“Nurturing Seasonal Harmony In Your Yoga Practice and Daily Life”

A Note Before We Begin

Before we dive into the themes of the fall season, I want to share something a little different.

This fall, I’ve woven a series of short mythic stories—one for each month—into our Seasonal Flow. These tales are inspired by yoga’s rich cultural and philosophical tapestry. They’re more than just fun or symbolic; they offer windows into deeper understanding, expanding how we connect to the poses, to each other, and to the world around us.

A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Kristalyn Shefveland, who recently joined The Yoga Space. Kristalyn is both a Yoga Teacher, History Professor, Assistant Dean and Director of Liberal Arts at the University of Southern Indiana, and her storytelling and passion for global history have sparked fresh inspiration in me. Her presence reminds us that every posture carries a lineage—and honoring that lineage brings our practice to life in powerful ways.

Enjoy these small but mighty tales—each one a doorway into devotion, power, surrender, and grace. May they enrich your Seasonal Flow journey as much as they’ve enriched mine.

Let’s move, breathe, and reflect—together.

“ I love stories. I come from a long line of artists and writers, and what drew me to the study of history was the narrative—not the rote memorization of dates and events, but the people and the lore behind what we choose to pass down through generations. Movement is a form of storytelling itself, and the yoga asanas are embodied with lessons we can take off the mat and into our daily lives. It’s not about being stuck in the past, but about honoring the pathways that lead us to the present—and safeguarding those lineages for the future. Like the harvest, we set aside some grain or seed so that we can plant again. We reap what we sow, so we hope to plant good seeds.”

— Kristalyn Shfeveland

FALL SEASONAL FLOW:

🍁 Harvest What You’ve Grown: Gather. Integrate. Prepare.

A 3-month soul-rooted journey of movement, breath, and becoming.

Each month builds on this cycle — from grounding to transformation to openness — in alignment with yogic philosophy, seasonal energetics, chakra wisdom, and ancient myth.

At The Yoga Space, we honor both movement and stillness, effort and ease — cultivating a practice that supports not just the body, but the mind, heart, and spirit.

As the seasons shift and the air begins to cool, we invite you to step into our Fall Seasonal Flow — a grounding practice designed to gather your energy, honor your growth, and prepare for the inward journey ahead.

This season calls for thoughtful integration, rooted presence, and quiet strength — a time to reflect, stabilize, and tend to what truly sustains you. Just as nature begins to release and return to the earth, our practice mirrors this rhythm: anchoring through the breath, building resilience through intentional movement, and creating space for clarity, warmth, and inner wisdom to emerge.

This is more than a transition — it’s an invitation to nurture your Sadhana, to align body, mind, and spirit with the richness of your own becoming. 🍂

🔥 SEPTEMBER — Digest & Transform: Acknowledge the effort and intention behind your growth

🛡️ Durga and the Buffalo Demon: Power with Purpose. Long ago, the gods were overwhelmed. A wild, shape-shifting demon named Mahishasura was wreaking havoc — no one could defeat him. He was too cunning, too powerful, too chaotic.

So the gods did something radical.
They combined their power, their wisdom, their strength —
And from this collective force, Durga was born.

Radiant and fierce, riding a lion with ten arms each holding divine weapons, Durga did not flinch.
She met Mahishasura in battle — not with rage, but with clarity and grace.
Even as he transformed into a lion, a man, a buffalo — she stayed centered.

At last, she struck the final blow.
Not just to destroy him — but to restore harmony.

Durga reminds us: true power doesn’t dominate.
It arises when we are whole — bold, compassionate, and unshaken by chaos.

Theme: Integrate, Refine, Transform
Chakras: Sacral (Svadhisthana) + Solar Plexus (Manipura)
Dosha Influence: Pitta lingers, Vata increases — transformation & imbalance possible
Ayurvedic Focus: Agni (digestive fire), core strength, clearing heat
Myth: Durga slaying Mahishasura — reclaiming personal power, facing chaos
Yogic Principle: Tapas (discipline) + Svadhyaya (self-study)

ASANA: Peak Pose: Revolved Triangle
Signature Transition: Pyramid → Revolved Triangle (digest + twist from experience)

🧘‍♀️ Postures:

Chair
Pyramid
Revolved Triangle
Revolved Crescent
Boat Pose
Camel (gentle)

✨ Mantra: “I transform my experience into embodied wisdom.”

