January Blessings

January Blessings to you all Lotusland Loves,

And..It’s January 4th and we’re waking up to stories of even more WTH’s & OMG’s in the news as we move toward more uncertain and scary times, our practice calls for action generated through our contemplative practices of Yoga and meditation like compassion and wisdom in action along with our fear and anger. There is much we can do from home to use our privileges and personal practice for the purpose of peace. Let’s keep using our voices and platforms to speak out against injustices and celebrate love. We can make calls and send donations to organizations directly helping those suffering instead of buying more things we don’t need. We can all contribute in some way.

Jasmine’s 11 am Class on Saturday, Love Saves the Day, continues to support the ACLU defending the rights of all people nationwide. “With immigrant rights, trans justice, reproductive freedom, and more at risk, we’re in courts and communities across the country to protect everyone’s rights — and we need you with us.”  Visit https://www.aclunorcal.org and see how you can get involved!

January was not on the original 10 month Roman calendar from February to December! It was a transition month since it was the darkest and coldest, named after the Roman God Janus, the god of duality, beginnings endings, transitions, with two heads: One looking into the past into the future to symbolize change and passage through time, governing new years, journeys, birth, and war/peace, and was invoked first in Roman rituals as the god of all gateways, including the month of January. He presided over all new ventures, from the start of a day or year (hence January is named for him) to major life events like birth and death. Janus represented movement, change, and the middle ground between states, such as between youth and adulthood. As the god of doorways, he guarded passages and held the keys to heaven, symbolizing access and thresholds. His two faces looked to the past and future, embodying reflection and foresight, and the concept of seeing both inside and outside.

We can use January as a month of not only taking action outward but action inward, caring of our selves, our physical and mental health and hibernating in our cocoons so we can emerge and take forward action in the world anew!  The new year is about starting slow…This time is guiding us towards developing a deeper and more honest relationship with ourselves by taking peaceful pauses through committing to a life devoted to what we most value.  We can come out changed and more self aware and at peace if we take advantage of it and then engaging in actions in the world that are aligned with our values and beliefs and finding ways to contribute that resonate with our inner truth and understanding.

Yoga means inner union with our true selves, the divine within, so committing to solitary time with ourselves through a commitment to our daily personal practice, or sadhana, is what leads us not only to personal liberation but living and acting in service to the happiness and freedom for all beings.