Sunday 8th October - 12.30pm - 1.30pm Investment £10
Pause in our unending cycle through the seasons, from summer to autumn, and surrender your body to the Earth. You can nourish this earth element and it's associated meridians of the stomach and the spleen through a yin yoga practice. Our spleen meridian is affected by our thoughts, by the food we eat, our energy levels, and the environment that we inhabit. Our stomach meridian is very much about grounding that energy by drawing it inward, to our core self.
Yin Yoga is based on the Chinese Taoist principles that there are two universal forces, known as Yin & Yang. Yin & Yang are a balance of opposites, and by honouring that balance of light and dark, we integrate the left and right sides hemispheres of our brain and our bodies.
The world is full of dualities, and as we begin to draw energy inwards we nourish our meridians and organs. Yin Yoga offers us a time to turn inward and embrace the dark lunar side of our lives. The lungs and large intestine are powerfully symbolic for the natural giving and receiving cycle of life.
Cycling through the elements of nature and within ourselves allows us to nourish our earth element. When our earth element is in balance we develop deep compassion for self and for others. When our earth element is out of balance we feel deeply the pain of everyone around us, trying to do everything to help everyone. This can lead to mental and physical burnout. As a BodyWorker my primary element is earth and through the constant dance of balance I turn over compassion for others into deep compassion for myself.
Try This From standing or seated wrap your left arm around your body with the palm resting on your side ribs. Wrap your right arm on top of the left arm around with the right palm resting just above the left elbow. Rock gently from side to side. Breathe deeply, in and out through the nose and notice how it feels.
If you tense your body as a result of emotional stress, anxiety or fear, this Autumnal practice allows you to align yourself with the seasons and the natural rhythm of the world. Yin offers you an opportunity to close your eyes, to soften your body, to slow down your breathing and to connect with yourself. It's a practice that subtly works on the hips to release lingering emotions. As you start to notice bodily sensations like pleasure and warmth your enjoy a sense of self nurturing. It's through the nurturing of self that we begin to develop self compassion. As you notice these bodily sensations you begin to raise your awareness of how your body is feeling, by creating space within the body to heal and space for the mind to quieten.
Surrender your body to the earth and feel a wave of relaxation wash over you. Choose the autumn path of letting go and have the wisdom to know what is necessary to hold on to. If you can't let go, breathe, soften and let it be.
"Transform darkness by pointing yourself in the direction of your own guiding light".
Comments