Water......women and wolves

Dear flowing yogis,

MMmmmmmmm………………….water feels so good.  We swayed, we flowed, we loosened up, let go and awakened sensations.    And all surrounded by the exhilarating energy of the full moon. 

If water energy were bottled it would take the place in your medicine chest of Viagra, moisturizers and the glass of wine often needed to loosen us up. 

 

As women, our power is in this part of the body, the yoni (the sacred gateway), and in the instinctive, receptive energy of water.  But we have forgotten.  Living in a male dominated society we have been led to believe that to “compete” and succeed we must be more like the male archetype – action oriented, driven, non-emotional, tough and steely.   That there can only be one #1, and of course, that is what we all want.  Or is it.

We have buttoned ourselves up, crossed our legs, gotten out of the dirt and in the process have forgotten.  Never wanting to be labeled “loose”, we have become tight.  Our sensuality becoming a long forgotten friend.  Buried. 

But this is our power to reclaim.  And what amazing power it is!   But women who are completely in touch with their sensuality and natural nature, like the wolf, are often feared.    Both seen sometimes as spiritual and sometimes as evil.

Wolves and Women have much in common. Both share a wild spirit. Women and wolves are instinctual creatures, able to sense the unseen. They are loyal, protective of their packs and of their pups. They are wild and beautiful. Both have been hunted and captured. Even in captivity, one can see in the eyes of a woman, or a wolf, the longing to run free, and the determination that should the opportunity arise, Whoosh, they will be gone.  (from Wolves Within web site)

As women we are the ones who give life – the creators.  No one has life without passing through our gateway.   We know.  We feel.  We gather.  We include.  We nurture.  We share.  This is our strength and when we dive deep, rediscover and release it to flood our entire being with desire, we can do and create anything we choose.  Anything.

As you bring to mind the change you desire, or what it is you want to create in your life on this chakra journey, really “feel” it from deep, deep down.   What is it that will fulfill you?

No I am not crossing my legs,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #31

Yogis,

As March draws to a close, my hope is that this is not the final day of meditation for many of you, but the first day of a lifetime of meditating!

Inhale…….exhale……..inhale…….exhale

Simple.

 

I will send out a summary email in the next day or two.  But for now –

Every day…….at least 10 minutes.  Just baby steps.  Miracles can happen.

Sending a lot of love to you all,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #30

Yogis,

Find the stillness within right now.  Go there……….

Breathe.

We meditate daily to become intimate with this part of our being.  Able to touch it anytime.  Anywhere. 

Aaaahhhhhh………………………….

Every day…..at least 10 minutes.

Blooming,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #29

Yogis,

Soooo….on the inhale

     Huummm…..on the exhale

One thing you may find with mantra meditation is that it can more easily transition to staying with you throughout your day.    The mantra begins to vibrate within so that even as you leave your seat, it remains in your cells.

Soooo……..hummmm…… as you drive.  As you walk.  As you pause.  Always accessible. 

 

We have worked with several different meditation techniques and have just barely skimmed the surface.  In fact in Osho’s Book of Secrets, he outlines 112 methods.  He refers to them as keys.

But these are all simply techniques.  They are just there as a guide, a road map, to bring you to a state of meditation. 

A quote from Osho from one of his talks:

"Really, when you try the right method it clicks immediately. So I will go on talking about methods here every day. You try them. Just play with them - go home and try... And these methods are simple, you can just play with them.

Take one method and play with it for at least three days. If it gives you a certain feeling of affinity, if it gives you a certain feeling of well-being, if it gives you a certain feeling that this is for you, then be serious about it. Then forget the others, do not play with other methods. Stick to it - at least three months. Miracles are possible. The only thing is that the technique must be for you".

This is what we have been doing.  Trying them.  Seeing which strikes an inner chord.

Finding the key that unlocks the door of the mind for each of us – revealing the open sky of consciousness.

Every day....at least 10 minutes.

Until eventually the technique is no longer needed,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #28

Breathing Yogis,

Soooo…..hummm…..Soooo…...hummm

Hear it.   Feel it.

 

The intake and the release.  The rise and the fall.  The filling only to empty again.   The birth and the death.

Who am I?

 

 

I am that

Every day…..at least 10 minutes.

Limitless,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #27

Yogis,

One final technique for us all to try!  Mantra meditation.

