In the Deep Mid Winter

On these cold mid-winter days I find myself drawn to long, slowpractices that take me into ever deeper forward bends. The feeling fromthe inside is akin to creating a nice cozy cave and climbing into it fora feeling of deep refuge and renewal. The first pose (not pictured here but in the newsletter), Kourmasana or"tortoise"  pose is a deeply introverted pose, inviting a feeling ofretreating and drawing inward. To me it speaks of safety, of hunkeringdown in my closet as a 9-year old with my quilt and my flashlight and astack of novels, and briefly shutting the outer world out.

The second pose—Kraunchasana or "hero" pose—combines deep forwardbending and hamstring stretch with the lift of the foot to the sky. Inmy body, the pose offers both the deep inward connection of forwardbending and the optimistic skyward lift of the leg that suggests aninternal stirring of life and warmth to come; like a seed sprouting uptoward the surface of the earth.


How do you adjust your own practice in the Winter? Does yoga help youstretch muscles tight and fatigued from skiing or snowshoeing? Do youlong to move through multiple sun salutations, or draw inward and slowdown? There is no right and no wrong here. Consider an open mind andsomatic curiosity as guidance for "how to practice" and let your ownintuition guide you. And if you care to share your thoughts andexperiences, I'd love to hear them. Send me a note.

Love and warmth,
Leslie