Ayurveda and Yoga use the language, philosophy and practice of moving Prana (life energy) in order to assess and bring health to the body, mind and Soul and each Season teaches us another lesson about how to use the shared energy/Prana around us.
Just as seasonal foods are the best nutritional way to balance our bodies (Early Winter's root vegetables to help nourish and ground), so Seasonal YogaVeda practices are the best way to balance body and mind via Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama and meditation.
In Early Winter, Nature shows us how the energetic patterns of the Yama and Niyama, Asteya and Samtosha, can be used to bring greater integrity and alignment in how we relate to ourselves and each other.
Asteya is the Yama, or call to action to stop taking what isn't ours, or, in other words, stealing the Prana around us in an attempt to gain more power/energy. This can be likened to a kind of energy vampire that we read so much about in modern psychological discussion.
Yama means 'a moral duty' and each Yama requires us to restrain a selfish tendency to direct the flow of Universal Prana for personal gain.
The flow of life/Prana is always balanced though, so as we release our gripping, clinging and grasping tendencies in Early Winter, we are invited to open further and watch to see what replaces it.
Niyama means 'law or rule' and Niyama is the law of how Prana moves when it is unrestricted. Therefore, a Niyama requires no action. It simply happens when the manipulation of energy ceases.
When we stop feeling the need to steal others Prana, the Niyama, Samtosha, has space to unfold. Samtosha means 'contentment'.
When we release the compulsion to steal other's energy, the energetic flow is redirected towards noticing that we have everything we need.
In November and December, if we falter in how to manage these energetic acrobatics in our own life, we have the natural instinct to huddle together and practice giving and receiving rituals such as Christmas, Hannakah and New Year's Celebrations, etc.
Each new season gifts us a Yama and Niyama, and Early Winter begs of us the questions:
What quality/ies is it that you feel you need from your interaction with others?
Can you give any examples of how you already show examples of this sought after quality?