It is commonly understood in Traditional Chinese Medicine – TCM – that there are 5 elements that make up the manifest, earthly realm: earth, water, fire, water and metal (ether)
The practice of yoga unites the lower centres – root (earth), sacral (water) and emotional/plexus (fire) through the pranic or airy gateway of the heart centre (anahat) to the higher centres of the throat, third eye and crown - these are the etheric elements.
Each chakra along this journey up the spine corresponds physically to a glandular (endocrine) centre in the body, but are not of them.
Regular practice stimulates our conscousness toward the truth of who we really are, the truth contained within the heart, the anahat chakra, the place of the unstruck sound.
The unstruck sound that the heart rings with is the truth that unfolds through our subjective journeys - through yoga, bodywork and sacred acts of self care - and not the whimsy of the scattered elements of disassociated and disconnected rational thoughts hijacked by the ego which, for good and noble (protective) reasons, requires things not to change.
Through yoga we harness the instinctive, primal, root energies of the lower centres of the body through the gateway of the heart (the ‘strait gate’) to enliven the etheric and energetic centres of the upper triangles of the body. The gate is strait because it is easier to rest in the place of habit and comfort that the lower, more earthy chakras offer.
This journey is what is known as the rising of kundalini – the power of awareness and truth rising up from the earthly, watery and firey centres through the heart to the cortical centres - blowing away ego/earthly identification with the gaze of the inner eye. Think of how you feel when you leave class from when you arrive – or after a massage or a good dance.. The ego has had to take a back seat. And it feels good! And thus we progress our spiritual evolution with practice. And because we are all connected, all benefit.
Earth my body Water my blood Air my breath and Fire my spirit.
This chant means more than anything now, as we witness through our media the movement of the water protectors in Indian territory in the US, and the protective actions of anti-fracking acitivsts all over the US and in the UK. So with every act of destruction on the planet now there is a part of us requiring healing and restoration.
Small, manageable acts. Like:
Quit buying water in disposable bottles Make a small monthly donation to a cause or charity Support a friend in need, or do some volunteering Take part in a beach clean And of course regular meditation and yoga!
The revolution is personal, seen in small acts of self-love, personal elevation and the protection of our community and our environment. We are whatever occurs within and without as sentient, living, breathing beings.
Thanks for reading this far! With love love and more love. Steph x
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