Wanderlust Yoga for Virgo Season: Releasing Ideas of Expectations
Sections of this article appear in The Yoga Almanac: 52 Practices and Rituals for Staying Grounded Through the Astrological Seasons, March 2020, New Harbinger Publications. Reprinted with permission: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. © 2020 Lisette Cheresson & Andrea Rice.
Virgo season – when the chaos of social summer gives way to order and organization; when we feel called to simplify our lives and to withdraw to the essentials. Every year on August 21st or 22nd, the Virgo season is associated with issues of responsibility and order. (Virgo energy is often portrayed in social media memes as a need for structure and regulation.) As such, as summer ends, we may feel called to prepare emotionally for the coming harvest. That means doing an emotional housecleaning so that we are prepared for the hard work of the coming transition period. It also means purifying our lives of what no longer serves and simply seeking satisfaction with what we already have instead of seeking what we don't.
The earth sign Virgo is symbolized by the virgin girl who carries a wheat stalk. We will attribute the idea that it represents "purity" not only to the fact that the astronomer Ptolemy, who largely popularized the western zodiac with his book, TetrabiblosHe wrote when "smashing the patriarchy" was far from the beginning. The wheat she carries is a nod to the fact that in ancient Egypt the beginning of the virgin season marked the beginning of the wheat harvest.
The ruling planet of Virgo is like Gemini Mercury – the planet of communication and order. In this cycle, of course, it is the order of Mercury that is most felt during the Virgo season. It is associated with the nervous system, digestive system, and intestines; In fact, the Virgo glyph, which looks something like an "M", is supposed to represent the intestines.
The perfectionist Virgo has much to teach us on how to set ideas of expectations free and how to put our own babble in order so that we can find satisfaction and ease with what is instead of capitulating to our expectations. We could talk about the teachings of Bramacharya or Saucha, which guide us in measures of severity and purity. However, Sutra 2.33, which is based on the Vedantic principle of Pratipaksha Bhavanwhich is an interesting lesson to keep in mind during the Virgo season.
The practice of Pratipaksha Bhavan teaches that when a negative thought overcomes our mind, we have the ability to purify that thought and find order by simply overwriting it with something positive. This can be a thought, word, or deed – something as simple as saying a positive truth out loud, looking at an image that brings peace, or even practicing seva. We are all responsible for the quality of our thoughts and the way we show ourselves in the world. Sometimes the easiest way to do this in a positive way is that which brings us the most content.
Crescent Lunge with a Twist (Variant of Anjaneyasana)
by Yogapedia
Anjaneyasana is named after Hanuman's mother Anjani. It is considered a devotional pose; symbolic of a person reaching for heaven.
This standing twist is a functional interpretation of a twisted crescent lunge (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana), which involves bringing the hands together in front of the heart and twisting the spine to draw the elbow toward the opposite knee. Bring lightness to the posture by staying upright and stretching your arms wide. Rotating from the rib cage, Crescent Lunge with a Twist expands the wingspan to open the chest and shoulders, and mobilizes the thoracic spine. It is often speculated that twisted postures stimulate digestion and wring out impurities as blood flow circulates to the internal organs and kidneys.
By turning the chin slightly, the throat chakra (Vishuddha) is opened as long as the cervical spine maintains its length. When the internal organs are stimulated, the solar plexus chakra (manipura) is activated. The spaciousness cultivated in the back and chest area also facilitates the opening of the heart chakra (anahata).
Legs Up Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
by Yogapedia
Legs Up the Wall Pose is a relaxing posture that is an ideal substitute for the shoulder stand (Salamba Sarvāngāsana) as it does not strain the neck. Classical Hindu yoga texts describe the upward energy or Kundalini through the spinal cord that can facilitate such a reversal.
Legs Up the Wall is perhaps the most effective posture for relieving lower back discomfort and stimulating the resting and digestive state of the parasympathetic nervous system. It's a gentle stretch to relieve foot, leg, or menstrual cramps, and it helps regulate blood pressure, reduce anxiety, relieve headaches, and even relieve symptoms of mild depression. If there is tension in the raised legs, bring your feet together and let your knees drop wide, or let your legs relax into a straddle.
Legs Up the Wall maintains the natural curvature of the cervical spine, which helps open the throat chakra (Vishuddha). The spine extends from the coccyx to stimulate the root chakra (Muladhara) to the crown chakra (Sahasrara). The thoracic spine is subtly mobilized to open up the front of the torso. When the arms are held wide or in a cactus shape, the front of the body expands to open the heart chakra (anahata). The inner gaze can focus on the space between the brows, the third eye (Ajna) chakra, in self-exploration and reflection.
