Movement of the Moon
Full Moon: 4th June (Jyeshta)
Third Quarter: 11th June
New Moon: 18th June (Mrigashira)
First Quarter: 26th June
Seasonal Focus - Southern Hemisphere
We are in early winter now and experiencing cold days and colder nights. It is wetter too, with more grey and gloomy atmosphere, but that makes any sunny days with blue skies seem brighter.
Cultivating balance for these conditions means generally creating warmth, protection, sweetness, nourishment, and connection without attachment or fixation. "Flow" is a good mantra.
Enjoy resting, restoring, "going quieter", reflecting, "shoring up" what is life-supportive for you. Let go of what does not support your whole well-being - own thoughts, feelings, belongings, activities. Remind yourself of everything that you can feel grateful for and can appreciate in your life, down to the simplest, smallest thing.
Take time to notice the beauty in nature. There are always particular shades of light, amazing reflections, phenomenal shadows, bright colours that stand out against the grey, occasional smiles on people's faces, laughter and shared experience and stories. The winter provides balance to the summer. Use it to take a reprieve before being active in spring.
Food as Medicine:
The Wisdom and Beauty of Diversity within Wholeness
It is emotionally and mentally steadying to have faith in something greater than ourselves. A sense of connection, wholeness, and oneness fosters reasurance, unity, and inspires common goals that are good for everyone.
Yoga encourages us to be identified with life, as a life, like every other. "Yoga" means to yoke or unite. It is ultimately a way of being and looking at life.
Ayurveda supports this in a physical way; that we are one life and nature on Earth, all made from the same "stuff": elements, energies, qualities, expressions, motivations, each put together in varying proportions according to genetics and biology, as instruments/expressions of nature with life flowing through us. As human nature with a capacity for conscious awareness, how do we each use our own life-instrument to experience the World for a while? As a parent, I chose for each of my children to be alive, and I have to respect that it is up to each of my children how they use their own life-instrument and life-time - to add to, or detract from life. I can only show example through the way I live my life, and let go of attachment to theirs, but maintain loving connection, truth, and emotional nourishment.
Within the wholeness of earthly life, diversity is natural. Similarity may feel comfortable and predictable, but it can create too much of one thing, and therein lies excess and imbalance. Diversity is not the same as division, and if diverse natures, skills, and strengths are valued, it offers balance.
I feel that we need to reassure our young people of their wholeness and constant connection to the rest of life - that they naturally add to the wealth of human skill. We need to show them how to be present in their own body, keep their own power of attention, use their feeling, thought, and senses to discern what helps or hinders their own body and being, and be responsible for their daily health and well-being in basic ways of food, movement, rest, and purposeful use of their energy.
I notice that we are "homogenising" our children and society, treating what sits outside a predictable, conforming, economic funnel as weird or problematic? A homogenised society is not a natural one, and we close our eyes to the wealth and beauty of natural gifts embodied in people. Diagnosing, labelling, and prescribing drugs to even out our human chemistry should be last resort and for rare, essential cases. If there are many more people showing difficulty it is a clear sign for cleaning up our environment and daily behaviours and choices. What do our children's sensitivities show us? What is nature and natural law showing us quite clearly that we must pay attention to? Are we listening and choosing our quality of life wisely and responsibly? Continued encouragement towards eating well, drinking well, moving adequately, resting adequately, and using energy on individually nourishing and meaningful tasks that use natural strengths and skill, is a good foundation for living. Life is sacred - a precious opportunity for experience - and our young people need to feel that they are naturally worthy just as they are; that they are part of the wholeness - no greater than or less than.
What do we all have in common? We are all life and part of nature! A collective humanity! We can value, nourish, and encourage our rich, natural diversity to be embodied and expressed and contribute positively to what is good for us all. It comes down to our individual and collective daily ways of being.
Three precious lives, diverse in their natures and each contributing natural beauty, and skill, while being responsible for their own daily balance and well-being as part of family and community.
With a mother's courage, I will nourish life according to its nature, and its connection to life.
My own and my childrens' sensitivities make me pay attention to what I do each day; what I create for myself and others. I am forever thankful for this.
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