1 Yoga Posture and 1 Reflective Practice
for Tuning Into the
Spirit of TAURUS:
**
Practice of Personal Landscape
from J. McClellan, in "The
Many Voices of the Boulder Creek Watershed"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's useful to print this page. In any case, read thru before starting.
This pose
is called:
Vrikasana
It is commonly known
as
Tree Pose
and was chosen for its resonance with the stable, anchored forces of
Tree & Nature
which describe Taurus so well.
It's very Centering and develops poise, balance, focus &
strength.
This alignment challenges us
to remain steady, grounded & balanced
in the face of the unexpected.
And like most yoga asanas, it brings together the forces of Earth &
Sky.
This posture may
be adapted to all body types and conditions.
It is not strenuous, though it does require concentration
and a certain tonicity in the legs.
Remain open to your body's messages. Respect your limits.
the Key : Awaken
the inner Light Body,
use your Breath to move Energy where needed. Focus.
Try to contact and move from your inner energy, not just your muscles.
The whole idea behind
asanas is:
Developing focus and concentration so as to calm the mental agitation.
Preparing the body to receive higher frequency~
strengthening, toning, clearing the channels, etc
STILLING:
Prepare a comfortable space, where you won't be bothered for 30 minutes
or so...
Standing, feet together,
arms hanging at your sides.Your back remains straight.
Breathe deeply, steadily, to relax and prepare your body.
Calm your emotions, let go of busy mental chatter. Find inner stillness.
ROOTS
Take some time to establish some "roots" in your place.
Remember~ you
are Tree.
Feel your stability, your roots ~ in yourself, in your body.
You are the connecting agent between Sky and Earth.
Feel at ease, grounded, unwavering.
Breathe slowly and calmly.
When ready, bend
your right leg, taking the right foot in your hand.
Bring this right foot and pose it on the inside of your left thigh.
The right knee is pointing to the side.
The foot may slip~ it sometimes helps to hitch up your pants so as to
pose your foot directly onto your skin. But this does not always work.
So you might have to make an added effort to keep that foot up.
Take time to find
your balance, gently moving your legs & back as necessary.
EARTH
& US
After a moment, you may feel a certain unity with the ground/floor.
The energies of your body & the earth mingle and meet.
Take time to savor and explore this connection with Earth forces.
As you settle more and more into Ground, earth rises to flow up into
you.
It is reciprocal. This reminds us, too, of the
give-and-take relation we can cultivate with Earth,
a worthy reflection at this Taurus time of year.
ASCENT
Now
you're ready to raise your arms up, to the sky.
Hands together in a comfortable manner, palms touching.
The back is straight yet supple.
This is your prayer to the heavens, to the world.
This joining of hands towards the Sky represents the honoring of
Integrity, Center, Focus, Ascension.
Activate the
Heart Center in the process,
thru breath, visualization, affirmation,
honoring the Taurus connection to this chakra.
You may need to
play with the movement of your legs and back
to remain in balance and at ease.
Your arms should remain supple and sinuous
in order to find a right relationship with the rest of your body.
Stay open and soft.
Tune into the balance of anchored leg and rising to sky.
Breathe calmly and deeply, at your own rhythm.
When ready, return
gently to the initial position.
Try the same pose, on the other side this time.
Experiment &
notice
how your attitude and relaxed concentration
determine the ease and flow of the posture
AFFIRMATIONS
Experiment using affirmations with this pose. Some examples:
I am full anchored
& grounded; my branches touch the Heavens.
Taurus calm fills my being.
Taurus inner peace fills my every cell.
I am centered, strong, stable.
Upright and poised, I meet every obstacle with balance.
Body, Heart, Mind & Soul are united.
ETC...
SYMBOLISM
As you explore this asana, contemplate the symbolism.
Be open to where it leads. Some questions might be:
Am I lacking poise, steadiness, focus ? Where in my life is this true
?
Am I unyielding like a rigid, heavy tree or can I bend in the wind,
flexible,
without losing my sturdiness? Or do I topple over too easily ?
What is the True Source of my roots ? Are they healthy & deep ?
How are they being nourished ?
How easily do I balance on one leg ?
How conscious and graceful is my relation
between earth and sky
(between the practical and idealistic aspects of my life) ?
Am I straining or scrambling, insisting on "getting it right" ?
Is the mind too busy ? Where is resistance coming from ? Etc…
Once you've finished, lie down for sometime, totally releasing into the horizontal position.
Here is
an essay to be reflected upon and practiced.
It can help us enter deeply into the Spirit of Taurus.
**Practice
of Personal Landscape
from
J. McClellan, in "The Many Voices of the Boulder Creek Watershed"
"...Most of
us remain strangers to the landscape we live and work in.
The following are four principles which will help you become intimate
with a landscape and culture:
Love It:
Love doesn't arise out of an environmental improvement program or externally
applied values. Real love depends on respect for all that one meets
in the beloved. Since all modern landscapes are wounded, this means
appreciation for their beauty and woundedness together.
Use It:
You must make practical use of a landscape if you wish to get to know
it. Live in it, meditate in it, work in it, hunt and gather something
you need and love to find in it. This "use" is what makes
the relationship come alive.
Study It:
You have to get to know the birds, the insects, the plants and animals,
the clouds and stars and seasonal weather patterns. The roads, houses,
stores, and factories, the energy grids, the communication networks,
the pollutants, dumps, and wastelands.
One Place:
Be specific. Love, use and study one place at a time. The more specific
and limited the place, the more personal and intimate the relationship
with it will be. Become intimate with your own backyard, with a bit
of riverbank, with a pond or hill. The rest of the watershed, the meta-landscape,
the continent, planet and universe will be naturally drawn into this
intimacy..."
