 Photo by Rosie Kerr on Unsplash Happy New Year! Turning the calendar over to January brings a feeling of newness, and a chance for a fresh start. What do you want to create for yourself in 2018? Do you want to open yourself to new opportunities? Improve your mental or physical health? Reinvent your career? Revitalize relationships? Yoga can help you make the best use of new year energy. Instead of making a typical “New Year’s Resolution,” set a different kind of intention - a sankalpa - that will bring you closer to the New You you want to become. Sankalpa is an intention that comes from the heart. When you make a sankalpa, you vow to harness the resources within your body, mind, and spirit to work toward a specific goal. Make setting your intention a thoughtful inquiry and know that you have what it takes to reach your goal. N - Notice your deeper desires. It’s common to set resolutions designed to “correct” a negative aspect of yourself. Instead, ask what you want to experience, feel, or become in the next chapter of your life, and set your intention to realize that desire. “I feel strong and free in my body” may be the sankalpa underneath a typical resolution to “lose ten pounds.” E - Evolve and unfold. Allow yourself the grace to let your intention unfold over time. Deep transformations don’t happen overnight. Work toward your sankalpa in small steps and practice tapas - mindful discipline - to persevere when your motivation or energy level is low. W - Watch out for resistance. Once you set an intention to change, expect fear, doubt, and uncertainty to rush in and get in your way. This is the ego doing its job to maintain the status quo. Identify resistance as a sign you are on the edge of growth and use it to fuel your actions. Create a phrase or short sentence that captures the essence of your intention. State it as an affirmation, such as “I am thriving in my work,” or “Peace is abundant in my relationships.” Make it part of your daily routine. Y - Yoga practice. Incorporate your sankalpa into your yoga by repeating your intention at the beginning of your asana practice and using it as a mantra during pranayama or meditation. O - On your mind. Keep your sankalpa in your awareness by posting it where you will see it often - on your bathroom mirror, your phone screen, inside a kitchen cabinet, and any other place that comes into view throughout your day. U - Under the breath. Repeat your sankalpa when you wake up and when you go to sleep. Make this vow part of your stream of thinking at the beginning and end of the day to seal it into your conscious and subconscious mind. Living your intention and achieving your sankalpa may feel like you’re traveling a bumpy road. You may get lost along the way and end up on a long, scenic route to the place you want to be. How you handle the setbacks is a practice unto itself. Use obstacles and difficulties as teachers, and learn from these experiences. Replace criticism and self-loathing with curiosity and compassion. Forgive yourself and start again each new day. Welcome all that comes to you with santosha - contentment with what is - and you will experience unshakable joy on your way to the New You. The Santosha community is here to welcome you and support you in the new year. Your presence is part of what makes our studio so magical. Here are highlights of what’s happening in the studio in January and beyond from our latest eNews. If you don't receive our eNewsletter in your Inbox and would like to, please sign up: ENEWSLETTER ENROLL
Kirstin PinitKirstin Pinit is Santosha’s writer-in-residence. She is an artist, a student of yoga, Ayurveda, and massage therapy, and she is a Yoga Health Coach. Kirstin practices and teaches the habits of yogis - dinacharya. This is the Ayurvedic practice of daily habits that are essential for leading a vibrant, healthy, creative life. Find out about her upcoming courses and collaborations at kirstinpinit.com   Ahimsa for the Holidays. Ahimsa for the Holidays. Ahimsa for the Holidays. This phrase has been rolling around in my brain since Thanksgiving, begging me to consider what it would mean to live the principle of Ahimsa - nonviolence - during the holiday season. Surely, this is the time of year when peace and hope and love are extra close to our hearts. It’s also a time of year when we may feel a little frazzled, anxious, and overextended. Normal life and the concerns of the world don’t stop to make room for holiday traditions and joyous celebrations. Headline news, end-of-the-year deadlines, frayed nerves and a jam-packed calendar make Ahimsa a potentially delicate principle to practice this time of year. How can we bring more love and less suffering to the holidays? How can we carry the spirit of the season into the new year and beyond? First, let’s remind ourselves that yoga philosophy is not so much a set of steps to follow, but a guide for living a joyful life. Though we may seek to master the eight limbs of yoga, it’s the daily practice of living a conscious and connected life, the ever deepening our of understanding and expression of its values, that bring us great meaning and purpose in this lifetime. The holidays are a wonderful time to recommit to yogic values. Ahimsa is the first of the five Yamas. It means nonviolence, and it instructs us to do no harm to any living being. Living the principle of Ahimsa is meant to the the basis for all of our decisions, choices, and actions. It is more than “to not kill.” Ahimsa extends to our thoughts, words, and deeds to others - and to ourselves. If what we think, say to do brings pain or suffering, we have violated this principle of Ahimsa. Our world is filled with so much violence and suffering, sometimes the possibility of attaining Ahimsa seems out of reach. Looking at all suffering, all pain, all people, all beings - it’s too big to change. What could one person do but feel despair and hopelessness? Could there be another way to understand, know, and live the principle of Ahimsa? Another way to understand Ahimsa is to take responsibility for ourselves. We are accountable for our thoughts, words, and actions. We cannot change others, but we can manage ourselves. We can change ourselves. We can look honestly at our