Tag: breath

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A Softening Full Moon

Full moon in watery Pisces, lover of the world. We are still in the midst of wild, chaotic change, but an opening, a softening has begun. The deep, calm watery energies of this Pisces moon help to quiet and cool the hot, frenetic Yang energies of the last few months.

Try not to numb out. Focus on feeling whatever arises in you. Breathe deeply with whatever comes up in your mind and body throughout the day. If you feel tension, gently breathe into the tense spots. Increase your water intake – keep your body hydrated and juicy. Spending time in or near water will also help you now. All of these actions will encourage the softening, cleansing, calming powers of water to work within you.

Turn away from wild, frenetic Yang energies. Embrace calm, cool, juicy Yin.

☾☽

#GetYin
#CoolandJuicy

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Expansive Full Moon in Aquarius

Expansive full moon in airy Aquarius. We are in the midst of global change and chaos. Expect the unexpected. 

Many people are feeling overwhelmed, tense, contracted and exhausted right now. Shallow, rapid breathing fans the flames of your inner chaos. Take deep, long breaths instead. Make your exhale longer than your inhale. If you are a student of yoga or pranayama, use Ujjayi breathing. Slow down, unwind and expand your energy with yin yoga.

Aquarian consciousness encourages us to expand our perspective. Change is always messy and chaotic. It is impossible to control, so stop trying. This is what is happening right now. Surrender to it.

Take a break from the news. Seek out the beauty and magic of life instead; the colors of sunrise, clouds dancing on the wind, cicadas buzzing in the trees, flowers quietly blooming, the feel of soft pet fur on your fingertips, the sound of a child’s laughter, an ice cold drink on a hot afternoon, the smell of dinner cooking, the full moon lighting up a dark sky tonight… 

Life is still full of magic. Look for it.

And remember that you can be part of the healing medicine we all need right now by simply speaking and acting with kindness.

☾☽

Image: Big Sky and Prairie
by Nancy Lankston

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Late Winter Moon Message

There is confusion,
So much confusion
But try to breathe and trust
The green, the sprouting time
Is almost here.

This moment, this sacred moment
Is the dark just before dawn
Pregnant dark, promising dark
Luscious dark
That soon turns to light.

Breathe.
Breathe and Trust.

☾☽

Aries new moon

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Solstice By Moonlight

 

‪Full moon in watery Cancer lights up the longest night in the northern hemisphere. This is a traditional time of rest and reflection. Sit in the stillness of winter solstice and breathe with the slow flow of nature in winter. Slow down and enjoy the quiet gifts of the season.

#FullMoon
#SolsticeLight ‬

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Thank the Air

‘When your world moves too fast

and you lose yourself in the chaos, introduce yourself

to each color of the sunset.

Reacquaint yourself with the earth beneath your feet.

Thank the air that surrounds you

with every breath you take.

Find yourself in the appreciation of life.’

~ Christy Ann Martine

Image by Nancy L

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Shadows and Joy

Shadow Joy

“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.
When the mind is pure,  joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”
~Buddha

Joy can seem as elusive and slippery as a soap bubble.

Yet once, years ago in meditation, I realized that joy and misery lie just a hair’s width apart within my mind. The image of joy and misery just micrometers apart within me, was so clear that I startled and came out of my reverie giggling. I remember that moment in vivid detail even now years later.  And I know that I choose whether I will feel joy or misery or something in between in this moment. And the next. And the next.

It only takes a tiny shift in the mind to move from misery into joy; a micron of a shift; just a slightly altered point of view.

Breathe. And breathe again. Deep, slow breaths that fill your lungs. And feel whatever body sensations are present now; feel the sensations that joy is hiding behind. Breathe and feel your body. Then allow joy to step out of the shadows and be here now.

Can it really be that simple? Yes. Yes!

“A human being is only breath and shadow.”
~Sophocles

☯