This moon is all about balancing the heart chakra, a classic yoga focus. If you;ve got things going on for you in your love life it will likely show up in your practice. Are you feeling hurt, or are you free to express your self? The body is a reflection of the mind, and what is happening in one space will be happening in the other. To a certain extent you can soothe the mind by soothing the body, that is the basic premise of yoga. Anyone who has been practicing for some time may use their practice as acounselling tool, to better understand how they are coping with the stresses of life. Hopefully no matter what you are going through, you can use the practice to self soothe, and as each day passes, you will experience more openness no matter what you are faced with off the mat.
The lesson around this chakr is Loving Kindness, perfect for incorporating a metta meditation, an uplifting, heart centred mantra or some gentle mindfulness techniques.
I have made time for some pawanmuktasana around the arms and shoulders, a forgotten area associated with the heart space. It is said the arms are an extension of the heart space, so the hands and arms need plenty of attention when you work on the heart chakra.
I have also been putting extra effort into the second chakra and opening up the hamstrong at every opportunity. Hanumanasana is the classic heart opening pose: the splitz, which couldn;t be more demandning on the hamstrings and hip flexors. It always struck me as strange that the heart be so deeply connected to the legs, but you can see for yourself if you practice one day with few lunges and standing forward bends, compared to another practice going deeper into these preparatory poses. All of a sudden the heart openers i.e. the back bends become more accessible.
The scientific reason for this is the connection of the hamstring to illiopsoas muscles, which connect the pelvis to the spine and forms part of the hip flexors. In myofascial terms this is the ‘superficial back line’ that stretches form the foot to the skull. The lower back cannot open without flexibility in the hamstrings and forward bends, including lunges and leg lifts, help with this. The greater the flexibility in the hamstrings, hip flexors, and legs, the more the lower back opens up and the freer the range of movement in the heart space.
My chosen peak pose for this moon is ‘broken bow’; upward bow with one leg extended. The idea of a broken bow symbolises that moment when the hunter stops hunting, allowing the animals to be free, a spontaneous opening of the heart! Broken Bow challenges the idea that opening our heart is under our control. Sometimes we have to let the world, or fate, offer a helping hand. It reminds me of the mantra Let go, let God!
Loving kindness takes many forms, and practicing universa love is one of the hardest lessons in a yoga practice. We can only evolve what loving kindness means and the boundaries it requires over time. By practicing opening the heart on the mat, we can be more ready when life asks it of us.
Sarasvati Flow 