Notes from Nina
Each weekend I send out the schedule for the following week along with a quick update on all things Yoga with Nina G
A Ferris Wheel Moment of Awe
“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot.”
Hello dear friends,
It's been a while since I was on a Ferris wheel - I think that the last time was at Navy Pier in the early 2000s (the old wheel, not the Centennial Wheel!)
As I remember it, the ride wasn't fast, but it was steady. It was a continuous load ride, the wheel kept spinning slowly and people exited as new riders got on.
Once we boarded, the wheel moved and our view shifted to reveal an overhead perspective of the buildings and the people in line. And then Lake Michigan became a central part of the scenery. The view kept widening, and we knew that the top was coming, the very top, where we could see across the lake, all the way to Indiana and beyond.
There was a moment at the top of the circle - a fraction of a second - where we were neither going up, nor descending, but fully present in that panoramic view. And for that single awe-struck moment, we were small. Just a tiny portion of the great big universe.
The wheel continued to turn slowly and the motion carried us back to earth. The moment had ended. It was time to disembark and be earthbound. But there had been a moment of awe at the top of the arc where we were a part of something much bigger.
We have the same opportunity to encounter the vastness of the universe in our yoga practice. Each breath we take offers us a Ferris wheel moment of awe. A moment to connect with everything that is a part of our selves and also greater than our selves.
Sometimes it's easy to find that connection. Other days it's harder. That's why I keep returning to my practice - to experience a moment of awe and to catch a glimpse of something greater.
Please join me on your mat.
Love & Awe,
Nina G
Quiet Corners of the Ordinary
Hello my friends,
I found this nugget of wisdom last week.
We are not saints, we are not heroes. Our lives are lived in the quiet corners of the ordinary. We build tiny hearth fires, sometimes barely strong enough to give off warmth. But to the person lost in the darkness, our tiny flame may be the road to safety, the path to salvation.
It is not given us to know who is lost in the darkness that surrounds us or even if our light is seen. We can only know that against even the smallest of lights, darkness cannot stand.
A sailor lost at sea can be guided home by a single candle. A person lost in a wood can be led to safety by a flickering flame. It is not an issue of quality or intensity or purity. It is simply an issue of the presence of light.
~ Kent Nerburn: Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace
This is what I've been trying to say over and over again in this newsletter. Mr. Nerburn says it a lot better! Our steps of right action are those tiny hearth fires - nothing very big. We don't know who will be affected. We don't know how.
What we need to know is that our light does matter.
Thank you so much for sharing your presence and your light with me.
Love & light,
Nina G
Uncommon Yoga
Hello my friends!
I hope that you had a wonderful week and are ready for this final full week of July.
As always, our yoga practice continues this week. I’m so glad to be a part of your busy schedule! Last week we released tension in the upper back and shoulders. This week we’ll work with both strength and mobility in that same area. It's a different approach, but still the upper back and shoulders.
The same, but different.
For those of you that have been practicing yoga for a while, you know that we often come into the same pose with each practice. For instance, most of my classes include a Warrior I and a Warrior II. We repeat poses week after week. Sometimes we even repeat them in the same hour. Each time that we step into a warrior pose (or any pose!), we're having a brand new experience though.
To a non-yogi, it might seem repetitive and commonplace.
But it’s never exactly the same. Our cells in our bodies are constantly regenerating and changing. We work and move our bodies in our day-to-day activities. We interact with our world physically, intellectually, and emotionally. As yogis, we know that each time that we step onto the mat we will have a distinct and unique experience.
That's what keeps me coming back to my practice. Maybe that's why you return too. We come back to those same poses that we do time and time again. We come into the pose and we take that moment to pause and notice who we are and how we are today.
“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.”
Yoga is anything but repetitive and commonplace. We take the time to pay attention and be mindful in our practice. We might feel tingly, sparkly, or somehow different this time. We might learn something special about ourselves. We might have an insight. We might find something sacred.
Perhaps we'll see the miraculous in the common.
It’s yoga.
Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - July 2023
Hello Dear Friends!
Here's what's happening in July:
NEW CHAIR YOGA VIDEO - Last month we worked the top of the body (Head & Neck), this month we're starting at the bottom - Feet & Ankles. We explore movement in the feet and ankles to help us maintain balance and movement as we continue to grow with grace.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE CHANGE - No morning class on Monday, July 31. Join me at 4:15 CT instead. It's the same class as my 8:30 am class, but you get to sleep in!
