Equinox

It seems I am called to pay attention to the cycles of the seasons and the moon. We have just passed the equinox, the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern hemisphere and the Vernal Equinox in the Southern hemisphere. These are the turning points, the halfway marks between the Solstices which are the longest and shortest days of our year. As the equinox glides by, we notice that the daylight and nighttime hours are about the same and it's because the sun is moving about the level of the equator. And as the world is tilted and rotates, this changes as we approach the most dramatic changes of light at the Solstices. In the Northern hemisphere, our days are now getting shorter, we have left the dragon's fire of summer and are turned toward the fall and winter season. Of course, the opposite is true in the Southern hemisphere.

In paying attention to these seasonal shifts, it reminds us to notice the balance between darkness and light. It's as though we have this moment of stillness before tipping towards change. Traditionally, the Autumnal Equinox in the north has been a time of celebrating the harvest and abundance that the summer crops have yielded. It's a time when the fields, orchards, and trees come to rest and seeds are dropped into the earth. We are headed toward a dormancy only to be awakened in six months at the Vernal Equinox. But for now...things get quieter and we rest.

We also just passed the full moon and I asked my husband if he remembered where we were on the previous full moon. After a few moments, he remembered we had just watched the sunset over the Indian Ocean in Western Australia; it was dusk and we were heading away from the coast as the bright full moon rose up over the horizon. And as it happened, we spotted a kangaroo coming out for its dusk foraging and provided a most memorable scene (photo below)! It's during the full moon that we see manifestation, where what we've planted during the dark New Moon shows itself. And this too is another natural cycle that is an invitation for checking in to see if we're living in alignment with how we wish to be in the world.

  

This equinox prompted me to think about Sutra 2.46 from Patanjali. Only three of the 196 aphorisms in the Sutras talk about the physical practice of yoga, the "asana" or postures that we practice. It also means that these three references to the physical practice are loaded and is 2.46 "Sthira Sukham Asanam". It can be translated as "right effort", "steady and comfortable". The Sthira is also thought of as "alertness or strength" and the Sukham as "relaxation or surrender." Asanam is the root word for "posture/pose" so when you hear the instruction of moving into Tadasana, Sukhasana or Savasana you have a clue that it pertains to something physical in nature.

Within each pose, we can find the effort and, at the same time, the release. I call this moment of balance within the pose the still point, as it's that moment when everything feels compatible, at ease, and steady...just like the energy of the equinox. Early on in my yoga practice, I was in a Warrior Two pose, a strong lunge position, and my teacher, Murray, said to me, "Jayne...can you stay just as you are?" and then called the class over to my mat. He then asked the class to "look at my face" and in my own curiosity, I was trying not to make a face as others looked at mine. Then Murray said, "Can you see how relaxed her face is?". I hadn't tried to relax my face, it was simply a result of finding the balance between effort and letting go, so no extra tension was seen on my facial expression. Unknowingly, it was my first introduction to Sthira Sukham Asanam and, although I was "working" the pose, I wasn't striving to make it more than what was happening in that moment.

This is a challenge for so many of us...we are taught that we need to work hard, push through pain, leave it all out on the court and do that little bit more or else we're deemed lazy or apathetic. We aren't encouraged to find ease in the process, so finding "right effort" is something we can certainly explore through our practice. We also don't want to be sloppy and disconnected from our experience, giving less than, but to look for the sweet spot of equanimity.

A couple of things to notice during your asana practice to see if you're in balance is to notice micro-tensions, particularly in the facial muscles (clenching teeth, squinting, furrowing the brow) and to see if you can sense your breath without struggle.

As we honor the cycles of the seasons, whether we're welcoming spring or fall, take some time to reflect back to the previous equinox and see what has manifested in your own garden. Perhaps now we can stop tilling the soil for a bit, let ourselves celebrate all that has grown in our lives, and look forward to the next season.