A mantra is a word or a phrase repeated over and over during meditation.  The difference between a mantra and other words is that mantras are sacred phrases or sounds.  They have a unique vibration that fills us even as we silently repeat them.  Aum (om) would be an example of a mantra.

There are many mantras and if this is the form of meditation that you were to choose to continue with, you would either be given a mantra by a teacher, or find one that resonates with you.

 

We will use an ancient simple mantra of “Soham”

Soham is pronounced Sooo-hummm.  Sooo on the inhale.   Huuummmm on the exhale.  The sound of the breath.  The sound that already resides in us. 

The meaning of Soham is “I am that”.    That we are not separate.  We are that – the universe, the divine, God, the great mystery.  Whatever higher power you can sense.

For some, words help to still and  bring the mind to the one pointed concentration of meditation.   

So our awareness comes back again to the breath as we listen to and repeat the sounds, soooo-hummmm

Every day…..at least 10 minutes

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #26

Yogis,

I spoke earlier to the concept of tapas – discipline.  Heat.  The commitment by “you” to every day.  

Meditation is just like brushing your teeth.  I remember when I was little, for some reason I didn’t like brushing my teeth.  I would always hope that my mom would forget to ask me if I had already brushed.  I couldn’t very well lie (was never in my nature) but if she didn’t ask, I may not necessarily volunteer the info. 

It just didn’t feel necessary at the time.  It cut into my play time.  Did I really have to do it EVERY day?

Well of course as an adult I can’t imagine going one day without brushing my teeth – several times!  It is not only something that I know is good for me, but has become something from which I can see, feel and enjoy the results.  Many times I can’t wait to brush!  It is cleansing and feels like hitting the reset button on my mouth after daily life has passed through there. 

Meditation is no different.  It is just the reset button for the mind.  Removes the buildup.  Cleansing – after daily life has passed through there.

Every day….at least 10 minutes.

Looking forward to every one of my meditations,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #25

Yogis,

Wow, day #25!  Is it beginning to find a rhythm in your day?

Sitting.  Breathing.  Naming. 

Every day unique.  Every day a gift.  Open yourself up to receive it.

 

Simple.

Every day…..at least 10 minutes.

Oh, this moment is my favorite,

SARAH

From earth to water.... beginning to flow

Relaxed Yogis,

Aaaahhhhh……  Two weeks of soaking in the nurturing energy of earth.   Slowing down.   Planting our feet.  Finding stillness and being exactly where we are.    We can only begin a journey if we know where we are starting from. 

In class these last couple of weeks I have asked everyone to have something to work on during this chakra journey.  Some desired transformation, a feeling they want more of, an emotion or fear to let go of, or something they want in their life.  I invite all of you who follow me virtually to do the same thing.

You may already instinctively know what that is for you.  If not, don’t try to “think” of something.  Instead get very still, relax completely and ask the Universe for direction.  Ask without already knowing the answer.  And just like sending your voice out into a canyon, you wait, knowing without question that an echo will return. 

It may come as a sudden idea, or may be shown to you through an ad, something a friend says, or an invitation.    But to recognize the signs you must have some stillness in your life or they will be lost in the life shuffle. 

Our second chakra, Svadisthana, the element of water is the deep space within us from which our desires rise.   It is here that we begin to “feel”.

 

In the body it is our pelvis and hips.  It is our moisture, our fluidity, and our ability to flow through life.  When we are in touch with this energy, we are full of life, sensual, juicy and comfortable in our skin.   Here we  also find our instinctual wild nature.

Water is the energy of the moon.  So how perfect that we will celebrate the full moon this Wednesday night!  She is cooling and calming.  She is the feminine.   

So in class we will find our center and connection to earth, by becoming still and aligning to the line of energy that runs from the tailbone to the crown, right in front of the spine.    And then from that foundation we will begin to flow.  Awakening desire.  Releasing pent up emotions from their holding place in the hips. 

Other ways to connect to the water energy include:

·         Soak in the tub (at least once a week)

·         Drink your oatstraw nourishing herbal infusions

·         Spend time naked – even if it is just the time you are getting ready after your shower

·         Dance when no one is watching

·         Read or write poetry

·         Sit by the river

·         When you are in the pool or the ocean – float on your back

·         Befriend the moon – knowing exactly where she is in her cycle, looking to the sky for her each day and honoring both the full and new moon days.

So what is it that you really want?  What are your deepest desires?  What will fulfill you?

 

You can create anything that you want.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm………………..

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #24

Slow down…….slow down…….slow everything way down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice.

