Walk On The Wild Side

by Samantha on June 7, 2013

It’s odd.  As life grows ever more bumptious, and out of control, there are fewer and fewer wild places in the world. The garden is not wild, unless it is wild with weeds, and one can’t consider garden’s wild anyway.  Daily life is driven, but it is not wild unless we are living in Syria, or sky diving, or listening to a doctor tell us we have a deathly disease.  The last undiscovered, wild places on the planet are discovered, claimed, and filled with Big Macs, the kind we eat and the kind we work on.  And despite feeling out of control, most of us are not wild.  We are crazed.  That is not wild.

There is a growing need for us to express a capricious wild side, if only to balance  the over-committed, dedicated, work-weary self.  What has happened to the lion tamer in the Zebra skin, one-piece? What of the trapeze artist, in pink tights, and sequined tutu?  We did once dream of being wild, and extra-ordinary?  Trouble is, we feel we have enough problems and challenges without being weird and possibly asking for more.  Trouble is, we have winched down and positioned ourselves for the least amount of friction.  Not a bad deployment except- trouble is, no one is laughing.

When was the last time you roared, wet your pants, and couldn’t catch your breath?  When was the last time you kicked off your heels, ripped off your sport coat, and let ‘em have it…whatever ‘it’  is, it ain’t your norm.  Our ‘norm’ is working so hard to keep us in the norm-zone that we’ve disowned parts of our whole in order to stay safe inside the norm-lines.  When this happens, we erupt volcanically, or we are confronted by strangers who do, taking us down with them.

There is a tremendous need for each of us to express, and give voice to all parts of self, hopefully moving our tight asses toward middle ground, which ain’t wild, but it knows wild.  It can feel and express wild. It can be that wild thing without fear of destroying everyone and everything around it.  Now, we’re in the middle, holding our breath, terrified of stepping outside the line, or tipping over…that’s a very different middle, however it appears.

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Astrology & Yoga of Transformation June 3, 2013

by Samantha on June 4, 2013

We are moving toward an inquisitive and expansive Gemini New Moon on Sat. 8th.  We may be confused, as Neptune stations to go retrograde the day before, on the 7th, but we feel clever and connected as the Moon’s ruler, Mercury stands right beside Venus, planet of love, value and connections.

Jupiter, which has been in Gemini for a year, will be leaving on June 25, and it seems this Gemini New Moon is opening our thoughts and attitudes to say ‘farewell’ to the expansive lessons and gifts Jupiter has brought to the Gemini sector of our lives.  During this week of preparing New Moon seeds for the coming cycle, consider the ways your ideas and attitudes have expanded, and changed over the last year.  See where and how your optimism and positive attitude have moved you forward.  This New Moon at 18 degrees Gemini opens us to greater curiosity, versatility and choice.  This sign thrives on change, education, and variety.  This is a perfect time to learn something new, take a short trip, and enjoy a good talk with a good friend.

Yoga this week needs slowing down, with sinuous stretches, and Yin attitude.  We go within to prepare the ground for a new cycle.  Attention to longer exhales to rid the body of toxins, and old thought processes.  Take time for fewer poses with longer holds, Let your Practice be the vessel that holds you present to your inner life.

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Sixth Sense Salvation

by Samantha on May 24, 2013

We are being asked to trust the unknown is ways we’ve never imagined.  Venturing out from the safety of the past, and the known, grows ever more difficult, yet it is the task.   In order to go into the unknown, Osho said that we cannot be in the mind because, “the mind is the accumulated known.” But as the world is hurled around in inconceivable ways, we yearn for that familiar known.

In Astrology there is a set of points on one’s chart called the North and South Nodes, They speak of the dilemma of choosing a bigger life.  The South Node represents the past, what and who we know, where we come from, what is comfortable.  We repeat South Node patterns usually well into our late 30’s or 40’s.  It is only as we grow bored, stale, or begin asking big life-questions that we turn toward the North Node.  It is the fork in the road demanding we grow and move toward our destiny, or fall back, too afraid to take the path of maximum resistance.

In these days of upheaval and chaos, it is time to not only to listen and trust instinct,  to grow accustomed to not knowing answers, rather sensing the next step.  The mind, which knows, is orthodox and conservative.  The mind is not interested in being courageous or trusting.  Au contraire!  To move past boundaries of safety requires fearlessness, an awareness of being, and an ability to listen to the inner self, that adventuring voice of the  6th sense.

Life has always been dangerous. This is not new.  In order to grow courage, there must be danger.  It’s why we’ve chosen this earthly life.  Take a huge breath, stand on the precipice and dive, knowing your heart will save you. Don’t forget to grab my hand. I can’t save you, but I’ll go with you.

