Invoke your innate intelligence.

We have never had more immediate access to information. We can acquire certificates and degrees from the comfort of our own home. Opinions on most anything is available 24/7. Agenda and propaganda masquerade as news while dissenting voices are censored.

Intelligence is the ability to acquire, filter, sort and apply information. There are many forms of intelligence: artificial, abstract, logical, emotional, social, creative, adaptive, self-aware, critical thinking, problem solving. Intelligence is not an agency.

The proper place for human beings is between heaven and earth. Our birthright is heavenly connection and earthly incarnation.

Our innate intelligence surpasses that of an entire network of supercomputers. The question is do you know how to tap into it?

The revelation is in the slipstream. You can’t purchase it because it is not for sale. It is free. Priceless. You won’t find it on the internet.

You can invite it as you observe the dynamic patterns of nature. You can invoke from the ageless, timeless depth of connection to all that is.

But you must still the businesses, quite the babel.

Claim agency over your innate intelligence.

Interested in rewilding yourself? 

Seasonal wisdom helps us cultivate a closer relationship to the dynamic rhythms and cycles of nature, which is essential to healing dis-ease and optimizing our health. 73 days of inspiration, wisdom, instructions, nature cure, inquiries are available in 5 seasonal decks in our Element Wisdom Cards.

Learn more & purchase the entire collection or a single deck here

How can we develop healthy humility?
Passionate curiosity is a start.

In the asking, we engage the other and the ego is checked.

Service is a good middle.

How does it feel when we volunteer our best hours of the week, donate our most valuable items or fund a heart felt cause?

In the end, seek original origins.

Humilis is the Latin root meaning low.

By our own choice, consequence, or chance, true humility is often the outcome of experiencing great depth, deep troubles or profound sorrows.

Water, the element of winter, teaches us how to serve all, go underground and spring up when necessary, go deep and take many forms.

The water element paired organs that peak in winter are the Bladder and Kidney (plus adrenals).

The bladder meridian travels from the inner canthus of the eye across the head down the back side of the entire body exiting out the little toe. It traverses all of us.

Many of the point names indicate their function: bright eyes, supporting yang, supporting middle, celestial pillar, soul door, spirit hall, spiritual celestial connection, soul gate.

Acupuncture treats all levels of the human – mind, body, spirit.

Treating the bladder points can not only treat our organs like the bladder or the eyes, but it can also treat our spiritual sickness. It can help us see through the eyes of spirit. The dark clouds of our emotions and thinking can be cleared to see the bright blue skies of divine perfection.

Winter is Dreamtime.

Make the connection to your internal visionary this winter.

Dream it.

Envision it.

As the longest and most complex of all the cranial nerves, it starts at the stem of the brain, behind the ears before it meanders down the sides of the neck, through the chest, and eventually ends in the abdomen linking the brain to the heart, lungs, throat, and gut. It helps to regulate our heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, sweating, and speech.

When we are in parasympathetic dominance we are able to rest and heal.

Vagus Nerve Connects the Brain and Gut

The vagus nerve and it’s feedback are the sensory network that informs the brain of what’s going on in our organs, most specially the digestive tract (stomach and intestines), lungs and heart, spleen, liver, and kidneys.

People with good vagal tone can relax faster after a stress and are more capable of regulating blood glucose levels, reducing chances of diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Recent research presented by the European League Against Rheumatism indicate that vagus nerve stimulation significantly reduces symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms are messages from our body that something is wrong. Poor vagal tone can express as ongoing high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, an inability to focus or regulate emotions and inflammation. The nerve can become damaged express deeper dysfunction such as abnormal heart rate, blood pressure or glucose.  Digestion or speech may be become compromised.

It is essential to listen to our bodies. Winter is the perfect season to slow down and take notice of our capacity to reset, restore and recharge.

This study on loving kindness meditation improved healthy vagal tone in participants. Being present and acknowledging that everything in the moment is okay reduces anxiety.

Significant and important research has been making the news about a microbiota-gut-brain axis. Read up on this fascinating subject here. Also this article discusses the science behind gut microbiota, brain function and stress related disorders.

What does the phrase ‘down to earth’ mean to you?

Earth Writing Exercise

Take a moment.

Find pen and paper.

Transcribe the phrase Down to Earth. 

Place both feet on the ground.

Take three deep breaths, expanding your ribs.

Write free associations of what ‘down to earth’ means to you for 90 seconds.

