Soleil Leading Us into Tree Pose

Bo Bae, Soleil and Tricia: Family Yoga!

Photo: Monica Jenssen

The ancient astrologers pioneered through the night to witness and record the rhythms of the heavenly bodies and their correlations with the play on earth. "As above, So below." The ancients wandered into the darkness in order to find the lights.

Release on the Exhalation

Corpse Pose deepens on the exhalation.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhalation.
The final most important pose, deepnens on the exhalation.
The exhalation. The exhalation.
The last most inmportant pose, where all is incorporated and released.
The exhalation.

We shape our tools and afterwards, our tools shape us.

                  

                                                                    
                                                                                        


Yogini: Tracy Hetherington

the Sun + your Spine

The most important line in hatha yoga practice is the spine. Astrologically, the spine relates to Leo and is ruled by the Sun. The spine represents our will; hence, “the spineless bastard” is a weak-willed individual. The Sun being our brightest Luminary, requires that we feed the needs of the Sun sign and it’s placement, in order to feel vibrant and alive. One’s biological age can be denied by the condition of the spine. How can you determine your age? Youthful is supple, open to new experiences, playful and flexible; aged is ridged, concave, narrow-focused and broken-hearted. Leo also rules the heart. Notice where the eye of your heart is pointing right now, and diagnose the present condition of your spine.... How best can you serve the needs of your Sun sign and it’s placement, today?                                                                              
Yogini: Tricia Keith

astrology + yoga + art

Today I am thinking of the symbols that represent the elements we see in nature and astrology: earth, water, air, fire and how they link to one's yoga practice. Earth is the element belonging to Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, as well as representing our body and our physical nature. Fire is the element belonging to Aires, Leo, Sagittarius, as well as representing our will, whose heat is contained by Air, and the signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.The atmosphere of our minds. We are nourished by the depths and rhythms of the oceans, our emotions and the rain, held within, Cancer, Scorpio and Picses which are then contained by the earth. The balanced interaction of these elements can be seen as nature (Spirit/Self). Our bodies communicate through our emotions. When balanced, we sense wholeness and connectedness with the centerpoint of our Selves. (The circle of Existence.)

The practice of yoga itself reflects the four elements: will (fire) is needed to carry out the discipline, to energize a sometimes sluggish body (earth) to perform postures and thereby shift, squeeze, damn up and then release the flow of fluids ( water) in union with the inner self (spirit). The asanas are the primary symbols created for the mind (air) to focus upon. The more awareness and skill the practitioner uses, the more the postures begin to take up both ends of the spectrum: lifted and grounded, forward facing and backward facing, ease and effort, of this world and not of this world.

Yogini: Tracy Hetherington