Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space
What a wet June and July we have had! My heart embraces the people who suffered from the recent floods in Perth and the south west. It seems to me that the fires, cyclones and floods in the past year in Western Australia are indicating a loss of equilibrium in nature, or dare I say climate change.
Visits to nature areas where the rain had made an impact created a different picture to the one of carnage shown in the news though. I have to say, it was beautiful. Bell’s Rapids were a fast flow of rushing rapids promising a challenging Avon Descent this year. Bibra Lake was full again and the Canning River not far from Axle Yoga was wide, over its banks and peaceful with beautiful reflections of sky and clouds in its silky waters. It seemed nature had settled down in all its wonder until the next extreme event.
Following yoga as a way of life, I am able to identify with the imbalances seen in nature. In yoga we associate earth, water, fire, air and space with certain areas of our bodies called chakras and work to keep them balanced.
Our foundation is associated with earth, encompassing pubis and tailbone at the pelvic floor and all below. It is our rock.
Our flow is water at the pelvic basin. Healthy hips allow flowing movement.
The seat of digestion at the navel and abdomen is fire and heat, sometimes referred to in yoga as the city of gems. Working on our core creates heat that warms the whole body.
The heart centre including chest and lungs is air and where we feel the lightness and joy of love.
The throat holds space, as if an egg shape were sitting in the clavicle notch reaching up to the roof of the mouth creating openness in this area. It is the centre of communication for our higher Self.
We know, just as in nature, the body can suffer imbalances in these areas. The yoga postures, asanas, help reestablish the balance. For instance, when we feel down hearted or sad, chest openers can counter this. Opening the chest encourages inhalation, filling our lungs with air and easing the heart. It is appropriate that we say we feel deflated when we are down!
We can counter a lack of confidence by working on our foundation and creating a strong connection to the earth. The warrior poses strengthen that foundation. The powerful warrior Virabhadra rose out of a mountain drawing the energy of the earth up with him. Visualisations like this help us hold these strong asanas both mentally and physically, building our confidence.
Each chakra can be brought to balance through poses. I feel balance can be reestablished in nature through action as well. Each of us is able to make a difference by changing our lifestyle in small ways that help heal our beautiful planet. Small steps will grow with practice, just as in yoga. We can nurture the planet in the same way we nurture our bodies. We can help to curb the imbalances that cause extreme events.
The Canning River not far from Axle Yoga in flood and reflecting the sky in its silky waters. Beautiful.