Bluesanuary - How to support yourself through January Blues
Meet in Silent Truth
Dear Ones,
If you feel the January Blues, you are not alone and this newsletter is for you. In it, you will find
Reflections on what triggers it and how you can support yourself through it
January offerings to join the community and tend to yourself - bring a friend and receive 50% off for both
1:1 therapeutic and spiritual support if you feel stuck + refer a friend and & receive a full session for free
Something to look forward to - 10% off Early Bird spots for the Spring Equinox Retreat in Portugal are open until Jan 20. Join us for a beautiful journey of yoga, self-inquiry, music, medicine and return to your nature.
Bluesanuary: When December Went Too Far
In my late 20s, I lived in sync with the Londonder calendar. December was filled with work Christmas parties (and the resulting copious amounts of food and alcohol), uncomfortably early flights back home straight from the nightclub, lots of intense family attention that deserved a holiday in its own right, quick return for the New Year dance floors, presents, junk lights and whatever else the city provided that time of the year.
January used to feel like that point when the afterparty had lasted a little too long and merged into a hangover. I suspect I wasn’t the only one. There is such a thing called January Blues - a form of seasonal affective disorder they say and you don’t need to be a party lover to feel it.
If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you may know that I don’t like the clinical “disorder” labels very much. They seem to imply that when we feel down, we are out of order; when we feel bubbly, we consume happily and work hard, we are somehow in perfect order. It isn’t true. January Blues is here for a reason.
Arrifana Beach in January, Portugal
How can we resource ourselves ahead of January Blues?
it’s simple - start slowing down earlier. I discovered that much of my low mood in January was the side effect of living completely disconnected from myself and (my) Nature in December. While all of Nature (and we are integral part of it) withdraws and goes to “sleep” in energy preservation and introspection, our Western society is in full on year-end goal chasing, celebration and consumption madness.
Even if you are not as much of a party lover as I was, December still calls your attention outwardly - a lot. No wonder, the January withdrawal from the December “party” is inevitable and harsh - a delayed forceful slowdown after we ignored the call for it earlier on.
The more we begin to listen to our own bodies and psyches, giving them what they are asking for without agenda and societal expectations, the more we begin to flow with the cycles of nature, rather than battle against them.
Simple tips when the January emptiness is here
If you missed the opportunity to listen to yourself in December, it is never too late to begin now. It’s equally simple. The thing is…January IS empty. There is an empty and quiet quality to it in nature. It is an invitation to hibernate and cocoon, to make space in our days and our minds.
We can fight the emptiness or we can embrace it fully - in one case, it is empty and dreadful, in the other case, it is empty and peaceful. So up to us really.
At first, the mind corrupts this into boredom, despair, impatience. But it is possible to stay for just a little longer and increase your capacity to be empty. I’ve discovered that this capacity beholds tremendous gifts - this is where we truly meet ourselves, heal and empower ourselves. The rest is all the ways in which we avoid that.
Here are some simple suggestions to support you - take what feels good, discard all the rest.
Be quiet: start the day in silence to increase your capacity to simply be - set aside 5-10 mins in the morning if that’s all you have. If you are an experienced meditator or yogi, it is beautiful to let go of all your practices and sit without any tool or agenda.
Meditate: if you find that your mind is rushing too much with the previous suggestion, it is quite normal - you can support it with a meditative anchor. Watch your breath, connect with the sensations in your body or use a guided mindfulness meditation. There is a range of free guided meditations on my Insight Timer profile, but this one in particular is designed to help you discover your capacity to be empty.
Move: if following a guided practice proves challenging too, get into your body and do some mindful movement. Gentle stretches, a short yoga sequence, qi qong, a dance, whatever serves you & feels freeing and grounding for you.
Breathe consciously: pranayama is another tool that can help you quieten the mind. Here is a simple and accessible one: inhale for 4, hold the breath for 4, exhale for 4, hold the breath out for 4.