🌀 Intentional Energy: Burn through what’s no longer aligned. Strengthen the core — physically and emotionally.

A deeper dive into 🔥 Tapas (तपस्) – A Niyama

Definition:
Tapas comes from the root word “tap,” meaning “to heat” or “to burn. ” It refers to self-discipline, inner fire, and the willingness to move through discomfort for the sake of growth.

Sutra II.43: "Kāyendriya-siddhir aśuddhi-kṣayāt tapasah"
“Through tapas, the body and senses are purified, and strength is gained.”

🌿 Deeper Meaning:
Tapas invites us to:
– Cultivate commitment and consistency in our practice
– Embrace challenge as a catalyst for transformation
– Burn away distractions, ego, and old habits
– Show up even when motivation fades

I would like to take sometime to discuss Discipline. Discipline sometimes has a negative energy about it.
In the yogic sense, Tapas is not about gritting your teeth or forcing yourself through pain to prove your worth. It’s about devotion to a path — the quiet, steady fire of showing up again and again, not because you must, but because something within you is drawn to deepen.

As Alan Watts once said, “When you’re learning to dance, you don’t begin with the notion that you must get it right. You begin with play — with curiosity. And slowly, with repetition and attention, it becomes something beautiful.”

True discipline is sacred. It’s focused, yes. But also open, alive, and infused with love. It is how we learn the art of living, one breath, one movement, one moment at a time Tapas is the sacred heat that transforms. Whether on the mat or in life, it’s about building resilience and clarity through steady, heartfelt effort.

“Yoga is the Art of Living”

📖 Svādhyāya (स्वाध्याय) – A Niyama

Definition:
Svādhyāya means “self-study” or “study of the self.”
“sva” = self, “adhyāya” = study or lesson

Sutra II.44: "Svādhyāyāt iṣṭa-devatā saṁprayogaḥ"
“From self-study arises connection with one’s chosen divine or higher Self.”

🌿 Deeper Meaning:
Svādhyāya invites us to:
– Reflect honestly on our thoughts, behaviors, and patterns
– Study sacred texts that awaken deeper truths
– Observe the mind with curiosity, not judgment
– Learn from life’s experiences with humility

Svādhyāya is — about tuning in. It’s a call to know ourselves intimately so we can live with greater clarity, authenticity, and alignment.

🌱 AUGUST — Root to Release: Gather what has grown (physically, emotionally, spiritually)

🌿 Sita’s Return to Earth: The Sacred Surrender. After facing countless trials and exile, Sita — the radiant queen of the Ramayana — stood before the world and her beloved Rama, asked once again to prove her purity.

But this time, she said nothing.
With grace and power, she turned to the Earth, her original mother, and whispered a prayer:
“If I have lived a life of truth and devotion, may the Earth receive me.”

And she did.
The ground opened, soft and fertile, and Sita returned to the soil — not in shame, but in sovereignty.

Her story is not one of escape, but of sacred surrender — a return to truth, to self, to the quiet power of knowing when to stop proving and start simply being.

In yoga, this is Ishvarapranidhana — trusting the divine timing, letting go of control, and allowing life to hold us when we’ve done all we can.

Theme: Ground, Stabilize, Gather
Chakra: Root Chakra (Muladhara)
Dosha Influence: Vata begins to rise — cooling, mobile, erratic
Ayurvedic Focus: Dinacharya (daily rhythm and self-care) Nourishment, rhythm, ritual
Myth: Sita’s Return to Earth — honoring surrender as sacred
Yogic Principle: Ishvarapranidhana– surrender to a higher power or devotion to the divine.

ASANA: Peak Pose: Goddess

🧘‍♀️ Postures:

Malasana
Warrior II
Goddess
Wide-Legged Forward Fold
Seated folds + grounding pranayama (Nadi Shodhana)

✨ Mantra: “I gather what grounds me and let the rest return to the Earth.”

🌀 Intentional Energy: Anchor the nervous system. Create supportive habits. Begin turning inward.

Here is a deeper dive into: Īshvarapraṇidhāna (ईश्वरप्रणिधान) a Niyama

Definition:

**Ishvarapranidhana means surrender to a higher power or devotion to the divine.**

"Īshvara" = the Divine, Higher Self, God, Universal Consciousness (non-denominational)
"Praṇidhāna" = surrender, dedication, devotion
Sutra II.45: “Samādhi siddhir īśvarapraṇidhānāt”
“Through surrender to God, one attains samadhi (absorption, enlightenment).”

