Finding harmony in the balance of opposites

photo by Jean Pierre Gatt

The most basic and traditional form of yoga is known as Hatha Yoga. Hatha is loosely translated as “ha” meaning “sun” and “tha” meaning “moon” and its focus is in uniting opposites in harmony and creating balance. The masculine and feminine aspects reside within us all, and they are often represented by the sun and the moon.

During the Equinoxes, which fall on 21st March and 21st September each year, day and night are (nearly) equal length all over the world. In yoga, the day represents the sun and the night represents the moon, therefore the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes both contain symbolism pertaining to the cultivation of balance on every level of self – mental, emotional and physical – in harmony with the cycles of nature.

The equinoxes are therefore an ideal time to integrate balance into our yoga practice and our life.

During asana practice, the active and hot is considered to be the energy of the masculine sun is while the energy of the feminine moon is receptive and cool. To feel balanced and whole, it is important to find and maintain balance of these energies within our being.

Furthermore, give thanks to both the planting of the seeds of consciousness, represented by the masculine, and the nurturing human life that supports our evolution, represented by the feminine.

photo by Jean Pierre Gatt

Balance your internal energies, ground yourself to mother earth and elevate your consciousness with these practices during the time of the equinox:

Become aware of your breath
The breath is the only constant in our lives and a major tool in helping us connect with our centre and stay balanced. Practice deep full yogic breathing daily to oxygenate body and mind, gain clarity and stillness. Take a walk in nature and become of aware of your moving breath inside your moving body. Use your breath as your place of focus to return to presence whenever you feel physically, mentally or emotionally unbalanced.

Spend time in introspection and reflection
Being aware of imbalances and how to take action is crucial. Spend some time on introspection. Check in with yourself whether your BEING and DOING are balanced. Assess which areas of your life feel unbalanced. Explore ways to make you feel more balanced, internally, in your relationship with others and in your work-life balance. Write in your journal. Slow down. Ground yourself.

Commit to meditate daily
Practising meditation daily is a sure way to help you return to your centre and remain equipoised in the face of life’s ups and downs. Find a meditation practice your resonate with and can do easily. Commit time in your daily schedule for regular meditation practice – even ten minutes daily can help. Try these guided meditations by the Lotus Room to start you off.

Practice balancing and grounding yoga asanas
Yoga poses (asanas) work on all levels of body, mind and spirit, each asana working on a specific energy flow. Practice grounding poses such as Balasana (child’s pose) and all the Malasana (squatting) variations; these poses help us to stay centered during transitions. Practice balancing poses such as Vriksasana (tree pose) or Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III) to help you find your inner and outer balance and feel the unity of action and relaxation. Do your practice with slow movement in coordination with the breath to help you slow down.

Let go and ground yourself
In our lives, we are often constantly on the go, pursuing this and that, running after Time. Take the time to be still and let go into deep relaxation by surrendering into a long Shavasana (corpse pose) to ground excess energy, nurture yourself and give yourself time and space to let go and be at rest. Practise Yoga Nidra whenever you can.

Detox your body, mind and emotions
Detoxification works on all levels of body, mind and emotions. Stimulate your immunity to avoid illness and your spirit to avoid depression. Return to your natural default balance and stability with a yoga and ayurveda detox programme to experience a healthy body, clear mind and controlled emotions.

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