Moving into Stillness

"Time is the flow of experience around the still point of the moment." - Deepak Chopra The weather is finally cooperating and it is going to affect our mood and behavior. Understandably so. What a relief it is to have temperate weather after such extreme. One of the ways that yoga helps us navigate our life skillfully is to help us weather some of the extremes of our life. During the winter we tend toward sedentary behavior. And, with the relief of not having to bundle up in four layers to be able to go outside and be comfortable, we might may feel some elation and, the potential for extreme excitement.  Yoga can help us to have a more even keel. The tendency toward lethargy during winter weather is not relaxation. The tendency toward mania during nice weather is not energized action.  There is a concept in yoga called sattva. It is quality of being in which you are energized yet calm. It is the quality of light. The breath exemplifies this duality. The inhalation energizes and enlivens, the exhalation calms and centers.  So go out and play. Enjoy the weather; be active. But make time for stillness and quiet so that you can achieve the inner space in which to live a more balanced life.