Winter Solstice 21st December 2018

Dear Yogis,

Blessings to all and peace for this world as the Solstice opens the portals to true understanding and detachment to realise the True Self.

Feed the Birds

As the weather gets colder our little friends need some help and even breaking the ice on their watering dishes/places can be life saving.  Karma Yoga - action in life for all life.   Look what visits when you give...................circle of life!

Diwali - Laxmi blessings for good fortune

In India Diwali lasts for five days with the third day being devoted to Laxmi - the deity for good fortune.  Prayers, meditation,or even finding a quiet space to reflect and wish family, friends and all the very best for the future creates an atmosphere of positivity in a time of darkness.  Diwali is after all the festival of Light!

Diwali and Light

October Moon Heart lights up the dark sky

  Enjoy Diwali and Fireworks but please be sensitive to wildlife and others who may not like the noise and disruption.  Have Fun!

Thank You!

Equinox and moving on

Beautiful skies and nature to nuture us through all the Kali age upsets and help us to stay present.  Our donations to Kerala helped a few of the many and gave some respite to show they were not forgotten.  Lenic went personally to the village elder and distributed where it was most needed.
Thank you again those who helped.

"The world holds enough for everyones' needs, but not enough for anyone's greed"

Thank You for Kerala Donations yogawise group

Dear Yogis,

This is one Family in Kerala who will benefit from our donation and thank you for responding when so many demands on our hearts in this Kali Age.  Love to see nature loving yogis at Chris Packham's Walk for Wildlife this saturday 22nd September in Hyde Park.  Look out for River Crane Sanctuary T-Shirts as we will be there!

Please donate to Kerala Flood appeals

Dear Yogis,

Please open your hearts to this awful situation in Kerala where we took students for retreat and met some wonderful, generous people who now need our help.
There are many Charities collecting and the Kerala government also has a relief fund.  Just do it!

Boats on a Kerala beach --- hand made by local fisherman.

July Blood Red Moon - Lunar Eclipse

Look up to the stars tonight and marvel at the wonder of nature.   In the South East at around 8 pm gmt we will see the Moon Blood Red with Mars just below as a shinning star..............if no clouds of course!   What a juxtaposition -  our peaceful moon is Red and the Planet of War is White. 

Nothing is as it seems and it is good to be prepared to change our views and see the other side sometimes.   That does not mean surrendering to the dark side; just a willingness to allow change to happen.

Butterfly count is on until the 12th August so do visit the bigbutterflycount.org to get a chart and record your sightings to help with conservation of these beautiful creatures.

Here are some recent sightings along the River Crane Sanctuary and more photos/videos of nature are on our Flickr Album so visit us there if you want to see more:
Google: River Crane Sanctuary on e-voice.org for home page or Flickr.

Only Truth is eternal

Dear Yogis,

Wise words from Krishnamurti which I pass on for your consideration..............................


"Without removing the causes of ignorance, there cannot be enlightenment; and to seek enlightenment when the mind is unenlightened is utterly empty, meaningless. Therefore, I must begin to see the false in my relationships with ideas, with people, with things. When the mind sees that which is false, then that which is true comes into being and then there is ecstasy, there is happiness."  Krishnamurti

Summer Solstice

Dear Yogis

A beautiful day and night for this year's Solstice and we trust you all connected with nature and the divine to feel the unity of all.    Keep positive and send out your light even when confronted with darkness and untruths.  All is perfect and whole and all will be well.

Beautiful Moons and community sharing for the end of May

Dear Yogis,

Some photos for you of the beauty of nature and how a walk in silence along a river corridor under a canopy of trees can connect us with our true selves: the real meaning of yoga...we are one.

May - Beautiful Foliage and prana along the River Crane Sanctuary

Spring nearly turning into summer and the recent heat and rain has turned the river corridor green and bursting with prana.  Go out and practise some pranayama in the open air.  Wonderful to see the butterflies and bats back to feed and rest.   We will have another workshop on the Island.....really we will.....but we are busy with a charity event and street party which is yoga in action!
Here are some nature photos for you to enjoy and inspire you to go for a silent walk and draw in some inspiration from nature.

Full Moon Monday to welcome in May

                                                                                                                       
Being present in our bodies and minds is especially needed in this uncertain weather which can cause vata disruption and make us feel unsettled.   Nature is a good source of refuge at this time even if we can only look out of our window at the beautiful clouds!

                                                                  Angel Cloud

Layers of grey and light

                                                                   
                                                                    Elephant cloud

                                                              What do you see?   
                                                           

Vernal Equinox - Spring has Sprung!

Sunset in the Sanctuary

The Vernal Equinox last week marked the official beginning of Spring just as the snow melted in the Sanctuary. Four seasons in one week and yet we are assured by some that there are no climate change issues that need our immediate attention! Take a silent walk along the River Crane Sanctuary route to see and hear for yourself the beauty of nature which provides so much enjoyment and peace for us all and which so many think is worth valuing and preserving. For Photos,videos and information visit our website. https://www.e-voice.org.uk/rcs/

Spring is a good time to create a pond and the RSPB have a video to show how easy it is to do even with just a washing up bowl in a small space. It creates a watering hole and wildlife habitat which is vital for our garden visitors. Take a look below and give it a go. https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/garden-activities/createaminipond/

Yoga is so much more than stretching on our mats in isolation. Karma yoga for the environment is perhaps one of the most important actions yogis can take to help others in this world today. Sow a pack of wildflowers or creat a mini pond or look out to see where we can be of help to our precious wildlife and nature as demands grow for human needs.

"A thing of Beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness; but still will keep a bower quiet for us, and a sleep full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing." c. Keats.

Winter Gathering on the Island

Beautiful circle gathering on Eel Pie Island and thanks for all the positive e mails and phone calls to ask for more!   It is good to meet up again with kind people who value 'what makes us human' - respect for ourselves and others and for the natural world.  Keep in touch and I will send out more offerings to you.

The book that I wanted us to read and have a discussion about with relevance to yogic philosophy is:  Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown .  

It covers themes which have particular relevance to yogis in this Kali age:

 i.e. Ahimsa -Non-violence/harm to others and ourselves "With perfect practice of Ahimsa one rises above anger, hatred,aggression,fear, jealousy, resentment, envy and attachment. With perfection of ahimsa one realises the unity and oneness of all life and attains universal love, peace and harmony"

 Satya -Truth "if you live in Truth you will have peace of mind,free from fear, anxiety and worry"

How do we adhere to the above and still voice our concerns and stand up for others who do not have a voice?

The book does not mention yoga of course and may seem 'simplistic' in places but it is easy to read fairly quickly and gives us a springboard to discuss and go deeper and maybe find some answers to our questions.  

Love and Light