The winter season should be a time of rest, and Sagittarius season should inspire freedom, big dreams, and inspiring ideas. In a perfect world, we’d all be sitting by the fire, reflecting on the year, dreaming about the next one, and weaving the things we love into our daily routines. But let’s be honest—this rarely happens.

For most of us, winter feels like the busiest time of the year. Rest becomes elusive, holiday to-do lists grow longer, and obligations take center stage. Even as I write this, I can feel my shoulders tense up because I also overcommitted and filled my calendar, leaving little room to plan, dream, or create.

But then I remember: the present moment is always available. With a deep breath, I remind myself:
"I am here. I am present. I am in body."

In that stillness, in those intentional pauses, I am able to reconnect with myself and the present moment. My yoga practice — my movement — is my anchor, my freedom. It’s my non-negotiable. I know that when I show up on my mat, ideas blossom and clarity returns.

That’s why, in the chaos of winter, I gravitate toward grounded, intentional movement. This is not the season for highly charged sequences or intense practices. It’s a time to simplify, to root down, and reconnect with what matters most.

When I couldn’t find a yoga class that aligned with seasonal living and cosmic energy, I decided to create it for myself and for YOU. My yoga offerings reflect the rhythm of the season, the daily astrological transits, and the collective energy. They’re designed to meet you where you are, offering grounding when life feels overwhelming and inspiration when you’re ready to dream again.

If this resonates, I invite you to explore my Yoga Class Calendar. All suggested classes are available with my Patreon membership, along with weekly live classes and recordings (three new classes per week!) so you can tailor your practice to your needs. Whether you’re just dipping a toe into seasonal living or diving all into the yogic lifestyle, you’ll find support here.

Last night, I had a powerful dream in which I completed an impossible voyage across the center of the ocean. In my dreams, the ocean has always symbolized the emotional realm, a vast subconscious landscape. This journey felt different, though — one of transformation, a return as both teacher and student, with the student as myself.

When I reached the shore, my student-self asked the teacher, “What did you learn from your journey?”

I responded:
“On land, our horizons are layered with beautiful distractions: mountains, trees, buildings, people, all creating landscapes that fill our perceptions. But when it’s just you, alone with the infinite sea and sky, there’s nothing to see but yourself. In this vastness, you come face to face with who you truly are.”

The student (me) then asked, “How did you survive by yourself in the middle of the ocean?”

I answered:
“Surviving in the ocean is not so different from surviving on land. You adapt, you evolve, you become resilient. The journey itself teaches you what you need.”

Having reflected on this dream, I see it as both a call and a permission to willingly explore buried emotions and subconscious tendencies that shape our waking life. To be courageous enough to lean into discomfort and uncertainty rather than avoid feeling. (This has been a huge part of my personal journey these past few years.)

When we’re willing to go deeper — when we allow ourselves to be alone with our thoughts and navigate the emotional and subconscious realms — we learn, adapt, and evolve. We are able to transform into the person we are meant to become. And in that clarity, we see ourselves completely. We come face to face with the eternal self. And we return — as both teacher and student — having gained wisdom from within.

What does this journey mean for you?

Go deeper. Live deeper. Trust the journey. ❤️

When was the last time you reflected on your own goals and creative projects?

Despite everything happening in the world, November holds immense creative potential. As the season shifts, we’re drawn inward, descending into the depth of winter’s embrace. In this darkness—this fertile void—rests an invitation: to channel emotions into creation, to manifest new visions.

When people hear “creative” or creativity,” they often think art projects, crafts, writing, or some externalized ideal of what a creative person is. But here’s the truth: every human being is a creator. We have an evolved mind. The ability to self-realize. Emotions. A physical body that is capable of incredible feats. A life force that is constantly humming to our own sacred song. We possess an electromagnetic field more expansive than science can quantify. We have preferences. Complex relationships. From the moment we open our eyes every day, we are creating.

Even when we’re not physically creating something, we create through our thoughts, beliefs, and desires. We plan the day. We make decisions. We choose where and what our creative energy focuses on.

So, let me ask again:

When was the last time you considered your goals and creative dreams? Where is your creative energy — your life force energy — being directed throughout your day?

