What is Seasonal Yoga?
Seasonal Yoga was created by Julie Hanson and Sue Woodd who incorporated their specialist knowledge of Yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine into “Seasonal Yoga”.
It is a fusion of yoga and Tai Chi combined with lifestyle tips for each season. It also takes into account the changes in nature that each season brings and gives us guidelines on how to live in harmony and balance your energy in each season.
Nature does not hurry and yet everything is accomplished
Lao Tzu
Why do we need seasonal living?
A hundred or so years ago we would have to have lived seasonally, there was no electricity, so people would have to get up and work during daylight hours and go to bed when it got dark. There were no 24 hour supermarkets, people ate what was grown locally and we joined in and celebrated the festivities with our local community.
Now we can eat any fruits or vegetables even when they are not in season, we can exercise, work or socialise via our computers. We ignore the natural rhythm of our own body clock, often ignoring the early warning signs of tiredness which if not respected can be the precursor to sickness when our body finally becomes so ill that we are forced to stop and listen,
In nature we see balance and nothing exists in isolation. We see this in the opposites of day and night, movement and stillness and even in the seasons, Summer and a Winter. By balancing the energy which flows through our bodies we improve our health. When the body is in a balanced state of dynamic coherent energy, there is a reduced risk of disease.
What do you mean by “energy in season”?
The concept of energy in season comes from the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It dates back to over 3,000 years ago when the Chinese invented a system of illness prevention through observing nature, energy and the seasons. They also looked at living beings unlike in the West where research on disease and illness was carried out on dead bodies.
Seasonal Yoga embeds this philosophy and encourages us to live in a simpler way, honouring and respecting the origins of TCM and yoga, helping all of us to live a more balanced life, benefitting from all the benefits that will bring to our physical, mental and spiritual health.
In conclusion
Seasonal Yoga is a practice that will empower you to take control of your health and wellbeing throughout the year to achieve radiant health through exercise, diet and lifestyle advice, breathwork and meditation techniques.
More information on seasonal yoga can be found on the seasonal yoga website and in the book Seasonal Yoga by Susan Woodd and Julie Hanson.
For free resources including Yoga Nidra, information on each season and lots of other interesting information about seasonal yoga, have a look at the seasonal yoga website:
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