R E V O L U T I O N

"In a world of hate, love is the revolution" - Bryant H Mcgill

Revolution has a number of different meanings:

• Overthrow of a government, or social system by those governed, with another government or system taking its place.

• A sudden or momentous change in a situation.

• The motion of an object around a central point, another object or a center of mass.

The inspiration for this month's Blog and practice theme originated a couple of weeks ago on the Full moon. Timing is everything, the right place at the right time requires awareness of the present moment. The full moon literally stopped me in my tracks. Driving home on Saturday evening having picked my daughter up from work. The moon hung so low, was a reddish gold and was absolutely HUGE. It literally took my breath away. As soon as we got home my son and I went for a moon-walk. We bathed in it’s soft glow and we followed it until the hill obscured it from our view. When we saw it again, it was it’s familiar size and bathed us in its usual cool silver light. I felt so incredibly lucky to have experienced that moment and was fascinated by the way the moon, the earth and the sun move around one another and how it affects what we see here on earth. The moon doesn’t actually move closer and further away, it doesn’t change in size, it is actually believed to be an illusion as we are seeing it in relation to familiar objects on the horizon and it’s colour is all to do with different wavelengths when on the horizon. The moon's revolution around the earth takes 27.322 days. It also takes approximately 27 days for the moon to rotate once on its axis. As a result, the moon does not seem to be spinning but appears to observers from Earth to be keeping almost perfectly still. As we’ve explored before, our lives consist of many revolutions, cycles; our breath, months, seasons and years. We are in a transitory phase right now, the junction between Summer and Autumn. We can taste it and feel it in the air. No doubt we may have a late summer phase in September but the evenings will be darker and the nights cooler. Autumn is on it’s way, the beginning of a new cycle, yet parts of our lives from one year to the next don’t feel like they change at all, for good or bad. Yet this too is an illusion, everything is changing, our cells are changing all the time.

“Frisen found that the body's cells largely replace themselves every 7 to 10 years. In other words, old cells mostly die and are replaced by new ones during this time span. The cell renewal process happens more quickly in certain parts of the body, but head-to-toe rejuvenation can take up to a decade or so.”

We can become habituated or lazy so that circumstances appear to remain the same, but it's an illusion. In reality we keep making the same choices, which means we repeat our experiences rather than things ‘staying the same’.

When we’re in this state of sameness we are preoccupied with the external world, driven by our senses or influenced by external sources. We have become disconnected to our Self and from Nature. When we reconnect to nature we reconnect to the natural cycles, to the changes around us and within us, enabling us to be aware of our choices: to repeat or to evolve.

“Falling out of balance doesn't matter, really and truly. How we deal with that moment and how we find our way back to center, every day, again and again - that is the practice of yoga...it's about trusting that you will find your way.” Cyndi Lee

OM (A U M):

A represents creation

U represents preservation

M represents transformation

The different states of consciousness are represented by the symbol Om.

1. Vaishvanara - the waking state, which is when we are focused outward and intent upon the world around us.

2. Taijasa - the dreaming state, which is focused inward and in which we dream, witnessing the endless stream of thoughts, mental images and emotions.

3. Prajna - the Deep Sleep state, deep dreamless sleep or deep formless meditation, where the subtle impressions of the mind vanish.

4. Turiya - the indescribable fourth state. There is no label that can describe it, but some say it is the non-dual state, only the awareness remains “that I am, I am that.”

Maya state is what veils the fourth state. When we are under the veil of illusion, when we see ourselves as separate, we are prevented from experiencing Turiya.

As I have discovered so often over the last couple of years, Nature is my biggest source of inspiration and guidance. On my walk this morning this beautiful seed head caught my attention, and it reminded me of an image I had found when doing a little reading up of the significance and meaning of Om. The seed head resembles the image below, illustrating the oneness that Om represents.

When we remember the oneness of everything, I am reminded to observe the changes around me, to adapt and to evolve. When we remain static, we become disconnected and that's when dis-ease can occur.

This junction of the seasons is the perfect time to adjust our routines, to adapt to the changes occurring around us. In Ayurveda Summer is associated with Pitta qualities and Autumn is associated with vata qualities.

“Nature builds heat all through pitta season until, at the start of autumn, the leaves on the trees turn bright orange, yellow, and red, as if they were living flames on each branch. These leaves are lighter in nature, only slightly moist, intense, hot, sharp, and focused on their goal of transformation—just like pitta dosha. We can enjoy the passion of the season without burning up. Leaf-scuttling winds mark the start of vata season, which Ayurveda characterizes as light, dry, rough, hard, mobile, irregular, cool—the very qualities we associate with late fall and early winter. The weather turns cold, winds blow, and the earth becomes dry, hard, rough—maybe even a bit icy. Vata is the queen of change, so you’ll need to watch out for dry skin, irregular digestion, and the frenetic, unpredictable energy of the “holi-daze,” which can easily leave you depleted, overwhelmed, and distracted by all the excitement.” Yogainternational.com

So how does this inspire our yoga practice?

As we move into vata season we are looking to bring the opposite qualities to our practice to cultivate a more balanced state.

So think of practicing fluid, grounding, soft sequences to oil our joints as it were, to warm our bodies and to keep us grounded through this season of change.

Include lots of ‘revolved’ asanas. Twists are great at this time of year as they are said to boost and maintain a healthy digestion. Our gut health, as we now know, is crucial to a healthy immune system.

Pay attention to the Vagus nerve: a long and powerful nerve that connects the brain and the gut. The Vagus nerve largely contributes to the parts of the nervous system that are responsible for both the fight or flight and rest and digest responses. When we stimulate the Vagus nerve we feel more relaxed. Stress places a huge amount of stress on the functioning of the gut and therefore our immune system.

One of the great ways to work with the Vagus nerve is through sound, making use of sound through breathwork like Brahmari as well as chanting, especially the mantra Om.

The idea of chanting can freeze students as it’s not something everyone is comfortable with, however sound is very effective at bringing the body into a state of rest and digest. This is because the Vagus nerve runs from the brain, passing and contacting the tongue, vocal chords, throat, heart, lungs, diaphragm, liver, spleen, large intestine, small intestine, pancreas and kidneys, ending as a ball of nerve endings in the stomach.

Change is uncomfortable, but we can draw inspiration, courage and strength to change using Tantric philosophy. My understanding of the Goddesses in Tantric philosophy is that they represent qualities within us that we can draw upon.

Kali is the Goddess of revolution

“In Indian mythology Kali appears as a frenzied, battle maddened demon slayer, who comes into the world at moments when dark forces - demons- threaten civilisation and especially the feminine. In more modern, Hindu practice, Kali is Kali Ma - Mother Kali, a benign and loving source of every kind of boon and blessing. At this level, her wildness is interpreted symbolically. Kali challenges us by daring us to look her in the face and find the love behind the pain of life.” Awakening Shakti, Sally Kempton

Invocational Mantra:

Om aim hrim klim chamundaye vicche svaha

Ohm aim hreem kleem chah-mun-dah-yai vich-ey swah-hah

Om: the primordial sound

Aim: the seed of wisdom

Hrim: creative manifestation,

Klim: transformative power

Chamundaye: a name for Kali as the destroyer of ignorance and duality.

Your energy may be more easily disturbed during the weeks between the seasons, you can consider doing a gentle detox to remove the build-up of elements from one season before moving into the next. If this is something that interests you - get in touch as I am now offering Whole Health Consultations. Drawing upon the science of Ayurveda, Yoga, Seasonal living and Holistic health practices.

I hope to see you on the mat.

"Where there is love there is healing"

Om shanti

🙏

Sophia