In this Samhain window, as the veil parts and opens new doors into the fertile unknown, it’s a powerful time to ask yourself:

• What excites me?

• What new ideas or possibilities do I feel called to explore?

• How can I delve deeper into my own creative cauldron and awaken the energy that stirs within?

This weekend, take time to fuel your vision. In my membership, I posed this reflection: What is your deepest vision, and what steps can you take to bring it closer to reality?

Have you thought about that lately? I’d love to hear your insights.

Go deeper. Live deeper. Trust your creative process.

Practice: This slow flow explores the Yukti practice of Avastha: a practice of going down with stillness into your deepest being. Available in the membership.

The first days of autumn can teach us valuable lessons about managing time and energy. I find myself sleeping later through dark mornings, chasing the sun in the evenings on my walks, and gently guiding myself to slow down — despite the urge to keep moving. Libra season always reminds us to balance. To take time for mental and physical integration, and allow ourselves the softness and grace to slow down.

Personally, I thrive in the summer months when the days are long. I'm up and moving at 5 a.m., and there’s plenty of energy and things to do. But when the days grow shorter, I often fall into the trap of trying to maintain the same schedule — fitting in everything I possibly can in the waning daylight hours and with my limited energy reserves. Then at night, when I finally close my eyes, I become still enough to receive the flood of ideas, visions, and intuitions I didn’t have time to process during the day — which, unsurprisingly, makes sleep difficult.

When I ask myself, how can I make time for it all?... the answer is, I can't. The season of letting go also means letting go of summer's constant activity and adapting to what's possible and sustainable in the here and now. And, in doing so, our intuition has space and freedom to guide us through all of this change.

It’s a process, this energetic shift. This letting go. This new season and a new way of being. Our bodies are adjusting to so much: plummeting temperatures, changes in daylight, new schedules, world events, holiday planning — how can we integrate it all if we don’t slow down? How can we heal if we don’t give ourselves space to rest?

Yoga Nidra offers just the medicine we need under this full moon. It helps us direct the mind’s energy (represented by the sun in Libra) into the body (moon in Aries), bringing us to a place of stillness and inner peace. This guided practice draws us into the liminal space just before sleep, a realm where healing and integration happen effortlessly — both physically and mentally. All you have to do is rest and receive.

I’ll see you beneath the full moon. :)

With love, Mandi

Here we are approaching the final days of summer, as the golden light of Virgo season exhales over fleeting afternoons and wilting wildflowers. The last month of the season is full of honeyed sweetness, abundant harvests, endings and beginnings. The Wheel of the Year is turning. The sun isn’t climbing as high in the sky, and these golden days will eventually give way to crisp autumn nights.

Every zodiac sign from Aries to Virgo is about self; when we enter Libra season and the equinox, we turn to the other. We see ourselves as part of a greater whole. When winter comes, we can’t do it alone. But before we sign the contracts and commit to worldly plans, we have to figure out our own stuff. That’s where Virgo comes in. Maybe you’ve identified things that simply can’t continue. Maybe you’ve created new and healthy routines. Maybe you’ve taken the time to prepare, declutter, detoxify, assess, and research new interests. Maybe you’ve made time for the sweetness of the present moment, for the cyclical beauty of the seasons, for reconnecting with your support system.

And then the Pisces full moon enters, and suddenly we’re swept into an ocean of memories, dreams, and possibilities. Pisces brings endings — it is the last sign on the Wheel of the Year — and it creates waves in the realm of emotion. It’s a momentary glimpse away from the SHOULDS and into the WANTS. I said before, when winter comes, we can’t do it alone. We will also struggle if we deny our emotions and desires in the process. As we begin our descent into the dark — gathering our belongings, solidifying our plans, making those final healing adjustments — we’ll also want to pack our dreams for the journey. Because what is life without imagination, pleasure, desire, and feeling? Where will we get the life force energy to make it through the coming months without the fuel of passion to light the flames?

