As the wheel of the year turns toward darker days, nature reminds us of a truth that yoga teaches again and again: everything flows in cycles. Birth and death, light and shadow, inhale and exhale — all part of the same sacred rhythm.
Celebrated on October 31, Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) is an ancient Celtic festival marking the midway point between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. It’s a time to honor our ancestors, release what no longer serves, and prepare for the introspective months ahead.
In the yogic tradition, this seasonal shift aligns beautifully with the energy of apana vayu — the downward, grounding current that helps us let go and root deeply. It’s also a time to embrace svadhyaya (self-study), turning inward to observe the transformations taking place within our own hearts.
Just as the Celts lit bonfires to illuminate the night, we come to our mats to ignite our inner fire — tapas, the discipline that purifies and strengthens us.
A Halloween or Samhain-inspired yoga practice might include:
Halloween may bring playful spookiness, but beneath it lies a profound truth — the dance between life and death, seen and unseen. In yoga, this awareness is echoed in Ishvara pranidhana — surrender to the greater flow of life.
When we allow what must end to fall away, we make space for something new to be born.
As you move through this season, ask yourself:
Happy Halloween, and Blessed Samhain
Celebrated on October 31, Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) is an ancient Celtic festival marking the midway point between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. It’s a time to honor our ancestors, release what no longer serves, and prepare for the introspective months ahead.
In the yogic tradition, this seasonal shift aligns beautifully with the energy of apana vayu — the downward, grounding current that helps us let go and root deeply. It’s also a time to embrace svadhyaya (self-study), turning inward to observe the transformations taking place within our own hearts.
Just as the Celts lit bonfires to illuminate the night, we come to our mats to ignite our inner fire — tapas, the discipline that purifies and strengthens us.
A Halloween or Samhain-inspired yoga practice might include:
- Grounding asanas like Malasana, Uttanasana, and Child’s Pose to connect with the earth element.
- Restorative postures to honor the slowing pace of nature.
- Meditation or journaling on what you’re ready to release — old habits, limiting beliefs, or energy that no longer aligns.
Halloween may bring playful spookiness, but beneath it lies a profound truth — the dance between life and death, seen and unseen. In yoga, this awareness is echoed in Ishvara pranidhana — surrender to the greater flow of life.
When we allow what must end to fall away, we make space for something new to be born.
As you move through this season, ask yourself:
- What am I ready to release with gratitude?
- What wisdom from the past do I carry forward?
- How can I honor both my light and my shadow in practice and in life?
Happy Halloween, and Blessed Samhain
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