January is often framed as a month of ambition. New goals. New habits. New versions of ourselves.

But before we reach for anything new, yoga asks a quieter—and far more essential—question:

What are you still carrying that you no longer need?

This is why Apana Vayu is the focus of all my online practices this month.

In the yogic tradition, Apana Vayu is the downward-moving current of energy. It governs elimination, release, grounding, and stability. Physically, it supports digestion, the pelvic floor, and the lower body. Energetically and emotionally, it’s responsible for our ability to let go—of tension, outdated patterns, emotional residue, and excess mental noise.

And honestly? There is no better energetic theme for the beginning of a new year.

The Downward Current We Forget to Honor

Most people are overdeveloped in upward-moving energy. We push. We strive. We think. We analyze. We plan. We reach.

That’s Prana Vayu—upward and expansive—and while it’s essential, it’s wildly overemphasized in modern life.

Apana is its counterpart. It moves down and out. It clears. It grounds. It stabilizes. Without Apana, there is no true renewal—only accumulation.

Think of it like this:
You can’t redecorate a house that’s already cluttered floor to ceiling. You have to clear space first.

Apana Vayu creates space.

Why January Is an Apana Month

Winter already supports downward energy. The earth is quiet. Growth is internal. Nature isn’t producing—it’s conserving.

January, especially, carries a psychological “reset” energy. But instead of immediately asking ourselves to do more, yoga invites us to ask:

• What habits am I ready to release?
  
  
• What emotional patterns have run their course?
  
  
• What expectations—of myself or others—can I soften?
  
  
• Where am I gripping when I could be grounding?
  
  

This is Apana work. It’s not dramatic. It’s not flashy. But it is profoundly stabilizing.

And stability is what actually allows growth later.

Apana Vayu in the Body

From a physical perspective, Apana Vayu governs:

• The pelvis and pelvic floor
  
  
• The hips and lower spine
  
  
• The colon and elimination
  
  
• Menstrual health and reproductive organs
  
  
• The legs and feet as grounding structures
  
  

When Apana is balanced, we feel steady, rooted, and supported from the ground up. When it’s disturbed, we often see:

• Anxiety that lives in the body
  
  
• Digestive issues
  
  
• Lower back or hip tension
  
  
• A feeling of being “ungrounded” or scattered
  
  
• Difficulty letting go—physically or emotionally
  
  

This is why practices that emphasize grounding, slow strength, breath awareness, and downward flow are so effective this time of year.

Not because they’re gentle—but because they’re appropriate.

Emotional Release Without the Drama

Letting go doesn’t require catharsis.

That’s an important distinction.

Apana Vayu teaches us that release can be quiet, steady, and even subtle. Sometimes it looks like:

• Choosing rest instead of pushing
  
  
• Setting clearer boundaries
  
  
• Letting discomfort move through instead of reacting to it
  
  
• Allowing the body to digest experiences at its own pace
  
  

Yoga, when practiced intelligently, gives the nervous system permission to complete cycles that were interrupted by stress, busyness, or emotional overload.

This is real resilience—not bypassing discomfort, but metabolizing it.

What Apana-Focused Practice Actually Looks Like

During January, all of my online practices are designed to support Apana Vayu. That means you can expect:

• Grounded, intentional sequencing
  
  
• Attention to the pelvis, hips, and lower spine
  
  
• Breath cues that emphasize exhalation and downward flow
  
  
• Fewer transitions, more presence
  
  
• Practices that leave you feeling settled, not stimulated
  
  

This isn’t about “working hard.”
It’s about working wisely.

You should finish these practices feeling like your feet are firmly on the ground and your nervous system has exhaled.

Starting the Year From the Ground Up

The most sustainable change doesn’t come from forcing a new identity—it comes from clearing what no longer aligns.

Apana Vayu reminds us that release is not loss.
It’s preparation.

When we allow the body and mind to let go—intelligently, patiently—we create the conditions for clarity, strength, and purpose to arise naturally.

So this January, instead of asking:
“What should I add to my life?”

Try asking:
“What am I ready to put down?”

That question alone can change the tone of your entire year.