May Theme 2026
Inner energy and strength
By Anne-Marie Bailey
Note: Precautions, contra-indications, counterposes and modifications have not been provided. Please choose postures and practices that suit you.
May is the last month of spring as we begin to move towards warmer weather and longer days. We are able to get out more and enjoy our gardens or parks. We may be looking forward to holidays or being more active with outdoor sports. The earth and its animals have truly come out of hibernation and plants are abundant. There is a feeling of energy in the air as we become more active. In our yoga practice we could reflect this increased energy. For example, preparation poses could be done as a sequence – moving with the breath. After we have warmed and prepared our muscles, we can choose to harness this energy by perhaps holding our yoga poses for an extra breath. We can change our arm positions in Tree pose and Warrior 1 to open the chest a little more than usual. We can create our own flow of poses to repeat about three times, then pause to rest and allow our energy to settle. For example – Tadasana, Urdva Hastasana, Uttanasana, half-Uttanasana, Urdva Hastasana and back to Tadasana. We can practice chair pose by first coming in and out of it and then moving from chair pose to forward fold. If we feel particularly energetic, we could practice revolved chair, making sure that our legs are stable. Sun Salutations can be incorporated into our practice, making sure to be mindful of each pose and continuing to breathe throughout. We know our own energy levels and can adapt our own practice accordingly. At the end of practice, it’s nice to slow down with some simple breathing before relaxation. For example, on the inbreath we could think “I am strong” and on the outbreath “I’m energetic”. Dhyani mudra could be used during breathwork – placing both hands together in our lap, with our left hand lying in our right with thumbs touching. In this way, the two hands create a bowl signifying that we are able to receive – we could imagine receiving the earth’s energy. In Savasana we can use the rotation of consciousness to bring awareness to every part of our body – starting with our toes and ending with our scalp. We can then imagine the space around our body. We can imagine that this space is filled with a beautiful golden light. With each breath we can imagine breathing in this golden light. Gradually we can imagine our bodies being completely filled with the golden light so that it is both within us and around us. We can silently use the affirmation “when I’m still, I can feel my inner strength and energy”. We can then enjoy this state of relaxation until we are ready to begin to release the visualisation and slowly and gently bring awareness back to our body. As we move from our mat and into our day, we can try to be more aware of our inner strength and energy levels.
Reference:
Hirschi, Gertrud. Mudras: Yoga In Your Hands (p. 181). Hodder & Stoughton. Kindle Edition.
Photo – taken by myself 2026