LAZY, HAZY, CRAZY - The weather here and around the world has been crazy this summer. The haze from the Canadian forest fires is back and we've gotten a lot of rain recently as well. I recalled the quote that I included in my newsletter in June...
Where summer settles best is in the soul. In the part of you that remembers not to worry for the moment. To soothe the long ragged edges. To breathe. - Barbara Mahany
Give yourself a moment of freedom from worry. Let's let go of the crazy and the hazy and lean into the lazy. Our time on the mat can give us a break from the constant barrage of breaking news. Then when we step off the mat, we are better equipped to take right action and respond.
Join me on your mat. Let's breathe together.
Love & happiness,
Nina G
Just 60 Minutes
Hello my friends!
I remember when I first fell in love with yoga. I had some yoga DVDs that I enjoyed, but I thought that I wanted to try yoga ‘for real’. I knew that I wasn’t super flexible and I didn’t have any stylish yoga clothes, but I wanted to try a class with a live teacher.
I started attending a Stress Relief class on Wednesday nights. It was a small class – maybe just three people when I joined. We stretched and breathed for 60 minutes and it was magical.
I was hooked.
It was an hour each week that I didn’t spend worrying. It was one hour that all of the stuff that I had on my to-do list was tabled. I had 60 minutes to just be. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t bend over and touch my toes or do a handstand. What mattered was that I was there, fully present. My breath, my movement, my sensations.
It was amazing.
Every Wednesday evening when I got back home, my husband would ask how it was and my answer was always “GREAT!” Every time. Every Wednesday. Week after week, month after month.
I started to explore more classes. I went twice a week or maybe even three times each week. The more I practiced, the better I felt. Each time there was that same effect. That same wonderful feeling.
That’s when I knew that I needed to share this great feeling with others. We all can feel this way! That’s what made me decide to become a yoga teacher. I want to spread the word to everyone.
So here I am. I’m sending this note out to you to let you know that it doesn’t take a huge commitment. You don’t have to be super bendy or wear trendy leggings. We can all become more embodied, more mindful, and feel more human. We can all practice yoga.
Just try it for 60 minutes each week.
For those of you that already practice with me - thank you. I hope that the time that we spend together makes you feel GREAT as well!
In related news, I just renewed my annual Zoom subscription, so I hope to continue practicing yoga with you on Zoom for another year. Our little community has expanded slowly and I am always to overjoyed to see my friends log in for class. Feel free to invite some new friends as well – the first class is always free!
Join me on your mat - it's just 60 minutes.
Love & yoga,
Nina G
Interdependence Day
Hello my friends,
“If we succeed it will not be because of what we have, but it will be because of what we are; not because of what we own, but rather because of what we believe. ”
I found this great quote by LBJ from his Inaugural Address in January, 1965. It just screams yoga to me.
It’s been an interesting week. I spent lots of time on my new favorite website (airnow.gov) tracking air quality in the area. It put a damper on events outside. The good news is that we’re trending in the right direction this weekend. Hooray!
Given these current environmental challenges – air quality issues due to forest fires in Canada – once again we are reminded that we are all connected here on this earth. Political borders mean nothing to smoke.
That’s where the quote from LBJ comes in. If we are going to figure out these climate issues - any issues really - we need to work together with all countries, all people. Having more power or a bigger economy doesn’t matter. What matters is our willingness to work together globally, to see the big picture, and to strive for the greater good of ALL humanity.
It's yoga.
Each time that we step on the mat, we learn more about who we are and what we believe. Our efforts each week remind us of the connection to our best selves and to each other. We celebrate our independence and interdependence.
Then we act. We take right action for us. A kind word, a smile, a simple courtesy - something straightforward can make difference and make larger ripples in our community.
It’s yoga.
Enjoy your celebrations on Monday and Tuesday. Join me on your mat on Wednesday. Let’s practice together.
Let's change the world with our yoga.
Love,
Nina G
Yoga & The Senses
Hello dear friends!
Welcome to summer! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend and are rested and ready to take on the challenges of the week ahead.
