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Melissa Billington of MYOGA shares her learnings about the structure of the seasons in relation to yoga and life, and how she uses a seasonal map to organize her yoga teaching,

From poison into potion: Why forty days of yoga is alchemy of the soul

February 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Snakes = Transformation

by columnist Melissa Billington, Ear2Earth We come into the new year with a desire to re-create ourselves, to arise out of last year and make a new start. While I personally consider Spring the new year and the place for emergence since 1582, with the advent of the Gregorian calendar, we observe the start of the new year as January 1. The Celtic calendar sets November 1(May 1 in the southern hemisphere) as the new year. They see going into the dark as the necessary first step to … [Read more...]

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Chakra One & Two: Feeling secure and letting go, the essence of Hanumanasana

December 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Melissa-Hanumanasana

by columnist Melissa Billington, Ear2Earth Hanumanasana, often called the splits, is the extraordinary experience of moving in two opposing directions at the same time, without falling apart, or holding the breath, or injuring ourselves. In practicing this great leap of Hanuman, we learn to engage actively and consciously, while releasing actively, consciously and bravely.  AT THE SAME TIME! Which brings me into two chakras - Muladhara, root support and Svadisthana, one’s own … [Read more...]

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Is our addiction to Spirits a symptom of an UnSpirited society?

October 9, 2012 by 13 Comments
Spirits making up for a lack of connection to Spirit?

by new columnist Melissa Billington, Ear2Earth MYOGA’s second focus in the deeper part of winter has been on the 7th chakra -  Sahasrara - a place of surrender, acceptance, unity consciousness and spirit. As I let my vision be filled by these ideas, I became more and more aware of society’s mass disconnection from a sense of anything larger than ourselves – from Source - and how this shows up in our levels of medication and self-medication. It is no accident that alcohol is called … [Read more...]

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Why MYOGA uses a seasonal structure to map it’s yoga classes

August 6, 2012 by 8 Comments
Melissa's egg shaped structure of the seasons

by new columnist Melissa Billington, Ear2Earth Over the last few years, I've been using a seasonal map to organise my yoga teaching. Until I witnessed myself gesturing the same way when I referenced the calendar year, I didn’t realize that I had an innate sense of time being egg-shaped instead of linear. For some reason I’ve always seen winter at the narrow top of the egg, summer at the wider bottom and spring and autumn on the longer sides.  Growing up in the four seasons of the … [Read more...]

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How to cope with post-pregnancy poopiness

January 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Kara-Leah and Samuel doing yoga

by guest author Melissa Billington, POWA Centre, Wellington Creating a baby is such a natural thing, yet it can change your world so irrevocably and unexpectedly that it’s no wonder women struggle after the intensity of birthing to feel centred, balanced and “themselves” again. Not only is a new human created, but a new mother is created as well. As much as you read and research and reconnoitre with other women and mothers, no one and nothing can prepare you entirely for the … [Read more...]

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Reflections on organising Global Mala Wellington 2010

September 24, 2010 by 4 Comments
Global Mala Wellington 2010

  by guest author Melissa Billington, organiser of Global Mala Wellington So if I look at what was (instead of what I wished would be), there were about 160 people at Global Mala Wellington, about ninety on yoga mats and another seventy on the edges, plus uncounted people coming and going around Frank Kitts Park. There were people who were very helpful, enthusiastic, supportive and who had ideas and resources to offer.  And there were others who were along for the ride & … [Read more...]

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