Resolve to take this calm, peaceful, open, and spacious awareness with you into your everyday life and the next thing that you do today. Notice how you are feeling and observe how the waterfall breathing has affected you. When you feel ready, let go of the divided out-breath and the image of the waterfall. Imagine that each part your out-breath is like water flowing down a waterfall and onto a ledge, where you pause briefly, and then exhale again, each part flowing down onto another ledge, before finally reaching a peaceful pool, where you pause briefly and then inhale. Keeping this image of the cascading waterfall in your mind, return again to the divided out-breath. Picture the water flowing down steps of rock into a calm pool below. Now, going back to your normal breathing, imagine that you are in a beautiful, peaceful place watching a gently cascading waterfall. If this feels comfortable, you can then go on to divide the out-breath into three equal parts, with pauses in between each part. Imagine that with each part of the divided out-breath you are stepping down a step and then briefly pausing before stepping down another step. If it feels comfortable, begin to divide each exhale into two equal parts, with a pause in between each part. Over several breaths begin to gently lengthen the exhale. Now become aware of and focus more on your exhale. No need to control the breath, just allow the breath to establish its own natural rhythm. Rest for a few breaths.įind yourself a comfortable sitting position. Repeat × 6, alternating sides, and then stay for a few breaths in each pose on each side.ĩ. Exhale: lower both knees toward floor on left, turn head right. Clasp hands under body and stay for a few breaths.Ħb. Repeat × 6, staying for a few breaths the final time.Ħa. Stay here for a few breaths, drawing your awareness inward. Repeat × 6, staying for a few breaths the final time.Ĥ. Chanting Om sit back into Child’s Pose from all fours. Chanting Ma come into Child’s Pose from tall kneeling. Stay for one breath with hands resting on belly. Exhale: bring hands back to the belly, chanting Ma. In my next few posts I'll give you more guidance on working with the Summer Solstice meditation questions. With this in mind I was wondering how it would be to work with the meditation questions at this challenging time? Would they still be relevant when the whole world has been turned upside down by the virus? Yesterday morning I put aside some time to work with the Summer Solstice meditation questions, and I'm so glad I did! I can report back to you that even during the pandemic the questions are still relevant, and working with them will help you to review your year so far, to arrive firmly in the present, and to look forward to where you want to get to over the coming months. However, this year it's all different, many of us are quarantined, physically distancing ourselves from other people, each in our own little bubble. It's usually a time for getting together with friends, outside community events, travel to beautiful places. It's a time for pushing your ideas out into the world and the emphasis is on outward action and achievement, rather than contemplation and simply being. What a year 2020 has been so far! Usually summer is a very yang, outward going time. The questions will give you the space to reflect on the journey you have taken across the light half of the year, since the Winter Solstice and the direction you want to take over the coming months as we enter the darker half of the year. Here in the Northern Hemisphere we are a few days away from the Summer Solstice, and now is a good time to start working with the Summer Solstice meditation question ( a full set of questions can be found in the Yoga Through the Year book, pages 73-75). I'll also share with you different ways of working with the questions depending on how much time you have available to you. In the next few blog posts I'll look at specific topics covered by the Summer Solstice meditation questions, and we can explore the challenges and opportunities that are present when working with them during these unprecedented times. I find working with them always brings something out into the light that had been previously hidden, and in doing so I am helped to overcome obstacles and move forward with my life. They are specific to the season you are in and will help you to align your own energy, plans, and dreams, to the ebb and flow of the energy of the season you are in. The seasonal meditation questions are my favourite part of the seasonal yoga approach that I've developed in the Yoga Through the Year book.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |