DAILY There might be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are a million ways to be a lover, not just lover to another lover, but a passionate life-lover, those who move through their days in light-filled Grace because they are not slaves to fear. The dreariness of mid-winter calls for re-booting fires of passion. We are hungry for heat, desperate for the growing light, and in older times, fearful we would not survive to see spring.
In ancient cultures, from the Iroquois to the Aztecs, mid-winter celebrated the increase in light with rituals of re-starting hearth fires. The New Year of the ancient Celts was Imbolc, a fire festival that became Christianized into Candelmas. The New Moon this week signals the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit. These cycles underlie and promote desires to begin again, to let go of old baggage, and re-boot heartfelt hope.
The great wonder taking place in Egypt is not an accident. It is a convergence of planetary energies for change, memories of ancient cycles, and people whose hearts have grown so full they stand to face fear. Love is rebelliousness for it listens only to the heart. The mind creates boundaries from fear. There are no boundaries with love. It moves us out of the past, into the unknown.
Whenever we love, we win, and whenever need is great, we can always find reason to begin again. The question is, what keeps us from beginning over and over in any moment with everything to gain and nothing to lose? What darkness keeps us from our love-light? How do we put conditions on love that cause it to disappear? Why do we manipulate love so it manifests as destruction, not creation?
In becoming passionate lovers, what elixir can we offer Self that we ever so gladly give away in loving another? When we are truly passionate, there is not you and me. There is no my religion instead of yours, no my country V.S. your country. In fact, when we do this love thing really-really well, there will be no countries, no priests, no politicians, for these things only want to divide us. Priest and politicians teach fear to keep us in our place, separate, and terrified of rebellion.
When love rebels, it grows boundary-less. Fear divides to conquer. Love is the only quality bringing light to darkness. It is the singular energy combating narrow, limiting loneliness. Only lovers die in the peace of fearlessness, for love opens every door to walk out weightless on the wind, full and shimmering.
Pose & Seasonal Energies
Asana: There are a number of poses that open the heart meridian, (see last week’s notes). If you are feeling heart-stuck, fearful, dragged down in past sorrows, do a series of three heart meridian poses such as Down Dog, Puppy Dog, Wild thing, or flip your Dog upside down, (see photo of last week). Simply doing side stretches while seated, lengthening the arm over to the opposite side, helps activate this meridian.
Health Notes: All of the above poses work not only the emotional heart, but the physical heart, and blood pressure, those issues and channels that support the heart. If you can find a way to at least smile, or sing along to music while doing them, the heart expands far beyond anything we know.
Astrology Notes: This is a week of not only a New Moon in Aquarius that signals the Chinese New Year, but many other planets have converged in the future thinking, brotherhood of man energies of Aquarious. I think it is one of the reasons that the Egyptians have managed their rebellion so beautifully thus far. It is of the people, for the people, a true Aquarian religion. Let us support their success with light-prayers.
Ayurvedic Notes: The old saying, “As a man wishes in his heart, so he is,” is the result of samkalpa. This means motivation and will. These are actions of the mind, but when we bring that same desire to the heart, we begin to create inner pathways to change karma. Yoga is a wonderful tool for cultivating samkalpa for self realization, as Ayurveda cultivates it for healing. The clearer we become about our path, the plans the strategy, the more the heart takes over from the mind, the lighter we become.
This was a particularly difficult winter. The stuck feeling was very strong for me, and all I wanted to do was go somewhere else. As spring gets closer, the burden is being lifted (less snow, a new job opportunity) I find myself relieved, but I feel a sense of loss almost, for the intense drive to move and change and escape. Let’s imagine a cork in a bottle… in a champagne bottle. I would like to think this is because I AM moving and changing, like I’ve been uncorked and I’m flying through the air, wondering what happened to that feeling on my backside. But what happens now? Do I sprout wings and learn to fly? Or do I ricochet of the ceiling and end up behind the couch? That would be a terrible place to be all summer.
It may not feel like it, but you’re already in flight. You are one of those who are leading the way for others. No cowering behind couches…it’s too late for that, no matter what you are feeling. Your ability to withstand loss, difficulty, and yes, hard-drive, even the corked up kind, is an amazing thing. I often stand in awe at your abilities.
Because of all the fiery Aires energy of many planets at this time, it’s good to know everyone is in some sort of hard-drive. Back off, sit still with your wonderful self, and know all is well. You are deeply loved.
Class was fabulous yeterday. The deep stretches and twists were just what these snowbound bodies craved. The Dance, Your Dance, was divine. In the beginning of February, you choreographed, demonstrated and taught us the dance. We watched in awe marveling at your grace, doubtful of our own. We limped through it with jerky movements. You persevered and so did we. The end of the month came, and the dance of asanas flowed. The dance was born. Once again, we yogis became dancers. You smiled and so did we. xo
So glad the twisty class served you well. It does seem we need to spend more time ‘wringing out’ in mid winter. I guess the stuck feeling that descends in piles of snow & cold turns us inward to cleanse and re-consider any forward movement? Dunno? Waddya think?
Also glad the dance has come together this month. It was more difficult than I first thought. Think we need to video it before we lose it eh? You standing front & center I hope?
I love this! I just wish we could all live the wisdom that “love” offers us. I love the last line,”Only lovers die in the peace of fearlessness, for love opens every door to walk out weightless on the wind, full and shimmering.” Beautiful, picturesque words of wisdom.