In the yoga tradition that I follow we celebrate the return of the sun to the northern hemisphere with a holiday called Makara Sankranti. It is a celebration of the return of the light since the days will start to get longer. On average we will get 2 more minutes of daylight in January each day. 

I find that around this time every year my schedule changes because of the holiday season. Sometimes I'm struggling to find some time to workout, or do yoga, or meditate. I always seem to manage to do it even if that means that I do those things close to midnight. (don't judge me). 

This weekend I attended the recitation of a Sanskrit chant which I used to do with a group before the pandemic. It felt so nourishing to be able to do this again. This chant is special because it evokes the feeling of sacredness in me. I practice this chant daily but it has a special power when performed in a group. At the end of the chant I was immersed in the experience of the sacred. I felt so tender and just wanted to stay in that experience.

pṛthvī is a word in Sanskrit that refers to the earth element. This element encompasses the characteristics of solidity, density, resistance, and groundedness. It is a quality that we experience in varying degrees at many different levels.

A long while ago I was on a yoga retreat that lasted about two weeks. During that time we were asked to journal about what was going on in our minds at different times of the day and specially after meditation. After a week we were asked to read the entries in the journal and watch for any patterns.

Tonight the moon is only 1 percent full. It's just a sliver of a moon in the sky. Tomorrow at 4:27am EST we will have a new moon. This will mark the beginning of the Indian Year which is celebrated tonight as Deepavali. It is always curious to me how this celebration is about lighting lamps and candles just before the moon turns completely dark.