Yoga for Truth....to find it, to live it, to set you free
truth
noun
the quality or state of being true.
Sometimes we bottle things up inside. Those feelings and words we want to express get buried into ourselves and we can't find a way to get them out. Have you ever had mouth ulcers, a sore neck or a thyroid problem?
Have you ever felt it hard to express yourself or make decisions? Often these symptoms can be the result of a blocked throat chakra (Vishuddha Chakra). I haven't really mentioned much about the chakras before but basically yogis believe that these seven spinning vortex's of energy throughout the body, when clear and balanced can lead to higher consciousness and peace.
There is so much to be said for opening the throat chakra. Physiologically, the throat chakra is associated with the throat (trachea, esophagus), glands (thyroid, thalamus, and hypothalamus), teeth, and gums. Personally, I suffer from loss of voice and mouth ulcers when I am stressed out. I know it's because I hold a lot of of emotion in my throat, my entire career was once based on it and I feel it is somewhere that I am vulnerable perhaps because of the emotional connection there with old dreams and ambitions. As a result, it's where I suffer.
When we evade the truth, lie not only to others but ourselves we can find ourselves off balance and unfocussed. Allowing the mind to accept the truth, however painful or difficult it may be can be the difference between living a peaceful life to living one filled with anxiety and stress. Yoga asanas can help to release tension and blockages in the throat chakra, allowing the blood to flow to the thyroid and hypothalamus gland, boosting the metabolism and regulating the hypothalamus. This incredible action can change people's lives, especially those suffering with weight and stress issues. Focussing on the colour blue before your practice can help to draw the breath and awareness to the throat chakra. I like to envision calm, blue skies even imagining looking down at our planet and seeing the blue hues and the absolute peace that surrounds us. Sometimes, taking the time to see the vastness of the world enables our problems to seem so miniscule. I actually feel comforted that this world we live in is so small, so beautiful, so utterly incredible, because to me that means there is so much more.
This week the guided pranayama at the beginning of class will involve visualising this blue hue and drawing awareness into the throat chakra. Breathe into lion pose to expel negativity in the mouth and throat then we will begin to warm up the neck and body accordingly and move into gentle inversions such as Uttanasana (forward bend) and Downward Facing Dog. Building into a calming flow to energise the body we will slowly start to introduce stretching out the back of the legs and hamstrings and repeat a few times. Once the warm up is complete we will start to deepen the stretches. Opening the hips and as a result releasing tension in the jaw. We may also introduce the use of tennis balls like we did in the Myofascial release workshop to help this jaw release. Building into handstand against the wall and wheel and janu sirsasana to cool down, we will relax in shoulder stand or legs up the wall followed by Savasana.
Namaste yogis, and remember;
SHOUT OUT this week goes to incredible meditation app called HEADSPACE. Just ten minutes a day of guided meditation can make all the difference to your quality of life. Being able to let the mind be free, calm and quiet is a luxury that we can all afford. Try the first ten days fo free and see if you like it. I love Andy Puddincombe's voice, he is so calming and inspiring - pure relaxation. Thank you Mel and Celia my lovely yogi students who told me about it! Watch the video below for more of an understanding of what it is all about!!
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