Are you someone who struggles with the winter season?

The shorter days, and longer nights, and more time indoors than you’d like can play a big role in how you feel mentally and emotionally.

A decrease in sunlight each day means you may notice a shift in your cortisol and melatonin levels – a.k.a, you’re craving more sleep or feeling a little bit more melancholy.

You’re not alone! And, it can be a great time of year to spend more time in self-reflection and learning new things. That way when spring comes along, you can turn that insight and knowledge into action and growth!

That has become our intention and priority with launching our Winter Wellness Workshop Series kicking off at Sol Luna Yoga! We wanted to cultivate opportunities for your growth and development, while also tending to your need for reflection and introspection. Turning your winter blues into beautiful opportunities to learn and expand and connect with others.

This week’s blog is dedicated to giving you a sneak peek into all the amazing workshops coming to Sol Luna Yoga this winter. Share with friends and loved ones who you think would enjoy them as well!

December is here, as is the snow here in Klamath Falls. With this shift in season, from fall to winter, brings the internal shift you’ve been subtly feeling as the winter months draw closer and closer.

Can you sense your body slowing down – even just a little?

Or maybe a yearning for your body and your schedule to slow down to match the season?

This internal shift is cyclical and necessary. We are naturally creatures who require times for rest, and reflection, and dormancy.

In Yoga and Ayurveda, this transition into winter can be made a little easier with a number of different practices, including one that will be guided for you this month at Sol Luna Yoga.

Embody this winter season and allow your body to guide you through as you practice ways to tune in and listen.

“From within or from behind, a light shines through us upon things and makes us aware that we are nothing, but the light is all.” – Emerson

The Crown Chakra – Sahasrara in sanskrit – translates as “thousand-fold”. The Crown Chakra is the transcendence of consciousness. It is our innate wisdom and connection to something greater than ourselves – Source, God, the Universe, nature, Gaia, intuition, highest self… different identifying words as we attempt to grasp the unseen, yet felt, force that seems to guide us.

Do you feel it in your day-to-day life?

Before we begin a deep dive into the Crown Chakra, let’s take a moment to tap into the space at the top of our heads.

Thanksgiving week is right around the corner. While Thanksgiving is marketed heavily in the western world as a time to enjoy delicious food, watch the football game, and the Macy’s Day Parade, it’s also a day of gratitude. A time to celebrate family, enjoy the company of loved ones, and remember and give thanks for all of the privileges we have in our lives.

And to keep in perspective that not everyone has the opportunity to experience those same privileges.

But that’s the beauty of community. And why we’re so passionate about not only cultivating and nurturing our own community at Sol Luna Yoga, but giving back to our greater community within Klamath County as well.

For the second consecutive year, Sol Luna Yoga is dedicating the week of Thanksgiving to practicing gratitude and giving back. And we want to use this blog space to share all the details and information you need to know so you can be a part of that giving as well.

And we’re making it as simple as just stepping onto your mat.

“You are a unique being. The combination of who you are and why you are here is as unique as your fingerprints. Human Design is about making decisions that are right for you versus what’s right for anyone else.” – The Principles of Human Design

Have you ever been acutely aware of how different people are?

How different YOU are?

How differently you navigate through the world compared to other people around you?

What if I told you not only is it normal, but you’re actually uniquely designed to be different?

That everyone walking this planet right now, and everyone before and after us, is uniquely designed… and for a purpose.

Just like a hive of bees, with different types of bees operating in different ways for the greater good of the hive, YOU are also a unique energy, with a unique skill set and energy signature to offer the world.

Your unique energy is not only useful for the greater collective, it’s needed.

Your unique energy serves a purpose for the collective.

"Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is an adequate perception of the world." – Hans Margolius

The Third Eye Chakra – Ajna in sanskrit – can be translated as “authority”, “command”, or “perceive.” Given this name as the Third Eye Chakra is the center of intuition, intellect, and consciousness.

Take a few moments to tap into this intuitive center.

It’s the week of Halloween in the United States. But this candy-filled, costume-inspired holiday holds much deeper meaning and significance in many other cultures.

In Celtic tradition, it’s referred to as Samhain.

In many parts of South America, it’s known as Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

In both, there is an emphasis on honoring past loved ones and ancestors. There is a reverence for passing down traditions, lessons, and ancient knowledge for future generations to flourish.

Today, you may notice there are beliefs, perspectives, and ways of living that our ancestors used to honor, that no longer fit the current state of the world or society.

In fact, you may notice some beliefs and ways of living actually hinder future generations from flourishing.

While there is value in passing down traditions and wisdom, there is also just as much beauty and value in learning from the past, moving forward differently, and correcting it for the future.

