Greetings beautiful Sangha, and welcome to February!
We made it; and I know for many, it feels like an achievement, a relief!Lots of people find January a struggle, the dark, cold days, the absenceof festive sparkle, and the noise I’m still hearing about New Yearresolutions and all those that have apparently ‘failed’.
It was this talk, that lead me back to the Yoga Sutras for some inspirationand motivation. If you’ve not heard of these, the Yoga Sutras are anancient text compiled by the Sage Patanjali, which offer 196 fairly short,sharp verses that form a foundation for classical yoga practice.
The very first Sutra simply says: “Now, the practice of yoga begins”. I lovethe use of ‘now’. He doesn’t say start once you have a designer yoga mat,or from the 1st of January, or when you’ve finished the Christmaschocolates; he simply offers ‘now’ which is really all any of us have! Wecan begin again at any moment. This can be the moment we choose tobreathe deeply into, the moment we feel, play, practice, or transform, orsimply be present in. He goes on to describe yoga as a stilling of thefluctuations of the mind. This sounds like a pretty big ask – how can weever stop the incessant thought noise?! But there’s another way tounderstand this: stilling the mind can be about making space for calm,for positive thinking. It can be about love, for yourself and others,accepting all that you are, in the here and now, without judgement. Isthere a better mindset to hold as we move further into this still NewYear?
The world is going through a lot right now, and these aren’t easy times.Team Sangha send you a warm, virtual hug, wherever you are, with anassurance that this moment, right now, is yours. Take a deep breath in,and then out, knowing you are strong, you are brave, and you are morethan enough. All that you need is right there within you – trust it, and bekind to yourself as your year begins to take shape. Remember too that ifyou want to explore yoga in all its forms and colours, scroll down for ourincredible range of classes, events and adventures for all. We’re yourcommunity, your haven of calm, and we can’t wait to share 2026 withyou.
With warm wishes and love,
Yvette and all at team Sangha xx
