Space Element:

The final frontier…We finish off our dive into the elements with the one that holds, supports and is within all the others – Space. In Sanskrit, known as ‘Akasha’ – you many have heard of the ‘akashic records’. These are the recordings of all things known – memories if you will of everything that has ever existed in the Universe. Our element of ‘space’ – holds, literally the ‘space’ for these memories.

In our Universal Principles of Anusara we may relate Akasha with Open to Grace. Space is the place of the unmanifest becoming manifest. It is pregnant with potential – just like your own nature. Indeed, as you have discovered, each element resides within you. Space is your spirit; infinite, limitless. It is your own true nature shining forth in every pose, breath and action.

In the body, Space element is represented by the 5th Chakra – at the throat area. Sound is associated with Space and so this week we may use our voices in our practice. We will step into our authentic self and attempt to speak, seek and find the truth of our own nature.

The Space element is also associated with our auditory functions. I plan to decorate ‘auditory parts’ i.e. my ears with sparkly, shining gems – just for fun – join me! At Good Life Yoga we make every attempt to celebrate all there is in life. And this week, we celebrate and honor the element of Space – the final frontier with inversions and an invitation to embrace every space in our hearts, minds, and bodies.

Air Element

What feeds fire? Air. This week we explore the element of air that comes in the form of your breath with the capacity to expand and rise. Air is connected with your heart chakra and offers you the ability to find compassion for yourself and others. Think of air as penetrating and highly mobile. These capacities flow over and relate to your minds ability to be quick, and curious. Air touches the skin and this sensation of ‘touch’ is related to the air element.

Connected to your prana or life force, air flows within you as your breath and as one of our Universal Principles of Alignment it is aligned with Organic Energy. At Good Life Yoga this week, we explore this 4^th Element and look for ways to bring it into our awareness on and off the mat. Expect to find some challenging arm balances, backbends thought provoking inquiry and Pranayama (breathwork).

The Fire Element

This week we celebrate the element that is fire. It snaps, rises and creates beautiful forms of nature. Fire lives in the solar plexus and helps us to define who we are.

When we think of fire we think of transformation, warmth and tranquility. We also think of destruction and anger. There are always two sides to a sword. When we develop our ability to wield fire effectively we learn to embrace the fullness of ourselves, our capacity for transformation and our ability to focus intently.

In our yoga practice, fire this week takes the form of our outer spiral. When we assume our ability to draw into our core by hugging all sides evenly and drawing our tailbone toward earth, our solar plexus rises up. The center of ourselves comes into focus and our power, strength and capacity is realized. We will also incorporate a bit of heat, as fire is known to have and incorporate visual focus as a tool to help us maintain our sense of fullness; oneness with the fire element all around us.

Water Element

We are diving into the Water Element this week. Water offers us the remembrance of our own fluidity. It reminds us that we can go with the flow and be accommodating. Water seeks harmony by creating solutions to obstacles. It literally fills in the gaps and wends its way effortlessly around problems and sticky situations. It runs deep in many places and reminds us that there is always peace when we immerse ourselves in our own bright being.

In our practice this week we flow in our poses and using the principle of Inner Spiral we open the creative energy in the hips.

Earth Element:

Strong, powerful, heavy and solid the earth element is a wonderful support to all of us. It is the body we count on everyday to get us around. It is the ground we walk on. Earth element is naturally the rocks and solid structures that we find all around us in our environment. This energy keeps us connected to the floor; it pulls at us when we need to sleep or slow down. It reminds us of our limitations and our very dimensions as humans. We have this “earthly” body so to speak. Earth energy is the quality of steady, solid muscle energy that we implore in all of our yoga poses. It delights us with form. It is the structure of our yoga mat – finite, four corners, measured and offering boundary. Earth energy is the gravity that holds us to earth; the magnetic force that holds us together – we are drawn to her and she draws us near.

This week at Good Life, we honor our connections to this marvelous energy. Expect lots of grounding, earthy poses to pull you deep into Mother Earth’s embrace. You may also expect to encounter the strength and play of her gravity as you try and move up and off the earth in a play with hand balances and inversions.

Spirit Joy

Our spirit sings when we remember how interconnected we are.  Who you are and what you do has always mattered.  How you speak and what you create has already made an impact on the world around you.  Never think for a moment that you are living within a vacuum.   You have already done so much in this world just by taking a breath here.  Your spirit has unfolded into the gift of your body and has been sending out a vibration unique to you.  The world around you has shifted because of you being in it.

