This chapter gives you guidance on how to work with the key seasonal practices described in the book, which include Seasonal Yoga asana practices, the Seasonal Yoga meditation questions, and tree wisdom practices. You will get the most out of the book if you read through this chapter first, and it will build your confidence in your ability to use the Seasonal Yoga practices. Once you have read this chapter, you are ready to confidently dive into the seasonal chapters that follow.
Seasonal Yoga Asana Practices
Each of the seasonal chapters has its own Seasonal Yoga asana practice, and these practices will give you a way of keeping fit, flexible, calm, and energized all year round. They will allow you to connect with the rhythm of the year and align your energy to that rhythm, promoting happiness, health, and harmony in every season.
There are eight Seasonal Yoga practices, one for each of the four cardinal points around the wheel of the year (the winter and summer solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes) and one for each of the four seasonal transition points (e.g., winter to spring). The eight Seasonal Yoga practices will provide you with a tailor-made year-round set of yoga routines.
All the yoga practices have been designed to be appropriate for a specific season; however, if you particularly like one of the practices, it’s fine to use it all year round.
Many of us lead busy lives, and so the yoga practices in this book have been designed to be a manageable length that will easily fit into your daily life. Each practice takes between ten and thirty minutes, so even on the busiest of days you’ll probably be able to fit in some yoga. By doing some yoga, you’ll end up feeling calmer and less time-pressured.
The Seasonal Yoga approach is for everybody. All the practices are easy to follow and accessible. You don’t need to be super fit or hyper-flexible to do these yoga routines. You won’t be asked to tie yourself in knots or to get into impossible pretzel-like positions (although if pretzel-like yoga poses are your thing, there is no reason why you shouldn’t adapt the Seasonal Yoga approach to encompass this way of working).
The English and Sanskrit (an ancient Indo-European language of India) names are given for each of the yoga poses (asanas) used in the book. If you want more information about a yoga pose, it’s easy to find with a quick internet search using the pose name. If you are new to yoga and unfamiliar with the poses described, think about attending a class to allow you to learn the positions correctly. See also the Recommended Resources section at the end of this book.
The eight Seasonal Yoga practices can act as a springboard for creating your own Seasonal Yoga practices. If you are a follower of a particular type of yoga, I encourage you to integrate some of the Seasonal Yoga ideas into your own form of yoga.
Simple, uncomplicated, accessible yoga poses and routines have been chosen so that they can be approached in a mindful, meditative way. The emphasis is not on achieving gymnastic-type poses; rather, it’s on being present to the breath, moment by moment, for the duration of the practice. Guidance has been given on coordinating the breath with the movements, which supports this meditative approach. Never strain with the breathing. If you are new to yoga, while you are learning the poses, you might prefer just to let the breath take care of itself.
Mindfulness practitioners could use the eight Seasonal Yoga practices in this book as the mindful movement component of their regular mindfulness practice.
Seasonal Meditation Questions
The seasonal meditation questions are a key component of the Seasonal Yoga approach, and each of the eight seasonal chapters in this book concludes with a set of meditation questions. We use them every six weeks or so to correspond with the solstices, equinoxes, and seasonal transition points (each chapter will give you dates for working with the questions). The questions are a series of open inquiries that will help you do the following:
• Connect with the season you are in.
• Reflect on how you wish to use your energy and set your intentions for the coming season.
• Look back over the previous season, celebrating your successes and learning from the seeds that failed to germinate.
• Know when the best time is to plant seeds of intention, giving them the best chance of growing and blossoming.
• Learn how to align your own energy with the prevalent energy of the season and know which time favors contemplation or action. Use your knowledge of the seasonal energy to balance periods of activity and rest.
• The meditation questions combined with a meditative approach will give you access to the deep wisdom of your subconscious mind.
