During the past few months, many of us have experienced an incredible volume of emotions in such a relatively short amount of time. Not unlike the stages of grief, we’ve gone through a process of shock, anger, and depression, along with plenty of uncertainty and anxiety thrown in there for good measure.

But there comes a point in all situations where we have to decide if we’re going to dwell on the past (pre-COVID) or accept the situation that we’re in and move forward. In moments like this – when we have very little control or choice – radical acceptance can be a transformative skill to utilize.

Acceptance allows us to be autonomous, because when we accept that situations are out of our control, we allow ourselves to cope and we free ourselves from the pressures of trying to resolve situations we cannot change. Coming to terms with reality helps us move on from uncontrollable situations and take charge of our future actions. In doing so, our mood regulates, our bodies de-stress, and we feel uplifted.

Acceptance involves letting go of the desire to protest and force change. Meditation can help recognize feelings in the present, learn to appreciate the moment, view experiences more compassionately, and consciously allow things to be as they are.

It’s easy to fall into the winter blues when temperatures plummet and it’s dark and dreary outside. You might find that you start feeling lethargic, and it might become harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning.

These are all symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, a seasonal form of depression triggered by the lack of sunshine in the wintertime. The source of the problem comes from a disturbance in your body’s circadian rhythm that changes your body’s levels of serotonin and melatonin.

Yoga practice is a great way to combat SAD by tapping into the mind-body connection. It is an incredible tool to reset the nervous system and help release tension and stress by increasing your serotonin levels. If you have a case of the winter blues, this Fire It Up Flow might be just what the doctor ordered.

Reignite your power with this fiery, all-systems-activated Vinyasa yoga flow. This class gets moving rapidly to clear energy and stoke the internal fire. Expect strong abdominal work, plenty of chair poses, and some swift Vinyasa. It’s a perfect opportunity to fire your winter blues away and kick lethargy in the a$$!

Are your nervous about socializing again after the lock-downs have been lifted?

Over the last year and a half, our global community has become increasingly used to being in a state of lock-down. As a result, many people are naturally feeling nervous about socializing again, particularly in big groups or with strangers. For some people, this fear might even manifest as social anxiety.

It has become socially acceptable again to sit in the pub, do a group exercise class, and hug loved ones. But the easing of coronavirus rules isn't exciting for everyone – for those with social anxiety, life after lock-down is a scary prospect.

Social Anxiety Disorder is a fear of social situations, under which one worries about meeting strangers, how to act with groups of friends, and generally feeling self-conscious.

For this reason, Dina has designed a mindfulness and visualization practice to achieve a state of relaxation and to help decrease social anxiety, overcome shyness, and foster a greater sense of self-confidence.

Resilience can help us get through and overcome hardship. But resilience is not something we’re born with. It’s built over time as the experiences we have interact with our unique, individual genetic makeup. That’s why our individual responses to stress and adversity — like those from the COVID pandemic — can differ tremendously.

Hardships can be terrifying when you’re running away from them, and it can be so easy (almost natural) to feel ungrounded, fearful, or even paralyzed in the face of difficult emotions and life circumstances. But have you ever noticed that, the more you turn and face those fears, the more they lose their power? It’s like going on a camping trip and being terrified of the dark and the noises in the woods. The moment you shine a torch and look again, you realize there’s nothing to be afraid of.

The Mountain Meditation is a mindful visualization that is designed to cultivate stillness and calm, and to connect with our inner strength and stability in the face of internal and external challenges. It encourages us to seek inner stillness and peace in the face of everyday life and its challenges.

When it comes to meditation, mountains have a lot to teach. They have archetypal significance in all cultures: they are sacred places… they embody the contradictions of dread and harmony, harshness and majesty… they are the wombs of visions and revelations, where people have always sought spiritual guidance and renewal.

In this meditation practice, we borrow these wonderful archetypal qualities of mountains and use them to bolster our intentionality and resolve, to hold the moment with an elemental purity and simplicity. The mountain image, held in the mind's eye and in the body, can freshen up our memory of why we are sitting in the first place, and of what it truly means, each time we take our seat, to dwell in the realm of “pure being” and “non-doing.”