As we get ready to enjoy (endure?) yet another heatwave, it’s a perfect time to realign with the celebrations of our near-ancestors.
Around this time of year, they would gather in the first grain yield from the fields, baking ceremonial bread and getting geared up for the busy months of harvesting ahead.
Most of us don’t have a field of corn or wheat to attend to, so maybe we can use the festival of Lammas (celebrated around the 1st August) to pause and take stock in a more holistic way.
These old agricultural festivals come around every six weeks or so, creating perfect moments for reflection and resetting our course through the year.
Add in a heatwave and you have all the excuse you need to step out of your normal, everyday life and be still for a while. Personally, I don’t function at all well in these intense temperatures, so I enjoy hiding in the shade, musing and journalling and making plans for when I have more energy again.
This is a time to relish the good memories from your year so far; reflect on the challenges and what you’ve learnt from them; be thankful for your life in all its complexity; and realign yourself to what really matters, putting your effort into things that will make a difference and yield a bountiful final harvest come the autumn.
Yoga in a summer of heatwaves
Movement is so important, we all know this, and even when we’re weary from the heat our bodies still welcome some time on the yoga mat. We need to adjust our practice and keep it relevant to how we feel. Slower, maybe, and definitely more spacious.
I’ve taught during at least two of the heatwaves and mini-siestas have been a key element each time. Move and then be still….really rest….then move again….and rest again. Along with the tried-and-trusted Sitali cooling breath, we were able to enjoy our movement and even do a few gentle sun salutations.
The classes are open to all and continue throughout August, meeting every Tuesday morning online.
Lammas through to the Autumn Equinox (on 23rd September this year) is a period of ripening.
Metaphorically, we sit back and watch the fruit of our labours swell in the late summer sunshine. The days are warm, the evening light is mellow and the breeze oftens carries a hint of autumn coolness as the sun sets a little earlier each night. We can feel the change in the air and this is the signal our ancestors waited for, knowing exactly when to begin the harvest and then have a big communal party to celebrate!
Barbeques in the garden and picnics on the beach are our eqivalent, I think. We have a compulsion to squeeze out every last drop of summer, even after the devastating heat of this particular summer, knowing that autumn is coming round the corner.
I love marking the festival of Lammas because the turning of the year is inevitable and I want to make the most of the summer that is still here to be enjoyed. At the very least, I’ll raise a glass to the spirit of the season and with gratitude for my own personal harvest. I hope you might too.
Wishing you a bountiful August!
Online class dates here
Tracey Roberts 