Wake the spleen, an earth organ with the exercise below. 

Repeat the automatic writing exercise.

Wake the Spleen

With both feet on the ground, raise your left arm.

Wake the spleen organ by tapping on your left side, one hand width below the arm pit.

Vocalize the sound of the spleen: whooooo (like the wise owl calling)- gutteral and brethless

Repeat eight times.

Shanren kan wo xinshi?  Wo xin shi!

Do I posses the earth attributes of integrity and deep trust?  Yes I do!

The phrase down to earth can refer to an approachable person.  Someone that is practical, plain spoken, honest, realistic, trustworthy, unassuming, unpretentious.

What did your list reveal? Which of those qualities do you posses? Which qualities would you like to strengthen?

If there is a quality you would like to embody or strengthen in yourself?

Try replacing the sound of the spleen with the quality that you wish to strengthen.  For example, tap ‘trust’ into your spleen.

The digestive organs are injured by stagnation.  Desk or remote virtual jobs, long hours of studying, research and writing keep us seated.  Relaxing and decompressing may also become habituated to screen time, gaming or media binging. Fatigue sets in from lack of activity; a sedentary life is injurious. Frankly, it is killing us slowly. The combination of oversitting and overthinking is a harmful combination for the earth organs,  particularly the spleen.  The lack of healthy circulation settles dampness deep into our systems. If you are prone to oversitting, please build in healthy habits. 

Set a timer at the desk for 30 minutes to take a 5 minute movement break out of the chair.

Shake away any accumulated worries, negative postures.

Take a few stretches or yoga poses.

Walk to the water station and hydrate.

Walk a few flights of stairs.

Take a walk around the block.

Learn and practice Heaven & Earth Rotation Daily

Heaven & Earth Rotation: Qi Gong Earth Exercise

1. Open the gates of heaven (top of head ~ meeting of ten thousand things) and earth (bottom of feet ~ bubbling spring) again. 
2. Pivot from the lower back with smooth and continuous action. The left palm, facing earth, pushes downward while the right palm, faces heaven, pulls upward. 
3. At the end of the pivot, alternate hand positions. 
4. Repeat 40 times while imagining healing, golden light internally healing and balancing your spleen, stomach and pancreas.

Purchase your element wisdom card deck to support your daily health & wellness journey

Cultivate wellness this Earth season by practicing exercises for healing the spleen with Qigong support. 

One self-care practice that I invite my patients to incorporate into their daily lives is looking into their eyes in the mirror daily upon waking and speak ‘I love you’ or ‘you, darling, are fabulous’. It sets the tone for way in which we see ourselves and encourages us to accept compliments with grace. Will you accept this challenge to voice and reflect love to yourself?

 This tip is from the Metal/Autumn Element Wisdom Card deck.

I invite you to daily wellness journey with Element Wisdom Cards.

Purchase here

#selflovechallenge #metal #autumn #selfworth #element-wisdom.com

Love Heals. Period.

In Memoriam

In a recent post about Fire pericardium, I introducted you to Dr. Rachel Eppinga, ND, LAc.  Rachel passed from this world into the light on the autumn equinox. Her body was diseased with cancer. I’ve included the last message she sent out to her community/tribe below. Rachel was a wayshower of how to reflect and transmute beauty in any situation; she was a beacon of light, a gatherer of women to heal together.

I was recently gifted a very special Love Qigong from my dear colleague Rachel Eppinga, ND, LAc, when we gathered in Hara Mara, Mexico this past February during my first ever women’s retreat. It was a magical jungle meeting ocean, organic, fresh eats from the sea fest ~ full of love, support, opening, ritual, sunsets, qigong and play!  I encourage you to visit her site, explore her story of Love Heals. Period., and be inspired by her love notes and medicine. I will be offering her heart focused sequence, which acknowledges the directions and activates our chakras in a form filled with her deep connections and love of dance. Dr. Rachel Eppinga’s Love Qigong sequence, which she blessed for me to teach to our community, is briefly shown in the film clip linked below. This heart opening move is repeated throughout a sequence that honors direction, energy, ourselves, and each other.

VIDEO LINK

Dr. Rachel Eppinga is Board Certified in the state of Oregon. She attended the National University of Natural Medicine to acquire her Doctorate in Naturopathy and Masters of Science in Classical Chinese Medicine. She holds a B.S. in mathematics and physics from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR. Her list of certifications and continuing education is long.

