ॐ Sleep like a Hibernating Bear ॐ

As we head into the darkest days of the year, the cold and sunless sky persuades us to get back into bed and to rest more. The daily walk onto the yoga mat somehow is harder. Students write to me and share,

“Gosh I missed class today, I slept in! I needed it!”

Don’t fret, yogi and friend: this seasonal fight to get up early in the dark is shared by all of us. Here are some ways to wake up in the morning without stressing yourself while still getting the right amount of sleep you may need.

This winter - especially this month of December - adapt your practice and patterns to match the trials of the changing season: go to bed a touch earlier to accommodate the natural inclination to sleep more; get some new teas that inspire you to sip in the evening which invite you to unwind and retire earlier, and maybe try a new coffee or tea in the morning that gets you inspired to turn on that kettle.

I myself am accommodating my needs by getting on the mat a touch later: doing less on the mat but more sincerely. Why yesterday I got on the mat at 6:30 am and started teaching at 7:15 am. Ask me two years ago if I would have been happy with a 45-minute practice and I wouldn’t have, however now with all that is going on I find that for now, during this specific time and season, it is enough.

Don’t let my honesty persuade you to practice less - do more thoughtful practicing, not necessarily less or more - just adapt it to what you need to do for this time and place.

How are you adapting your practice these days? Or maybe for you, the long, dark nights restore you and inspire you to go deeper into your practice?

Join me online or in person this month for practice: in this monthly newsletter I share the holiday schedule, some festive events not to miss happening online and at the Little Bird studio and my journey with the Yoga Tārāvali.

I look forward to seeing you in person or online this dark December, and may you keep your inner light shining bright,

Sarah xo

Sunshine is riiiiight around the corner:
Spring and Summer
2023 Retreats Ahead:

18-25 March - Yoga in Tenerife with Purple Valley - this retreat is filling up fast, get flights and start preparing if you’d like to come! BOOK SOON

8-15 April: Ashtanga Family Retreat - Yoga in Salento

4-11 June: co-teaching in Portugal with Christine Hoar - Monte Velho

30 Sep-6 October: YogApulia Meditation and Ashtanga yoga

Holiday Schedule 22 Dec - 1 January

Join our Mysore Dublin yoga community at Little Bird Coffee and Yoga for our festive holiday brunch; wear your favourite Christmas jumper post-practice on Sunday, 18 December. This is from 9:45-11:45 am.

The following practice days are cancelled:
NO class Friday 23 December NEW MOON
NO class Sunday, 25 December.
NO class Friday, 29 December through Sunday 1 January

We will have class Monday 26th December through Thursday 29 December; back onto our regular 6-day routine starting Monday the 2nd.

Zoom Class ID and passcode

My daily classes are always accessed through zoom:

583 779 3991 with passcode Practice.

Click this link to access daily class

December Specialty Chanting Class

Some of you who have practiced with me for a while now know that during at least one of the last chanting classes of the year, we chant all four books of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. This year, we will chant Patañjali’s full song on

Monday, 19 December at 4 pm

If you are new to chanting remember, even hearing the sūtras and approaching any part of them is helpful towards understanding yoga! Joining on this special day will be an experience not to forget.

Moon Days 2023

Have a sneak-peak of the moon days this upcoming year ahead by visiting Ashtanga Yoga London:

In January and February: new and full moons are held on:
Friday 6th Jan (NO CLASS)
Saturday 21st Jan (NO CLASS - easy one, this is a Saturday)
Sunday 5th February (NO CLASS)
Monday 20th February (NO CLASS)

The Philosophy of Sound: Why Chant?

Ādi Śankara’s “Yoga Tārāvali”
Śloka 2

sadāśivoktāni sapādalakṣa
layāvadhānani vasanti loke |
nādānusandhāna samādhimekaṁ
manyāmahe-mānyatamaṁ layānām ||

From TKV Desikachar and Kausthub Desikachar’s translation (2003):

Among the many different laya-s that Lord Śiva spoke about, the one called Nādānusandhānam is considered the best, for it leads one to the highest state of samādhi. Nādā refers to the inner sound that is believed to arise from within the body. Nā fire in the abdomen and da wind at the throat. Together they produce an inner sound that arises from Anāhata Cakra. Nādā is the foundation for the external sound śabda (communication - spoken word).

During this past year, I managed to translate and study a small gem I found in Mysore in 2008: Ādi Śankara’s “Yoga Tārāvali”. What finally got me to go through each śloka and work on the pronunciation and meaning of this short discussion on breath, bandha and samādhi primarily had to do with my interest in chanting and sound - or what is called “nādānusandhānam”.

It is a natural progression that the ashtanga yoga practice will bring one towards studying the subtlety of sound. With bandha, breath and the rising of energy upwards in the physical and subtle body through hatha yoga practice, one becomes more interested in chanting and singing. The ujjayi breath alone may bring us in this direction - the sound of the breath invites us to listen - it wakes us up to witnessing the higher self: what is it we hear when we breathe?

Becoming interested in sound happened naturally for me - one day I wanted to sing and chant, and this has led to a ten year practice of daily chanting.

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together, there is no wonder why my teachers David Garrigues and Dena Kingsberg; David Miliotis - they are all devoted chanters: through long-term practice of breathing, bandha and devotion to the practice - one is inclined to sing and chant more fully. It may happen to you surprisingly as well - or has it already happened?

Your definition of ‘practice’ and what it looks like may change as the years go on; it definitely has for me. You see, being on the mat daily and tending to our breath through prāṇāyāma, our subtle body of bandha and drṣti…and to our āsana practices will one day waver. We can love the practice forever and ever - however the challenging postures may not love us back in return.

Not all postures will go away as we age, but this big ones will as the years go on. However sound and vibration, bandha, chanting and our relationship with our prāṇa - our life force - will continue to brighten. If the definition of prāṇāyāma means, “life extending or self knowing” then the definition of japaḥ - repetition of mantras would be “God knowing”.

As this final month of the year brings us towards reflection, indulge in a snapshot of what you imagine yourself to be doing in twenty years time on the mat - will it be putting your leg behind your head in a fiery practice, or will it be of you sitting comfortably in a seated position, chanting, breathing and in meditation?

Maturation on the mat means finding stillness and ease within the company of yourself - listening and watching - this is what Ādi Śankara was sharing in his Yoga Tārāvali: through the maturation of breath and bandha - yogis will be inclined to listen to the song he or she sings.

The Magic of the Season

With little children, there is magic everywhere during the holidays. And in our house, once the tree comes out, our magical elf comes, too. We can’t touch him because if we do he will lose his magic, though we can look for him around the house when he hides throughout the month. Sometimes he leaves notes and poems - sometimes he hides shoes…he isn’t necessarily the best of elves, he is a little naughty. And this is ok too, he is unique in his own way. His name changes every season as well, we figure he likes to keep us on our toes guessing.

Keep the magic of your practice and of the holidays sparkle, yogis. And remember no effort is wasted on caring for others or for yourself this season. Give more to the people who need it and keep the spirit of this season bountiful. Below is a list of Irish charities who could use our help, yogis!

I’ll send a Christmas newsletter closer to the time. Till then, here’s a little reindeer to get you ready to give and celebrate.

Sarah xo