By working with the meditation questions, you can become your own year-round life coach. Each set of questions encourages you to review all aspects of your life, including relationships, work (or study/home management), self-care, and community or environmental involvement. The questions help you get a good work-life balance by encouraging you to give attention to all aspects of your life, rather than getting over-focused on one particular area. By stopping every six weeks or so to use the meditation questions, you have a chance to review progress in all areas of your life, and if you have gone off track, you have the chance to correct yourself and get back on course again. I find using the meditation questions helps me to realize who and what are important to me and to direct my energy accordingly.
Here is an example of some meditation questions that are designed to be used around the time of Spring Equinox. These questions are on the theme of how you wish to channel your energy work-wise during the coming season.
• During the growing season, whatever we unite our energy with will expand and grow. How will I make best use of the fertile energy of the coming growing season?
• Which projects do I wish to prioritize?
• What lights my fire and what am I passionate about?
• What actions will I need to take to ensure that the projects most dear to my heart come to fruition?
• What should I say no to in order to create the space to say yes to the things that really matter to me? (What needs to be cut back or pruned?)
• Who are my allies? Who can I enlist support from? Who shares my vision and will help me to make my dreams become a reality?
The meditation questions for each season have been devised in such a way that you can either devote a lot of time to them or very little. For those of you who are short of time, there are a few quick and easy ways of working with the questions. Simply read the meditation questions through before you go to bed and trust that your subconscious and universal conscious will come up with answers to the questions. You might also integrate one of the questions into an activity that you are doing anyway, such as walking to your car, walking along a corridor at work, exercising at the gym, jogging, showering, and so on.
If you have 10 to 30 minutes available, then the seasonal meditation questions can be used in yoga sessions, sitting meditations, writing meditations, informal walking meditations, and formal walking meditations. I’ll discuss each of these five options in more details next.
Integrating Seasonal Meditation Questions into Your Yoga Practice
Our yoga practice provides us with a brilliant way of accessing the subconscious mind. Seasonal Yoga meditation questions can be integrated into a yoga session in several ways:
• You can include a meditation question during either a sitting meditation or a period of yoga relaxation, either at the beginning or end of your yoga practice.
• You can turn a meditation question over in your mind as you hold a resting pose, such as the Mountain Pose (Tadasana), Easy Pose (Sukhasana), or Child Pose (Balasana).
• You can hold a meditation question in your mind as you stay and hold a yoga pose for a few breaths.
During your yoga practice, all you need to do is to pose a meditation question and then let it go, trusting that your subconscious mind will at some point come up with an answer to the question.
Exercise
The Seasonal Yoga meditation questions can be used during a period of sitting meditation to calm and focus the mind.
The sitting meditation with meditation questions can be done anywhere and anytime.
It can be done either as a formal sitting meditation on your own in a safe space or less formally, by, for example, taking a few minutes as a break from the computer or during your commute to work (by public transport only—do not meditate when you are driving!). Remember to set a timer, if that’s your preference.
Find yourself a comfortable but erect sitting position, either in a straight-backed, upright chair or on the floor (if sitting is difficult, this meditation can be done lying down). Notice where your body is in contact with the floor or your support and the sensations associated with this. Become aware of the natural flow of your breath. Throughout the meditation keep a gentle, background awareness of the flow of your breath and any bodily sensations.
Choose one of the meditation questions and begin to turn it over in your mind. Hold the question lightly. If your mind wanders off, gently bring it back to an awareness of your body, your breathing, and the meditation question.
Notice any ideas that come into your head in response to the question. Allow yourself the freedom to explore these ideas and see where they take you. Be gently vigilant, and if your attention is hijacked by everyday preoccupations or worries, gently but firmly bring your awareness back to the meditation question that you have chosen to focus on. Enjoy exploring the ideas that surface in response to this question.
When you feel ready (and if you have time), choose another question to meditate upon.
End the meditation by sitting quietly for a few breaths; notice where your body is in contact with the floor or your support; become aware of your surroundings. You might want to jot down any ideas or insights that have come to you during your sitting meditation. Or, if you have time, follow this sitting meditation with a writing meditation.
Exercise
The writing meditation can be done as a stand-alone meditation, can follow the sitting or walking meditations, or can come before or after your yoga practice.