This week, in our yoga practice, we will be exploring the senses. Mostly we will be noticing how we get so much sensory input from the eyes, but there is still a lot in our yoga practice to explore through sound and sensation (perhaps less from taste and smell!) It’s a fun and interesting way to practice yoga.
Beyond the five senses though, we will be exploring two lesser-known senses: proprioception (where we are in space) and interoception (how our movements make us feel).
Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense movement, action, and location. We need to know where we are and how to move without having to consciously think about the next step we need to take. Proprioception gives us coordination and balance. An easy example of proprioception is a field sobriety test…close your eyes, open your arms out wide and bring your right pointer finger to the tip of your nose. Then release that one and bring the left pointer to your nose. When all is working well (and unimpeded by alcohol!) the muscles, tendons, and joints are sending signals to the brain. The brain is receiving these signals and sending messages back to help steer the finger right to the tip of the nose.
Interoception is our ability to understand and feel what’s going on in our body. We receive signals throughout that day that it’s time to eat, to drink, to rest, etc. These signals come from the cardiovascular system, the lungs, the gut, the bladder and the kidneys. Communication is happening constantly. There are lots of automatic feedback systems – blood pressure, blood sugar – that we don’t consciously address. But we get other messages as well – tension in the muscles, clenching in the gut – that we can address mindfully.
This is where our yoga comes in.
Yoga helps us with balance and movement in space. We can work to strengthen our core, our legs, feet and ankles – everything that’s involved in staying upright. We work to coordinate movement across the midline of the brain – working to develop connections between the hemispheres. All of this contributes to easy movement in the body.
Yoga also helps us to listen to the body. Our time on the mat and the poses are important, but equally important is the pause between the poses. This is where we learn about the body and how it responds to our movement and action. This is where we can acknowledge the wisdom of the body and make the adjustments that we need. The more that we practice, the more effective the communication is between the body and the mind.
As we continue our yoga practice, we develop and hone both proprioception and interoception. We become more tuned-in, more self-aware. We build resilience.
Let’s come to our senses!
Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - June 2023
Hello my friends!
Here's the latest news...
NEW CHAIR YOGA VIDEO - There's a new chair yoga video out today - Head & Neck. We explore motion and sensation in the head and neck. Give it a try. Share it with your friends!
SUMMER SOLSTICE - The summer solstice happens on Wednesday. Enjoy those extra moments of daylight as we welcome the season. I am hearing the frogs croaking in the park behind my house - they have so much to say! I often just have to stop and listen to their cacophony.
SUMMER SCHEDULE - The 4:15 pm CT class on Mondays will continue throughout the summer. Please join me after a day at the beach or the pool!
“Where summer settles best is in the soul. In the part of you that remembers not to worry for the moment. To soothe the long ragged edges. To breathe.”
Let's allow summer to settle in our souls this week.
Join me on your mat and we can breathe together.
Love,
Nina G
Stillness in Motion
Dear friends,
I’m back in the Midwest and ready for some yoga! I hope that you are too.
I visited the Arboretum again over the weekend. In addition to the trees, we saw the new exhibit called Of the Earth by Olga Ziemska. Ziemska’s philosophy is that we are nature. Humans and nature are made of the same elements. There is no separation.
Stillness in Motion - Olga Ziemska
Here’s a photo of my favorite sculpture. It’s called Stillness in Motion. To me, it looks like she's positively buzzing. There's so much happening here with all of the sticks.
No separation!! Human AND Nature!
But when you change your perspective and look at the sculpture straight ahead, you can see the stillness.
Yep, motion and stillness, human and nature. The duality of it all is fun to explore and it's our duty to explore it. Ziemska does it in her art.
We can do it on our mat.
Please join me.
Love,
Nina G
Moving Towards Better
“Human beings are never going to be perfect. The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when you can. And if you keep on doing that, you’ll always be moving towards better.”
Dear Friends,
As you may recall from a previous newsletter (August, 2021) I enjoy watching the Ted Lasso show. The third season ended this past week and I enjoyed it immensely.
No spoilers here, but Leslie Higgins, the Director of Football Operations, offered the observation that I quoted above. I think he’s right. On our own, we will never be perfect. But we can move in that direction when we are brave enough to ask for, and accept, help from others. Working together, acknowledging and leveraging each other's strengths, we have unlimited potential.