Sitting forward fold (Paschimottanasana)
by Yogapedia
The forward fold when seated increases blood flow to the liver, kidneys, and uterus, making it a possible relief for menstrual or menopausal symptoms. Because the seat base is anchored, the spine extends from the tailbone to the top of the head. To deepen the posture, the knees can be bent slightly, possibly with a rolled up blanket underneath.
Folding in on yourself is humiliating. When we come into a seated forward crease, we not only bow to ourselves, but honor our small but significant place in this very big world – a crucial feeling in seva. This pose activates the root chakra (Muladhara) by basing itself on the earth and releasing itself into gravity. When the neck and cervical spine loosen, the throat chakra (Vishuddha) opens gently. The posture also stimulates the solar plexus chakra (manipura), our center for external action and empowerment.
Sitting Spinal Twist, Sage Pose or Marichi Pose (Marichyasana III)
by Yogapedia
Marichi is loosely translated as "sage" or a ray of light from the sun or the moon. Marichi is the son of Brahma and one of seven seers (Rishis) or lords of creation (Prajapatis). Marichi is also the great-grandfather of Manu, who is considered the father of humanity in the Vedic tradition.
Sitting spinal twist can help improve digestion. When we take care of this “second brain”, we create clarity, relieve nervousness and gently stimulate the body's natural detoxification process. Posture also benefits a healthy spine when the rotation is natural rather than forced.
The sitting spine rotation awakens the root chakra (Muladhara) and opens up our foundation, our place of personal peace. Attuning to our sacral chakra (Svadhisthana) – the center of our creativity – enables us to refine what drives us, what helps us to feel centered and whole. By opening the throat chakra (Vishuddha), rotation increases the ability to communicate from a place of serenity and contentment.
–
<img alt="lisette_cheresson_2021_headshot "width =" 200 "height =" 300 "srcset =" https://mk0wanderlust25kfl4m.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lisette_cheresson_2021_headshot-513×768.jpg 513w, https://mk05mlust com / wp-content / uploads / 2021/08 / lisette_cheresson_2021_headshot-662×992.jpg 662w, https://mk0wanderlust25kfl4m.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lisette_cheresson_2021_headshot-768x8w.jpg mk0wanderlust25kfl4m.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lisette_cheresson_2021_headshot-768×1151.jpg mk0wanderlust25kfl4m.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lisette_cheresson_2021_headshotson_2021. kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lisette,wcheresson-1367 https://mk0wanderlust25kfl4m.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lisette_cheresson_2021_headshot-200×300.jpg 200w, https: // mk0wanderlust25kfl4m.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lisette_headshot-200×300 .jpg 1709w "src =" https://mk0wanderlust25kfl4m.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lisette_head7shot_2021_head7shot_2021_head7shot_2021 .jpg "data-sizes =" (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px "class =" alignleft wp-image-297056 lazyload "/> Lisette is an author, yoga teacher and Content Director. She is a member of the founding leadership team of Yoga Unify, a new yoga non-profit, director of marketing at the Mammoth Yoga Festival, and co-author of The Yoga Almanac. Lisette completed her 200-hour training in Brooklyn and her Reiki attunement in India and deepened her studies with Leslie Kaminoff from the Breathing Project, Tiffany Cruikshank and Andrew Holecek. She is also a grief coach and death doula whose work focuses on integrating the tools of mindfulness and asanas for grief healing and end-of-life anxiety. As a previous life filmmaker, Lisette has made videos with community leaders such as Dharma Mittra, Eddie Stern, and Eoin Finn. She lives in the Hudson Valley, NY with her husband and animals.
Andrea Rice is a health and wellness writer and editor. Her work has appeared in the Yoga Journal, The Wanderlust Journal, mindbodygreen, Astrostyle, SONIMA and New York Yoga + Life. She also worked as a journalist for The New York Times and INDY Week. As a yoga teacher with ten years of experience, Andrea completed her 200-hour training in New York, NY; and promoted her training with Elena Brower and Alexandria Crow. She has also studied astrology extensively with The AstroTwins, Ophira and Tali Edut. Andrea has taught yoga, meditation, journaling, and creativity workshops in Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York, NY; and was a moderator at Wanderlust. She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband and cat, where she teaches yoga at Blue Lotus and the North Carolina Museum of Art.
Website | Instagram
Comments are closed.