Combining a writing meditation with meditation questions is an effective way to get your ideas flowing and gain access to the wisdom of your subconscious mind. If your creativity is blocked, this meditation will fire up your imagination. If you have come to an impasse in your life, it will help you reorient and get you moving forward again.
Personally, I like the physicality of writing with pen and paper. However, it’s fine to work digitally too. Either way, have your writing materials in hand.
Choose a meditation question. Set your timer for 10 to 20 minutes and start writing. Keep your pen in contact with the paper and keep writing until your timer goes.
Write down whatever comes into your head in response to the meditation questions. Your aim is to capture the stream of thoughts and feelings as they flow through your mind. Let go of your inner editor! It doesn’t matter how off the wall your thoughts are—just get them down! Later, after the meditation has finished, you can read through and separate the nuggets of gold from the stones and grit. But for now just keep that pen moving!
Be reassured that whatever you write down during your meditation is for your eyes only. No need to pay attention to handwriting, neatness, spelling, grammar, presentation, and so on. As long as your writing is legible and comprehensible to you, anything goes.
Be aware of the physical act of writing and how it feels to be someone sitting here writing. Relax any parts of your body that do not need to be engaged with the act of writing. If you find that you are tensing up, slow your writing down, consciously relax, and reconnect with the flow of your breath. At the same time, keep writing! A relaxed attitude will help you to access your subconscious mind, and it is here that we uncover our gold.
However, it’s no problem if you find it impossible to relax—just keep on writing anyway. Part of your meditation can be to write, and at the same time maintain a gentle awareness of how it feels to be tense, noticing sensations as they arise in your body. If you can’t let it go, then just let it be.
Once your timer goes, put your pen down, notice how your body feels, how you are feeling in yourself, and the natural flow of your breath. Be aware of where your body is in contact with the floor or your chair. And when you are ready, carry on with your day.
At the end of the writing meditation you might want immediately to read what you have written or you might prefer to look over it later. It’s a good idea to keep your writing, and then over several years of practice, you will see how the seasons of your life have changed as well as the seasons of the year.
Exercise
An informal walking meditation, combined with meditation questions, can easily be fitted into your day without any need to find extra time. It’s a way of getting gentle exercise and it’s relaxing as well. Walking clears your mind and helps ideas flow better. Being outside in the open air helps you feel connected to nature and the seasons.
This walking meditation can be done either indoors or out, any time that you have to walk somewhere. It can be done in your house, in your office, or while walking from your car to home or workplace. It can be done in the city, the country, a park, or a shopping mall. Do remember to stay safe and be aware of any hazards as you walk.
Take enjoyment in the act of walking and your surroundings: the sights, sounds, and aromas. Notice how it feels to be walking, especially the contact between your feet and the earth beneath you. Maintain a gentle awareness of your natural breathing as you walk.
When you are ready, begin to turn one of the meditation questions over in your mind as you walk. Hold the question lightly; you don’t need to try too hard to find an answer to the question. Just trust that at some point your subconscious mind will come up with an answer. If your mind wanders off, gently bring it back to an awareness of your surroundings, your body, your breathing, and the meditation question.
Notice any ideas that come into your head in response to the question. Feel free to explore these ideas and see where they lead you. Be gently vigilant, and if you notice your attention getting hijacked by everyday preoccupations, concerns, and worries, just gently but firmly bring it back to the question. Enjoy exploring any ideas that surface in response to the question.
When you feel ready (and if you have time), choose another question to meditate upon.
At the end of your walk, you might want to jot down any inspiration, ideas, or insights that surfaced during your meditation. Or if you have time, follow this informal walking meditation with a writing meditation.
Exercise
A formal walking meditation is walking meditatively on a specific circuit for a specified amount of time.
A formal walking meditation combined with meditation questions is relaxing and a way of getting gentle exercise. Walking clears the mind and helps ideas flow. It has a grounding and centering effect. For the reluctant meditator it can be an enjoyable way into meditation.
