Starting your day with a TCM-inspired morning yoga session and visiting the zoo might seem like two very different activities—but at their core, they share something vital: a deep connection to seasonal rhythms and the living intelligence of nature. In both, we’re invited to move with intention, follow a path, notice more, and align with the subtle shifts and natural rhythms, within ourselves and all around us.

So why not pair them together?

Begin your day on the mat, tuning in to the season’s element and the needs of your body. Then head to zoo to observe how animals live those same principles in real time—moving between light and shade, following instinct, and existing fully in tune with their environment. Together, the two practices become a form of holistic education in living well and wisely.

Or spend a morning at the zoo, strolling the pathways and watching the animals. Notice how the light and shadows dapple the paths – change the feeling of the space, hide and reveal plants, enclosures, other people. Take those impressions back with you to the mat, let them guide your movements and inform your moments of stillness. Both spaces ask for presence, curiosity, and compassion—for the wild outside us, and the wild within.

Things to look for:
The penguins’ brisk, efficient flutters in cold water remind us of how our breath sharpens on cooler mornings.

The pacing of a snow leopard reminds us to honor patience and instinctual timing in our transitions.

The giraffes stretching their necks up for nourishment remind us to reach and grow.

The gazelles (and giraffes) hinging at the shoulder to bring their heads down for water or grass remind us to use good form, staying straight and strong, only bending where necessary.

The lions napping in the sun and the orangutans in their hammocks remind us to take moments of stillness in the middle of activity.

The bears’ slow, deliberate motions remind us to move from places of stability not randomness.

The elk sheds laying in the grass remind us to release what is no longer needed so we can grow again.

Posted in Yoga