 

 

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Astrology & Yoga of Transformation week of May 22

by Samantha on May 22, 2013

The tornados that hit and destroyed a wide swath of Oklahoma on Monday was, sadly, the perfect symbol of the Uranus-Pluto square that has been building to perfect on that day.  These two outer planetary power-mongers are ‘moving us toward our destiny at a fast pace.  They’re doing battle to bring us lessons of government, of the people, by the people, but is it still for the people? We have been in face off after face off  on this issue of Big business, bigger banks, huge government V.S. me, the singular, not so brave, little me, and my rights to operate as me.

This square between Pluto and Uranus, plus the spring eclipses, open up our consciousness, and bring greater awareness of where we need to step up and be counted.  Consider the list of mayhem we are struggling with just in this country: women’s rights, gun rights, gay rights, climate control, genetic engineering of food, and bodies, animal rights, land rights…name only a few. If you live in Syria, this is all ridiculous because you are fighting for your life.  In Palestine, you are fighting for your land.  In Africa, you are fighting for your children.  But it breaks out time and again between the individual and the bigger, power hungry ‘state.’  Our work is to bring consciousness and greater compassion to ‘the state.’

This week, especially, as we approach the weekend’s last spring eclipse, use your Yoga to nurture and care for yourself.  Dance the sacred in this month’s Shakti Yoga Dance. Do your favorite pose over and over, making it into a ritual of sweet repetition, pouring balm on frazzled nerves. Practice Pranayama, even if you have to do it in the car.  If you know Chandra Bhedana, (belonging to the Moon) practice that, for it focuses breath through the left nostril which has a cool, soothing affect. Do Yin Yoga. Holding the poses longer, with longer exhales also calms the nervous system and restores equanimity.  When we are calm and centered, we know when it’s right to leap.

 

 

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Fingering Secrets

by Samantha on May 17, 2013

Hands are magical instruments; multi faceted, powerful, tender, destructive. They can be gnarly, spatulate, pudgy, delicate.  The fingers, as emissaries, touch the world, bringing back thousands of impressions full of information.  Brains are activated and trained by working with fingertips, especially during childhood. Hands and feet possess abundant nerve supplies which light up large areas of the brain.

Every finger has its own life, it’s energy of giving and receiving, its particular ability, or quality.  Areas of the palm, as well as fingers, relate to planetary energies, to meridians and body parts, to chakras, to the five elements, and states of being. Acupressure and Acupuncture use points on the fingers and hand to stimulate healing through different areas of the entire body.  There are also reflex zones, and marma points that are stimulated for healing.  The art of palmistry is not magical, rather it is knowledge of multiple levels of energy revealed in a hand.

Using fingers to form hasta/hand mudras reveals yet another layer of information.  Mudras, like Bandhas, are locks, and locks conceal secrets.  Each mudra intends to connect to the divine, to cosmic consciousness, which is one of the primary goals of Yoga.  Through the mystery of mudra, hands reveal our longing to connect, not only by touch, but by the shape of a mudra. When practicing mudras, the brain is lit from conscious and un-conscious information housed in the fingertips.

With intention and practice, mudras can change character traits, create healing, bring serenity, and offer awareness.  There are 25 essential mudras, and many others that have been added along the way.  You can make up one, once you know the energies in each finger.  Simply by rubbing or pressing the fingers, you awaken dormant energies within.  Next time you reach out and touch someone, or grab something, or massage your hand, become aware of how your hand responded. How did energy move through your fingers?  Would you change it the next time?

Basic Finger Energies:

*Thumbs reveal creativity, they are also the opposing tool that separates us from other mammals.  The thumb represents the Solar Plexis chakra, the Manipura, home of the imagination, that which creates and destroys.  It is ruled by Mars, Astrologically, a fiery boy known for destruction and creativity.

*The forefinger is home to Jupiter, that jovially ‘more is more’ guy. The heart chakra, or Anahata, is housed here, and like Jupiter, loves life, is full of affection, and joy.

*Saturn, the taskmaster, rules the middle finger, and the throat chakra, the Vishuddha.  This planet and chakra are interested in purity, ethics,  thinking things through thoroughly, and speaking well.

*The ring finger is Venus, of course, and is connected to the root chakra, the Muladhara.  Here, we have a sense of connection, of vitality, self confidence, and harmony with nature.

*The baby finger is Mercury, connected to the sacral chakra, the Swadhisthana.  Here we focus on our connection with surrounding world, our sexuality, survival, and family.

 

(Much of the mudra information comes from “Mudra, Yoga in Your Hands”  by Gertrud Hirschi)

 

 

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