.The Winter Solstice marks an auspicious shift in daylight, when we begin to emerge from the darkness back into the light. On the shortest, darkest day of the year, we are urged to call on the divine light from within. The long dark days of winter can lend themselves to physical stagnation, fatigue, and hibernation. In this yin yoga sequence, we honor the pause before we are called to expand once again. Just as the muscles need our attention to stay healthy and resilient, so does the connective tissue In order to keep our muscles healthy we need to approach them in a dynamic way, we need to move and stretch. Muscles respond to stress and effort, however our Yin tissues are very different. Rather than movement and striving, which are yang ways of approaching things, our yin tissues need gentleness and acceptance. When we go into a Yin posture the first line of resistance we face as our joints open or close is from our muscles. Get cozy, dim the lights, and please let me know how you feel after the practice. at the beginning of the class we chant: Asato ma sad gamaya Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya Mrtyor ma amrtam gamaya. Lead me from the unreal to the Real. Lead me from darkness to Light. Lead me from death to Immortality This class was recorded from my home in CA as a Zoom call on December 19th, 2020, During a time while we are mainly staying at home, let us stay connected through practice and reverence. Join along and breathe with us. Please pass the link along to anyone you feel may benefit from the practice. Donations are greatly appreciated to keep things going financially while external work is on hold. If you have the means donations can be made through Venmo @happyfreecarly or PayPal carlysatya@gmail.com $10 or pay what feels right to you (minimum suggested $1)