By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
Westwood Public Library (WPL) is embracing wellness in the month of January. In order to fulfill this winter-time theme, the WPL hosted a Winter Yoga and Well Being Workshop this month, led by Susie Masters E- R.Y.T (500).
Masters led this workshop by asking each participant what their favorite season was and why; she shared that with her studies in Chinese medicine, a question as simple as this would help her get to know a lot about each person. After everyone shared their favorite season, Masters shared that she teaches yoga by the season; this is a means of bringing our body into alignment with nature as we are connecting with the rhythms of the natural world. Embracing each season and living on accordance to that season is how our ancestors lived, Masters believes, and honoring this cyclical nature can help us to thrive. “Winter teaches us that the only way to fully enjoy the powers of the season is to surrender to it and learn what it has to offer us,” Masters shared with the class. “Every season has an emotion; winter is fear… the other is wisdom.” The winter season teaches two key lessons, but humans can only embrace these lessons by surrendering to the rhythm of the season.
Masters explained that surrendering to winter involves several practices: getting extra rest (ideally an additional hour of sleep each night), reflecting on the past year by appreciating joyful moments and confronting challenges to release fears and negative emotions, and taking time to slow down and conserve energy. Staying warm through layered clothing, warm foods, and hot beverages is essential, as is turning inward to recognize emotions, build self-trust, plan for the future, and address fears. Meditation is a particularly effective tool for self-reflection and exploring one’s inner world during this time.
In order to take care of oneself during the winter time, Masters highlighted that it is important to drink more water, as winter is a very dry season, ensure to make time for a meditation practice, journaling, or another means of self reflection, and to make time for movement to avoid stagnation. Movements such as a yoga practice, tai chi, qigong, or a daily walk are ideal, slow paced means of movement for the winter time.
At the end of the presentation, Masters taught the class a variety of yoga poses to practice throughout the rest of the winter to help “boost immunity, energize your body, uplift your mood, and stay healthy.” These poses included the seated forward fold, Childs pose, and bridge pose, to name a few.
The Winter Wellness series at the WPL is a great way to connect body and mind during the cold days of winter. Susie Masters will return to the WPL on Monday, January 27 at 7pm for her seasonal Yoga Nidra program. Visit the WPL website at https://www.westwoodlibrary.org/ to register.
