This Month's Article:

"Ancient Traditions "
by Connie Habash

     December is certainly a holiday time in the West, no matter what your religion or spiritual practice.  From the Judeo-Christian traditions of Hannukah and Christmas, to Kwanzaa and the Winter Solstice, here in the U.S. it's quite a busy and festive time.

     We're certainly used to the commercial aspect of this time of year.  Stores galore are packed with Christmas products to decorate your home, car, children, pets, and of course, yourself.  Not to mention the flurry of shoppers seeking the perfect gifts for friends and family.

    Many of us are unaware, though, of the roots of our rituals during the holiday season.  We can look back to some of our ancestors from the European continent to discover that trimming the tree, mistletoe, and even holiday cookies are time-held traditions with special meaning.

     The practice of bringing greenery into one's home in early winter goes back farther than the first dated use of a "Christmas tree".  Germans began decorating the Tannenbaum (German for "Fir tree") in the 1500's, in the region of Alsace.
 
    But long before that, pagans (the "country folk") felt that evergreens symbolized life, even in the midst of the season of death.  Prior to the Tannenbaum, living trees were put into tubs and brought into homes during the old German feast of Yule, which spanned two months in November and December., like standing on one foot for a number of years!

     You can think of Tapas as that little flame inside of you that motivates you and keeps you on track with anything of importance in life. It makes you floss when you don't feel like it. That inner fire motivates you to make changes when you know you need to. Without Tapas, we probably wouldn't bother to do the "hard" things in life, and therefore to make any sort of progress, especially when embarking on the spiritual path.

     KV Desikachar, one of the modern-day yoga masters, states that Tapas is a "means by which we keep ourselves healthy and cleanse ourselves inwardly", for tapas also means "cleanse" in Sanskrit. So in yoga practice, tapas is the heat that is generated as our internal purification, like the process of purifying gold.

    The Ancient Egyptians had a similar ritual, decorating their abodes with green date palm leaves to represent this triumph of life over death. One can see how these practices were easily applied hundreds and thousands of years later to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus in the Christian tradition.

    Speaking of eternal life, did you know that the mistletoe you may hang over your door symbolized immortality to the ancient Druids in Great Britain?  It also was said to increase fertility - hence the practice of kissing under the mistletoe! The Druids also hung what have now evolved into wreaths on their doors; evergreen branches were said to keep away evil spirits.

    Many of us sing songs about "Yuletide", without knowing much about this ancient holiday.  Yule is the time of renewal.  It is the Winter Solstice, when the Sun, having completed its shortest day of the year, begins to grow stronger again as the days lengthen from here until mid-June. This new-born Sun - which became the new-born Son in the Christian tradition - is celebrated by the Yule Log. The fire represents the return of that radiant light.

    Even the custom of baking cookies during the holidays has roots in old tradition.  Many cultures around the world enjoy eating sweets in celebration.  As the New Year approached (and for many of the pagan folk in the European continent, that was the Winter Solstice), partaking of sweet treats as one year was ending ensured sweetness in the year to come.

      You needn't be of any particular religious or spiritual tradition to enjoy these time-honored rituals and make them meaningful for yourself.  Essentially, all these customs celebrate life and renewal.  Whether you have a decorated tree in your home or in your community, appreciate the long life-span of the evergreen and endeavor to attain such resiliency and health.  As logs blaze in your fireplace or candles burn in your menorah or kinara, think of the light and life that they represent, and honor the gifts that the sun gives our planet throughout the year.  Let the mistletoe bring you joy as you celebrate how love for one's partner carries on life and creation.  And if you choose to partake of holiday goodies, eat them mindfully and reverently, envisioning a world more kind and sweet in the coming year.

© 2007 Connie Habash

UPCOMING SERIES IN YiY CLASSES: We're currently exploring the 8 limbs of yoga philosophy in my Tuesday and Friday morning classes. In DECEMBER: The annual Yoga for Meditation series, building up our meditation practice each class to culminate on the last Friday in honor of the holiday season and the New Year.

NEW CLASS ON THURSDAY MORNING,
9:30-11AM, beginning JANUARY 10TH!  At Stretchworks in Redwood City (border of Menlo Park and Atherton), just off Marsh Rd. at 101.  The Essence of Yoga is my unique blending of Iyengar, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Restorative, Shadow, and Yin styles with yoga philosophy and spirituality.  All levels welcome, but special emphasis on beginnners and building foundations of strength, flexibility, awareness, and compassion.  See http://www.stretchworks.net for information on this lovely studio.

Y.E.S. Yoga Teacher Training coming up for 2008, beginning in February!  See Joyce Anue's website for details:  http://www.joyceanue.com

YOGA FOR WINTER - join me in early January for a couple weeks focused on yoga practice to maintain well-being for Winter.  We'll also do some "back to the basics" work on the foundations of practice for the New Year. 

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December brings us to the end of the Autumn season, the days becoming shorter and colder.  As the Winter Solstice arrives this year on December 22nd, we reach the longest night of the year.  Yet from that day forward, the daylight strengthens and grows longer.  Even through the coldest 3 months of the year, nature inspires us with rebirth of the light.      Light represents many things.  By light we are able to see -- both with our physical eyes, but also symbolically by insight and intuition.  It is our internal flame of vitality, passion, and warmth.  Prana, the life force itself, is an energetic light moving through our being.  And certainly, light represents illumination, enlightenment itself.      As temperatures drop, keep the inner fire warm by slowly increasing intensity in your yoga practice.  Vata dosha still rules, which is cold, dry, delicate, and sensitive, so be cautious not to do too much, too soon.  By gradually adding more backbends, twists, and strength-building stances through the end of the month, you will maintain the flame within and keep energy steady when you need it most.  Later in the Winter season when Kapha dosha rules, you'll be ready for the most challenging practices of the year.      Keep the body's vital energy bright with Pranayama, or breathwork practice.  Lengthening the inhalation and retaining for a few seconds will increase the capacity for prana, the life force, and also maintain inner heat.  Imagine breathing in the light of the sun and as you hold the breath softly, feel it circulating within you.  Then exhale slowly, letting go any toxins or places of darkness within.  A few minutes of this simple practice is like recharging your own solar batteries.  Solar energy is for our bodies, too.      As the Solstice nears, we feel the pull to more indoor activities, like reading, writing, art, cruising the internet, or meditating.  While it's an excellent time for these practices, combine them with lack of sufficient light stimulation and nearsightedness can result.  A simple exercise using sunshine can help.  Spend a couple minutes each day outside, facing the sun, with the eyelids closed.  Slowly move the head side to side, imagining that the eyes are being softly bathed with the light.  Then, open the eyes and gently gaze off at distant objects, allowing the eyes to come into focus.  This exercise is known to improve nearsightedness.  A yogic practice of candle-gazing, known as Trataka, softly focuses the gaze on a candle's flame to bring healing to the eyes as well as calm to the mind.   Also, you can chant a mantra for the eyes, or any condition, that specifically calls upon the healing light of the sun:   Om Arkaaya Namaha.     Take time to light some candles and let them remind you of your soul.  The inner light taps into our wisdom and the Divine Spirit that permeates the universe.  This is the season of inspiration -- breathe it in, and visualize the body as illumined.  Let the light be a torch that guides you through the dark times until you emerge, reborn and brilliant.  ©2007 by Constance L. Habash