Backbends: bringing balance in winter

The start of winter, here it is, and now we notice the big clear skies with a special clarity and light, a stillness even. There is something in this moment now, which calls us to listen.

The trees are bare, the days are short, and there is an inclination towards hibernation and withdrawal. Death is part of life; everyone’s life, something that we in the West often fear. It’s another reality of life, which is that everything will change, and keep on changing.

The purpose of our yoga Sadhana is to find peace of mind, stillness in the fluctuations and movements.  Our path can only proceed if we become sensitive to ourselves and to others, and to the world around us. We are a part of everything, including the suffering in us, and around us. We cannot enjoy life unless we know a little of death, this is what makes us human. We are vulnerable; we are just like the seasons.

Through our yoga practice we explore all facets of life from dynamic to reflective, from closed to open, from the inversions which turn us up side down and root us there, to backbends which crack open the heart.

Backbends give us the courage to face our-selves and our lives. It helps us to face the suffering in the human condition, we come to know that everything has a life span; we open our hearts and our bodies to change.