The breath.  The space around you.  The sounds.  Your heartbeat. 

Notice.

Your center.  The line of energy that runs from the tailbone to the crown of the head, directly in front of the spine.

Notice.

How it feels to be you.

Every day……at least 10 minutes. 

Aaaaahhhhhhhhh………………

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #23

Yogis,

Today will be our last day watching the     space     between     the     words………

Tomorrow we will begin working with a technique called “naming”.

·         Begin as always by taking time to settle into your seat – physically and emotionally.  Sometime a few strong, even out-loud exhales can help with this.

·         Root down with your sit bones and tailbone and wriggle yourself into your perfect alignment – spine aligned over tailbone, back of the shoulders spread wide so the heart is lifted, and back of the head drawn back over the spine

·         Relax the scalp and visualize the crown of the head opening, with the sky at the crown of the head;  a sense of spaciousness

·         Sit with the quiet and the breath

·         As things move into your awareness – name them with just a single word

·         “breathing”, “breathing”,  “hearing”, “anxious”, “cold”, “asleep foot”, “happy”, “quiet”, “belly rising”, “belly falling”, “hungry”, “car”…..and so on

·         You are not looking for things to name;  Just as something moves into your awareness – name it

·         Let there be space between the naming

·         And just a label – not “I am thinking”, simply “thinking”

·         Once you have named it, let it go

·         Learning to be aware of this moment

“What day is it?"
It's today," squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day," said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne

This moment is my favorite,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #22

Yogis,

Sitting still with a busy mind can be mighty challenging.   The stiller we attempt to become, the more agitated the mind gets, wanting “you” to do something…..think about something…..move in some way…..or even decide this isn’t worth it.   The mind has a “mind” of its own.  And it loves to be the boss!

Just watch.  Simply watch.

Meditation is not about clearing or stopping the mind.  It is about taking back the reins so that you decide where and how to use it.  Not allowing it to be the cause of stress, anxiety or fear.   You are so much stronger than your mind.  SO much stronger.

That doesn’t mean this is a quick or easy process – although for some it may be.  But first you must believe it is even possible (and a little hint…..it is).  Then you start by just watching. 

Every time the mind speeds up and zooms off to some distant land, notice everything about it. 

- where does it tend to go

- do you even sense when it is starting

- are certain topics, fears or habits a trigger

- what makes you eventually notice that it has gone off

And then go back to the breath.  Over and over and over.  It takes time.   All of this with compassion, patience and of course, a little humor.   

Every day…..at least 10 minutes.

An unwavering belief that “I” can create my life,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #21

Breathing in…..breathing out……breathing in…….breathing out………

Floating in the current of your breath.

We are still watching the space between words in our meditation.  You can also work with  it using the phrase –

the          space          between          the          words

First try it now with your eyes open.   Notice how your eyes are automatically drawn to the words.  Now look directly into each of the spaces, letting the words begin to soften and move into the periphery.  “Seeing” the space. 

When in meditation, bring each word into your inner vision, then move to the space between the words ………….and dive in there.  Exhaling helps to carry you.

Letting go,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #20

Yogis,

Breathing as a group……

I look forward to my meditation. 

A time just for me.

        Quiet. 

               Nowhere to go. 

                      Nothing to do.

 

Absolutely unlimited potential if I can only allow it.

 

 

 

 

Every day....at least 10 minutes.

 

You are limitless,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #19

Breathing yogis,

Day #19.  How is everyone doing out there?

So this “every day” thing.  Is that really necessary?     Somehow I’m sure you already know my answer J 

 

Meditation is a discipline.  It is part of the practice of “tapas” – which means heat.  Tapas are the voluntary practices that we do to purify and calm our minds and body.  A yoga practice is another example of tapas. 

So by voluntarily choosing to practice meditation daily, it takes the decision making mind out of the loop from that point forward.  No internal dialog.  No choices to make.   Every day you just meditate.  Simple as that!

Every day……at least 10 minutes.

Each day unique, each day filled with amazing possibilities,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #18

Yogis,

Inhale   Exhale    Inhale     Exhale      Inhale    Exhale       Inhale

  I                               am                              I                               am

 

Settling yourself into the space between the words………

 

 

There is so much to discover there. 

Every day…..at least 10 minutes.