🌿 Deeper Meaning:

Ishvarapranidhana invites us to:

Let go of ego-driven control
Surrender the fruits of our actions (karma yoga)
Trust in a wisdom greater than the individual self
Approach life with humility, reverence, and devotion

It doesn’t mean passivity or giving up. Rather, it's about doing your part—with full heart and effort—and then releasing attachment to the outcome, trusting in the larger flow of life.

🍂 A Personal Note to Close

As the leaves fall and the air turns inward, I’m reminded that this path — like the seasons — is never linear. I may be the one offering these stories and flows, but I’m learning right alongside you. Each class, each breath, each conversation at The Yoga Space teaches me something new about surrender, strength, and what it means to live fully awake in our bodies and hearts.

This season, as we gather what we've grown and begin to prepare for what’s next, I hope you know how much your presence matters. Whether you're stepping onto your mat for the first time or the hundredth, you're part of something sacred — a living, breathing community rooted in intention, reflection, and care.

Thank you for trusting this space with your practice.
Thank you for letting yoga meet you exactly where you are.
And thank you for allowing me to grow with you.

Ps: Join me for new moons, they offer a quiet space for honest self-assessment — a time to acknowledge where we are, what we truly need, and what seeds are ready to be nurtured with care and intention.

With gratitude and steady breath,
Noelle

Chakras are like energetic vortexes or spinning wheels within you, each one influencing a part of your physical, emotional, and spiritual life.When all the chakras are flowing and balanced together,it’s like tending a vibrant, flourishing garden inside yourself — every part supporting the whole.

🌱 This season, rather than focusing on just one energy center, we nourish the entire system:

When you care for the full garden of your energy — body, mind, spirit — you don't just grow, you thrive. 🌞🌻

💚 OCTOBER — Receive & Prepare: Reflect on what nourishes and what needs to be released

🐒 Hanuman’s Leap: Love That Moves Mountains (and Oceans). When Sita was taken far across the ocean to the island of Lanka, the world was in despair. How could anyone reach her?

Enter Hanuman — the devoted servant of Rama, and a monkey with a hidden superpower: His heart.

At first, even Hanuman didn’t believe he could make the leap.
But when he remembered why he was doing it — for love, for loyalty, for truth —
he grew. Literally.

With one deep breath and full faith, he leapt across the ocean.
Not because he knew he’d make it, but because he trusted love more than fear.

Hanuman didn’t need to be told he was powerful.
He needed to remember that his devotion was his power.

Theme: Open, Reflect, prepare the soil
Chakra: Heart (Anahata)
Dosha Influence: Peak Vata — air/ether excess, imbalance likely without grounding
Ayurvedic Focus: Warmth, lubrication, heartfulness, rest
Myth: Hanuman’s Leap — love-fueled courage and devotion
Yogic Principle: Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to the divine)
Peak Pose: Single Leg Crow

🧘‍♀️ Postures:

Tree
Dancer
Puppy Pose
Low Lunge with Heart Opener
Supported Fish
Supine Twist → Savasana

✨ Mantra: “I soften, I receive, I trust the unfolding.”

🌀 Intentional Energy: Open to grace. Allow the harvest to settle. Prepare — for the quiet power of winter to create the seeds of spring.

A deeper dive into Īshvarapraṇidhāna (ईश्वरप्रणिधान) – A Niyama

Definition:
Īshvarapraṇidhāna means surrender to the Divine or devotion to a higher power.
“Īshvara” = the Divine, Higher Self, God, or Universal Consciousness (non-denominational)
“Praṇidhāna” = surrender, dedication, or wholehearted offering

Sutra II.45: “Samādhi siddhir īśvarapraṇidhānāt”
“Through surrender to the Divine, one attains Samadhi (spiritual absorption or liberation).”

🌿 Deeper Meaning:
Īshvarapraṇidhāna asks us to release the illusion of full control and soften into trust. It invites us to:
– Surrender the outcomes of our actions with grace
– Move from ego-driven striving to heartfelt devotion
– Cultivate faith in the wisdom that lives beyond our limited understanding
– Offer our practice, our breath, and our lives as acts of reverence

This Niyama is about aligned participation. We show up with full presence and effort, then release our grip on results, trusting that there is a rhythm greater than our own carrying us forward.

