Late Summer Musings

Cultivating Union with the Divine Mother

Mother of the World by Nicholas Roerich

Practice Yoga with Julia - Classes Start This Week!

Mondays September 1:30pm - 3pm - Union Church
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Monday Meditation on Zoom 7:45 - 8:15pm;
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Shiva Shakti Studio Classes on Tuesdays at 7pm and Thursdays 10am
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Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs Course - Starts 27th September - six places left suitable for all - no previous experience of yoga needed
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Dear Yoga Practitioner,

How was your summer? I hope you made time to rest, to connect with your loved ones and to fully immerse yourself in the sensual beauty of the Life around you. Since the lockdowns curtailed my foreign travel, I’ve realised that I don’t need to go on an expensive holiday to find the deep peace and spaciousness that my soul craves…

We’re bombarded with the doom of species loss, water pollution, dwindling ancient forests and rapidly expanding urban sprawl. Yet there are still places in the UK where the healing herbs grow abundantly, where the air is fresh and the sea is clean. The more we connect and explore the land where we reside, the more likely we’ll be to defend our wild spaces. When we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves fully within the living, vibrant, thriving wisdom of Nature, she reveals her magic, her innate, creative intelligence.

Getting to know our country’s terrain, and the communities of our more-than-human, neighbours can inspire and nourish us at a deep level. This practice of honouring nature fosters a kinder, gentler approach, whereby we learn to walk more gently upon the Earth. As we learn to do this, we learn to be more tender and kind to ourselves and others. This care is expressed in the ethical principle of ahimsa, When translated from the incredibly nuanced and expressive language of Sanskrit into English ahimsa means non-harming, yet ahimsa means much more than that.

In the Lakota tradition, the simple prayer “Mitakuye Oyasin” means “For All Our Relations” or “We are All Related”. This means all humans, all beings, all plants; all bodies of water; the soils, rocks, mountains and sand; the planets, sun, moon, stars; every nature spirit. In yogic terms, this is a mantra praising the Divine Mother, honouring the precious, creative, nourishing Life around us. In repeating this phrase we are praying for health, happiness and peace for everyone and everything on Earth, including ourselves. This is ahimsa in action.

In this way, we are guided to take better care of our world, whether that means remembering to water our houseplants, tend to our gardens or feed the birds that visit our balcony. As we become more attuned to what is needed, we develop humility and sensitivity and we become more open to grace. We care for ourselves, our loved ones and our spaces with more love and attention.

I’m noticing how when I connect with the wild beings that reside within a place I feel much more held, steady and calm. My partner Alistair and I have visited England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales over the summer months. Some of the journeys were fleeting and city-based and other trips provided time for deep nature immersion.

The difference in connection to the land had a profound impact. The less time I spent outside, the more I found myself distracted by my phone, coffee, alcohol and food. These cravings, and the nervous energy that comes with them, fell away during the times that it was possible to truly rest in the lap of Mother Earth.

Being on the earth is the ultimate nourishment. We are born to be soaking in the rays of the sun; drenched in the rain; cooled and tickled by morning dewdrops; bathed in the salty sea… These inexpensive blessings are our birthright. They are also our saviour, as we grapple with living in a technological, modern culture which appears to have lost its way…

When we humans have the opportunity to sit together chanting, listening, and singing together we viscerally experience our Oneness. Being in a circle creates the conditions for more trust, kindness and sensitivity. We gently reattune to the cosmos, earth and each other. We remember that We are Nature.

Over the summer, I spent around a week at the Medicine Festival as Alistair was in the healing village running sound healing sessions. Here is a beautiful offering from Chantress Seba, a remarkable couple who hold sacred sound circles, re-enchanting people with their loving, peaceful energy and indescribably ethereal vibrations. I was so blessed to hear them play, as we sat together around the fire at Medicine. Humans doing human things… huddled up in blankets, snuggling with new friends and old, bathing in the sounds of bliss and Oneness, resting in the peace of togetherness.

Yoga is a practice developed over millennia to foster inner peace and the realisation of Oneness. It’s a simple way to bring the natural and the sacred into your everyday life. The practice of immersing ourselves in the experience of breathing, moving and sounding has the effect of slowly uncovering our Divine Essence, our true self - the Atman. Realising this sacred part of our being, enables us to see the Divine Essence in everything and everyone, “All Our Relations.”

Whether you’re a regular returning after summer, or if it’s been years since you’ve come to class, I’d love to welcome you back to yoga. For those of you who can’t make an in-person class, you might like to join the Monday Zoom Meditation, it’s free. You can sign up here.

Monday Night Meditation - Recording

For a little taste of what these meditations are like… here is a recording. Find a quiet space, settle in a chair, press the orange play button below and enjoy.

I’ll resume posting the meditation recordings here on Substack for those of you who can’t make the Zoom call. If you’d like to support my work, please remember to share this Substack on social media.

With love and good wishes,

Julia