lives to notice what is out of alignment with Ahimsa, and we can mindfully behave in ways that do not create suffering. Practice this understanding by noticing if you are out of alignment with Ahimsa. Decide how you will take responsibility for your actions, and how you will move toward a greater expression of nonviolence in the way you think, speak, and act. At holiday gatherings, while shopping, when stuck in holiday traffic - take responsibility for yourself embody love. Another way to know Ahimsa is to participate in community. One person’s actions, thoughts, and intentions my seem insignificant, but we are not acting alone. As a yoga community, we practice together as like-minded people who want to support each other's growth and well-being. Our combined efforts in living Ahimsa amplify its effect and motivate us all to pursue our dharma. Practice this knowledge by mindfully choosing how you spend your time during the holiday season (and always). Say yes to the parties, events, and traditions that bring you close to those who share your values and encourage you to be your best self. Another way to live Ahimsa is to act in accordance with the principle of nonviolence. Essentially, to live Ahimsa means to love. When we cultivate loving thoughts, when we speak with compassion and friendliness, when we act with care and generosity, we exemplify Ahimsa. In this way, we radiate respect and care and generosity. In this way we may help to open the hearts of others to also act in love and not in violence. Practice Ahimsa by giving the gift of love to all. Open your heart to all beings, and spread your love freely, without reservation, without fear. Know that the source of love is infinite. Know that the gift of love creates ripples that will reach farther than you may ever know. “See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?” -Buddha Holiday gatherings are colorful and vibrant and full of emotion. It’s true that even with our best intentions, the holidays can bring moments that are difficult to maneuver. Our best intention and most thoughtful practice may still fall short in the face of certain relationships, memories, or expectations. When we remember that we are all one, we may be able to access a deeper place where Ahimsa is abundant. With this, I offer you a blessing: May you see yourself in every being. May you choose to live Ahimsa in honor of our sacred oneness. Do no harm. Always. Happy Holidays to you and all you love, respect, and cherish. Kirstin PinitKirstin Pinit is Santosha’s writer-in-residence. She is an artist, a student of yoga, Ayurveda, and massage therapy, and she is a Yoga Health Coach. Kirstin practices and teaches the habits of yogis - dinacharya. This is the Ayurvedic practice of daily habits that are essential for leading a vibrant, healthy, creative life. Find out about her upcoming courses and collaborations at kirstinpinit.com  In our “Habits of Yogis” series, we’re looking at the daily routines and rituals that connect us with the natural cycles of nature. The Ayurvedic term for daily habits is dinacharya, and these are guidelines for living a long and vibrant life. One of the foundational habits of dinacharya is to eat an earlier, lighter dinner. If you want to sleep deeply tonight, have abundant energy tomorrow, and keep your body feeling light and lithe, finish your eating early in the evening. This allows time to digest your food completely before bedtime so your system - your physical and energetic bodies - can do the work of resting and restoring overnight. Living on Mother Nature’s Schedule Humans are diurnal creatures. That means we are physiologically built to be active in the daytime and sleep at night. A basic understanding of the Ayurvedic “body clock” will help us understand why eating early and light in the evening is aligned with nature and supports our vibrancy through the days and the years.   Ayurveda expert John Douillard summarizes the body clock into two, 12-hour cycles, each with three segments within them:
Based on this knowledge of the body clock we understand that digestion is strongest in the daytime. The capacity to digest, absorb, and assimilate nutrients is called agni - the digestive fire. When we take in our food when agni is strong, the body is more able to turn food into energy and body tissue. Ayurveda’s body clock explains why eating a large, nutrient dense meal at midday makes sense for the function of your body. It also makes it possible for the evening meal to be light and supplemental - enough to get you through until breakfast without being too hungry. This is not just ancient, esoteric theory! In my midwestern upbringing, the routine of a large “dinner” at noon and a light “supper” in the evening made sense for farmers who needed their energy during the working, daylight hours. Earlier, Lighter Dinner Basics
Working Against the Clock Our bodies are remarkable machines that can continue to function even when we live against the body’s clock. We fuel up on food and caffeine, catch the second wind, and keep producing long into the night. We can do this occasionally - and sometimes we have to - but over time, this rhythm is not sustainable. We draw too much out of our energy bank account and end up deeply depleted, sick, and tired. Over time, working against the clock - waging a war on time - will result in added weight, a dull complexion, a lack of joy and other symptoms that we usually call the inevitable effects of aging like stiff and painful joints and muscles, memory decline, and degeneration of vision and hearing. Working with the clock by changing our relationship with food, sleep, and activity levels will mitigate many of the effects of time and keep a long list of “lifestyle diseases” at bay. So, What’s for Dinner? The best way to align with your body clock and eat an earlier, lighter dinner is to start small and keep it simple. Slowly adjust your mealtime until you are done by 6pm. Don’t snack between meals so you will be hungry when it’s time to eat. Make a weekly meal plan so you always know what’s for dinner. Keep your evening meals simple so they don’t take much time to prepare and they are easy to digest. Need some menu ideas for an earlier, lighter dinner?
