Looking up at the sky, feeling down to the earth, today is a powerful day in our universe. Equinox. Seasonal shift. Balance.
I'm going to feel no shame getting my hippy on. Light a candle, breathe in the Fall air, try to sense the cool coming, put pen to paper, reflect and manifest a little. Here's how and why.
Equinox comes from the Latin: "equal night."
On the Fall Equinox, Sept. 23, day and night are approximately equal everywhere. The Sun rises and sets exactly due east/west. The Earth's axis is exactly aligned with the sun. How about that for profound possibility to harness inner and outer balance?
So how about it- think you might benefit from some balance?
Here are a few signs we need to bring balance to our presence.
- Find it hard to be present.
- No or low direction.
- Stuck, stubborn, can't go with the flow.
- Lacking joy and natural confidence.
- Blocks to giving or receiving love freely.
- Blocks to speaking our truths clearly.
- Self-focused, lost a higher sense of purpose or connection to the whole.
If any of this is happening, take Earths Equalizing, harmony cue.
Perfect balance all around us in nature invites us to balance ourselves.
Balance is not something you find, it's something you create.
It's a choice and an action.
Here, I share some powerful tools that can create major transformation. First, a little background on the source of these tools updated for modern life. Ayurveda is yoga's ancient sister science developed for over 5,000 years.
Ayurvedic and yogic wisdom is all about bringing balance and health.
Ayurveda is a holistic practice and respects each person's uniqueness. It emphasizes prevention and offers natural ways to treat diseases and promote health. It empowers us to take responsibility for our own well-being.
This Fall Equinox is a powerful opportunity to harness yogic and Ayurvedic wisdom, balance ourselves and our relationship to others. Feel into a sense of justice, equality, peace. It is a time to mentally and energetically clean house.
Here's how. Tools for balance:
1. Balance Self & Community care.
Equinox is the perfect time to make the connections between self and society. In yoga we call this healing the illusion of separation. By working on the community we work on ourselves. It's a time of justice and attention to repair injustice.
Equinox is a time of gratitude and appreciation. It's also a time to share the bounty. Most of us, have a bounty of some kind or another. Let it spill over and be of service.
This is so needed as I've recently written about here.
After all, we are all connected. And through taking care of others we take care of ourselves.
2.Stop, Drop and Chill.
At seasonal change, Ayurvedic Yogic wisdom ask us to create balance between activity and rest. Make time for rest and leisure.
Children and animals do this. I watch my toddler, active and busy all day, running, every once in a while stop, flop down on the ground and rest. Even if it is just for three seconds, he rises again recharged and ready to explore the world.
3.Observe energy going to giving and receiving.
Notice how much you are giving and how much you are taking in. Consciously bring your awareness to this. Try to roughly equalize the two. For me, just bringing awareness to this dynamic helps me to notice where I am caring for others or where I need to receive more.
4.Balance desires vs. appreciation.
Instead of thinking about all the things we want, and maybe need, focus on appreciating things we have. At least in equal measure. One of my teachers calls this the wisdom of a non-toothache. Appreciating things we often take for granted, like our good health, a working relationship, a good mood go a long way towards creating balance.
5.Apply Your Sun Salutations. Follow the Sun for real.
Yogis do more than just sun salutations. We follow the sun for real. Rising closer to when the sun rises, going to bed closer to when the sun sets. This is one of the most profound tools for balance, and one of the hardest in our modern, over-stimulated life. Surya, the sun, plays a central role in yoga and Ayurveda. The benefits of shifting to a more regular sleeping and rising time, and moving it slightly earlier in both directions, are huge.
6.See and Be Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space.
Notice the sky. Feel the earth as you walk. Look at the trees and flowers in your neighborhood. If you can, visit a local or national park. Allow these five elements, natural wonders to fill and feed you. Ayurveda asks us "How are these elements in you?" Attention creates a deeper feeling of connection and balance immediately.
7. Move with. . . Breath. Breath. Breath.
Practice in a way that works for you. If you have time, jump on the mat or on the mountain. A grounded practice suits the day. My asana today is daily life + deep breaths.
This Equinox, I spend the day with the 5 elements and in community, grateful, alive. Planting seeds of small and huge dreams in life.
My wish for you: Take time to reflect, create a life of deep desire. Put pen to paper, mind to matter, words to flesh. Manifest.
Ayurveda and Yoga's healing science are always uniquely tailored to each individual so only do what feels right to your own body-mind wisdom. These tools will greatly impact your sense of balance and joy in the world. Make your commitment tangible with clear, measurable goals. If you can commit to even just one of these practices it will have profound benefits. Let me know how it goes!
-- Wishing you balance and joy this Equinox,
Susanna Barkataki
I teach the dive deep, build community, balance your life kind of Yoga School and VIP Visionary Business Net-Workshops in LA, Orlando, Fl. and throughout the U.S.
Yoga School starts in LA Oct 5th. Learn more.
The next V-School event is Oct. 7th. Apply for your award for a visionary business or a visionary idea here!
Connect!
Email: susanna@healthyhotgoddess.com
Web: www.healthyhotgoddess.com
www.visionarybusiness.us