Honouring the precious gifts of Nature and Life.
Embodying the Element of Metal (Lung and Large Intestine meridians).
Like the alchemist who performs rituals to transmute base metals into gold, allow breath and movement to transform your shadow self into valuable feelings of self worth, love and acceptance. Is it time to recognise value and allow valued things into your life? Or to let go of something that is no longer of value?
Do you perform your yoga practice like the sacred ritual that it is? Breathe deeply. Return home to yourself and allow this short Elemental Flow to give you a feeling-sense of ritual, a moment of sanctity, take 5, 15, or 45 minutes. Focus on what you can do, rather than what you can't.
7 Poses to help let-go...
Wide-leg forward fold.
'Lung Let Go'
This pose is great for stretching the lung and large intestine meridians. Press thumbs and index fingers together. Let the head go, lift the big toes. Stay here long enough for the fascia around the shoulder joint and pec. muscles to warm and release the arms overhead. To come out bring hands to hips and slowly rise halfway, head and heart level, inhale rise to stand.
Garudasana
'Eagle arms relax'
Cross left upper arm over right, press forearms, link palms, sealing the energy between the arms.
Keeping the spine tall, allow the chin to drop, elbows to relax into the chest.
Yield without collapsing.
Breathe into a broad upper back.
Change cross of arms and repeat.
Lying Pectorals Stretch
'Wings Open'
Lie on your belly, take your right arm out to shoulder height, very slowly start to roll onto the right side of the body, bend knees and use left hand to stabilise. Adjust the angle of arm if necessary, it is less intense as you move the right arm closer to body. Follow the breath down that arm, from the collarbone to the fingers. This is opening your Lung meridian.
Anahatasana
'Heart Melting' with blanket roll
Roll a towel or blanket and support the sternum. Hips align over knees.
Upper arm bones gather and collect into the shoulder joint. Heart melts to Earth. This is a sweet and intense shoulder stretch and chest-opener. Breathe deeply for 5-10 breaths and let gravity release the upper back and chest into the blanket.
'Child pose with a twist'
Take knees as wide as is comfortable.
Thread right arm under and reach as far as it will go. Sink the weight of the body onto the outer arm (Large intestine meridian). Left arm wraps behind and tucks into your yoga pants or hip crease.
Optional use of blanket between bum and heels, and/or a blanket for under the head. Stay for 3 -5 minutes in this passive spinal twist. This pose gently compresses the large intestine meridian and organ.
'Lie over blanket roll'
Place a rolled blanket or towel under the shoulder blades, adjust size of roll to allow for maximum letting go. Arms at right-angles, like a cactus. Watch the rise and fall of the belly and chest on the inhale and the exhale. Stay present.
I also love this pose at the beginning of a yoga practice, to encourage that full, expansive breath. The perfect antidote to 'keyboard' shoulders and to strengthen lung chi.
Savasana
Corpse pose
Take rest.
Never, ever... skip this pose!
This is how you complete your ritual of self-care. Presence is the portal for integration to arise and the natural processes of LOVE.
Sonia Dezius teaches Elemental Flow yoga on Wednesdays at 5:30-7pm.
We focus on the Element of the season according to Chinese Five Element theory. Embodying the Elements in our yoga practice so that we connect to natural rhythms within and without.