What will be your simple step toward living in sync with nature and eating an early, light dinner? Kirstin PinitKirstin is Santosha’s writer-in-residence. She is an artist, a student of yoga, Ayurveda, and massage therapy, and she is a Yoga Health Coach. Kirstin practices and teaches the habits of yogis - dinacharya. This is the Ayurvedic practice of daily habits that are essential for leading a vibrant, healthy, creative life. Find out about her upcoming courses and collaborations at kirstinpinit.com.  A modern Yogi/ni practicing all eight limbs of yoga will often feel a conflict between the yoga life of spiritual awakening and the norms of our family culture or mainstream society. Life off the yoga mat often feels completely out of sync with the yoga philosophy we want to embody. Responding to the stress of our jobs, family responsibilities, and community commitments can leave us in a state of overwhelm, exhaustion, and confusion. This hardly leaves room for proper self-care or time for spiritual development. Stay in this state of imbalance for too long and your health will eventually suffer, your well-being will erode, and the path to enlightenment (or just living a full and joyful life!) will be a very difficult journey. We want to cultivate our yoga in all aspects of our lives, but how? The answer can be found in the wisdom - and the habits - of the yogis. They understood that we achieve health and well-being when we align our actions with the rhythms of nature. How did the yogis do it? Practicing yoga is a lifelong pursuit and takes serious intention and commitment. For example, upholding the ethical guidelines of the Yamas, such as ahimsa (nonharming) and satya (truthfulness) are challenging in our media-soaked lives. Whether it’s a feed full of pain, violence, and fake news, or a subtle drip of carefully edited Facebook posts, showing up to look a certain part, or choosing vegan vs. vegetarian vs. ethical omnivore - it’s not easy to live a yogic life. Distraction, being overextended, too little rest, and poor nutrition all block the flow of energy and focus and lead to poor health. The yogis were on top of this problem, and they offer us a specific system for maintaining health and vitality into very old age. Have you heard the rumor of the 250 year old yogi? We may not be able to attain THAT kind of old age, but following the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda will ensure that all the years of our life are lived in the best health possible.   What is Ayurveda and how is it related to yoga? Yoga and Ayurveda are interrelated domains of Vedic wisdom, both dating back some 5,000 years. Where yoga offers a system for spiritual growth, Ayurveda is the system for healing and health through alignment with natural rhythms. Both yoga and Ayurveda serve the greater purpose of revealing the inner workings of our consciousness and ultimately attaining freedom from mental attachments and illusions. Ayurveda means “knowledge of life.” The yogis understood that living in harmony with our true nature is essential for vibrant longevity and spiritual attunement. Dr. John Doulliard, Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner explains: Ayurveda is the science of life, and is about living your life in balance with your own nature as well as the natural cycles. It incorporates daily routines, exercise, diets, detox and herbal therapies to bring the body back into balance. Ayur means “life” and veda means “truth” – meaning that Ayurveda is ultimately the science of experiencing the truth of who you are. From an Ayurvedic perspective, this encompasses becoming less stressed, physically in balance, and emotionally free to be your most loving, kind, and joyful self. Ayurveda looks at the unique constitution and life circumstances of each person individually to assess for imbalances in mind, body, and spirit. Ayurveda is therefore a truly holistic and integrated science “founded on the principle that nothing functions in isolation.” How can I incorporate the habits of yogis into my life? Dinacharya is the Ayurvedic system of daily habits that are based on cycles of nature. The yogis teach us that when we live in sync with nature, our good health will abound. The full spectrum of dinacharya includes many elaborate practices that are uncommon to many Westerners, but the basics of dinacharya are simple, gentle, and mostly free. Dr. Doulliard offers this basic daily routine: Morning:
Midday:
Evening:
