I’m hoping September will be a month to remember! This is the invigorating time of year when the last summer breezes usher in the first cool autumn mornings and evenings to come. This month I’m excited to engage in a calming practice that I was introduced to many years ago in a workshop I attended in Arizona. But first, let me talk about my Quest for Calm experience in August. I absolutely loved how this past month stretched out before me just like an open road! Practicing the five stretches I chose gave me time to unwind and just pause. It’s amazing what a 15-minute respite can do to reset one’s body and mind!
I decided on static over dynamic stretches because they are done in a stationary position and at a slower pace. I held each pose for a half minute and repeated them 3-5 times each. Because many of my daily activities are done seated, I wanted to do exercises that would loosen up and elongate my neck, shoulder, back, and chest muscles.
The Cat-Camel Pose was perfect for warming up my entire body and spine. Easy to do, the effects were immediate. The Standing Pec Stretch opened my chest and breathing which helped center me. Surprisingly, the Double Knee to Chest Pose turned out to be my favorite. I felt as if I was melting into the floor, laying on my back while hugging my knees to my chest. I marveled at how this position brought my heartbeat rate down the most. Sometimes by over 20 beats! Doing the Lower Trunk Rotation was like that feeling of relief you get when you scratch an itch! It softened the stiffness in my lower back and hips. So good! I ended each session with Child’s Pose. This stretch allowed me to just be still. I discovered that this was a great way for me to come back to the present moment and move gently into the rest of my day.
Going forward I will continue to incorporate stretching into my weekly routine. It’s a no cost, do anywhere, anytime, quick way to ease stress in my body and mind.
September’s search for serenity is all about energy flow and learning to open channels to achieve balance. Sounds a little esoteric perhaps, but really this practice just incorporates a few basics like deep breathing, and familiar yoga poses, with short meditations and knowing the power points in your body.
From my journal: March 15, 1997, Fountain Hills, Arizona
“The workshop was good, but just a start…I was intrigued! We did some yoga poses that I knew. Jane stressed that you need to Open! Flow!”
Dating back from 1500 to 1000 B.C. they were first cited in Vedas, the ancient writings of spiritual knowledge that originated in India. In simple terms, chakras are energy centers that are located along our spine from its base to the crown of our heads. Meaning “wheel” or “cycle” in Sanskrit, chakras can be thought of as spinning wheels or circles of life through which energy flows. Arranged vertically in our bodies, there are seven main ones. They are (1) Root Chakra (2) Sacral Chakra, (3) Solar Plexus Chakra, (4) Heart Chakra, (5) Throat Chakra, (6) Third Eye Chakra and the (7) Crown Chakra.
The first three chakras make up our foundation and are grounded in the physical realm. They relate to basic life necessities such as survival, intimacy, and identity. The fourth chakra is about compassion and love and is the balance point between the lower and upper chakras. The fifth to seventh chakras are associated with the spiritual realm and include truth, wisdom and transcendence. There is also a protective energy field that connects all chakras referred to as our aura.
It is believed that when all your chakras are open, energy will flow freely, and you will feel in harmony mentally, emotionally, and physically. If one or more is blocked, you may feel discomfort in a particular area of your body which relates to a specific chakra. For example, if you are anxious and worried, you may feel pain in your lower back which corresponds to the first chakra, the Root Chakra. Once the area is identified, work on opening the chakra can begin.
To help me better understand how to keep energy flowing throughout my body, I purchased The Chakra Energy Deck by Olivia H. Miller for $16. My process will be to meditate on a phrase, do a breathing exercise, and then hold a yoga pose. However, simply taking deep breaths may be all you need to open your energy flow. So, just like any practice, you have to do what feels right to you. The energy points I want to focus on are: the Root Chakra, the Sacral Chakra, and the Third Eye Chakra. When in balance these chakras in particular lead to feelings of peace, more creativity, and clearer thinking.
The mediation for the Root Chakra is: “I am safe on this earthly plane, supported by universal divine energy.” Next, I’ll rest my hands on my thighs, palms up. I’ll touch the tips of my ring and pinkie fingers to my thumbs and extend my index and middle fingers straight out while breathing and repeating “lum” three times. I’ll end with the Butterfly pose, holding it for 10 breaths.
“I move in harmony with the ebb and flow of life” is the meditation for the Sacral Chakra. In a seated position I will focus on my breath, holding my hands together forming the shape of a shallow bowl. I will say the “voom” sound three times before doing the Spinal Flex pose for 15 breaths.
The Third Eye Chakra meditation is “I am attuned to my intuitive powers.” The breathing exercise is one I practiced in February as explained in my “Gift of Life” post. It is the Alternate Nostril breathing which I will do five times. The pose for this chakra is the Bridge. I will hold this position for 10 breaths.
As in previous months, I will spend 15 minutes per session, practicing at least three times a week, with a focus on one chakra at a time. I will record how I feel before and after, as well as noting my heart rate. I am truly enjoying my Quest for Calm journey and am learning so much! Especially how to open up to new experiences, trust each process, and like a river, simply go with the flow.
A Journal Journey 