Do you feel the rhythm of the Earth's heart-drum She is beating at a pace, seasons flowing by with grace We stir from our sleep as the morning comes Black night welcoming our rest, new life arising from darkness. Do you feel the heat of the golden Sun? The fire in the sky giving life to everyone The trees shed their leaves when the autumn comes, While we're rushing round the place, never resting from the chase. Our cyclical natureBeing part of nature, humans are affected by and subjected to many cycles - those rises and falls of energy which happen throughout life, be they short cycles or ones which happen over years. They affect energy levels, mood/emotions and physiology, sometimes at our inconvenience. Here are a few 'tangible' examples... Outer cycles - night and day, the seasons of the Earth, the phases of the moon... Inner cycles - the cycle of our breath - inhale/exhale, our heart-beat, digestive rhythms, and the menstrual cycle for Women. The cycle we simply cannot ignore is that of the day and night - when it's dark we sleep and when the Sun rises, so do we. And when we run out of breath after a deep exhale, we almost immediately need to drink in our next life-giving inhale! Our society holds a culture of constantly trying to bloom and grow. Life's full cyclical nature is not honoured. But even our economy is subjected to cycles of growth and recession - periods of economic expansion, boom and recession, when from the depth of the slump, a turning point happens and the cycle begins again. So What??? So what if we embraced these innate rhythms which govern our lives, instead of adhering to our conditioned patterning, which resists or ignores this natural occurrence? Albert Einstein said "Look deep into nature, then you will understand everything better"... Nature has an innate intelligence. I wonder what would happen if we all followed her example? Living with the Seasons Winter is the time to surrender to stillness. Relax ... don't try and grow that lettuce in the middle of winter...it'll be a struggle! It's a time for rest, non-action. In the void we are invited to look within, be reflective, meditative, and in this state, we can regenerate, restore our strength, and dream & vision our desires - the seeds of our future growth. Spring comes. As the heat and light of the Sun increases, energy rises and expands and we feel more alive ... it's time to plant that lettuce!! There is stirring, movement, potential, excitement, creativity, growth, anticipation, experimentation, playfulness, risk-taking - these life-giving qualities. It's like we're warming up in preparation for the Big event... Expanding energies heighten and Boom!! It's summer. Because we've rested, reflected, restored our energy and dreamed our visions in Winter, and grown, nurtured and developed them in spring, we can now ride the biggest wave at the peak of the cycle. Achievement, action, productivity, fertility, energy, blooming, putting yourself out there, being seen and heard. (This is the constant season of our society - Go, go, go. But a flower can't bloom forever.) It's autumn. The days shorten, begin to draw back again. The trees shed their leaves, energy begins to turn inward. Like the autumn leaf we can let go of the things we don't wish to carry forward into the next cycle. Create space, de-clutter, edit, refine, sort the rubbish out from the recycling. And then we're prepared to hunker down once again into the darkness of winter, from where New Beginnings will emerge as surely as the Sun will rise again in the new dawn. Ideas for further exploration for anyone to do
This is nature's way of being. It's self-care. It involves checking in to your inner needs. So you can use it as an invitation to explore, tune in to yourself more deeply and honour your inner nature. Nobody else will do this on your behalf. Can you feel the rhythm of the Earth's heart-drum? She is beating at a pace.... Life flowing by with Grace. Beating at a pace... Flowing by with Grace.
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In yogic terms, the will is governed by the energy centre called ‘Manipura Chakra'. The element of this energy centre is Fire. It’s location is at the navel in the belly – hence the power behind our digestive processes is referred to as our ‘digestive fire’. If this energy centre is weak, then we may struggle to digest our food well. And if we don’t have much fire in our belly, we may lack a sense of personal power, identity, depth, and integrity – the ability to walk forward into life, taking actions and speaking words which are in alignment with our beliefs and values. We may favour instant gratification over working towards more substantial longer-term endeavours.
I was also fearful of being vulnerable - truly being seen or heard - always trying my best to stay small. Apart from being a waste of a life, it feels limiting and unsatisfying to hide behind the curtain and not have centre stage in ones own life. Each person should be the star of their own show right??
If you relate to any of this stuff then read this book...there is gold within it!!! But for now, here are 3 simple exercises to take away. Also, in relation to this blog, within the workshop on Sunday 13th May we'll be exploring stepping outside of our comfort zone and into the arena of the uncomfortable and sometimes scary 'risk zone' - the breeding ground for fulfillment, 'wholehearted living' and personal growth, where you and your will can have centre stage.
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AuthorHi, I'm Jess, this is my blog! ArchivesCategories |
Jessie Ellerton
Registered Osteopath and Yoga Teacher
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Contact
ellertonjessica@hotmail.com
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