🌑 October 21, 2025 — New Moon in Libra

🍁 Seasonal Theme: Receive & Prepare — Reflect, Open, Soften
Connection: This rare second Libra New Moon arrives as fall deepens, inviting a return to heart-centered devotion and receptive strength. As we explore Īshvarapraṇidhāna (surrender to the divine) through Hanuman’s mythic leap, we’re reminded that true courage is fueled by love — not force. This is a moment to soften the edges, trust the unfolding, and prepare for the quiet transformation of winter.
🌿 Set intentions around heartful surrender, emotional balance, and openness to grace.
Updated tagline: Soften into trust. Leap from love.

🌑 September 21, 2025 — New Moon in Libra

🍁 Seasonal Theme: Digest & Transform — Integrate, Refine, Transform
Connection: Libra’s energy invites us into balance — between effort and ease, fire and grace, discipline and devotion. As we work with Tapas and Svādhyāya, this lunation supports a sacred reset: to refine our path, release inner tension, and move forward with clarity and compassion.

🌿 Set intentions around peaceful transformation, conscious discipline, and inner harmony.

🕊️ Special Alignment: This New Moon arrives just before the Fall Equinox (Sept 22) and the International Day of Peace (Sept 21), making it a powerful time to pause, reflect, and realign.

✨ Join Us: Special Fall Equinox & Day of Peace Event
Sunday, September 21st at 9:30 AM
Fall Equinox Yoga + Restorative Flow with Rachel
Followed by Brunch + Mimosas at Spankey’s Una Pizza
Let’s move, breathe, and celebrate peace—together.

🌑 August 23, 2025 — New Moon in Virgo

Seasonal Theme: Root to Release — Ground, Stabilize, Gather
Connection: Virgo’s energy is all about order, clarity, and integration — the perfect match for the grounding focus of August. This is a time to honor your harvest, simplify, and establish rhythms that nourish your body and spirit.

The 8 Limbs of Yoga: A Path to Plant, Tend, Glow and Elevate

The 8 Limbs of Yoga, gifted by the sage Patanjali through the Yoga Sutras, are a timeless guide for living with more balance, awareness, and purpose — both on and off the mat.

Each limb offers a way to plant the seeds of right living, tend the body, mind, and heart, glow with radiant energy, and elevate into deeper connection with yourself and the world around you.

They are not rigid rules, but living practices:
🌱 To plant integrity, compassion, and mindfulness in your daily life.
🌿 To tend your strength, breath, and focus with devotion.
🌞 To glow with presence, joy, and inner freedom.
🌻 To elevate into the fullest, most vibrant version of yourself.

This Spring into Summer, we honor the 8 Limbs not just as ancient wisdom — but as daily invitations to move, breathe, grow, and shine brighter from the inside out.

Spring Seasonal Flow: Breath, Awareness & Meditation for Renewal 💚

1. Yama (Ethical Foundation): Aparigraha (Non-Grasping & Freedom from Attachment)

Spring into Summer reminds us that true growth requires trust — not control.
Aparigraha, the Yama of non-grasping, invites us to release clinging: to outcomes, expectations, timelines, or identities.

🌱 In Your Practice:

Plant your intentions and show up with steady effort — without demanding specific results.
Flow with presence rather than perfection. Modify poses not from weakness, but from honoring your truth.

🌸 In Your Life:

Tend your goals daily, but stay open to how they may evolve.
Let go of the need to prove or push. Trust that your light grows stronger through care, not force.

🌻 Seasonal Aparigraha Reminder:
The flower doesn't cling to its petals. It blooms freely, trusting the seasons. So can you.

2. Niyama (Personal Foundation): Santosha (Contentment & Joyful Presence)

Even as we work toward new growth and elevation, Santosha teaches us to find joy in the process — to celebrate what is already thriving within us.

🌞 In Your Practice:

Find satisfaction in the breath between poses, not just the peak posture.
Glow in your own presence, knowing each moment on the mat is complete in itself.

🌿 In Your Life:

Honor your small daily rituals as sacred acts of nourishment.
Measure success by your presence, your heart, and your effort — not by external milestones.

🌻 Seasonal Santosha Reminder:
Contentment doesn't mean stopping growth — it means loving yourself through every stage of it.