Tend to yourself: finish the morning practice of your choice with some self-reflection questions: What do I really need right now? What are some resourceful and creative ways to give myself what I need?
Keep a “too much” journal: keep track of all the ways in which you tend to put too much on your plate. Notice if there is a particular pattern that emerges and become curious about its positive intention. Usually, it is an old way of avoiding some discomfort we don’t want to feel. See if you can pull back gently from this pattern and nurture your capacity to feel what’s avoided.
Empty is the new full: throughout the day, create opportunities for emptiness. Here is a short and sweet 3-min meditation that you can do while commuting, standing, sitting on the toilet. If that’s too much for you, 5 conscious breaths letting everything go for a moment are good enough. This will create some space between you and what you are experiencing and allow you to respond rather than react. It will improve your focus and help you integrate pauses into your daily life.
Connect with others from this place of emptiness: the more we are at peace with the emptiness within us, the more we let go of the need to fill it up when we meet it in others. Instead of giving advice, relating to what has just be said or making it about us, we can learn to be quiet and listen. Then we can truly hear what’s there in the words and between them. To me, that’s selfless listening and love.
With time, you may discover that this emptiness is sacred. It is not to be filled with anything. It is your home, your solid ground, your resting place. The more you bear your empty cup, the more it can be filled with something else - fresh and unexpected. That much I can promise and I don’t want to shape it too much - it is for you to discover.
Monthly Pack for all January online classes is starting tomorrow. Join us on the mat, create a mindful habit, move, be still, be quiet. Fall in love with Emptiness.
January at MiST - Support a friend & Receive a gift
Monthly Pack
Join all online yoga classes and sharing circles for £40. Bring a friend to join the monthly pack and enjoy a 50% discount for both.
Weekly Schedule
Sun: MindRest - every Sunday at 5pm UK: 1h30 of yoga, inquiry and yoga nidra for the body, mind and soul. In January, we will be exploring “Emptiness is full”. Contribution: £12 or included in the Monthly pack.
Tue: Soulful Flow - every Tuesday, 6pm UK: 1h of soulful vinyasa to stretch the body after work. Contribution £7 or included in the Monthly pack
Wed: Space of Grace - sharing mixed men & women circle every second Wednesday at 8pm UK; suggested donations: £0 -10 or included in the Monthly pack.
Spring Equinox Retreat: Let the Heart Lead - 10% Early Bird until Jan 20
The Yoga of Fulfilment, Mar 20 - 27th, Monchique, Portugal
10% Early Bird is open now and until Jan 20
Have you been longing for a more aligned, purposeful and heart-centred life?
Do you want to find clarity about what that would look like in practice?
Do you want to ignite the fire to step out of your comfort zone?
This retreat is for you. Don’t postpone, dear One. Your life is sacred. Nourish yourself after the long winter, reconnect with you body & soul, immerse yourself in a journey that helps you discover what your life is about, deeper than merely surviving. Join us for a much-more-than-yoga retreat in the most magical setting.
Struggling to sleep? Resting Place on Insight Timer
Join me every Monday at 8pm UK for a free (optional donations-based) yoga nidra on the Insight Timer app. Yoga Nidra is the simplest, yet most profound practice of yoga - it is a practice of total rest and a form of conscious sleep with profound benefits for your nervous system. It increases your ability to unwind and fall sleep, supports you through stressful times, increases clarity, creativity and self-awareness. I would love to meet you there.
1:1 MiST Sessions - Meet in Silent Truth
Refer a friend in January a receive a session for free!
These sessions are a mix of self-inquiry and trauma-informed therapeutic skills, but most importantly, they are rooted in silent loving Presence. This simply (but powerfully) means meeting you with a quiet mind and an open heart - being a mirror without agenda, without opinion, without judgement. I have found time and time again that this truthful open meeting has a deeply healing effect and leaves space for you to see your own beautiful reflection. It is the greatest gift I ever received and I am so honoured to extend the invitation to you.
Upcoming Events
With Love and Gratitude,
Iri