We are not alone, my friends. We are all connected. My time on my mat reminds me of that every day.
Moving towards better,
Nina G
Surreal Yoga
Hello my friends!
I hope that you are enjoying this beautiful, extended weekend! It’s so nice to finally experience summer here!
I visited the Art Institute over the weekend. I was able to see the Salvador Dalí: The Image Disappears exhibit. Kind of trippy. Dalí was a surrealist. He kept pushing the boundaries of logic and reality. It looks like he had fun doing it too! Is it a dog? A fruit dish? Both? Neither?
Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach
The cool thing about Dalí is that he was very comfortable in his own skin. He knew that what he was doing was strange and very new, but he kept pushing it even further. He and his fellow surrealists were interested in art that explored the subconscious. They painted the stuff that they dreamed.
Super trippy.
So…what’s the connection to our yoga?
I step on my mat to become comfortable in my own skin. I can explore what’s happening in my body, my breath, my nervous system. It’s a very conscious exploration. I become more aware of my own self through my movements and my breath. I find connection to the community around me and I find connection to something greater as well. As I rest in my savasana, what I learn about myself eventually seeps into my subconscious. It becomes a part of me.
How does that connection that I find on my mat translate into the real world? Dalí would take that information and create a canvas. I, however, am not an artist with brushes and paint. Instead, this information informs my interactions with people and issues around me. It’s an ongoing process of exploration and learning.
Each time that I step on my mat I can learn something new about myself. It might be as simple as noticing that my arms are sore. Or it might be something deeper than that. It’s conscious and it’s subconscious. It’s real and it’s surreal. It can be super trippy.
It’s yoga.
Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - May, 2023
Hello my friends!
Here's the news you can use:
NEW CHAIR YOGA VIDEO - There's a new chair yoga video out - Reconnect. It's less than 30 minutes and it's all seated. You could probably even do this practice lying in your bed! Hopefully, it will help you reconnect with your body after illness or trauma. Give it a try.
SCHEDULE CHANGES - There are some schedule changes in the next few weeks. I'll keep reminding you in our upcoming newsletters...
NO CLASSES on Monday, May 22nd. My Monday friends might want to join me on Wednesday night instead. It's the same class except that we end with a few extremely calm poses to get us ready to end our Wednesday. I will send the Zoom link to all of my students on Wednesday, May 24. Join us if you can.
MEMORIAL DAY - I will offer the morning class only on Monday, May 29. If you live in Park Ridge, you can attend the class on Zoom and still make it to the parade on time! There will be no afternoon class on Memorial Day - go have a picnic with your friends!
NO CLASSES the week of June 5. All classes will resume the week of June 12.
BE A YOGA BUNNY - Yoga Bunny is an adorable children's book by Brian Russo. The bunny loves yoga but can't find anyone to practice with him. The bunny finally realizes that yoga by yourself is better than no yoga at all and (spoiler alert!) all of the other woodland creatures decide to join him by the end of the story.
Yoga Bunny by Brian Russo
Be a yoga bunny and let's gently encourage our friends to practice as well.
I believe it will make the world a better place.
Love & Yoga,
Nina G
A Hero’s Journey
Hello friends!
Last week we celebrated May 4th as Star Wars Day – May the Force be With You! There were lots of clever Yoda puns in the media. The Star Wars epic story has had quite an impact on our culture.
It reminded me of the Joseph Campbell definition of the hero’s journey. Campbell was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College. He said that a hero’s journey is an archetypal story pattern, common in ancient myths as well as modern day literature. The basic story is that someone feels called to go on a quest.
We see this storyline present in many novels and movies – Star Wars, The Odyssey, The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Harry Potter series, The Lion King, the list goes on and on.
Campbell plumbed the depths of this topic. There are many books out there about it and here I am, summarizing it for you in 3 easy steps:
Step 1 - The departure. The hero leaves the familiar world behind.
Step 2 - The initiation. The hero learns to navigate the unfamiliar world.
Step 3 - The return. The hero returns to the familiar world – hopefully changed for the better by the adventure.
Again, that’s a super simple summary. Campbell breaks down each of those 3 steps into many other pieces. His theory is that heroes are on a quest – they journey and learn. They return - often better than when they started.
The process can repeat itself over and over again.
