Kundalini Yoga - 19

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EARTH, THE FIRST CHAKRA AND INTUITION

 

One of the most commonly marked goals is to sharpen your intuition.

There are many ways to do this and we will cover them over time.

Today I want to give you a few pointers on how to do this by

balancing and aligning with the earth element.

 

There are five elements or tattvas - air, water, earth, fire and

ether. One of the goals of yoga is to balance and integrate all five

elements of our being. Practice of the techniques and postures goes

a long way to achieving this goal. However, performance of

techniques is only half of the story. We must also cultivate a

conscious awareness of the shifts that are taking place. The

mechanics are the masculine aspect of the practice. The awareness is

the feminine aspect of the practice.

 

Astrology helps us determine the most appropriate time to work on a

particular tattva. While the Sun is in earth signs - Taurus, Virgo

and Capricorn - is the most powerful time to align with the earth

element. I have made my astrological New Millennium Being e-zine a

part of this training so that you can use this information to develop

your relationship with the elements.

 

At the end of each newsletter is a meditation or yoga set that deals

with the element of the month. The exercise series at the end of the

last newsletter " The Earth Taurus Connection " helps cultivate the

power of the first chakra and a relationship with the Earth and your

body.

 

We often associate intuition with the third eye and the mind. The

mind is the masculine aspect of intuition. The feminine aspect of

intuition works through the instinctual self and the senses of the

body. This exercise set, which involves using the breath while

applying rootlock, facilitates instinctual awareness. After the

exercise, sit or lie very still and simply be aware of the sensations

in your body. Over time you will realize that these sensations are a

powerful and accurate information system. They are the physical and

emotional aspects of your intuitive awareness.

 

It is important to remember to integrate your awareness after every

yoga and meditation session. We do all the exercises so that we can

shift our awareness. Jumping up after a yoga session without a

conscious deep relaxation or silent meditation is like meal without

dessert or going to the beach and not going for a swim. The

relaxation and silent meditation with a humble prayer play a big role

in integrating and anchoring in the effects of your practice. The

effects last longer and you are able to stay more consciously

centered during the day. It will also be easier to recreate the

experience during the day. Use your breath and rootlock while

sitting in your car or at your desk to pull yourself back into your

body, reawaken your instinctual awareness and reconnect you to your

earthly source.

 

Here's the meditation again.

 

MEDITATION TO CONNECT WITH THE EARTH

 

Tuning into the energy of the Earth is enhanced while the Sun is in

Taurus from April 19 through May 19th. Cultivating the earth element

requires attention to the sensations in the body, to the feet and

legs, and to the first chakra or base of the spine. Paying attention

to the feeling of gravity and its pull on the body toward the Earth

is very useful. The goal is to experience a heaviness that becomes a

feeling of stability and stillness.

 

Working with the root lock is a very powerful way to connect with the

body and the Earth. The following exercise gives you energy and

relaxes the nerves.

 

1. Sit in easy pose. Inhale, hold the breath in. Pull and release the

rootlock 3 or more times. Exhale. Repeat for 1 or more minutes.

 

2. Inhale, exhale, hold the breath out. Pull and release rootlock 3

or more times. Inhale. Repeat for 1 or more minutes.

 

3. Inhale, exhale, hold the breath out and pull and relax rootlock 3

times. Inhale, hold the breath in and pull and relax rootlock 3

times. Alternate for 1 or more minutes.

 

Stretch legs between exercises as needed.

 

4. To end, unite with energy of the Earth and feel the current

raising up your spine. Let go, if only for an instant. The union

between Earth and Universal Spirit happens when you let go. The

union cleanses stress and negativity. Practicing rootlock when you

are thinking too much or afraid, helps release fear by connecting you

to your physical source and by activating your own energy.

 

Rootlock in this exercise is done by gently pulling the muscles at

the anus. As you pull the rootlock, feel that you are pulling energy

up from the core of the Earth.

 

(by Gururattan Kaur Khalsa)