It’s no coincidence that autumn brings the colors of fire: the reds, oranges, and yellows bringing us back to our lower chakras, to the body — to vitality, health, movement, strength. I call this last full moon of summer the Moon of Attunement, because we have the capacity, like a tuning fork, to bring it all back into balance and create the conditions for physical, emotional, and energetic alignment. This full moon IS an eclipse, so the endings and beginnings may be more unexpected, more acute. If you’ve been debating about something, going back and forth on a decision or movement or change, then let this moon bring some finality to the situation. Let the uncertainty be a thing of the past.

To the east. To the messengers of gods and goddesses. To Mercury, our winged messenger, whose whispers of Truth anchored us into Solstice presence. To the Trickster and the unexpected weaving of webs that led us here. To the summer storm clouds of transformation. May we know ourselves. May we trust. May we create from the light of solar inspiration. May we revel in the joy of summer’s sensory experiences. May we remember TRUTH is DIVINE and will set us free. May we be the writers and weavers of our own unfolding.

To the south. To the fires of father sun, and the energy that fuels life. To the radiance of our soul essence. To full-bodied feeling and the passion of purpose. To the fire within that brings LIFE to existence. To the Lover. To the Warrior. To the ecstatic music of an open heart. May we hold our self-worth on the highest pedestal, closest to the sun. May we be so in LOVE with our own essence that we choose it every day. May we emanate so much life force that we attract all we desire and seek. May our confidence be unyielding and our passion untamable.

To the west. To the waters of cardinal Cancer and the cleansing of our inner earth. To the emotions that teach us how to be in love with life and compassionate to all. May our loving waters bring sacred balance and quench the fuels of rage. May we GRIEVE so we no longer feel the need to recreate the past. (Grief is growth.) May we FEEL so that our subconscious can navigate the hidden wounds that close the heart. And may we HEAL so that we choose love — even and especially in moments of pain. May we access the deep imagination that unearths the genius within.

To the north. To the heart of the earth. To the elementals and nature spirits. To the tallest mountains, hidden forests, and magical meadows. To the stages of life: the growth of the caterpillar, the discomfort of the chrysalis, and the transformation into our rightly wings. To the land that nourishes and makes our existence possible. May we be so grounded in our truth, that we allow others to be in theirs. May we be so embodied in selfhood that we support rather than criticize or compare. May we find our home in all of the earth’s moss-covered grounds, sacred roots, and tree canopies. May we find a safe place to BE. May we bloom.

Thank you. And so it is.

© Mandi Garrison

Beginning a daily meditation practice doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t require checking off days or forcing a certain practice at a certain time. I used to do this a lot: strict daily sadhanas, forcing myself to do things in a certain order, choosing practices I didn’t necessarily enjoy but gave me the validation of discipline. It didn’t achieve much except to create more attachment. The feeling of guilt when you miss a day, forcing something that doesn’t feel aligned, the sense of accomplishment by achieving a goal number — all of these things (in my opinion and experience) feel rooted in attachment and sometimes achieve the opposite effect of what I desire.

My desire with a meditative practice is simple: to feel at ease with the ebbs and flows of life. Sure, there are certain practices I do on a regular basis but that’s because they bring me peace and balance. They didn’t become ingrained as a habit due to force, but because they are aligned. When something is aligned, it feels natural. When something makes you feel more connected to your true self, it becomes the highlight of your week. I have no idea how many days in a row I’ve meditated. All I care about is how I feel.

I suggest starting simple. Connect your meditation practice with something you love. I love to pull cards in the morning and that has become a meditation for me. I love to relax with my morning coffee and that became the space for journaling and meditation. I love to walk and nothing feels more meditative than listening to nature and being present for simple joys like trees blowing in the wind or sun rays on a path. Class is great, because you learn different tools and techniques and what works for you, but it can be as simple as just observing the present moment.

Some days my routine shifts and I’m okay with that, because I’m not attached to things being a certain way. I can peacefully adapt to changing moods, unexpected shifts, and things being imperfect. And that’s what a meditative practice should help us to do: appreciate every moment as it is. The magic of life happens when we are present enough to notice.

There is a belief that meditation is a practice to clear your mind. And while in some cases, we can use techniques to enjoy moments of clarity and calm, meditation is not a strategy to push away or suppress your thoughts. The real goal — the true healing — comes when we can learn to be present with the mind. When we can sit with ALL the thoughts, even the muck, and be at ease. It is a process to get to know and become more comfortable with ourselves. Instead of pushing things away, we become less attached, more aware, more conscious of thoughts as mindstuff. It’s just energy.

