Getting a Grip
While continuing to claw at the rockface during the ongoing freefall, I am having a few thoughts...
We need to get down. Get down tonight, sometime later today or right now, but down. Down on the floor. Anchor; ground and center. Drop and roll. Dig a hole, plant a bulb, pull a weed, hack at a Yucca. Play with the dog, the cat, vacuum under the couch. Scrub the kitchen floor on hands and knees; clean out and organize the low cupboards. Build a fire. Burn something. I do not know much about astrology, but I do know that my birth sign of Capricorn is of the Earth element. Right now, many of us - whether Earth, Air, Fire or Water sign - need to get grounded and feel protected, because our first Chakra has taken a HUGE hit. (I do know a bit about the Chakras).
I usually sleep on my side, but in these last few weeks, I have been falling asleep facedown. I walked over 20 miles in the three days post-election, (my left knee is pissed) all the while scanning the landscape for the perfect sized three-billion-year-old boulder in which to lie on top of and cling to in a life-giving embrace. I keep thinking back to the brief period of time in my early thirties when I worked at a New Age shop during the holidays. They sold elemental gemstones, rocks, and crystals. I was informed by the owner that as the “heavy-duty Capricorn,” (she’s not wrong) I should never - ever - touch Hematite, because it contains “too much grounding energy for even the lightweight Capricorns to tolerate.” Yeah, you know what? Pass the Hematite.
Marinating in the Yoga world for the past thirty years has shown me three important things: 1) People have a hunger for the sacred more than they have a hunger for flatter abs. 2) Women struggle with their energetic power (third chakra) and most everyone struggles with their voice (fifth chakra). 3) We are fragmented - our body, mind, and soul/spirit have trouble coming into harmony. We have overemphasized the mind in Western culture to the point where we are always in our heads.
When something is stuck or out of whack, the first instinct is to shake it or smack it like we used to do when the television or transistor radio signal wafted in and out or the needle on the vinyl got stuck in a groove. The gentler way is to adjust the channel or - preventatively - dust the record. In Yoga practice, we begin by becoming upside down. We look at the ceiling or the back of our eyelids instead of the computer or television screen. We shift into hearing not only external sounds with our ears but also with our intuition to hear our internal voice.
To strengthen our third Chakra - the Manipura or solar plexus Chakra - we should practice the poses that will strengthen our core, which in turn strengthen our confidence, energy, and digestion:
Standing split, Crow, Cobra, Boat, Plank, Bow, Twists, and Warrior I.
To clear our fifth Chakra - the Vishuddha or throat Chakra - singing and humming are beneficial. Chanting OM or any other mantra is also healing. Poses that will encourage an open fifth chakra are:
Cobra, Cat/Cow, Fish, Upward salute, Moon, and Upward facing dog.
If you happen to not be an Earth sign in these special times of having the rug (ground) pulled out from under you, or you just need some extra grounding because you feel fragmented and scattered, don’t simply turn up the car radio because you hear a strange noise coming from the engine. The simple act of getting down on the floor is a vital first step. Find a wall to sit next to. Lie on your side in fetal position with your rear end close to the wall. Simultaneously roll onto your back while swinging your legs up the wall. Rest here with soft - not bent - knees for up to five minutes. Then, bend your knees, placing the soles of your feet on the wall. Tuck your tailbone and push your feet into the wall. Breathe. Hold for four deep breaths, then release. Repeat three more times. Roll to your left side and rest for a minute.
To further help you ground and anchor without having to roll around in the mud, these poses will strengthen your first Chakra:
Mountain, Chair, Warrior II, Seated forward bend, Child’s pose, Tree, and the basic Lunge.
Spotify Playlist: 70s Songs to Soothe
Blessings & Comfort, and pass the Hematite,
Photo Credits: Melanie McLeod | top - Fionnphort, Isle of Mull | second from top - Craig Fonvuick mountain, Killiecrankie, Scotland | second from bottom - Elmwood Park, Omaha, Nebraska | bottom - Isle of Harris, Scotland
The playlist is awesome.