Greetings and blessings, and I hope this is reaching you well wherever in the World you may be. It's Coco here. What a gift it is to be here in this space with you to share my first Mindwalk Yoga Newsletter. Many of you I know and have met, and many of you I am yet to have the pleasure of meeting. You may have joined me in Gambia, Africa, in October-April or recent months in my London home, a place which I now feel is a place of transit as I lay foundations down in our/my Mother Continent.
Transitioning into this seasonal period
How are you transitioning into this seasonal period, friends? I hope you find the time and space to rest, spend time with loved ones and indulge in those delights which allow us to replenish and restore. This may include time with just yourself! As Mothers, Space Holders, Business Owners and many other roles, we can get so used to pouring into others without equally pouring back into ourselves. So, if you are reading this e-mail, you are already participating in that by simply having an interest.
If you are joining me from the UK, you have had the absolute pleasure (although subjective), of experiencing stunning, beautiful Wintery Days as the snow recently fell and blanketed our green spaces, amongst many others. Nature has a way of Re-Minding, Re-Nurturing and Re-Filling our cups and making us feel connected to the Source. Mother Earth is an absolute wonder, and I am so grateful I was here this year to live this experience. I am a ‘glass half full’ kind of Sista, but it can be easy during these darker seasons to lose sight of finding longevity and sustainability in what makes us feel good.
For the past 4-5 years, I have managed to escape the Winter, fuelling my largest organ with Vitamin D. Our skin never fails to thank us for this gift. If you are managing to find some Winter Sun this Seasonal Period or are located in such Environments, I live vicariously through you! Friends in juxtaposed climates, I invite you to, on those Sunny Blue Sky days, let it pierce your skin for a few minutes and find joy in how it can maintain, lift or transform your mood.
This ignited a spur of thoughts! As we approached the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere on 21st December, it reminded me of the official time of change and transformation. We now approach the time of longer days ahead to come. However, we need to journey through the darkness to see the light. To prepare for the Winter this year, I armed myself with many a thermal underlayer, home blankets and all of the cold weather gear. I noticed how this armour made me feel safe, protected and ready for what was ahead. Like many of us, I am sure I am averse to cold weather.
If you relate this to our Yoga Practice, it can be translated in the same way. Yoga provides us with the tools to go out into the World. Sometimes a kind World, other times not so kind. I don’t claim that Yoga will solve all of our ‘life happenings’, but with our practice, we can feel grounded, prepared and protected to some extent when life is really life-ing. Your practice looks unique to you. No person's practice is the same, not even our own. So maybe take a moment today to acknowledge and notice those parts of your personal routines that implement a layer of protection and nourishment that keeps your cup full, if not overflowing a little.
For a resurgence or continuation of grounding and nourishment, have a go at my new slow-flow class, where I focus on returning to your breath whilst gently moving through postures with ease and softness.
As we emerge into this space of endings and new beginnings, it can be a lot of pressure on us to try and have a great year. Some years ago, whilst experiencing a challenging time, I started reframing my language to protect myself. I found ‘Happy New Season’ sat much better with me, and it stuck. I delighted in enjoying the days rather than trying to have the best year.
Special New Year's Day class with me - 9.30 -10.30 am
Join me this New Year's Day for some Slow Flow ‘Sun Salutations’ plus much more. This will be a special class where we work with the theme of Contentment. In Sanskrit, we call this ~Santosha~. I invite you to bring along your Journals as we open up with grounding and reflection —book in the usual way on Booking Apps for Apple and Google Play.
For the time being, it has been a pleasure to share this space with you! Happy Holidays and Happy New Season, Folks. Stay well, and take good care.