3. Asana (Physical Postures for Grounding, Expansion, and Radiance)

Our physical practice this season mirrors the natural rhythm:
Root ➔ Build ➔ Expand ➔ Glow

🌱 May (Plant):

Tree Pose (Vrksasana) — Deepen roots while reaching upward.
Low Lunge with Heart Opening (Anjaneyasana Variation)

🌿 June (Tend):

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) — Strong presence and steady vision.
Chair Pose (Utkatasana) — Fuel inner fire and resilience.
Crescent Lunge (Ashta Chandrasana) — Balance power with grace.

🌻 July (Glow + Elevate):

Half Moon (Ardha Chandrasana) — Radiate lightness and strength.
Wild Thing (Camatkarasana) — Expand the heart and energy outward.
Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana) — Celebrate grace, freedom, and lift.

✨ These postures remind us that true strength is grounded, true lightness is rooted, and true elevation is earned through steady, joyful tending.

4.Pranayama (Breathwork Practice): Dirgha Pranayama (Three-Part Breath Training)

As we move through the season of expansion and elevation, mastering your breath is essential. Dirgha Pranayama — the Three-Part Breath — trains your body and nervous system to support grounded growth, radiant energy, and calm resilience.

This style of breathing has been practiced in traditional yoga for centuries and is now widely supported by modern science for its benefits:

Strengthens respiratory muscles (especially the diaphragm)
Increases lung capacity and oxygen efficiency
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation response)
Enhances energy, mental clarity, and emotional regulation

🌿 Understanding the Diaphragm:Three-Part Breath

When we talk about breathing deeply, it’s not just about expanding the belly — it’s about engaging your diaphragm, the powerful dome-shaped muscle that lives beneath your lungs and heart.

✅ When you inhale deeply:

The diaphragm contracts and moves downward, flattening slightly.
This downward movement creates more space in the chest cavity.
As a result, the lungs can expand fully, drawing in more oxygen.
As the lungs fill, the belly naturally expands outward (because the organs are gently displaced by the descending diaphragm).

✅ When you exhale fully:

The diaphragm relaxes and moves upward, back into its dome shape.
This reduces space in the chest cavity and pushes air out of the lungs.
The belly gently softens and draws back toward the spine.

🌬️ Think of it this way:

Inhale = Diaphragm presses down, belly expands outward naturally.
Exhale = Diaphragm rises back up, belly softens inward naturally.
*In Yoga We Breathe in and out of the nose.*

🌱 How to Practice:

Find a Comfortable Seat:

Sit on a yoga block or bolster with a tall spine.
Place your hands gently on your knees.

Create Space:

Draw your elbows slightly back toward your waist to open the chest and free the diaphragm.

Three-Part Breath Focus:

First: Inhale deeply into the belly, by drawing the diaphragm down creating feeling the belly rise.
Second: Continue inhaling into the ribcage, widening the side body.
Third: Finish the inhale by filling the upper chest, feeling the collarbones lift slightly.
Exhale fully in reverse: chest → ribs → belly.

Tip: Imagine the breath flowing like a wave — low to high on the inhale, high to low on the exhale.

🌿 Breath Awareness Exercise:

Set a timer for 1 minute.
Breathe naturally using the Three-Part Breath technique.
Count each full inhale + exhale as one cycle.
Record how many full breaths you complete in one minute.

🌻 Practice Diaphragmatic Emphasis (Round 2):

Repeat, but focus on expanding the belly fully first — engaging deep diaphragm movement.
Merge the breath together fluidly from belly → ribs → chest.
Notice: does slowing the breath naturally happen?

🌞 Fluidity & Strength (Round 3):

Practice again for 1 minute, emphasizing smooth continuous expansion on the inhale and complete release on the exhale.
Allow each cycle to flow without force, savoring the fullness and depth.

🌿 Off the Mat:

Use this breath pattern during high-stress moments or transitions to return to your centered, radiant state.
Perfect before meetings, driving, or ending the day.

✨ Why Three-Part Breath for Spring into Summer?

Plant: Expand your capacity for fresh energy and intention (inhale fully).
Tend: Build respiratory strength and diaphragmatic control (steady practice).
Glow: Improve oxygenation and pranic energy flow (nourish your glow).
Elevate: Calm the mind, lift the heart, expand the spirit (rise naturally).

5. Pratyahara (Withdrawal of Senses): Rooting Presence in Energy, Not Overwhelm

Spring into Summer brings an explosion of light, warmth, and stimulation. Pratyahara invites us not to block out experience — but to selectively deepen our awareness, choosing where to place our energy and attention.