You can begin by looking at your established daily habits and routines, and how they fit - or conflict - with dinacharya. From there, you can begin to weave in the habits and rituals that will help you bring yourself into closer alignment with nature. Over time you will begin to see how these practices fully support your yoga, which is really, your life. I want to know more about these habits! What’s next? Yoga practice is enhanced by the wisdom of Ayurveda and the practice of dinacharya. In upcoming posts, we’ll dive deeper into the details of the daily habits of yogis. Each post will include the science behind the habit, and practical ways to bring these habits into your daily life. I hope you will find some new insights and inspiration to expand your practice with Ayurveda. Kirstin PinitKirstin is Santosha’s writer-in-residence. She is an artist, a student of yoga, Ayurveda, and massage therapy, and she is a Yoga Health Coach. Kirstin practices and teaches the habits of yogis - dinacharya. This is the Ayurvedic practice of daily habits that are essential for leading a vibrant, healthy, creative life. Find out about her upcoming courses and collaborations at kirstinpinit.com.  The student asked, “When is the best time to practice yoga?” And the wise teacher replied, “Yes.” Is there ever really a BAD time to do yoga? No. Yoga is good any time of day. This is truth for most of us who have spent even a little time on the mat. We learn it through our lived experience, and the benefits are many. These are just a few examples:
Sunrise yoga is available to you every day. You just roll out of your bed and onto your mat. A practice based on sun salutations is an obvious way to greet the day and kick start your energy. A routine that incorporates breath practice is also excellent as it helps to expel old, stale air from the previous day, and clear space for a new day. Completing your practice with a brief (or not-so-brief) period of meditation will put you in a state of calm focus. Sunrise yoga starts your day fresh and alert, from a centered and intentional place. Sounds amazing, right? If you are not in the habit of getting up for sunrise yoga, but you want to begin reaping all the amazing benefits of starting your day with calm focus, open mind, and an energetic body, we’ve got you covered. Santosha offers Sunrise Yoga on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:00 a.m. Three amazing teachers (Katy, Liana, and Kari), and a slew of regulars will greet you warmly, even on these chilly fall mornings. After a week or two, you’ll begin to make Sunrise Yoga a habit. For those of you who know for sure that this 6:00 a.m. thing is just NOT going to work, take a moment to tune in to your deeper self. You may be surprised that your mind, body, AND spirit all want you to get on the mat before the dawn. Your Mind – Doesn’t really need to show up to Sunrise Yoga This is good news. Though your body does need to get up out of bed and into the studio, your mind can stay in its sleepy state. Your teachers (gratitude to teachers!) have done all the work for you. They have planned a class, heated the tea kettle, and opened the doors for you. Just show up. They will guide you. Follow their words. Do the yoga. Feel wonderful. Your Body – Will love you for taking such good care of it Sunrise Yoga is a beautiful act of self-care first thing in the morning. It creates space and ease in your body. A mindful morning practice will alert you to the state of your being in a gentle and loving way, and will set you up to have the day you want to have. Want to have a day that feels calm, focused and intentional? Sunrise yoga. Your Spirit – Is alive and ready to receive great wisdom In Ayurveda, we understand that the three doshas (Kapha, Pitta, and Vata) govern the natural cycles of life, including the hours of the day. Pre-dawn is Vata time of day. This is when earth and air dominate and when we are most receptive to our inner voice and deepest wisdom. Vata time of day is best for spiritual practices such as meditation and yoga. When is the Best Time for Yoga? Still, the answer is YES. It is, and will always be a good time to do yoga. But if you have not tried a sunrise practice recently, or ever...Give it a try. You may find this to be the yoga habit you never knew you wanted to establish. Kirstin PinitKirstin is Santosha’s writer-in-residence. She is an artist, a student of yoga, Ayurveda, and massage therapy, and she is a Yoga Health Coach. Kirstin practices and teaches the habits of yogis - dinacharya. This is the Ayurvedic practice of daily habits that are essential for leading a vibrant, healthy, creative life. Find out about her upcoming courses and collaborations at kirstinpinit.com. |
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