First decide where you are going to walk. Your walking circuit could be inside or outside and could involve walking from one side of a room to the other and back again or walking in a circle. Choose somewhere you feel safe and will not be disturbed, such as a room in your house, a hallway, your garden, a local park, an unused room at your gym, or a corridor at work.
It’s a good idea to set a timer and commit to walking for a specific amount of time. Ten minutes is ideal, but you can do more if you wish.
Start the meditation by becoming aware of how it feels to walk, noticing the contact between your feet and the earth and any sensations you feel in the feet. Keep a background awareness of how your whole body feels as you walk. Maintain a gentle awareness of the natural flow of your breath. Take enjoyment from the act of walking.
Begin to turn a meditation question over in your head as you walk. Hold the question lightly. If your mind wanders off, gently bring it back to an awareness of your body walking, your breathing, and the meditation question. Notice any ideas that come into your head in response to the question. Allow yourself the freedom to explore these ideas and see where they lead you. Be gently vigilant, and if your attention is hijacked by everyday preoccupations or worries, gently but firmly bring it back to the question that you are focusing on. When you feel ready (and if you have time), choose another question to meditate upon.
When your timer goes, at the end of your walking meditation, you might want to jot down any ideas, inspiration, or insights that came to you. Or, if you have time, follow this formal walking meditation with a writing meditation.
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The seasonal meditation questions are an accessible way to begin your Seasonal Yoga journey. And if you commit to devoting some time to working with them every six weeks or so, your life will be enriched for it. Once you are in the habit of using them regularly, your life flows better, you’re well positioned to take advantage of opportunities that come your way, and you’ll find ways to make your dreams come true!
Tree Wisdom as a Guide through Our Seasonal Yoga Practice
In addition to the Seasonal Yoga practices and meditation questions, each of the seasonal chapters contains a tree wisdom section. This will help you connect to the seasons and enhance your creativity.
Yoga is union and trees are a living, breathing embodiment of this union. The tree embodies all of yoga’s teachings, and so trees make a wonderful guru. The aim of yoga is to create a state of balanced perfection by uniting complimentary opposites in a harmonious union. The tree marries earth to sky and stands perfectly balanced between the two. A tree is Mother Earth made visible and tangible to us. Touch any leaf on any tree and you are touching our star, the sun. Trees are the earth’s lungs, breathing in carbon dioxide and breathing out oxygen. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you are like, trees breathe life into you. Is it any coincidence that the Buddha found enlightenment under a tree?
Where tree meets sky is the spaciousness of yoga. Where tree connects with earth is the groundedness of yoga. Where tree stands in space is the peaceful centeredness of yoga. The tree stands at the center of its own circle, and daily life rotates around it. Even within the frantic rush of city life we can always find a moment of peace when we rest our gaze upon a tree.
Trees connect us to the changing seasons and to life itself. When we connect with trees, we connect with earth, air, fire, and water. Spending time around them is healing and they help us recover from illness and reduce our stress levels. They filter our air and reduce pollution, cool our cities, and purify our water. They bring the seasons into the city and remind us that our home is both earth and sky.
I have always felt a connection to trees. My mum is of a generation of people who were instructed by the baby experts of the time to leave their baby outside in the fresh air; consequently, when I was a baby, I spent many hours parked under a tree in my pram. Inside the house my mum would be doing her chores, and outside in the garden I would be staring in baby wonder up at the treetops gently blowing in the breeze. Even now when I am in a state of deep meditation, my awareness will oftentimes fly off to the top of trees and float unfettered in baby-like bliss there.
In our relationship with trees we humans act as though we are the superior partner. We throw our weight around, clearing forests and polluting the earth, water, and air. Trees clean up after us, filtering our air, purifying our water, and mopping up the pollution that we’ve created. In truth it is not an equal relationship because in reality we need trees far more than they need us. Trees inspire us with life: they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, and we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Our breath connects us to trees.
