We’ve moved from earth to water to fire and now to air. We make our way from the tangible
to the intangible. Air will
be the focus for all of my classes this week. Air is the element associated with the heart chakra or
Anahata. Anahata loosely
translates as “centre of unstruck sound.” It is our own unique vibration that emanates from our heart, which
coincidently is the physical location in the body for the air element. The area of the heart, the chest and
the lungs represents air in our body - the lungs which we use to breath in
oxygen, and the heart which has the power to produce a light, airy quality in
our body, mind and spirit. It is
our heart that allows us to connect to such intangible things as our genuine
and authentic thoughts. Due to
relatively recent research, the heart is beginning to be referred to as the
little brain. It was mostly believed
up until this point that the mind was what controlled the brain, when in actuality the heart has it’s own ability to learn, remember and act independently of the
brain. In fact, the heart is
being shown to send more information to the brain on a daily basis, than the
brain sends to the heart. The air
element is the element that represents things such as possibilities, inspiration,
joy, and freedom. What better way
to achieve these things than by allowing ourselves to be led by the heart. This week we will focus on feeling
lighter by taking those amazingly deep, full breaths, and opening up our hearts
in order to access the wisdom of our little brain. See below for further ways to work with this chakra.
Mental
Why not bring your little brain into your work with your
mandalas this week? The heart
responds well to being in a state of gratitude and can actually help to lower blood pressure. While working on
your pictures, why not think about all of the things, both small as well as
big, that you are grateful for on a daily basis. Notice how bringing yourself into a state of gratitude can
almost instantly shift your attitude and emotions.
In order to further focus your colouring or drawing on the
Anahata chakra, you can:
- include intersecting triangles (forming a star
which is a symbol for the heart chakra) or upright triangles (symbol for the
air element)
- use various shades of greens or pinks (colours
for the heart chakra), blues, yellows or white (colours of the air element)
- the seed sound for the fourth chakra (yung/yam)
can be included in the picture physically or mentally
- direct your mind to the heart chakra by asking
questions and observing what words, answers, phrases, pictures, etc. show up
for you
- How
do I show myself love and compassion?
- What
am I grateful for in this moment?
- What
prevents me from fully opening up my heart?
- What
makes me happy?
Physical
Any poses that work to open up the chest and expand the
lungs are helpful when working with the heart chakra. We’ll concentrate this week on Salabhasana also known as
locust pose, and/or Dhanurasana otherwise known as bow pose. Both postures focus on leading with the
heart.
Salabhasana
Start in a position lying on your stomach. Bring your arms by your sides with
palms facing down towards the floor. Your chin or forehead (whatever is most comfortable) is on the mat. Have your big toes to touch and begin
to rotate your thighs inward and engage the glutes. On your next inhale, lift your head, shoulders, thighs and
feet off the mat. Think about
length as opposed to height – the chest reaches forward as the shoulders, and
toes reach back. You can keep the
arms parallel to the floor, or you can clasp them behind you. Gaze foreword in order to keep the back
of the neck in line with the spine.
Dhanurasana
Start in the same position lying on your stomach. Bend your knees as you reach back
to grab onto either the outer edges of your feet or ankles. If grabbing onto your ankles, flex your
feet. Keep your knees at about hip
width apart for the duration of the pose. As you inhale, press your feet towards the back of the room and lift
your thighs off the floor. Let it
be the backward motion of the feet and legs that pull the hands, arms and shoulders back in
order to lift the shoulders and head away from the mat. Draw the shoulder blades back and away
from your ears, and let the chest lead and draw forward. Gaze forward instead of down. Continue with your deep breath which
may cause you to rock a bit as you are on the stomach.
There should be no pain that occurs in the lower back. If there is any crunching or discomfort
(know the difference between pain and sensation), lower yourself closer to the
ground. Stay in either pose, or do
both for 5-10 breaths. Take a few
breaths on your stomach, and then press back into child’s pose for a few
breaths before you do any stretches, counter stretches or flows you may need to
release sensations that have arisen.
There are a few earlier posts labeled 4th chakra
if you want to learn more about the Anahata energy centre, or feel free to
message me for more details. Enjoy
your week of love, inspiration and joy as you practice leading with the heart
and get into the feeling of being led by your little brain.
See you on our mats,
Roxanne
No comments:
Post a Comment