We can be the Luke Skywalker, the Odysseus, the Harry Potter of our own story. Taking those steps to go on the journey and then returning to the familiar. We are the same, but we are changed – hopefully better than when we started.
But we needn’t travel to Ithaca. Or Hogwarts. The journey starts within. It can start on our mat.
Please join me.
Love you I do!
Nina G
The Lego Universe
Hello friends!
Another fun fact about me…I love building Lego sets. I like the order, the precision, and the beauty of the process. It's fun! My husband and I are currently building a jazz club of about 3,000 pieces.
The important thing to know is that all of the Lego construction sets are incredible feats of engineering. Each brick is built to a meticulous standard – everything interlocks as it is supposed to. The instructions are always accurate. If the box says that there are 2,899 pieces in your set, you’ll get those 2,899 pieces and a few extra small ones in case you drop a tiny one and it bounces into the vent (it happens!).
So many pieces!
Each one of those 2,899 pieces has a role to play in the overall design. Some are big, construction-critical blocks that keep the entire structure standing. Others are part of the story – the tiny cymbal in the drum set, for instance. Each piece could fit with any other piece – no problem. We could build something else with the bricks if we wanted to - it’s all Lego - but when we assemble them in this one, special way, it’s magic!
All the cool details
I feel that way about my yoga too. There are lots of pieces to the puzzle. There are poses and breathwork and self-awareness (construction-critical pieces). There’s focus and intention and mudra and mantra (additional parts of the story). Each one has a role to play. And they can all fit together – it’s all yoga. But when we assemble them in an effective yoga practice, it can feel like magic is happening.
The good news is that there isn’t only one special way to assemble the parts of our yoga practice. The instruction manual would be infinite! There are many permutations that can serve us. Take what you need for you. In some weeks we focus on core work and balancing and in other weeks we focus on the idea of light. The fun is in showing up for your practice and exploring.
Join me on your mat and let’s build something together!
Love & Lego,
Nina G
I Speak for the Trees!
Hello friends!
You may recognize the subject line from the children’s book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. We celebrated Earth Day yesterday and that quote came to my mind.
Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. It helped to bring awareness to environmental issues facing our country. In 1990 Earth Day expanded and became a global campaign. To this day, Earth Day celebrations remind all of us that we have a responsibility to our shared home.
What does Earth Day have to do with our yoga practice? Each time that we step onto our yoga mats we work to foster connections. We connect the mind, the body, and the breath. We connect to the earth beneath us. We strive to connect with the higher self. Perhaps we are able to view ourselves as a part of a larger community: connected to each other, working together, supporting one another.
In our current world, there seems to be a lot of separation – the politics of the environment can be divisive. As yogis, we know that we’re connected and interconnected. We rely on the earth for food to eat and air to breathe. In return, we must be good stewards of our environment.
Our current problems can’t be fixed overnight. We need to figure out ways to heal our planet so that it can support us and future generations as well. We can make small movements forward. Just like everything else that we do in our practice, we can take the right action that is appropriate for each one of us and send those small, positive ripples of change out into our community.
We are intricately interwoven into the fabric of our universe. When we speak for the trees, we speak for all of us.
Please join me on your mat.
Love & love,
Nina G
News & Notes - April 2023
Hello my friends!
Here's the news for the April...
New Chair Yoga video - I just published a new chair yoga video called Twist & Turn. It's exactly that! We twist the body safely and explore the space there.
Zoomiversary - We are celebrating three years of practicing together virtually. Thank you all for your patience and kindness as I continue to learn how to teach yoga virtually!
Fun note...I was feeling confident about my abilities and then we had a brief power outage while I was teaching this past Wednesday night and it completely threw me off! Thanks to my friends who were practicing on-line with me - you were incredibly supportive, AS ALWAYS!
Upcoming Schedule Changes - There won't be any classes on Monday, May 22. I'll remind you again when we get closer.
Love, love, love,
Nina G
Fly Me to the Moon
“Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars”
Dear Friends,
In space news this week, NASA has selected the new group of astronauts for the Artemis II mission. The new crew is making the rounds of news and talk shows and they have lots of interesting information to share.
According to NASA’s website, “These explorers represent the best of humanity, daring to forge new frontiers in space on behalf of humanity.”