In India trees are venerated as vanas devatas (forest deities). Women in rural India have played a significant part in protesting against the cutting of trees. In Rajasthan about three hundred years ago the followers of a Hindu sect called Bishnoi, led by a woman called Amrita Devi, protected the trees by embracing them and so shielding them from being felled by the woodcutters. Imagine loving trees so much that you are prepared to put your own body in harm’s way to protect them from harm. Ahimsa (non-violence or non-harm) is a cardinal principle of yoga philosophy. When we abuse nature, we abuse ourselves. When we love and treat nature with respect, we love and treat ourselves with respect.
Over the past year, while I have been writing this book, I have been on a tree pilgrimage. On this pilgrimage I have visited valleys, wildflower meadows, woodlands, cornfields, gardens, city sidewalks, churchyards, mountains, hillsides, and wild moorlands. From this experience I have been inspired to compose seasonal tree meditation poems that will help you connect on a deep spiritual, emotional, and physical level with trees. The tree meditation poems can be used in many ways: for example, you could read one of the poems at the start of your yoga practice and let it to do its tree magic and inspire your yoga session. Or if you are a yoga teacher, you could read it to your class at the start of a period of relaxation or meditation.
Each tree has taught me a valuable lesson and given me a gift, which is reflected in the meditation poem I have written about it:
• The willow tree has taught me to listen to the wind whispering that spring is here.
• The apple tree has taught me how to stay effortlessly in touch with that which is light, pure, beautiful, and graceful within me and how it is possible to blossom in a world that is neither perfect nor pure.
• The oak tree has taught me about the strength and generosity contained within the circle of life, death, rebirth, and renewal.
• The crab apple tree has taught me that contained within the ordinary, everyday world, there is concealed a secret, magical, beautiful core that is ripe with potential and possibility.
• The sycamore tree has taught me to simply be in the midst of all the doing and to stay at the center of the circle and let all things take their course.
• The yew tree has taught me to look for the sacred and holy within nature and that healing will naturally follow.
• The holly tree has taught me to dance through the seasons and to stay connected to my joy even on the darkest and coldest of winter days.
• The rowan tree has taught me how to create an extraordinary, magical gift out of ordinary, everyday ingredients and to keep on giving that gift the whole year round.
Along with the tree meditation poem, you will also find additional information and activities in the Tree Wisdom sections. These will give you inspiration and ideas on how to develop both mindfulness and creativity by spending time around trees.
This exercise can be used at any time of year as a stand-alone exercise or as part of your yoga practice. It can be used as a way of centering and grounding yourself at the start of a yoga practice. In daily life it is particularly helpful for those times when you feel thrown off balance by a situation and need to regain your equilibrium and ground yourself.
Stand tall like a tree. Your feet are parallel and about hip width apart. Your knees are soft, your face relaxed, shoulders down away from the ears. Your tailbone feels heavy as though it is weighted, and the crown of your head feels light and floats skyward. Picture in your mind’s eye a tree that you love or feel a connection to.
Standing Like a Tree
Bring your awareness to your feet. Be aware of where your feet are in contact with the earth beneath you. Allow your toes to spread and your heels to drop down into the earth. Imagine that there are roots growing from the soles of your feet, going deep down into the earth below you, spreading in a wide circle, and giving you stability.
With each inhale imagine that you are drawing healing energy and nourishment up though your roots into the soles of your feet, up through the legs, torso, and lungs.
With each exhale imagine that the out-breath is traveling down both legs, through your feet, and back down into your roots. Imagine with each exhale that you are letting go of anything that you do not wish to hold on to, letting go of tension, worries, anxiety, persistent thoughts, discomfort, or pain. Imagine that any negativity that you let go of is then cleansed and purified by the soil.
Inhale: Healing energy
Exhale: Letting go
Repeat over several breaths until you feel centered and grounded.
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Now that you are familiar with how to use the different Seasonal Yoga practices, you could either read through the whole of the book (this will give you a feel for the Seasonal Yoga approach) or dip into the book chapter by chapter to get ideas for the season you are in.