In silence,

SARAH

sarah@serenitycircleyoga.com

 

Earth.....a prescription for relaxation

Dear Yogis,

The energy of earth is the energy of relaxation.   So our ability to find it within ourselves presents us with a gift …the gift of walking this fabulous journey through life one relaxed moment at a time. 

If earth energy were bottled, it would take the place in your medicine chest of sedatives, sleeping pills, valium and the countless other pharmaceuticals taken to relax.   

One of the complaints I hear most often is the inability to relax.    How did we get to a place as a population where relaxation has to be bought?  Why is relaxation saved only for  our yearly vacations?  And how did relaxation become synonymous with laziness?  

We were born relaxed.  It is our natural state and our birth right.  This sense of peace and contentedness is in each and every one of us.  But it requires wanting it and peeling back some of the layers of life to bring it back out into the light. 

And to be clear – relaxation does not mean not “doing” anything.  It is not the image often portrayed of lying back with our feet up and a cold beverage in our hand.   Once we learn how to draw on that earth energy, we can choose to be completely relaxed throughout our busy day.  Not pulled from center by the activities around us. 

The first step is to practice being in this moment.  Let’s do a little exercise:

·         Sit up tall, aligning yourself to your center, which is the energy line that runs from the tip of the tailbone up to the crown – right in front of the spine. 

·         Feel the contact of your sit bones on the chair – your connection

·         Begin to notice your breath, letting it begin to slow

·         Become aware of the whole back of your body

·         Imagine every single thing that has happened up to this very moment behind the back of the body

·         Take a few big exhales through the back of the body – letting the past be “behind you”

·         Now become aware of the whole front of the body

·         Sense the wide open empty space in front of you;  The future;  Feel it with your inhales;  It is unlimited and free of form!

·         Now bring your awareness back to the center line in your body which lies between the past and the future

·         This where we find the present moment

·         Notice everything about it

The more you do this, the more you find that the present moment is filled with relaxation.  Very rarely are we anxious about the present moment.  Our worries tend to dwell on what has already occurred or our projections of what may come – neither of which are real.  Only the present moment is real.

So to all of you……I am writing a prescription for earth energy.  Practice being in the moment, slow down, walk barefoot, lie on the floor, get out into nature, drink nourishing herbal infusions (much more on that in my blog archives under September in 2012), get a massage – and most importantly of all – firmly believe that it is in you and visualize yourself as relaxed to your very core.

Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh……………………….  I love earth.

Exhaling out anything that no longer serves me,

SARAH

March Meditation - Day #17

Centered Yogis,

Today will be our final day working with the counted breaths.    50……49……..48…...47……….46.   Aware of our center, from the tip of our tailbone to the crown.  The inhale tracing the line of energy upward, the exhale traces it back down.

And in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, either today or tomorrow, feel yourself surrounded and held by green light while you sit! 

 

This week we will go back to working with the gap. 

Our attention  is  so intensely drawn to objects, sounds and thoughts, one immediately following another, that we literally squeeze out the space between them.  Meditation helps to slow the mind and the steady stream of thoughts.  Over time beginning to create a space between our thoughts.   I have heard mediation referred to as “dental floss for the mind”.   

Last week we worked with the space between breaths.  The gap.  The void.  Tomorrow we will begin using the technique of noticing the space between words. 

·         Settle in to your seat – physically and emotionally – bringing your awareness to the space around you

·         Tip the tailbone down slightly to point to the earth and then align yourself with the center that we have been tracing.  Finding your perfect alignment.  Crown of head directly over the pelvic floor.

·         Take a few breaths with long slow exhales releasing everything that has happened up to this moment out the back of your body.  Putting the past “behind you”.

·         Visualize the letter A breathing there for two slow breaths. 

·         Begin to see the letter B just off to the right in your peripheral vision

·         Bring the space between the two letters into your line of sight and exhale into it

·         Then inhale bringing the B in front of you, breathing there for 2 slow breaths.

·         Begin to see the letter C just off to the right and then bring the space between the letters into your line of site and exhale into it

·         Continue all the way until the letter G

·         You can then do the same thing with a string of the phrase “I am”.  Inhaling while seeing the I, exhaling into the space between the words, and inhaling at the am.  Continuing through a continuous string of the words. 

·         With all of this, beginning to follow your exhales into the emptiness of the space with your energy and inner vision.  It is limitless.

Don’t worry if you aren’t following all of this exactly!  We are working to begin seeing the space just as clearly as we see the letters and words.  Exhaling ourselves into the void.

I       am       I       am      I      am,

SARAH