SEASONAL SELF-CARE BLOG
Stay centered this Fall with Rudra Mudra
Posted on September 18th, 2018
I have been feeling very fragmented and distracted the past few weeks from the political craziness on top of the Seasonal change from Summer to Fall. To help me stay grounded, I’ve been focusing more on meditation and other internal practices.
This morning I woke up early and meditated using Rudra Mudra to invite centering and balance into my being. I’ve been finding this mudra, sacred hand position, very helpful and it’s so easy to do! Rudra Mudra rules the solar plexus chakra (third chakra). It helps strengthen the earth element and the digestive organs associated with it. According to Chinese medicine, Late Summer and Early Fall, is the time to nourish and stimulate the Earth element.
RUDRA MUDRA
Sit comfortably with as much support as you need.
With each hand, place the tips of your index finger, ring finger and thumbs together.
Breathe deeply into the belly and relax any tension that you are noticing in your body and mind.
Stay in the position for 5 minutes or for as long as you like. You can do it a few times a day.
VISUALIZATION
As you hold Rudra Mudra , visualize a wheel with a square hub with a yellow point in the center. As you inhale, imagine that the yellow point expands and moves towards you. As you exhale, the yellow point recedes back to the hub. Keep your focus on the center.
I’ve been doing Rudra mudra regularly for the past month and sharing it with my students in class. It has been very grounding, which is especially important in these rocky times!
I am excited to offer many beautiful opportunities for sound healing and yoga this Fall. Join me for an exquisitely relaxing mid-week Restorative Sound Bath on Wednesday nights! Starting tomorrow night, this 4 week series will help you reset your being at Narayana Yoga Project! You can drop in for one juicy session, or sign up for the whole deeply nourishing series! This Sunday I’m offering my first monthly Kirtan – Sept 23 at Sacred Sounds. It is donation based with each month going to a different organization. Our first Kirtan donations will go to SwingLeft to help the blue wave in the mid term elections! Keep the high vibes going and join me the following weekend with my monthly Restorative Sound Bath @ Sacred Sounds, Sat Sept 29!
Nourish yourself with sacred self-care with my signature Private Sound Healing session. Sign up right now for this extraordinary rejuvenating and transformative healing experience. You will be floating in a sea of blissful sound in no time at all!
I’m offering an incredible retreat in Thailand this winter – Awakened Heart Retreat – Thailand, Feb 5-12. The buddy special is just around the corner, so invite a friend to join you on your Winter yoga Adventure to Southern Thailand! It is a spectacular location: remote, quiet, peaceful, and perfect to practice yoga and meditation!
joyous heart!
Leigh
Third Chakra – Manipura
Posted on November 17th, 2015
The third chakra, “Manipura” means “jewel city” derived from the Sanskrit, “mani” – jewel and “pura” – city. The lustrous gem center, yellow and radiant is located according to some texts in the solar plexus and others in the navel. Manipura, as the fire element, governs our digestive organs: stomach, spleen, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, and small intestines. Related to our ego identity, it gives us our sense of personal power in the world. A person with a balanced manipura chakra has good a good sense of self, is confident, intelligent, productive, focused and responsible as well as playful. They have vibrant energy and are able to take action and manifest their visions in the world with ease. Blockage in the third chakra displays as digestive disorders, low self-esteem, lack of self-discipline, poor follow through on tasks, indecisiveness, anger, hostility or a sense of victimization.
The third chakra has 10 petals on which are inscribed the Sanskrit letters, Dam, Dham, Nam, Tam, Tham, Dam, Dham, Nam, Pam, Pham. In the center of the lotus is Ram, the bija mantra or seed syllable for Manipura chakra. Chanting Ram as well as the sanskrit letters is very healing and opening for the related organs as well as emotional and mental aspects of Manipura.
The beautiful image of the Third Chakra is from “The Invisible Seven Psychic Lotuses” by YogaShakti Mission.
FIRE ELEMENT
Fire is the element of “Manipura”, our third chakra. It is the power of transformation, luminosity, digestion, radiance, intelligence, vitality, and activity. Associated with vision, fire as light is the energy that fuels both outer sight and inner vision of comprehension and recognition. The fire element is Integral to our yoga practice in which the inner heat, activated through asana practice, burns impurities and awakens insight. The earliest term for yoga like activities is Tapas which is derived from the Sanskrit root, “Tap”, meaning “to burn” or “to glow”.
Our digestive fire is called Agni in Ayurveda. Located in the solar plexus, Agni governs metabolism as digestive enzymes and other metabolic processes that break down, digest, absorb, and assimilate our food. Strong agni is also important for nourishment of our tissues and immune system. This photo, taken at a retreat that I led in Guatemala, was for a very powerful Shamanic protection ceremony.
REVOLVED SPLIT-LEGGED HEADSTAND
Shine up your gem center with Parivrttaikapada Sirsasana!
Twists are very beneficial poses for the Third Chakra. Located in the solar plexus/navel area, Manipura chakra governs all of our digestive organs: stomach, spleen, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, small intestines, and large intestines as well as the kidneys. The spiraling action of twists, wrings out physical, emotional, and mental stagnation and sluggishness in our organs. As we unravel the twists, fresh oxygenated and nutrient rich blood rushes in and the stagnant blood is pushed out, offering a deep cleansing and detoxification process. Inverted twists, like Parivrttaikapada Sirsasana, provide an even more effective cleansing of accumulated metabolic waste and toxins from our system.
RUDRA MUDRA
If you’re feeling insecure, unconfident, indecisive, weak & listlessness, and have digestive difficulties, you may have blockage in your third chakra. Try Practicing Rudra Mudra to awaken your solar plexus chakra, revitalize your prana, and strengthen your center.
• Touch the thumb, index and ring fingers together and extend the other fingers easefully.
• Practice 5 minutes, a few times a day.
• Affirmation: “I rest at my center and draw strength and joy from my center.”
joyous heart!
Leigh