Hello, friends,

This past month or so in my Sunday evening Candlelight Restorative classes, we’ve been exploring the idea of grounding.

Of course, Restorative yoga itself is inherently grounding – inviting the nervous system toward parasympathetic (settling, steadiness, and rest). Alongside that, we’ve also been exploring what it means to embody “earth energy”: to feel connected not only to the physical foundation beneath us, but also to a deeper sense of being anchored within.

We’ve been working with grounding mudras and imagery, autogenic training, and the experience of heaviness and rooting through the body within Restorative postures.

This stems largely from understanding how important grounding can be during seasonal transitions – especially here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Winter and even early spring tend to carry a naturally introverted energy here. More time indoors. Life moves a little more quietly and slowly.

But then spring-into-summer starts teasing us with this gorgeous weather, and suddenly everything opens outward. ALL THE THINGS start happening.

Daylight e-x-t-e-n-d-s. The festivals begin (eg. Folklife this Memorial Day weekend). Gardens wake up and need tending. Hiking, camping, and road trips call to us. Graduation and wedding invitations start arriving. More of us get out on or near the water. We walk more. Perhaps we socialize more. We might stay out or go to bed later. There’s a collective shift toward movement, doing, adventure, and extroversion. Like I said, ALL THE THINGS.

And while it’s beautiful, fun, and often deeply nourishing – I’ve also noticed that this transition period into summer can feel surprisingly tiring.

There’s an energetic expansion that happens. Even when we’re excited for it, it still asks something more of us as we ramp up our energy along with the daylight.

Which is why maintaining our center, staying grounded, and continuing to make space for rest can be such important practices for energy management during the summer months.

I’ve noticed my Sunday evening classes have been consistently full lately, which is telling. And I also know that soon, summer schedules will take over and attendance will naturally ebb – as many of us begin following the call of longer days, sunshine, and fresh air. (Including me!)

A few things coming up that I want to highlight:

Sunday, June 21 – Michele and I will once again be offering our annual Summer Solstice Restorative Yoga + Healing Touch event at Datza. At the moment, the event is already full (wow!). However, since it’s still about a month away as I write this, I’d encourage anyone interested to join the waitlist by contacting the studio directly. There may be some cancellations this far out, and spots do occasionally open up. (Please note that I will not be teaching my regular Sunday evening Candlelight Restorative class that night since the event will be taking place instead.)
And, I’ll again be taking a temporary hiatus in July and August from my Sunday evening Candlelight Restorative class so I can spend more time outdoors – camping, hiking, traveling, dancing, resting, and soaking up this beautiful PNW season. (Last class will be June 28, and we’ll resume again September 13.)
During my hiatus, remember that you all have access to my extensive on-demand library. Simply apply the promo code: NICOLE to get a free 7-day rental.

I hope wherever this spring-into-summer takes you, you’ll also find moments to stay connected to your center amidst all the movement and activity.

And I hope to see many of you before my summer pause begins.

With sunshine and gratitude,
Nicole

PS. Because I like to give credit where credit is due: “ALL THE THINGS” is originally from this famous cartoon from Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. Which still makes me laugh to this day!

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Staying Grounded

Nicole Bratt Yoga