to my productivity and that simply being is enough.” – Sabrina Lynn
Come back to the body’s wisdom in slowing down. Join me for integrated yin yoga tonight or upcoming morning practices for balance and invigoration. I’m here for personalized care with yoga therapy to support your individualize goals, deeper connection with yourself.
With deep gratitude to my teachers and the wisdom I continue to receive, I offer this to you with an open heart. Be well.
This week’s offerings below:
In Studio @ Yoyoyogi:
✨ Mon @ 6 PM – Mellow Monday: A 75-min integrated yin practice. Learn More
Online via Zoom:
✨ GENTLE MORNING YOGA – Rise, Move, Pause | 30 min
Tues & Thurs @ 8 AM PST / 11 AM EST
$PayWhatYouWant
https://cal.com/mayalake/gentle-morning-yoga-30-mins
Yoga Therapy Private Sessions:
✨ Virtual & In-Person options available.
www.mayalakeyoga.com
Here with you in practice.
In love & light,
Maya