🌱 Presence Practices for Spring into Summer:

Mindful Energy Walking: Stroll outside slowly. Instead of absorbing everything, focus on one sensation at a time — the warmth of the sun, the sound of leaves, the rhythm of your breath.
Tend to Your Inner Garden: Sit outside and journal: What energy am I choosing to nourish today?
Feel the Breath of the Season: Pause during your day to simply notice how the air moves across your skin, filling your lungs and fueling your glow.

🌻 Seasonal Pratyahara Insight:
When the world gets louder, you root deeper.
Your energy is sacred. Tend it wisely.

6. Dharana (Concentration): Visualizing Radiant Growth

Spring into Summer invites steady, joyful expansion. Dharana — one-pointed concentration — strengthens by focusing the mind on your inner blooming, not outside chaos.

🌸 Visualization Practice:

Sit tall, close your eyes, and visualize a vibrant garden within you.
Imagine one small seed you've planted — maybe an intention, a dream, a mindset shift.
With each inhale, see it growing stronger: roots deepening, stem rising, leaves unfurling.
With each exhale, visualize energy feeding its strength — no rushing, no forcing, only steady tending.

🌻 Seasonal Dharana Reminder:
You don't need to control the bloom.
You just need to feed the light within.

7. Dhyana (Meditation): Solar Heart Meditation

As the sun reaches its peak during early summer, Dhyana — meditation — becomes a practice of stillness in motion: opening, receiving, and radiating without effort.

💚 Solar Heart Meditation:

Sit comfortably, connect to your breath, and bring awareness to your heart center (Anahata Chakra).
Visualize a glowing golden-green light at your heart — like sunlight filtered through lush leaves.
With each inhale, the light grows richer, expanding through your chest, shoulders, and arms.
With each exhale, feel tension dissolve and gratitude rise.
Repeat mentally:
"I tend my light with love. I glow with trust."

🌞 Seasonal Meditation Insight:
Your breath is your sunlight.
Your heart is your summer garden.

8. Samadhi (Union): Harmonizing with the Elements of Light and Air

Summer embodies expansion, lightness, and joy — qualities of the air and fire elements. Samadhi, union with all, is felt when we live not against the rhythms of nature, but inside them.

💨 Practices to Deepen Elemental Connection:

Open Movement: Practice expansive poses like Half Moon, Dancer’s Pose, or Wild Thing outdoors when possible — feel yourself moving with, not against, the air.
Breath Rituals: Begin or end your day with Three-Part Breath (Dirgha Pranayama), honoring air as the bridge between body and spirit.
Sunlight Gratitude: Spend mindful time in the early morning or late afternoon sun, receiving its life-giving energy without rushing or distraction.

🌻 Seasonal Samadhi Reflection:
You are not separate from nature’s rise.
You are blooming with it — one breath, one step, one glow at a time.

✨ Final Invitation:

This Spring into Summer, let your practice evolve naturally:
🌱 Plant with presence.
🌿 Tend with strength.
🌞 Glow with gratitude.
🌻 Elevate with trust.

Your light is rising.
Nurture it fiercely, tend it lovingly — and watch yourself soar. 🌿🌞✨

“Nurturing Seasonal Harmony In Your Yoga Practice and Daily Life”

A Note Before We Begin

FALL SEASONAL FLOW:

🍁 Harvest What You’ve Grown: Gather. Integrate. Prepare.

At The Yoga Space, we honor both movement and stillness, effort and ease — cultivating a practice that supports not just the body, but the mind, heart, and spirit.

🔥 SEPTEMBER — Digest & Transform: Acknowledge the effort and intention behind your growth

🛡️ Durga and the Buffalo Demon: Power with Purpose. Long ago, the gods were overwhelmed. A wild, shape-shifting demon named Mahishasura was wreaking havoc — no one could defeat him. He was too cunning, too powerful, too chaotic.

Durga reminds us: true power doesn’t dominate.It arises when we are whole — bold, compassionate, and unshaken by chaos.

🧘‍♀️ Postures:

Chair

Pyramid

Revolved Triangle

Revolved Crescent

Boat Pose

Camel (gentle)

✨ Mantra: “I transform my experience into embodied wisdom.”

🌀 Intentional Energy: Burn through what’s no longer aligned. Strengthen the core — physically and emotionally.

Definition:Tapas comes from the root word “tap,” meaning “to heat” or “to burn. ” It refers to self-discipline, inner fire, and the willingness to move through discomfort for the sake of growth.