Feed the joy in your spirit with this recognition.  Wake up and see that every day matters.  The level of your participation in the day can be small or great.  As Anusara yogis we choose greatness for ourselves and others.  However, on the day that you feel the smallness of your human self challenging your sense of purpose, your acts of greatness and in general your sense of Self, remember that by nature, your human self is limited.  Step into your center, embrace your spirit and ride her wings to a higher vision of life.  A small act that creates Joy is as valuable as a great act.   It all matters.  When you are lost in that small place – seek joy.  Find it in connection.  Seek connections with other bright-hearted people.  Seek connection in creating joy for others and you will find it for yourself.   Use your words, your hands and your mind.  Do great things.  Do small things.  You matter.  Your life matters.  You have so much to offer.  Step into the remembrance of your connection and nourish your spirit with Joy.

This week we step into connection with our fellow mat mates and recognize how much they have influenced our own heart’s joy.

Sanctuary  - Creating Healing and Harmony

When you walk through the doors at Good Life Yoga you know immediately that this is a place of peace, healing and harmony.  Your spirit senses the kindred energy and you feel rejuvenated. Imagine if the walls here could talk.  They would share stories of healing energy uplifting the many hearts that practice here.  They would describe a sanctuary; a sacred place of peace and harmony for all who enter.

Our practice is a sacred experience.  When we choose to bring our entire self into the practice and to dedicate each moment, literally every breath as something sacred, we enhance the space around us.  It becomes luminous, cleansed, and dedicated to harmony and healing.  Our mats define the immediate space where we work the practice.  Around its edges and within its borders we find ourselves.  We meet the courageous heart of a backbend.  We meet the strength and determination of a long held pose.  We acknowledge the whimsical and playful Midline while standing on one leg.  While we are absorbed in the full experience of the self we create vibrant, sacred energy.

Your practice is the product of what you put into it.  This week we dedicate our practice to creating harmonious and healing energy for the good space in which we practice, for our own heart’s delight and for the support of all others in our lives.

At the sanctuary that is Good Life Yoga, expect a deep nourishing practice of strong standing poses, backbends and quiet contemplation.

Midline Redoux…

The midline theme from last week hit a chord with many, many students – a chord of recognition, power and freedom.  This is the glory of the Midline:  your direct access, or axis to your connection with yourself, earth and sky.  There is a sense of wonder, excitement and joy when you trust in your power to hug in and assume the greatest energy you are capable of in that moment.  Because of your joy and wonder we are ‘redoing’ the Midline theme…

You can’t get too far down line with the Midline theme before you begin to hear other familiar terms like, ‘focal point’, muscle and organic energies.  The juice of the Midline is a balance of muscle and organic energies.  The focal points are central power centers where you ‘plug’ in and out from to encourage the greatest flow of energy. 

There is so much to play with here.  Last week we concentrated on arm balances and for good reason.  Accessing the midline is absolutely fundamental to practicing effective and fun arm balances.  This week we offer the Midline Redoux with a few arm balances and then move our understanding of the midline into other familiar standing balances poses before cooling down with forward folds and hip openers.  A Midline Fest so to speak at Good Life Yoga this week.  And if you’ve been really digging this theme you should strongly consider coming to the, “There’s no Place like OM” workshop on May 22…for what is the vibration of that magical Midline?  That’s right…”Om is where the heart is…” see details on my website www.goodlifeyoga.com

Hug to the Midline

If you’ve taken an Anusara yoga class there’s an excellent chance that you’ve heard, “hug to the midline!” more than once.  I know for a fact that some students hear this phrase in their heads while navigating difficult landscapes.  We hug to the midline while walking up or down the stairs with heavy objects, stepping onto a slippery surface or even navigating the space near the rim of a volcano.  Okay, if you didn’t read a recent newsletter then you might not understand the volcano reference – just use your imagination.

Point is, when we actively bring muscle energy directly to the center line of ourselves, stability ensues.  Picture a line from the top of your head down your spine and running between your legs.  This is the magical midline of Anusara lore.  Our midline is like a super highway that connects us to earth and sky.  Along that highway are three focal points that help us refine the actions of muscle and organic energies.  When we work from the center of ourselves, no matter which focal point we implore, we move from a position of our greatest strength and our greatest freedom.  Think of Triangle pose and remember how good it feels to move that top arm up and out from the pelvic focal point and not just from the shoulder.  We draw into the midline, plug into our core and from there expand back out again.  

This week at Good Life Yoga expect to hear, “hug to the midline”, more than once as we explore its usefulness in a number of poses from hand balances to standing poses.

 Introspection

Studying yourself on the mat is a hallmark of the practice.  You watch closely where you place your feet.  You observe thoughts and register emotions.  You make good choices based on what you are feeling, and how your body is at the moment.  Stepping into the quiet of your mind and body is not an easy task for some and a welcome relief for others.   This week at Good Life Yoga we will encourage a quiet, steady practice that allows you to step inside yourself.

The deeper you go into the quiet, the more you are able to observe.  In a pose with silence all around, you can more easily hear your breath and sense the energy moving through you.  There is nowhere else to be.   You find the calm center of yourself and sit in a grand seat of observation.  Expect steady holdings, hip openers and breath work this week.  It’ll be good to be ‘home.’