light + dark exist side by side in everything and everyone. we witness this interplay acutely, living here in the UK during the winter months, when our light seems to fade just after the lunch break. darkness reigns as nature's energies retreat... hence the necessity for streets filled with dazzling fairylights. we artificially create the buzz.
yet there is this beautiful balancing act between opposites during our seasonal shifts - light and dark, yin and yang, joy and sorrow - that we would benefit from being more attentive to. as humans we can be addictively drawn to light, and less fussed about exploring (or even admitting to possessing) darkness. it's a resistance that results in not really understanding or accepting ourselves as three-dimensional beings, capable of holding so called 'happy', 'sad', 'good' and 'bad' within us. yin yoga is the practice of discovering these hidden depths without judgment, shining light in the shadows and unearthing bits and pieces that we've buried in the tissues of the body. below is a movement into B U T T E R F L Y - a yin pose which if you have five minutes today you might nestle into. a hip opener, a lower back release, and an allover soothing shape to spend some breaths... to observe any feelings that arise as you feel the safety net of the floor beneath you.
make a diamond formation with the legs, propping under the knees/sit bones/on top of the feet (ready for the head) if it feels right, and simply let gravity ease you forwards. ground down and blink the light back in when you're good and ready.