Sutra II.43: "Kāyendriya-siddhir aśuddhi-kṣayāt tapasah"“Through tapas, the body and senses are purified, and strength is gained.”

🌿 Deeper Meaning:Tapas invites us to:– Cultivate commitment and consistency in our practice– Embrace challenge as a catalyst for transformation– Burn away distractions, ego, and old habits– Show up even when motivation fades

As Alan Watts once said, “When you’re learning to dance, you don’t begin with the notion that you must get it right. You begin with play — with curiosity. And slowly, with repetition and attention, it becomes something beautiful.”

“Yoga is the Art of Living”

Definition:Svādhyāya means “self-study” or “study of the self.”“sva” = self, “adhyāya” = study or lesson

Sutra II.44: "Svādhyāyāt iṣṭa-devatā saṁprayogaḥ"“From self-study arises connection with one’s chosen divine or higher Self.”

🌿 Deeper Meaning:Svādhyāya invites us to:– Reflect honestly on our thoughts, behaviors, and patterns– Study sacred texts that awaken deeper truths– Observe the mind with curiosity, not judgment– Learn from life’s experiences with humility

Svādhyāya is — about tuning in. It’s a call to know ourselves intimately so we can live with greater clarity, authenticity, and alignment.

🌱 AUGUST — Root to Release: Gather what has grown (physically, emotionally, spiritually)

🌿 Sita’s Return to Earth: The Sacred Surrender. After facing countless trials and exile, Sita — the radiant queen of the Ramayana — stood before the world and her beloved Rama, asked once again to prove her purity.

Her story is not one of escape, but of sacred surrender — a return to truth, to self, to the quiet power of knowing when to stop proving and start simply being.

In yoga, this is Ishvarapranidhana — trusting the divine timing, letting go of control, and allowing life to hold us when we’ve done all we can.

ASANA: Peak Pose: Goddess

🧘‍♀️ Postures:

Malasana

Warrior II

Goddess

Wide-Legged Forward Fold

Seated folds + grounding pranayama (Nadi Shodhana)

✨ Mantra: “I gather what grounds me and let the rest return to the Earth.”

🌀 Intentional Energy: Anchor the nervous system. Create supportive habits. Begin turning inward.

Definition:

Ishvarapranidhana means surrender to a higher power or devotion to the divine.

"Īshvara" = the Divine, Higher Self, God, Universal Consciousness (non-denominational)

"Praṇidhāna" = surrender, dedication, devotion

Sutra II.45: “Samādhi siddhir īśvarapraṇidhānāt”“Through surrender to God, one attains samadhi (absorption, enlightenment).”

Ishvarapranidhana invites us to:

Let go of ego-driven control

Surrender the fruits of our actions (karma yoga)

Trust in a wisdom greater than the individual self

Approach life with humility, reverence, and devotion

It doesn’t mean passivity or giving up. Rather, it's about doing your part—with full heart and effort—and then releasing attachment to the outcome, trusting in the larger flow of life.

🍂 A Personal Note to Close

Thank you for trusting this space with your practice.Thank you for letting yoga meet you exactly where you are.And thank you for allowing me to grow with you.

Ps: Join me for new moons, they offer a quiet space for honest self-assessment — a time to acknowledge where we are, what we truly need, and what seeds are ready to be nurtured with care and intention.

With gratitude and steady breath,Noelle

🌱 This season, rather than focusing on just one energy center, we nourish the entire system:

When you care for the full garden of your energy — body, mind, spirit — you don't just grow, you thrive. 🌞🌻

💚 OCTOBER — Receive & Prepare: Reflect on what nourishes and what needs to be released

🐒 Hanuman’s Leap: Love That Moves Mountains (and Oceans). When Sita was taken far across the ocean to the island of Lanka, the world was in despair. How could anyone reach her?

🧘‍♀️ Postures:

Tree

Dancer

Puppy Pose

Low Lunge with Heart Opener

Supported Fish

Supine Twist → Savasana

✨ Mantra: “I soften, I receive, I trust the unfolding.”

🌀 Intentional Energy: Open to grace. Allow the harvest to settle. Prepare — for the quiet power of winter to create the seeds of spring.

Definition:Īshvarapraṇidhāna means surrender to the Divine or devotion to a higher power.“Īshvara” = the Divine, Higher Self, God, or Universal Consciousness (non-denominational)“Praṇidhāna” = surrender, dedication, or wholehearted offering

Sutra II.45: “Samādhi siddhir īśvarapraṇidhānāt”“Through surrender to the Divine, one attains Samadhi (spiritual absorption or liberation).”

