Yoga advises following the flow of nature, whether that is the breath, the seasons or how our own particular life unfolds. This is born of recognizing the immense intelligence that exists within life, it’s harmony, how it moves in unison and the subsequent effortlessness of us allowing life to move through us and around us in this way. As we move towards midwinter and the darkest time of the year, if we listen to our instincts we find that as nature slows down and comes to a point of rest or near stasis as the wheel of the year turns, that a similar desire exists in us. That with the shorter days and dark nights, we’re drawn towards a hibernation of some sort, as we want to sleep a little longer, rest more and withdraw from the world.
Of course the irony is that in modernity, there is little time for rest and in fact in the run up to xmas we can actually find ourselves busier than usual. Preparations for xmas, shopping, pressure to finish work projects before the holidays etc, more social expectations….