Wow! Quite the job description. I like that humanity is exploring space again. I like that we’re working together, across national borders, to do something significant – something that can have an impact on what we know and how we think. This is monumental.
But when you listen to these four explorers talk, you get a different perspective. While they’re doing something big, they still seem so grounded.
Christina Koch, Mission Specialist, described the Overview Effect. She said that when she’s looking back down towards Earth from space, “You see the Earth as it exists with the whole universe…and when you’re on the dark side of the Earth, you actually see a very thin green line that shows you where the atmosphere is. And what you realize is: every single person that you know is sustained and inside of that green line and everything outside of it is completely inhospitable. You don’t see borders; you don’t see religious lines or political boundaries. All you see is Earth and you see that we are way more alike that we are different.”
She’s right. We’re all here together on this one small planet in the middle of a vast universe and galaxies that surround us. We need each other and we need to support each other.
So while those intrepid astronauts are circling the moon and learning about the secrets of the universe, those of us that are earthbound can represent the best of humanity as well. We can take smaller steps to make our world a better place. A smile, a kind word, a thoughtful act.
It doesn't have to be big to have a monumental impact.
Please join me on your mat.
Love among the stars,
Nina G
The Art of Being Still
“There is an art to being still and I am practicing.”
Hello friends,
There’s too much going on in the news right now for me to make any significant comment. Anything that I say would sound trite and hackneyed…that is never my intention in this newsletter. I put these words together to share what’s in my mind and heart and to offer you the chance to reflect as well.
Sometimes it’s easy. This week, it’s hard.
Here’s what I know. My heart is heavy but I don’t want to move into a place of fear. It is easy to get paralyzed by fear. It’s a feet stuck-in-concrete, unable to think or act, default mode when the world becomes too much. Lots of anger can be there as well.
Instead, I will intentionally go to my mat and find stillness. Stillness is different from paralysis. Stillness is a choice that I can make. I can move my body and revel in those movements, and then carefully and mindfully make my way to stillness. Maybe my mind can follow me there as well - finding a welcome moment of calm in this crazy, busy world.
In that brief moment of mind/body stillness, my wish is to glimpse a course of right action. I want to find a way to move forward with grace - despite the fear, despite the anger.
I want hope.
It's definitely a practice.
I happened upon some crocuses this week. I took this photo to add them to all of my media headers. They offer me hope. They’re just now starting to poke their heads up. I’m pretty sure that the tulips and daffodils can’t be far behind.
If I were stuck in fear, I doubt that I would have seen them. I'm so glad that I noticed them.
I am practicing the art of being still. Please join me.
Love & stillness,
Nina G
Despite the Forecast
“Despite the forecast, live like it’s Spring.”
Dear friends,
It’s been quite the weekend weather-wise, hence the quote above.
I found these ranunculus (ranunculi? ranunculuses?) at the store on Friday. Despite the miserable weather, they are delivering some sunshine into my day. Each time I look at them, I feel a little bit warmer, a little bit closer to springtime.
Let me share my sunshine with you!
Please join me on your mat.
Love and ranunculus,
Nina G
Spring Cleaning
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team
Hi friends!
The photo above is that of a Wolf-Rayet star. It’s an amazing photo taken by the James Webb Telescope and it shows a star just as it is about to go supernova.
As I understand it, the star casts off outer layers of gas which cool and become the cosmic stardust that the Webb telescope can detect. Scientists study the stardust and the remaining core that is left behind. They can learn about the universe and its beginnings from the information they garner there.
I really love this picture. It's a fantastic photo of transformation.
Down here on Earth, we’re back at the spring equinox tomorrow. It, too, is a time of transformation. In the northern hemisphere, we will see more light, more green, and more growth as we move into Spring. New life rests just beneath the surface. The earth has been dormant and preparing.
So have we.
As the light changes, we might do some spring cleaning. (I certainly see a lot more dust in this light!) We could prepare the garden for planting, removing layers of old leaves and grass. I find it hopeful to put away the things I no longer need and get ready for longer days and more time spent outside.
And we're also continuing our yoga practice. We can do some spring cleaning there as well. We can release those feelings that don't serve us (anger, fear, etc.) and connect to the love, hope, and optimism that reside within. That love is transformative and ever so powerful.
Let’s shake off the dust and begin.
Love,
Nina G