It’s not an easy journey, but it’s greatly supported by our yoga practice. Yoga was never created as a purely physical exercise. It was designed to create the optimal conditions for meditation and enlightenment. Through the physical practices, we can fine-tune the subtle energy body and strengthen the nervous system to become more present, more integrated, more willing to be in the frequency of truth. And that’s only the beginning…

My physical practice is essential to me, because I understand the body’s role as a vehicle for soul evolution.

Think of the body as a tuning fork for the multitude of energies we process and manage every day — thoughts, emotions, external frequencies (natural and unnatural), other people’s energy, etc. In my experience, when my body is operating at a higher frequency, I am better able to process energy with clarity. Compassion. Love.

My yoga practice is more than just staying in shape. It’s a devotion to soul. It’s an elevation of my subtle energy field. There’s no right amount of DOing one must accomplish in order to see results. The practice of yoga helps us be in deep reverence to the body. I believe that when the body is shown this love and devotion on a regular basis, it responds to match the frequency.

We’re given this one vehicle in this life to help us achieve what we came here to achieve. What types of messages are you sending to your body? How are you caring for it? What are you coding into the subtle layers? What messages is the body sending YOU? And how can you begin to listen?

In class, I repeatedly remind you to do what feels RIGHT in your body. We’re wayyyy beyond the old paradigm of physical perfection in a yoga practice. We are working at higher levels now and awakening the subtle field much faster than ever before. It starts with LOVING the body. Through love, we deeply listen. Through listening, we move. We breathe. We adjust. We fine-tune the energy field. We start to feel the effects much faster. We bring the spiritual into the physical and the physical into the spiritual.

This is my yoga.

Everything in this universe exists in polarity. What you perceive as insecurities can be your greatest gifts. What you interpret as your biggest fears can become your greatest opportunities. What are you affirming every day? The negative polarity or the positive one? Let’s reclaim the gift. Let’s reclaim your truth.

Instead of:

• I need to be fixed. —> I am perfect exactly as I am.

• No one understands me. —> I am too awesome to fit in anyone’s box.

• I am a work in progress. —> I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow.

• There is never enough. —> I live on an abundant planet with everything I could ever need.

• I need this to be happy. —> I am absolutely happy.

• I’m not good at this. —> I am giving this my own unique expression.

• I am self-conscious about my appearance and/or body. —> I love every part of my beautiful, adaptable, and intelligent body.

• This thing won’t heal. —> Every day I notice and feel how much healing is happening.

Words are programs. The phrases we repeat every day get embedded into our subconscious and form our belief systems, thereby manifesting our perception of reality. Reclaim your vibration and refuse to entertain any program that makes you feel bad or affirms something that isn’t true. This is the truth:

• You are whole and complete.

• You are enough.

• You have the power to change your reality.

• You carry the exact codes and gifts the planet/collective needs.

• You are a one-of-a-kind creator.

• Your existence is proof that we live in a magical universe.

• You are worthy of anything you want.

• You are an expression of LOVE.

Thank you for being you.

If you were to bring just one prop with you to yoga class, let it be a blanket! (Bonus: it's easy to carry.)

My folded blanket never comes off of my mat, as it provides just enough cushion for the knees and a helpful guide as to where to place my limbs. I also think it gives the mind and nervous system a gentle assurance of support.

When I was younger, I had the mindset that I could eventually toughen up my bony knees by continued practice on hard surfaces. Spoiler alert: It didn't work; it just made my knees more sensitive.

Other benefits of having a blanket with you during practice:

• Sit on the folded blanket to help you comfortably lengthen your spine and bring healthy circulation to the legs.

• Fold it up as a prop behind the heart, sacrum, or spine for restorative postures.

• Roll it up and place it underneath your knees for hamstring stretches and forward folds.

• Place it underneath your head in reclined postures if your neck feels strained on flat surfaces.

• Cover yourself up during shavasana (ahhhhh).

Yoga blankets are so easy to find these days (they usually cost around $20), but you can also use any blanket from your home.

I look forward to hearing how this supports your practice!