As a Naturopathic Physician, Acupuncturist, Integrative Life and Wellness Coach, Intuitive and an individual who lives her teachings; her unique approach offers new perspectives of wellness through the ancient teachings that remind us that our bodies are sacred and deserve our attention and appreciation. She believes by prioritizing our own health and self care, we contribute to the healing of our communities and the planet.

Earth is a grounding force during this time of transition between the seasons. After all of the activity of spring and summer, the Earth element helps us to get centered and balanced during late summer as we prepare for the autumn harvest and for winter, the season of rest and restore.

Nature moves from the joy and blossoming of Summer to the harvest and returnings of Late Summer.  As the days grow shorter, the temperatures begin to decrease. Earth transforms into Metal as the Season of Autumn arrives with downward momentum of the generative cycles of the seasons.

The Chinese associate the concept of “decrease” with late summer while simultaneously referring to it as the period of abundance ~ both are true as the complexity of truth often is. Physically and spiritually, this period of late summer is a time for slowing down and gathering. It is a time when we realize and harvest the fruits of our labor. In our spiritual lives, the Earth element allows us to internalize and learn to nourish and care for ourselves, slowing down toward the decline of fall and pause of winter.

Tips for living in harmony with the late summer EARTH season

• • Practice gratitude for the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Autumn is the season of harvest, when we reap what we planted in the spring and what bears fruit from our perennial crops. It is the time to gather nature’s bounty from our gardens. We eat with gratitude and preserve nourishment for the coming winter months. Here at the AOW, the green kiwis are building their sugar content for picking, and the persimmons are also ripening with their blush of orange. Stay tuned for information about U-pick opportunities coming up at AOW.
    
    

    Persimmons are ripening at AOW.

  • Be thoughtful of how you can nourish ourselves and others. In this bountiful, harvest season, be sure to enjoy the benefits of giving. It doesn’t have to be a  great or elaborate gift or act. A simple gesture, kind deed, or word of encouragement given today is beyond measure to someone in need.

• • Be aware of your life’s harvest. Think about yourself, your relationships, and your work, you legacy. What parts of your life are yielding fruit? Where is the harvest poor and stunted? What is  rich in harvest? A positive affirmation for transition: Don’t Worry. Be Happy. When feeling filled with worry and self doubt, remember that this too can pass along with the season. If not, it is an opportunity to concentrate self-care toward your Earth element!
  • Consider what you need to “let go” during the coming autumn season. It is the time to reflect on the past year and critically examine what in our lives we choose to nourish, and those habits and behaviors that are negative or destructive, which we should want to eliminate. Release old resentments or hurts.  Practice letting go of the old so that the new can be born. Start anew.
  • Go Unprocessed October.  For several years now, I’ve taken the ‘pledge’ to eat only unprocessed foods during the month of October.  It helps me bypass the slippery sugary slope of Halloween to Christmas treats and affirms my commitment to a  lifestyle of real food.  Join me this year in a community of tips, recipes, kitchen hacks, support, and inspiration. Click here to learn more and scroll to take the pledge of a month of unprocessed foods!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is the season of the Metal element. Metal represents our core issues, the most basic parts of ourselves. The energy connected with Metal is attracted to beauty and symmetry. The emotion connected with Metal is grief and sadness as well as courage and catharsis. Themes of Metal include:  boundaries, integrity, persistence, judgment, competition, transmutation, value, patriarchy, the divine masculine and our spiritual connect to heaven. In autumn, we say goodbye to the abundance of summer and prepare for the winter. Metal connects us with the ability to let go of the past and allow space for the new.

Let go of stress by shaking it out!

Release tensions and revive yourself naturally. The simple movement of shaking is a powerful and effective qigong technique. Qigong shaking cleans and clears blockages. You’ll feel relaxed and energized with just one session of shaking.

What is Qigong? (pronounced Chee-Gung)

Qigong opens the flow of energy in the acupuncture meridians.

Qigong is a mind-body-spirit practice that combines posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound, and focused intent. Qigong opens the flow of energy in the acupuncture meridians. Qigong movements condition tendons, ligaments, and muscles; tone our vital organs and connective tissues; and promote circulation of body fluids. Numerous studies show that qigong is effective in helping to heal health issues ranging from high blood pressure and chronic illness to emotional conditions, mental stress, and spiritual unrest.