This Niyama is about aligned participation. We show up with full presence and effort, then release our grip on results, trusting that there is a rhythm greater than our own carrying us forward.

🌿 Set intentions around peaceful transformation, conscious discipline, and inner harmony.

🕊️ Special Alignment: This New Moon arrives just before the Fall Equinox (Sept 22) and the International Day of Peace (Sept 21), making it a powerful time to pause, reflect, and realign.

✨ Join Us: Special Fall Equinox & Day of Peace EventSunday, September 21st at 9:30 AMFall Equinox Yoga + Restorative Flow with Rachel Followed by Brunch + Mimosas at Spankey’s Una PizzaLet’s move, breathe, and celebrate peace—together.

Seasonal Theme: Root to Release — Ground, Stabilize, GatherConnection: Virgo’s energy is all about order, clarity, and integration — the perfect match for the grounding focus of August. This is a time to honor your harvest, simplify, and establish rhythms that nourish your body and spirit.

The 8 Limbs of Yoga: A Path to Plant, Tend, Glow and Elevate

The 8 Limbs of Yoga, gifted by the sage Patanjali through the Yoga Sutras, are a timeless guide for living with more balance, awareness, and purpose — both on and off the mat.

Spring Seasonal Flow: Breath, Awareness & Meditation for Renewal 💚

1. Yama (Ethical Foundation): Aparigraha (Non-Grasping & Freedom from Attachment)

2. Niyama (Personal Foundation): Santosha (Contentment & Joyful Presence)

Even as we work toward new growth and elevation, Santosha teaches us to find joy in the process — to celebrate what is already thriving within us.

Durga reminds us: true power doesn’t dominate.
It arises when we are whole — bold, compassionate, and unshaken by chaos.

Definition:
Tapas comes from the root word “tap,” meaning “to heat” or “to burn. ” It refers to self-discipline, inner fire, and the willingness to move through discomfort for the sake of growth.

Sutra II.43: "Kāyendriya-siddhir aśuddhi-kṣayāt tapasah"
“Through tapas, the body and senses are purified, and strength is gained.”

🌿 Deeper Meaning:
Tapas invites us to:
– Cultivate commitment and consistency in our practice
– Embrace challenge as a catalyst for transformation
– Burn away distractions, ego, and old habits
– Show up even when motivation fades

Definition:
Svādhyāya means “self-study” or “study of the self.”
“sva” = self, “adhyāya” = study or lesson

Sutra II.44: "Svādhyāyāt iṣṭa-devatā saṁprayogaḥ"
“From self-study arises connection with one’s chosen divine or higher Self.”

🌿 Deeper Meaning:
Svādhyāya invites us to:
– Reflect honestly on our thoughts, behaviors, and patterns
– Study sacred texts that awaken deeper truths
– Observe the mind with curiosity, not judgment
– Learn from life’s experiences with humility

**Ishvarapranidhana means surrender to a higher power or devotion to the divine.**

Sutra II.45: “Samādhi siddhir īśvarapraṇidhānāt”
“Through surrender to God, one attains samadhi (absorption, enlightenment).”

Thank you for trusting this space with your practice.
Thank you for letting yoga meet you exactly where you are.
And thank you for allowing me to grow with you.

With gratitude and steady breath,
Noelle

Definition:
Īshvarapraṇidhāna means surrender to the Divine or devotion to a higher power.
“Īshvara” = the Divine, Higher Self, God, or Universal Consciousness (non-denominational)
“Praṇidhāna” = surrender, dedication, or wholehearted offering

Sutra II.45: “Samādhi siddhir īśvarapraṇidhānāt”
“Through surrender to the Divine, one attains Samadhi (spiritual absorption or liberation).”

✨ Join Us: Special Fall Equinox & Day of Peace Event
Sunday, September 21st at 9:30 AM
Fall Equinox Yoga + Restorative Flow with Rachel
Followed by Brunch + Mimosas at Spankey’s Una Pizza
Let’s move, breathe, and celebrate peace—together.

Seasonal Theme: Root to Release — Ground, Stabilize, Gather
Connection: Virgo’s energy is all about order, clarity, and integration — the perfect match for the grounding focus of August. This is a time to honor your harvest, simplify, and establish rhythms that nourish your body and spirit.