So while we focus this week’s blog on honoring our past ancestors, we also acknowledge there is still much healing to be done on an ancestral level for most of us.

We acknowledge that sometimes we carry the baggage from our ancestors and we need help and support in releasing it all before moving forward.

Continue on to learn more about how to connect and heal and learn from your ancestors, as you intentionally create your unique future.

"Honest, open communication is the only street that leads us into the real world… We then begin to grow as never before. And once we are on this road, happiness cannot be far away.” – John Joseph Powel

The Throat Chakra – Vishuddhi in sanskrit – translates as “pure,” or “purification.” The Throat Chakra seeks authenticity in communication and authenticity in expression… pure authenticity.

Before we begin, take a moment to bring your attention to your throat.

"Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside awakens." – Carl Jung

The Heart Chakra – Anahata in sanskrit – translates as “unstruck,” “unhurt,” or “unbeaten”, and is located exactly where you’d think: within your spine, at the center of your chest.

Mark your calendars this week! Saturday, October 14th there will be an Annular Solar Eclipse in Libra!

But what the heck does this mean for you?!

Well, while it’s a beautiful celestial event that you get to witness in most of the country, astrologically there’s A LOT happening with this transit as well.

So let’s break down all the pieces of this celestial event – what an eclipse in Libra even means, how this eclipse can affect you, working with this energy on your mat, and where in the Klamath Basin you can enjoy this eclipse!

“If you always put limits on everything you do - physical or anything else - it will spread into your work & into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus. And you must not stay there. You must go beyond them.” – Bruce Lee

The Solar Plexus Chakra – Manipura – translates as “place of shining gem,” and is located within your spine, at the level of your navel.

Manipura Mindfulness

If you’re able, find a comfortable seat, or lay down, and take a few moments to connect with your breath.

Allow your breath to slow down and deepen.

Bring your hands to your navel and as you breathe, feel as your hands rise and fall with the movement of your belly.

Begin to notice the heat of your hands on your belly.

The warm sensation of your own body heat warming and stimulating your core.

Visualize a large, bright, yellow ball of light residing here.

As you deepen into each breath, watch this light grow and expand

Until it envelopes your entire being.

Sit in this radiant warmth and notice what you feel.

The sacral chakra – Svadhishthana – means, “the dwelling place of the Self.” It’s located just below the belly button, in the lower part of your abdomen.

If you’re able, place your hand here for a moment and just breathe.

Notice how this space fills with air as you inhale.

Notice how it contracts and empties as you exhale.

Feel the warmth of your hand as it rests on your lower belly.

See if you can relax your shoulders and your neck a little more as you do.

When you’re ready, close your eyes, and bring your awareness and your mind’s eye to this space in your body.

What do you see?

Is there anything you feel here? Physically or emotionally or otherwise?

Take a few moments.

Before continuing further, maybe take note of anything you picked up on as you brought your awareness and your breath to this space in your body. It could be a simple thought, an emotion, a visual… Notice if any of the information you read about here, aligns with your experience.

Let’s begin.

Sol Luna Kids classes are now open for registration! This fall Sol Luna Yoga has heard your requests and excitement for more classes for kids and we are happy to announce they begin October 2nd! These classes will run on 10-week sessions, ending December 8th.

We’ve carefully curated classes for each of your littles, keeping in mind age and developmental stage. And, we’ve created a few different options for you as a parent with the understanding that every family, and schedule, and need, is different.

So without further adieu, let’s dive right in to all the information you’ll need to know about our upcoming kids’ classes, registration, and more!

Sol Luna Yogis! We are SO overjoyed to bring so many exciting new changes to the studio. All with the purpose of helping you connect easier, and more efficiently, to our community.

Well, with changes, comes transition. And we want to make this transition super simple for you. So we’ve compiled a list of questions that we thought you’d want the answers to as you navigate through our new system.

Everything is connected.

That’s a bold statement.

But what if it’s true?

In many ancient cultures and teachings, the interconnectedness of everything in life – seen and unseen – is not only mentioned but emphasized. And even in modern times, that interconnectedness is still believed and taught – the only difference being, now it’s termed, ‘cause and effect.’

And sometimes, we’re not able to see that interconnectedness very clearly at first. At first, things may seem coincidental or completely not connected at all.

And other times, the connection is so clear that it’s almost funny you didn’t recognize it at all in the first place.

In the science of Yoga this connection between everything is viewed as a whole body system: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. First looking at the microcosm of the human being, and then extending that outward to the macrocosm of the world, and the universe. One system always and without exception has an effect on another.

One particular system that we’ll be deep-diving into with this series, is the chakra system. And to start, we’ll begin by talking about the root chakra.