How to Change Up Your Yoga Practice for the Fall Season!
Welcome to BSA - The Conscious Alignment of Energy
The
wind is changing bringing in the fall season. Albeit nature is so
colorful this time of year, our minds and bodies aren't always ready for
the change in weather and temperature. Change is good provided you can
ease into it.
One of the best things to ground our mind and body this time of year is
to connect to Mother Earth. It had a tremendous grounding quality that
can offset the otherwise heavy "vata," one of the three doshas in the
sister science to yoga known as Ayurveda. Vata corresponds to the
element of air. With strong vata, you may notice you are more anxious,
ringing in the ears, or difficulty focusing. Let's take a look at how
you can move into the season of fall with a feeling of stability.
Om!
Mary Jane Kasliner
1. Grounding Your Body with Yoga Poses:
 If
you are experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a yoga
practice that includes a few grounding asanas, such as forward bends,
that allow the mind and body to relax. Forward bends work more with the
parasympathetic nervous system that calms the body instead of revving it
up. Standing poses are also very good because you feel balanced
throughout the body. Twists help to cleanse the body while pranayama and
meditation have an overall calming impact.
2. Forward Folds: Focus
on grounding the legs and feet deeply into the earth, also use breath
and Uddiyana Bandha (belly pulling slightly up and inward) to allow the
body to go deeper into the pose to relax the nervous system.
3. Seated Forward Fold: Ground
the sit bones deeply into the earth, use the breath and Bandhas (locks)
- squeeze the pelvic floor and lift the lower belly up and back, to go
deeper. Better yet, try a restorative version of this pose using one or
two blankets piled on the legs to support the torso while relaxing
forward.
4. Half Lord of the Fish: This
is a great pose to release toxins from the kidneys and liver while also
grounding the body. Maintain a lifting action through the entire spine
while twisting from the base and core.
5. Head to Knee Pose: This
pose grounds and lengthens the body. The west side or back of body is
brought to the light to thin out emotional imprints or samskaras.
6. Warrior 2: This
pose is not only rooting to the earth but it taps into the solar plexus
to move beyond fears and anxieties. Really root down through the padas
(feet) and engage the pelvic floor as the arms move out from the heart
space.
7. Eagle Pose: This
pose pulls inward mimicking the element of metal strong this time of
year. The standing leg roots and grounds the body into the earth, the
supporting element of metal. The movement inward represents a journey
towards higher consciousness.
8. Breathe: The
best thing you can do to relieve stress and anxiety is to simply
breathe. Make an effort to spend some time outdoors and breathe with the
ebb and flow of the wind. The breath has a remarkable ability to slow
down the mind and the physical body.
9. Ground Your Environment: It
doesn't make much sense to focus just on ways to ground your body and
ignore your environment. After all, your environment is simply the
macrocosm of your body and therefore directly influenced by it. Here are
a few simple tips to follow:
.
- Remove
clutter. Clutter has a way to create chaos in the mind and the
environment. Roll up your sleeves and really dig into what no longer
serves you or your family.
- Refresh
your landscaping by removing dead vegetation, raking the soil and
adding rockery. Stones are stabilizing and grounding. Areas that support
rockery are the northeast, southwest, northwest and west.
- Check
in on the grounding earth areas of your home (northeast, center and
southwest). This actually is referred to as the earth axis line in feng
shui schematics. It is extremely important this line is not undermined
by water (bathrooms, laundry facilities) or architecturally missing (odd
floor plan shape). If these areas are compromised by water, then offset
and restore stability by adding earth elements (earth colors such as
beige, tan, brown, terra cotta, etc.) and stone materials (granite,
slate, etc.). If a stairwell falls within this axis line, reinforce with
earth color hues, mountain scenery in artwork and stone pedestal with
stone statue on landing, if the room permits. If the northeast or
southwest areas of the floor plan are compromised, add in extra energy
through outdoor landscaping. Even strong upward lighting in those areas
are very effective.
Online Feng Shui Training Program!
Top Classical Feng Shui School with all the ratings of Gold School Status form the IFSG.
For years the Teaching Tortoise School of Feng Shui was part of the IFSG
Gold School Status. Albeit the school maintains all the requires for
the Gold Designation, we have decided to take our annual fees and donate
them to worthy causes. World Vision has been our main contribution
source. We are proud to use our funds to help those less fortunate.
Visit the school site for
curriculum and PDF Modules. All correspondence is done by me
personally. Any questions the student has during the educational program
is answered by me directly. Have fun and help not only yourself but
others improve their lives!
All student sign ups receive my book: The Feng Shui Connection to a Healthy Life for FREE!
Mini Feng Shui Programs are also available that pack a powerful punch! Six in total - purchase one for $19.97 or all 6 for $99.
|
