Dear Listeners,
It’s been a minute since I posted. In the time that passed I visited some different lands, I contemplated how the year was going and the direction of whats to come. Todays meditation is based on some observations I’ve made regarding our precious endocine organs and critical anatomical centers. I’m aware people dont necessarily think of their body this way, but with such delicate, sophisticated and sensitive tissues functioning in our bodies isn’t it high time we begin bringing our awareness to the beauty and grace in our own design?
In the time that passed, I’ve decided to ‘up’ my activity because it keeps my unruly mind in order and my body happier. Perpetually disatisfied with my morning routine, I decided to start the day with a restorative pose, just one, for a minimum of five minutes, for 30 days (to avoid talking myself out of it).
Viparita Karani is an old standby pose, known as ‘legs up the wall’ and is one of the easier poses to do as long as youre able to get onto the floor, which I understand may be challenging for some people. Here are some links to review which provides additional instruction. It can be done with our without bolsters, placing a little something under the spine enhanses it’s ‘inversion-ness’ which accentuates the benefits of the pose. In the Iyengar school, inversions are part of the immune series. Since I’m getting over a bug I caught on my travels I decided to start with this. However, in line with today’s meditation, restorative poses also help nourish the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relax) and allow the endocrine organs (of the head and neck) to recieve improved circulation because gravity is not pulling on it.
If you wish to deepen this pose, take a small hand towel and fold it over your eyes to darken the light. Set a timer for five minutes and allow your mind to go deep within and become very very quiet.
Inversions tend to be consciousness shifting because we live most of our time upright, unless we are sleeping or unwell. The brain rarely gets a chance to change persepctive and expereince the body upside down, or even gravity free, so in a way you can consider this a mini-vacation.
This is a demonstration with bolsters
this is a demonstration without bolsters but with a strap
If you find todays meditation useful, please share it widely.
And, take care of yourself!
precious jewel-tones meditation