This week’s full moon energy has definitely had an impact around the world these last few days with many things coming to their natural completion. As we near the end of the calendar year, autumn, and the darkest days of the year it seems an appropriate time to let go of things that no longer serve or inspire us.

Happy December 1st! It’s hard to believe we have reached the final month of this calendar year. December is a wonderful time to reflect on where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going. Following the rhythms of the season, it is also a good time to slow down and rest. As I read the quote below it reminded me that sometimes going against the flow of the holiday season’s frenzy is the best gift we can give ourselves.

I hope you enjoyed time to connect and celebrate with friends and family yesterday. While the mythology of Thanksgiving is fraught with many issues, the opportunity to gather with those we love to eat, laugh, and play has always been one of my favorite times of year. I think what I enjoy the most is that the focus of the day is sharing community with each other and the wonderful memories I have of those who are no longer with us.

I hope this finds you warm and cozy in today’s snowy and very chilly weather. As we approach Thanksgiving we are often encouraged to focus on gratitude practices. Research demonstrates that gratitude has positive effects on our both our physical and mental health as well as our relationships. Typically, we focus on gratitude for others and for all that we have in our lives. This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to also turn inward and explore what you are grateful for about yourself. What do you appreciate and value about who you are and how you show up in the world? Offering yourself some words of kindness, appreciation, and gratitude can make a huge difference in your overall sense of well-being.

I hope this finds you well as we integrate the energy of this week’s full moon and lunar eclipse. It provided a powerful opportunity to release what doesn’t serve us and create space for healing and empowerment. Allow yourself to soak up the energy of this eclipse as it continues to impact us over the next few weeks.

All I can say about this week’s New Moon Solar Eclipse is WOW! It definitely brought some big shifts as promised. I hope you all are managing any shifts that have come your way and are finding the opportunities within the change.

It has been awhile and I have missed you! We had a great time visiting our sons in Iowa and Michigan; taking in the beautiful fall colors of the midwest, learning new tailgating games, and getting some behind the scenes views of MSU football. We had so much fun running around with the boys we needed a vacation from our adventures, so spent the week in Breckenridge hiking, eating, and sleeping. It was a wonderful opportunity to practice balancing the going and doing with some resting and being.

I received this “Heart Advice” from a Pema Chödrön email yesterday and it grabbed my attention immediately. “Whatever happens to you, to me, to anyone, is either the beginning of liberation or the means to attain liberation, or the means to deepen confusion.

It is hard to believe it is already September, especially with these 90 degree days continuing. The Power Path referenced the month starting with some “squirrelly” energy and I know I felt that today. I also heard a speaker today reference “being where your feet are” and I thought that was a great description of present moment awareness.

We have shifted into Virgo season with its energy of routine and structure and are moving toward a new moon on Saturday. The Power Path is offering a healing ceremony Sunday evening if you are interested.

After a chill trip to Iowa to help our youngest son move into his new place, I returned to a chaotic week in the school district. Sometimes when things are upended we revert to old patterns of reacting, rather than pausing, processing, and responding.

I am sitting outside under the almost full moon as I write this. It is a beautiful Colorado summer night! Tomorrow, August 11, will be the Aquarius Super Full Moon. Lena from The Power Path says this moon has big energy to propel us toward our next steps with gratitude.

This week I started back to work as the school year is beginning. I always say that it doesn’t mean summer is over, it just gets moved to the weekend.

Today is a new moon in Leo, bringing us the energy of abundance, joy, and creativity.

My yoga practice this week offered a couple of lessons I thought I’d share. I was playing around with Bird of Paradise balance pose, which I hadn’t done in quite awhile…

I hope you are finding ways to cool down as we experience the steady heat of summer (thank goodness for our brief respite on Monday 🙏). Last Saturday in class we practiced Chandra Bhedana, left nostril breathing, which helps to calm the mind and cool the body.

It has been a week of many emotions and managing the roller coaster ride has been challenging.

Happy Summer! I hope you are enjoying the shift of energy and tapping into the joy summer offers with celebrations and playfulness

I hope this finds you all well and staying cool as the heat ramps up again this weekend. Pitta qualities can be exacerbated by excessive heat causing us to feel irritable and short tempered.