“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer”
Albert Camus
Can you believe it's already June? This year is truly flying by! As we step into a new month, we're also welcoming a new season here in the Southern Hemisphere – Winter.
Before we dive into our exciting new intention, let's take a moment to reflect on the beautiful journey we've been on. In recent months, we've explored themes of Expansion/Contraction, navigating the dance between giving and receiving.
April brought us face-to-face with Resistance, teaching us how to move through obstacles with grace.
And in May, we focused on Remembering Trust – trust in our bodies, in life's timing, and in the deeper intelligence guiding us from within. We let go of needing to have it all figured out and opened to the possibility that maybe… just maybe… we are already being held.
Each of these intentions has laid a beautiful foundation for where we are now. So, while nature sleeps and the world slows, we don’t stop—but we can choose more consciously. We can move with intention. We can breathe with awareness. We can cultivate warmth from the inside out.
Welcome Winter!
Winter knows to hush, still, listen, so the soul can speak
Angie Weiland-Crosby
Days are getting shorter and the air is turning chilly… Nature is snuggling down for a long nap, but we humans need to keep our lives flowing. This shift in seasons brings with it a unique set of needs for our bodies and minds.
In Ayurveda, Winter is often associated with the Vata and Kapha doshas. Vata, with its qualities of cold, dry, and light, can easily become aggravated, leading to feelings of anxiety, scattered energy, and dryness in the body. Kapha, which is heavy, cold, and moist, can increase lethargy, congestion, and a feeling of stagnation. To balance these energies, we need to bring in warmth, nourishment, and a sense of stable, yet fluid, movement.
Similarly, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Winter is linked to the Kidney and Bladder meridians, and the element of Water. This season is all about conservation, introspection, and replenishing our vital essence. When our Kidney energy is strong, we feel resilient, calm, and have a deep sense of inner peace. When it's out of balance, we might experience fatigue, fear, and a lack of vitality.
Winter can be a time when we tend to move less, crave more comfort food (and maybe a little extra of the "naughty" kind!), and this can affect our mood and vitality. Taking care of our energy during the coolers season is a wonderful way to boost your immunity and prevent those winter colds and flus!
So, how can we navigate this transition gracefully and keep our inner radiancy burning bright?
Cultivating Prana: June's Intention
Energy flows where your attention goes
This month, our intention is all about cultivating Prana. You might have heard me talk about this before, but let's explore its profound meaning.
Prana (with a capital 'P') is more than just breath; it's the vital life force that sustains not only our bodies but also creation at every level. Think of it as the cosmic energy that animates everything – the plants, the stars, the very thoughts we think. It’s the driving force behind every action, every thought, and every level of our mind and body. Every yogic science, at its heart, is aimed at awakening and enhancing this vital force within us and the universe around us.
The word Prana itself comes from Sanskrit: 'Pra' meaning 'first' or 'constant', and 'Na' meaning 'movement'. So, it literally means "constant movement" or "foremost life-force."
Now, you might have heard me sometimes say prana (with a lowercase 'p'). This refers to the more personal, localised vital energies within our own system, which are still aspects of the greater Prana. It’s like the ocean (Prana) and a wave within it (prana).
We are all born with a certain quantity of prana, and how we maintain, increase, or decrease it depends on so many aspects of our daily lives: the air we breathe, the food we eat, the thoughts we think, the actions we take, and the kind of life we lead.
The Pranamaya Kosha: Your Energy Body
In yogic philosophy, we talk about the Koshas, or layers of our being. One of these is the Pranamaya Kosha, which is our energy body. This isn't a physical body you can touch, but rather a subtle sheath made up of prana, forming a vital bridge between our physical and mental selves. It's through this layer that the life force flows, nourishing every cell and influencing every thought and emotion. When our Pranamaya Kosha is balanced and flowing freely, we experience vitality, mental clarity, and emotional equilibrium.
Ancient yogis, through deep intuitive and experiential understanding, developed the practices of Pranayama. They understood how prana influences the human experience at various levels – from our physical health to our mental state and even our spiritual evolution. They discovered that by consciously working with our breath, we can directly access and influence this pranic field to attain balance in the body and gain control over the mind.
Prana is not only received from external sources; it's also self-generated, and its quality can be profoundly refined and directed. By proactively working with our prana, we can enhance our vitality, boost our will and strength, support healing, increase our capabilities and efficiency, and even evolve to higher levels of consciousness. This is the ultimate aim of our Prana Kriyas, which we'll be incorporating into our practice this month!
Reflection: How do you feel about the idea that you can directly influence your own energy levels? What possibilities does that open up for you?
Our Winter Practice
This month, our focus will be on tangible ways to cultivate and harness our prana.
Coherence Breath (Equal Ratio Breath) 5:5
We’ll be dedicating special attention to Coherence Breath, also known as Equal Ratio Breath (5:5). This practice involves inhaling for a count of five and exhaling for a count of five. It's incredibly adaptogenic, meaning it helps your nervous system find balance, bringing you into a state of calm alertness. It's a powerful tool to soothe the nervous system and build resilience.
The Quality of Our Breath
Beyond the count, we'll also be focusing on the quality of our breath: striving for it to be deep, calm, even, slow, and smooth. When our breath embodies these qualities, it directly impacts the quality of our prana, creating a more harmonious and energetic state within us.
Understanding the Prana Vayus
While Prana is the overarching vital force, it manifests and moves within our bodies in five distinct currents, often called Prana Vayus ('Vayu' meaning 'wind' or 'air'). In our classes, we'll be exploring these through specific Prana Kriyas – dynamic movements and breath techniques designed to activate and balance these internal energies.
Think of them like this:
- Prana Vayu: The primary inward and upward energy, governing reception – what we take in, like food, air, and sensory impressions.
- Samana Vayu: The balancing, integrating energy at the navel centre, governing digestion and assimilation of everything from food to experiences.
- Udana Vayu: The upward moving energy, associated with growth, speech, expression, and the energy moving towards the higher centres.
- Apana Vayu: The downward and outward energy, responsible for elimination, grounding, and release from the body.
- Vyana Vayu: The pervasive, circulatory energy that moves throughout the entire body, distributing Prana and coordinating all movements.
By working with these specific Prana Kriyas, we proactively clear any stagnation or blockages that might be impeding the free flow of prana. Remember, Prana assumes the quality of "livingness" – it's behind all existence, and both prana and consciousness must be present for life to exist. Prana truly is our greatest friend and companion!
Soft Joints
And of course, we'll continue to bring special attention to one of the most important principles of Dru: Soft Joints. This isn't just about physical flexibility; it's about allowing energy to flow freely through our bodies without restriction. When our joints are soft and relaxed, prana can move effortlessly, supporting both our physical and energetic well-being.
This Winter... May the Force be with You
I’m so excited to share these practices with you this month and feel the collective energy of our Prana cultivation. It’s going to be a truly transformative journey as we learn to renew our energy and stay vibrant throughout the cooler months.
I invite you to join me in my Dru Yoga classes this month to explore these powerful techniques. You can choose your favourite class, both in studio and online.
If you’re ready to go even deeper, I’m honoured to be running a Satellite Group for the Live Long, Live Well program. This new 40-day Dru program is designed to support physical, emotional, and energetic wellbeing—especially for those wanting to age more gracefully. I’ll be guiding one of the beautiful satellite groups where we’ll journey together in community.
As a special gift this month, and to help you truly embody the power of Prana, I've created a beautiful guided meditation focused on cultivating your vital life force. To receive this meditation directly to your inbox, simply email me with "Prana Meditation Please!"
Let’s embrace this Winter season with open hearts and renewed energy!
Namaste