Notes from Snail Land...

These are small things that I will be remembering during the busy and slightly stressful holiday season....plus a asana practice to keep the energy moving from inside out! Just little reminders to keep you sane!

During this time of year, it's easy to get overloaded and miss out on the most important part of the season—connecting with others. To be loving toward your friends and family, you need to slow down. Try the meditation below, from spiritual teacher Sally Kempton, for a few minutes each day. By imagining a flame in your heart, you'll radiate loving energy from the inside out.

Sit in a comfortable upright posture. With your eyes closed, let your awareness drop into the center of your chest.

Breathe naturally and imagine your breath coming in and out through your heart. Let each inhalation caress and soften your inner heart space.

Become aware of a golden flame in the center of your chest. You might visualize it or simply feel its warm, glowing presence.

With each inhalation, the flame glows. With each exhalation, it radiates light through the heart—front, sides, and back.

Rest your awareness gently in the flame; inhale and it glows, exhale and it radiates. Keep softening and relaxing the inner heart, spreading the glow of your inner flame throughout your body and out into the room.

Look at more inf0rmation here : http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2602?utm_source=DailyInsight&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=DailyInsight

Winter Wonder Yin

The final few months of the year often find us in a frantic state of shopping, decorating, traveling, and other high-energy activity. Yet instead of having fun, we often end up feeling ill, anxious, or depressed. The reason, according to Taoist philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine, is that the action-packed schedules we keep at this time of year fall out of sync with the earth's natural cycles.

Taoist philosophy conceptualizes universal balance in terms of yin and yang, complementary forces that govern the universe. Yin characteristics are cool, wet, slow, feminine, and quiet, whereas yang is the opposite: warm, dry, fast, masculine, extroverted. Winter, the yin season, is a time for storing and conserving energy in the way a bear retains fat by hibernating, or a farmer stores food for the cold months ahead. To stay balanced during winter, conserve your yang energy.

Restorative yoga, tai chi, qigong, and walking are best suited for yin season, as they safeguard your energy reserves. Eating cooked, spicy yang foods provides another good way to replenish energy. Prepare yang-strengthening soups, slow-simmered stews, beans, roasted root vegetables, and warm drinks. Add yang spices such as garlic, ginger, black pepper, cloves, and basil to increase the warming effect. Minimize your intake of yin foods such as raw vegetables, salad greens, and cold drinks.

http://www.yogajournal.com/health/101?utm_source=DailyInsight&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=DailyInsight