DAILY In this fall of ’09 we are either change-agents or victims. We might be both, trading off as we struggle with growing consciousness, and instability. We are taking baby steps to embrace new discoveries, while relinquishing certainties, even when we are certain we are right …especially then.
This certainty of rightness is a crystallized habit, where even the most accepting and open set-up resistance to alternative thinking. This change-territory calls for us to chip away at our known, formulated designs, so we begin to see the layered patterns underneath, those sheaths of will and stubbornness that hold us in static probity.
We are far more fixed than we suspect. Do you drive to work on the same roads? Do you shower only in the morning? Do you choose the same coffee cup every day? Do you always put the right shoe on first? None of these are earth shattering, so start here. Start chipping away at the small crystallizations. Diversify and become conscious of every pattern that creates the texture of a day/week/year.
Questions arise out of this process: If I surrender old boundaries, will I leave myself too vulnerable? If I do not follow the rhythm and ritual of the known, where is my comfort? If the small, sweet moments become chaotic. How do I feel safe?
Better yet to ask: If I remain a predictable model of who and what I’ve been, how can I possibly survive the quantum leaps of this time? If I cannot accept the contrasts within and without, seeing them only as different sides of the same coin, can I hold my core? How do I grow to love the conflict inherent in my contradictions? How do I come to see this old vs. new negotiation as a gift in becoming a diplomat par excellent? This is a diplomat of a different color than ever before, one that drives home discussions for wholeness, unity and healing.
We are indeed the mystery, the light, and shadow. We are the observed and the observer. We are heaven and hell. We are the coffee in our favorite cup, held just so, and sipped with delight, time after time.
(The ideas for this Breath were creatively stimulated by reading Jeff Jawer’s “Cardinal Consciousness: 2010 and Beyond,” In the Oct. ’09 Mountain Astrologer.)
Asana: Vasisthasana. There is added comfort in this Pose knowing it is dedicated to Vasistha, a seer, or sage “who was the family priest of the solar race.’” Perhaps as we move into it, we embody some of his ‘sight.’
Bring R palm to the floor–underneath the R shoulder. Release legs straight back, as you turn body sideways, balancing on R hand & outer edge of R foot. Maintain the body straight, strong and open as you reach L hand up. If you can, lift L leg, to grasp big toe. As L leg extends, the sole of R foot presses into floor, suspending body between heaven and hell. Roll over to do other side.
Health Notes: Clearly arms and wrists grow stronger. The legs and lower spine are toned and stretched, perhaps our sight as well. Focus on the contradictions of power and lightness inherent in the Pose.
Astrology Notes: There is a reason old man Saturn is exalted in Libra, for in her airiness and the need to see all sides to an issue, Libra can be too indecisive without Saturn’s shadow of rules and regulations. Paul Valery once wrote. “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” Libra is a beautiful dreamer of love, Saturn is her wake up caller.
Ayurvedic Notes: Vata, like Libra, can drift into many directions easily. Not only is fall Vata’s time of greater imbalance, but as we age, we all become more Vata, suffering from forgetfulness that grows from being distracted. A few basic Vata-balancing practices are keeping the skin moist with sesame oil, eating warm, moist foods, adding more grains, and choosing sweeter fruits, (bananas, apples, mangos).
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