Qigong is considered an ‘internal’ tai chi.  Meaning, that the focus is on balancing the internal meridian, organs, and body systems. There is evidence for acute physiological and psychological effects of qigong exercise in older practitioners.

Qigong Shaking Introduction:

Set up in Universal Stance: Place feet hip distance apart with toes pointing slightly inwards, in partial universal or horse stance, weight slightly on the outside of the foot. Check posture: tail bone slightly tucked, chin slightly tucked, knees bent like riding a horses, feet parallel, arms hanging . Relax.

Shake body, relax and shake. Shake open the pores of the skin, Shake into the tendons, into the muscle layer, then the tendons and ligaments, connective tissue, deep into the organs, the bones, and the nervous system. You can use the sounds of the elements, the organs, color. 

Notice the body and any blockages.  Shake into them. Start with three minutes building up to five minutes.Become aware of your breath as you shake shake. Sound/vocalization helps release tensions and blockages. Continue shaking also lifting and dropping on your heels. Now continue shaking.  Shake into your skin, your muscles, your bones, your organs. Shake free form, what into what ever feels stuck or tense. Shake like no one is watching!

Feel your body, feel the dynamism within. Settle into yourself, the space around you.  Feel your breath.  Find your universal self, stance (above) then let your arms float up, elbows bent slightly, arms relaxed, with a small weighted string pulling your elbows ever so slightly downward, hands in front, gathering the light energy in front of you, recognizing the the source of it all ~ the  universe within.  Feel beyond your skin, into the space outside yourself. Listen to the sounds around you. Feel the boundries, the edges and the boundlessness and the lack of edges. Notice your aliveness.

Notice the parts of your body that are tense or inflammed and shake it out. Be mindful of your body and focus on the areas in need of attention and stress release. Have fun with it and your body will thank you!

Here’s a video with a quick and easy shaking demonstration that I think you will enjoy! I am inspired and feel the need to get to video-ing for y’all!

http://www.naturehealth.com.au/what-is-qi-gong/tiandi-qigong-basic-routine/qigong-shaking/

Qigong Earth Sequence; Heaven & Earth Rotation

You can continue to cultivate wellness during this Earth season by practicing exercises for healing the spleen with Qigong support. Stand with your feet touching the earth (or visualize this if indoors) in the universal stance, emulating a horse riding posture, with a relaxed yet dignified upright spine. Wake up the meridian and organ networks with three to five minutes of qigong shaking then relax and feel the energy of the earth support and heavenly flow within your body. Wake the organ spleen by tapping and repeating eight times the sound of the spleen: whooooo  (like the wise owl calling to us). Open the gates of heaven (top of head ~ meeting of ten thousand things) and earth (bottom of feet ~ bubbling spring) again.  Pivot from the lower back with smooth and continuous action. The left palm, facing earth, pushes downward while the right palm, faces heaven, pulls upward.  At the end of the pivot, alternate hand positions.  Repeat 40 times while imagining healing, golden light internally healing and balancing your spleen, stomach and pancreas.

Group Qigong Session at AOW

More on letting go of stress and anxiety for the Return of Earth!

Stimulation of the vagus nerve plays an important role in the management of anxiety and mental health issues. The vagus nerve is the longest running cranial nerve in your body. It is one of ten paired cranial nerves and runs from the stem of your brain all the way down to your gut. The word “vagus” translates to “wandering” in Latin, and the vagus nerve certainly does that. As the longest and most complex of all the cranial nerves, it starts at the stem of the brain, behind the ears before it meanders down the sides of the neck, through the chest, and eventually ends in the abdomen linking the brain to the heart, lungs, throat, and gut.

Vagus Nerve Connects the Brain and Gut

This nerve is the sensory network that informs the brain of what’s going on in our organs, most specially the digestive tract (stomach and intestines), lungs and heart, spleen, liver, and kidneys. 

Significant and important research has been making the news about a microbiota-gut-brain axis. Read up on this fascinating subject here. Also this article discusses the science behind gut microbiota, brain function and stress related disorders.

People with good vagal tone can relax faster after a stress and are more capable of regulating blood glucose levels, reducing chances of diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Poor vagal tone, however, is associated with chronic inflammation and basket load of subsequent health issues. Recent research presented by the European League Against Rheumatism indicate that vagus nerve stimulation significantly reduces symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Relevant to Earth element health, I’ve collected these research links for you:

• Vagal mechanisms as neuromodulatory targets for the treatment of metabolic disease.
• Impact of blood glucose control on sympathetic and vagus nerve functional status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Vagal afferents contribute to sympathoexcitation–driven metabolic dysfunctions.
• Role of the vagus nerve in the development and treatment of diet-induced diabetes.

