Creating Balance in life through Balancing Postures

We all know about the mind and body connection however, knowledge is never power unless we apply it. Some of us may be quick to reach for the pain killers without thought, rather than exploring the source of the pain, acknowledging that it may in fact originate in the mind.

Have you ever felt completely unstable in your being, whether that be emotionally or circumstantially in life? Well, have you ever given thought to the fact that by creating stability in your body, you'd create stability emotionally and maybe in your life?

I'd love to go on and talk about chakras here and with reference to what we're talking about, the base chakra however, that is a whole other subject on its own so for now back to balances.

Yoga is a toolkit that offers an array of benefits, least of which being emotional stability which in turn will have a positive impact on the stability you will go on to create in life. Also if you struggle with your physical foundations in your body then practising Yoga on a regular basis is only going to improve that which in turn will strengthen muscles, create denser bones and strengthen joints.

So whenever coming into a standing balance here's what to know..

1) The weight baring leg doesn't need to be fully straight however, know that over time you want to work towards that, without locking out the joint of the knee. Particularly if your hamstrings are tight - all in good time my friend.

2) Work on using the upper thigh muscle to lift the knee up into the thigh bone like in most standing poses.

3) You can come into a balance even if both legs are firmly on the ground and you're mentally focusing on shifting weight onto the other leg. Then maybe start to use tiptoes next time, taking the heel of the foot off as you balance on your other leg.

4) Focus your attention on something fixed and non-moving

5) BREATHE! If you suffer with high blood pressure go easy. Most importantly this applies to everyone; focus on your breath.

Have fun, be playful and don't take yourself or your practise too seriously.

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Full Moon in Cancer 2023

If you're anything like me you felt as if this Full Moon has crept up upon you without any warning at all. We've had the festive period of Christmas and New Year and now suddenly we're back round to another intense Full Moon. So what can you expect during this time and what can you do to bring harmony and all the good things into your life that you desire? Well, read on and you may just find out.

This Full Moon, January 6th 2023 is in the Water sign of Cancer and boy have I felt the build up of this Full Moon. You see the sign of Cancer is ruled by the Full Moon however, you don't have to be a Water sign or even a Cancerian crab to be affected by the pull of this full moon.

All star signs will be affected by the emotion of this water sign. Perhaps you have found yourself to be moody, not wanting to venture out of your shell and perhaps you've been a bit snappy like the hard exterior of the crab. All of this is normal and even the ultimate feeling of the crab which is sensitivity. This sensitivity can simply be experienced when you find light or noise too intense or feelings of vulnerability and paranoia or confusion.

This is a confusing time because the New Year is a time for New promise, to make New Year's Resolutions and put into action all that we wish to reap in the spring and summer, No?

No! This is a time of introspection, reflection and contemplation. Time to go into your own shell, look back on your previous year and praise yourself for every small accomplishment you'v made. Look forward and ponder, without the need to take action, just really think about what and who are important to you.

This is totally a time to journal and as you do be aware of how you feel during this time. As you write, you invite and when you do observe if what you've written invites and lights you up or are you simply writing what you think you ought to call in?

A very good friend of mine reminded me that what we're all seeking is to feel something whether that be love, safety, familiarity or fun etc. We don't seek money for the pieces of paper or pound signs in our account, we seek it for the feeling that it will bring us when we take our family on holiday or feel that relief that we can put food on the table.

The last thing I will add about the power of this full moon is it's the start of the process called the undoing or unlearning. It's the unlearning and undoing of everything that is no longer serving us. Old habits and rituals that pull us back into a place of fear and further away from the ultimate feeling of love. Before we return to love we must unlearn all of the old ways that have kept us small, kept us in the past, unable to move forward and have clocked us in fear. This reminds me of the tarot card the seven of swords, it totally depicts that.

Another important thing to note is that the Cancer sign is linked to the third eye chakra so in order to tap into your inner-tuition, you must turn your attention back in. I was reminded recently that what we desire so desperately to change externally in our outside world is simply a call to change something within.

If you love all this kinda stuff, then why not check out my Wild Women UK facebook group. It's a free group you can join and hear more about stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bornwildwomenuk

Be a Warrior not a Worrier

I just love the fierce Warrior poses because it doesn’t matter where you are in your practice, anybody of any age and Yoga ability can practise them. In fact it’s often easier to start with standing poses in Yoga, mastering them before moving to the floor postures.

The Warrior Poses Meaning

They are named after the fierce warrior Virabhadra, who is said to symbolise our inner ability to overcome ego and ignorance. The warriors challenge and test us but in doing so bring us strength, focus, confidence and courage.

Warrior One known in Sanskrit as Virabhadrasana One

Benefits

increases flexibility in the hips and strengthens and tones the legs, ankles and feet. If you include the arms, then this pose also increases flexibility and strength in the upper body also.

Watch out for

Create length in the lower back in Warrior One but watch out because there can be a tendency for the pelvis to tilt forward in this pose making a stronger arch in the lower back. To counter this, rather than tucking the tailbone under, look to keep length in the lower back instead.

Warrior Two

Benefits

Requires lots of strength and stability, including flexibility in the hips and upper body so as a consequence of practising this, you’re going to be working on the beautiful blend of strength and flexibility in those areas. This pose also teaches us about one of the key principles of yoga; the balance of steadiness and ease and it gets us to involve the whole body. During this time it is great to have a focus on keeping the back arm lifted and the outer edge of the back foot grounded.

Watch out for

Protecting your knees! In fact this can be said in all of the Warrior poses. Warrior II is a good pose to learn about your own body in terms of the alignment of your knee and ankle. For most people the safest position for the knee joint is for it to be stacked over the ankle. Sometimes however, the knee can fall in towards the big toe side of the foot. To protect the knee and ankle joint you can check to see if the knee is pointing in the same direction as the second and third toe.

Warrior Three

Benefits

This pose is a balance that trains our focus and works the small muscles in the feet and ankles. Keeping a slight bend in the knee can help with balance and prevent the knee from locking. Think about energy coming out through your back foot to help lift the leg. This pose can be practised with the arms in different positions: parallel with each other in front, out to the sides, slightly pointing back or with the palms together.

Watch out for

In Warrior III the hips should be level with each other so be careful not to twist them of open out to the side. Do this by engaging your core keeping the spine neutral.

Reverse Warrior

Benefits

This Pose opens us up to the world and gives an amazing opening of the side body, releasing tension in the intercostal muscles around the ribs and allowing for a freer deeper breath.

Watch out for

Take care of your neck. You can look to the floor, the ceiling or straight ahead.

Humble Warrior

Benefits

This pose teaches us surrender as we bow into the pose. Unlike the other warrior poses which open us up to the world, this forward bend variation allows us to draw our focus inwards. On a physical level it is a deep hip and shoulder opener. You can begin this pose in Warrior I, as you bring your upper body forward and inside your bent knee the hips can tend to swing out to the side.

Watch out for

Try to keep them parallel with the edges of your mat by rolling the hip of your bent leg under.

So enjoy having a practice of the Warriors and notice that as a beautiful consequence of this you’ll worry less about others and the world around you and be more focused on the changes and transformations you’re able to create within.