Exploring Equanimity

“Let the wave of memory, the storm of desire, the fire of emotion pass through without affecting your equanimity.” Sathya […]

It is already the season of spring and the Noongar season of Djilba represented by the colour pink and growth […]

In a culture that celebrates being busy taking time out for deep relaxation may feel indulgent or at least maybe […]

If you came along to my yoga classes this week you would have experienced Energy Block Release (Awaken the Heart) in a whole new way! Adding in an awareness of the Prana Vayus. Prana fills the body, it brings life to the body and is the life course flowing through our bodies. Pra = first or innate and Ana = tiniest/indivisible. Vayu = that which flows. The 5 Prana Vayus are sub doshas of Vata (air/space) dosha and influence not only physical health but also mental health and emotional well-being.

Over the first seven weeks of Dru Yoga classes we have been journeying through the chakras or energy centres. This week we arrive at the throat chakra or Vishuddha. This chakra is all about communication and self-expression but it is not just all about speaking, the first step is listening.

What are your energy givers and energy takers?

Energy givers are activities and people that radiate positive energy and leave you feeling recharged and inspired. They uplift your spirits and make you feel good about yourself and the world around you. And then you’ve got energy takers, activities and people that drain your energy and leave you feeling depleted and exhausted. After interacting with such people, or doing those activities, you are left feeling emotionally and physically drained.

“Energy is the living, vibrating ground of your being, and it is your body’s natural self-healing elixir, its natural medicine.” – Donna Eden

Try this practice to give you a sense of what energy or charge in your body feels like. Sit comfortably with a straight spine, extend your arms directly out in front of you and begin to rub your palms together till you feel warmth. The seperate your hands a few centimetres apart and feel into the subtle energy field between the palms, it might feel like tingling, buzzing or a slight magnetic pull. This is subtle energy!

I often get asked what is Dru Yoga? Dru Yoga has its roots in Hatha Yoga in that in this context Hatha means physical. Under the umbrella of Hatha Yoga there are many traditions and styles such as Iyengar, Ashtanga and Vinyasa. Hatha can translate to mean ‘force’ so Hatha Yoga can be considered anything that you might do with the physical body including asana (yoga postures). Another translation is that Ha represents the sun and tha the moon so yoga aims to yoke, join or balance these two energies. While Dru Yoga is the second largest yoga teacher training school in the United Kingdom it is not so well known in other parts of the world. Dru Yoga can also be considered Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga and Kriya Yoga but these are worthy of a seperate blog post at a later date.

“Joy is not in things; it is in us.”
Richard Wagner

Each morning I shuffle my mantra cards and choose one randomly to contemplate during my morning meditation and for the rest of the day. Today the card that arrived was “I choose joy”. My immediate reaction and thought, given that I am beginning to manage my symptoms of depression, is well it is just not that simple. Can there be joy when there is pain and suffering? Can there by joy when life sucks? I have found it hard to write or say the words “merry” and “happy” that go with Christmas and New Year this season. I have been wishing people a safe, restful and peaceful holiday instead.