The Winter Solstice, Festival of Lights, and Yoga
December 21, 2025 will mark the start of the astronomical Winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the shortest day and longest night of the year, after which daylight hours gradually lengthen. This returning of light is a symbol of birth and renewal for many cultures over the centuries ( see my previous blog entries for details.) It is a time of deep stillness, introspection, and the triumph of light over darkness. Continue reading “The Winter Solstice, Festival of Lights, and Yoga”
The Three Gunas and the Summer of 2025
The three gunas (a Sanskrit word) in yoga philosophy are considered to be fundamental qualities or interlacing forces that shape our thoughts, actions, and experiences. They are primary energies that are present in all that we hear, smell, see, taste and touch. The three gunas shape the world. We try to balance them through our senses and interactions with Nature. Continue reading “The Three Gunas and the Summer of 2025”
Spiritual Practices for Bedtime
Almost everything works better if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you ~ Anne Lamont
I recently listened to a wonderful dharma talk at the Won Dharma Center by Rev. Jieun, entitled, “A New Day Begins At Night.” Rev. Jieun suggested ways to preserve the quiet, calm energy of evening as we prepare for a peaceful and restorative sleep. Continue reading “Spiritual Practices for Bedtime”
Happy New Year!
Wishes for a Happy New Year, from Peace Mountain Yoga
Winter Solstice Blessing 2024
“ The Winter Solstice is a time of ending and beginning, a powerful time – a time to contemplate your immortality. A time to forgive, to be forgiven and to make a fresh start. A time to awaken.”` ~Frederick Lenz
The Winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is when the Earth’s pole reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun. It is the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year when the sun is at its lowest maximum elevation in the sky. (wikipedia) Continue reading “Winter Solstice Blessing 2024”
A Talk on Chronic Pain and Ways to Manage it
On November 26th, I presented at the Hillsdale Safe at Home Committee’s monthly Coffee Hour. This is text of my talk:
Good morning. Thank you for the introduction. And thank you all for coming. As you know my name is Franny Alexander. I am an RN and Yoga teacher, certified to teach chair yoga, yin yoga, and “Let Your Yoga Dance.” I am also qualified to teach restorative yoga and yoga for arthritis.
I entitled my talk Drink, Sleep, Love – Ways to Mitigate, Soothe, Treat, and Ease Chronic Pain. As we all know, there aren’t any instant fixes and one size does not fit all . Continue reading “A Talk on Chronic Pain and Ways to Manage it”
MARCH MADNESS (The Un-Season)
Honestly, I never liked March. I call it the Un-Season. The trees are bare. Branches are scattered about, thanks to windy, chilly days. It even can snow in March, albeit the next day it warms up fast. Then carpets soil from yucky, muddy boots and whatever else the cat brings in. The TV plays reruns.
But wait. I look around. How many shades of grey and brown are there actually? There is beauty in the muted colors – even in the mud. There is more daylight and the promise of Spring is in the breeze.
So let me write this poem…
Happy Winter Solstice!
I love this time of year, and have written many pieces about the Solstice in this blog. For example, take a look at this post from 2022, HERE.
MENORAH CANDLES, MIRACLES, AND THE CHAKRAS
Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Miracles can happen. This is a very brief account of a miracle about religious freedom. It took place in the second century B.C.
A group of Jewish freedom fighters called the Maccabees rebelled against Antiochus, a Greco-Syrian monarch who ruled Israel and banned them from practicing their faith. After a long struggle, despite being vastly outnumbered, the Maccabee warriors were able to recapture the Holy Temple from their oppressors. The temple was in shambles after being torn apart during the conflict. The warriors found only enough oil to light a lantern for one night but miraculously the lantern burned for eight nights.
To celebrate this miracle, the Jews now light 8 candles on a menorah, or “lampstand,” to symbolize the above miracle. There is also a helper candle known as the shamash used to light the other candles. The celebration is known as Hanukkah, (Chanukah) or the Festival of Lights. It symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, resilience, freedom and unity for all.
Each candle of equal height might remind us that there is danger when “we lift one group over another and there is hope and beauty when we connect to one another as equals.”~Charlotte Albright Continue reading “MENORAH CANDLES, MIRACLES, AND THE CHAKRAS “