How to practically soothe your nervous system:

• Take a cold shower or plunge
• Splash cold water on face & neck
• Sing, laugh, chant, hum, & hug
• Restore the microbe of the gut
• Relax jaw tension
• Meditate on loving kindness
• Positive Social Connect

HEALING SOUNDS FOR THE EARTH ELEMENT

The healing sounds are one of the most effective medical qigong practices. They clear heat and toxins, cool the body, release unfavorable energy and emotional qi, and build the connection to the natural virtue of the shen…The healing sounds are a powerful emotional transforming qi gong.

Click here for a discussion of the Six Healing Sounds: Chinese Mantras for Healing the Body, Mind, and Soul.

Sound is such a powerful way to heal!  Find a routine which invites healing vibration and sound into your world.  What would it be like to play background sound as you get ready for work in the mornings or when you are preparing dinner?  Maybe to celebrate the weekend upon waking? Seriously y’all let’s find a bit more play in our routines!

IN CASE YOU MISSED LAST WEEK’S POST (SOUNDS OF EARTH FROM SPACE)  AND BECAUSE WE LOVE IT SO MUCH, CLICK HERE! 

Shanren kan wo xinshi?  Wo xin shi!

Do I posses the earth attributes of integrity and deep trust?  Yes I do!

FIRE RITUALS

Ancient cultures have recognized the power of FIRE with prayer and reverence. Fire has the power to destroy our homes and the life giving, usefulness to cook our food. It is a force of destruction, creation, and purification. In Sanskrit, Fire, or Agni , is one of the five basic elements of creation and is the dominant element of the Ayruveda Pitta dosha. Pitta dosha is composed of a mind and body that are made up of the two elements, fire and water. An out of balance, or out of control fire element, leads to mental and emotional issues such as anger, aggression, and rage. In balance, Agni or FIRE presents as enthusiasm and joy.

Fire is a controversial force in the world and humans. A team of researchers analyzed the history and possible future of our ever-changing relationship with fire in an article published in the Journal of Biogeography. The article is entitled, “The Human Dimension of Fire Regimes on Earth.”

Wherever humans have gone in the world, they have carried fire with them and humans evolved to eat cooked food. I found this article about the history of humans and fire interesting and thought provoking. Essentially, cooking with heat outsourced some of the body’s work of digestion so that more energy is obtained from food and less energy is used in processing food. Cooking breaks down collagen and the connective tissue in meat and releases starch and fat of plants. Cooking freed up time, which allowed the prioritization of the development and the evolution of our intellect.

When early humans discovered how to build fires, life became much easier as they huddled around fire for warmth, light, and protection. They used it to cook, which afforded them more calories than eating raw foods that were hard to chew and digest. They could socialize into the night, which possibly gave rise to storytelling and other cultural traditions.

In the Choctaw language the month of September translates to Haponi Hashi – Cooking Month.  Cooking outside on an open fire is a present and historical tribal tradition.  Haponi Hashi traditionally marks the final summer harvest of the three sisters ~ corn, beans and squash.  Here family and community gather to prepare food stores (traditionally hanging to dry) for the cold season where cooking and eating together ensues.  It typically also marks the time of the year in which the weather has cooled such that cooking outside over an open fire becomes practical and enjoyable again!

Fire Loves Rituals

Fire can enhance our spiritual rituals and support us by purifying and setting intentions in our own lives. For generations, fire rituals are based on ancient ceremonies passed down over the ages. Today, it still has meaning and plays a positive role in our lives to enrich our relationships with our families, ourselves, and the divine in whatever form we hold as believers and practitioners. Examples of fire rituals across several cultures include:

The Hindu fire ceremony, Yajna, translates to “sacrifice, devotion, worship, and offering”. Yajna is any ritual performed in front of a sacred fire, often supplemented by songs or mantras. This ancient Hindu practice helps to heal trauma and connect its practitioners to the spiritual realm.

In ancient India, the vibrations that are produced during a traditional Vedic fire ceremony are thought to represent the most powerful presence of the Divine on Earth. The upward motion of fire is said to be similar to the divine kundalini energy. In the Vedic scriptures, Agni, or Fire, is the messenger between the people and their gods. Vedic Fire Ceremonies are performed for all types of occasions: to let go of patterns and obstacles in our lives, to express gratitude, for healing, purification of the environment and ourselves, or to pray for success with a particular venture. Fire rituals can connect us with the Divine and allow us to express gratitude for this life and all our gifts.

