Heaven’s Pentimento

When a momentous event grabs the scruff of our necks and without warning, hurls us into new space, quite often unbidden thoughts, sounds, and visions laminate themselves in a collage from the past.  These overlays, formed from un-processed, precious, and often seemingly non-essential childhood memories, fast forward into full view when emotions are stirred.  At these times we can no longer keep the lid down. Bottom layers are up-ended, and this disturbance allows years of bleed-through to become visible,

One can only deal with three to four major emotional issues in a life , so the same ones are cut, poked and exacerbated over and over, with only the form changing, not the wound’s essential energy.  We all tend to bury pain.  This makes a treasure trove of angst, regret, fear, and sorrow that waits until defenses are down. The times are ripe for revelation.  The planetary kingdom is demanding change, and true change only comes from the inside-out.

Wounding-gifts that form our fine paintings seek new definition, and  revelation, We are lucky when opportunity knocks, hard knocks to be sure, but this allow us see original lines drawn under old paint, The transparency of age allows vision of the pentimento, the layers of what we have repented, and re-painted over the jagged edges and dodgy outlines of the childhood.  Are these visions not steps toward heaven?

Energetic Forces

Asana: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana-Bridge Pose. Lying on the back, bend knees, bringing feet in parallel, and as close to buttocks as possible. On exhale press feet down and curl tailbone up, lifting lower, then upper back off floor.  Keep thighs parallel and lengthen knees away from hips, lift pubis toward navel.  Clasp hands under back, bringing shoulders closer together.  Keep weight off the neck.  As you advance in this pose, try to release any squeezing or tightening of the buttocks to create greater space in lower spine and tailbone. Neck is neutral, Don’t thrust chin into breast bone, instead bring sternum toward chin.  Remain and breathe easily as long as you wish.  When leaving pose, release hands, and move from top of spine down, tailbone last.

In addition to the well known version, you can increase the difficulty by walking feet away from buttocks, and lengthening legs so the body looks like a long, lovely Chinese bridge.  Place hands under back hipbones, fingers pointing toward feet, for support.  A third is to lift legs into the air from here, extending them long and strong away from torso. Don’t do this version if lower back is weak.  Parsva Sarvangasana– Is when you add side extensions to plane the entire length of torso and legs out, reaching to right then left.

Health Notes: As it stretches chest, spine, and possibly the neck, it improves digestion, asthma, relieves menstrual discomfort, reduces anxiety, helps with backache, headache, and insomnia. It stimulates the organs, thyroid, and lungs, calms the brain, which is why sleeping, stress, and high blood pressure are helped.

Astrololgy Notes: Turning inward, away from Libra’s airy lightness, we plunge into Scorpio’s frozen waters, demanding questions of redemption, fate, and transformation,  Scorpio’s rulers, Pluto, with Mars, are nothing if not deep, demanding, and volcanic.  Wherever Scorpio is in our charts we plunge into emotional waters seeking to discover regenerative ways and means.

Ayurvedic Notes: As the weather turns colder, Vata energies merge toward Kapha.  If you live in temperate climes, (lucky you) most likely you continue dealing with Vata Dosha (imbalances).  But for those expecting first snowfalls, begin thinking Kapha Dosha: ramp up the physical Practice, eat leaner, less of those warm, cheesy bits, and if inclined to depression and lethargy, renew energies with handstands, and headstands.