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OPEN MIND OPEN BODY Ideas for Your Yoga Practice |
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A Practice Inspired by Halloween Many adults (including myself!) who have long outgrown trick-or-treating continue to love the holiday. It lets us express a part of ourselves that we rarely show. It lets us try on a new identity, freeing us from the constraints of how we normally view ourselves and our roles. In costume, we can absorb the qualities of our outer form (the mask, the clothes, the props). We may find ourselves not just acting the part, but feeling the part. Asanas (yoga poses) have long been considered ways to "try on" the qualities of other characters and other creatures: Warrior pose, where we may try on the courage and open-heartedness of a bodhisattva; Eagle pose, where we may reflect with broad perspective on our lives; Tree pose, where we can experience the complementary qualities of grounding through roots (our past, our home, our family), stability through our core trunk (inner strength) and the flexibility of our branches (new beginnings, and reaching out to others); Hanumanasana (split pose, named after Hanuman), where we can express devotion and selfless service to a higher purpose; Lion's pose, where we let out a might roar (if you don't know this pose, visit the link - the photo is priceless). This Halloween, try on a few asana "costumes" with the intention to experience the stories, the symbols, and the qualities associated with each. If you aren't sure what qualities are associated with different poses, you can go with your intuition, your experience, and your imagination. What does a boat pose mean to you - the ability to go on new journeys, and greet change with an adventurous heart? The ability to stay afloat during difficult times? What does plank pose mean to you - the qualities of a strong foundation: steadiness, the ability to withstand pressure, the readiness to be used in the service of great plan? Be playful. Try on poses that aren't favorites. See if you can find some interesting quality to experience and express. Happy Halloween! Return to Ideas for Your Yoga Practice
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