Kontaiji Temple Goma Houyou

Japanese Buddhism practices Goma as a fire ritual performed outside under the sky. Some types of ritual fire offerings include: A Peaceful Ritual Fire Offering is performed to clear away the results of unhealthy actions or to clear away obstacles. Peaceful and Increasing Ritual Fire Offerings are practiced for both one’s own and other’s benefit. A Subduing Ritual Fire Offering may be performed to distinguish harmful forces. 

Smoke rising from burning sage

In Native American traditions, a smoke offering in prayer is at the core of many traditional ceremonies. A pipe ceremony combines the powerful elements of fire to symbolize the balance of life. The pipe ceremony is a sacred ritual for connecting the physical and spiritual worlds. The stem of the pipe represents the masculine, the bowl represents the feminine, the tobacco is an earth offering, and the breath drawn in smoking is the air. Fire unifies the ceremony with a purifying force as it is drawn over the tobacco/herbs through the bowl and stem, creating smoke that rises and delivers prayers to the spirit world.

Create Your Own Fire Ceremony

There are many simple ways you can take inspiration from these ancient practices and bring the power of the fire element into your life. You can make physical or emotional offerings for the fire to consume. Write down the things things you are grateful for, the things you want to let go of, and the things you want to set intention for. Light a candle or build a fire, contemplate these things, and hold these thoughts in your heart and your mind. Let the flicker of the flame mesmerize you and you may even make an offering of sage or cedar to the fire. Be creative and make it personal and understand that there have been many generations of ancestors who spent sacred time around fire. Reflect on the fire in a sacred way and create your own ceremony. Let the fire enchant and mesmerize you, purify you, and empower you.

Blooming Lotus

The Lotus Flower or Lotus Plant is a freshwater aquatic plant. Most Lotus Plants are native to the warm climates of Southern Asia and Australia. A Lotus Flower’s roots bury deep in the mud of a still body of water such as a lake, pond, or backyard water garden. A long stem or stalk grows from the roots that remains in the muddy water. The plant’s leaves and bud grow from atop the long stalk. The leaves usually stay under the surface of the water with only the flower bud seen above the water’s surface. As the bud opens, its petals are exposed as they open one by one. Once the petals are all opened, the flower is in full bloom, which corresponds to the fire element- the life cycle of full expression. The Lotus Flower rests until the sun begins to set at which point the Lotus Flower begins to close its petals until it is completely in a “bud” formation and the Lotus Flower sinks back down into the muddy water. Each day, the Lotus Flower repeats this action of rising, basking, and sinking. It is this nature of the plant that inspires so many religions and cultures with meaning. Buddhists believe the Lotus Flower is representative of rebirth.

Here at Alberta Orchard Wellness, we were recently gifted a lotus garden which serves as our new bee watering station! We are excitedly awaiting the lotus bloom, which will look like this one.

The plant has become the symbol of multiple life lessons and ideals such as fertility, honesty, grace, prosperity, knowledge, and serenity. The lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera) is associated with purity and beauty in the Buddhism and Hinduism.

Just like the Lotus, we too have the ability to rise

from the darkness and radiate into the world.”     

-Unknown-

As gratitude is enhanced by a fire ceremony, the Flowering Lotus yoga pose is an excellent posture for meditation because it calms the mind and creates a sense of peace. The flowering lotus pose is an intermediate seated, hip-opener, and balancing posture that prepares the body for deeper stretching poses. From the butterfly pose with the heels touching, the arms reach over the thighs and under the calves. The yogi then rocks back until balanced on the sit bones, and the hands take gyan mudra (thumb and forefinger touching). A variation of the foundational lotus pose, flowering lotus pose is also called blooming lotus pose. In Sanskrit, it is known as vikasitakamalasana.

The pose is known to ease anxiety and stress; stabilizes the body; improve focus and concentration; stretch the ankles, hips, hamstrings, and knees; stimulates reproductive organs; tones the abdominal muscles; boosts immunity; and improves kidney, bladder, and urinary functions.

Watch for our (Part 2) where we will highlight a Blooming Lotus gratitude practice with a demonstration video and offer step by step instructions for creating your own lotus container garden!