Nurture Compassion
“Open your heart” – the mantra that reverberates through every yoga class and strings the globe like a “mala”. It is essential, because we can only still the mind if we melt our thoughts into the heart. Every pursuit of happiness is subconsciously fueled by the heart chakra – known in the subtle anatomy as “Anahata”. It is the fourth primary energy wheel according to the Hindu Yogic and Tantric traditions and symbolizes the consciousness of love, empathy, selflessness and devotion. In Sanskrit the word “anahata” means unstruck and refers to the “unstruck” cords of celestial sound and vibration. Metaphorically, it connotes to the availability of cosmic abundance that in most of us remains untapped. But most notably, the heart chakra is the “midhaven” of the body – the natural buffer that links the lower centers of our memory, potential and identity with the higher centers of self-expression, intuitive intelligence and manifestation. If blocked we cannot live up to our to our soul’s purpose. The flow of abundance is curbed and nothing materializes naturally. Abundance leads to prosperity, but to experience bounty you first need to face the vulnerability of the heart.
When we arch into a backbend we expose our vulnerable, tender selves. We confront our fears, we nurture compassion and acceptance. Every time we snake up we heal our relationship between self and other, our identity and the reality that we weave. Once relationship is recognized and honored any disharmony dissipates and balance is restored. We realize that no achievement exists outside of relationship, and gratitude is a natural byproduct of attending the ways in which relationships enrich our lives. A heart-opening practice allows us to build deep, abiding and nurturing relationships that develop out of reciprocity. We begin to cherish that we are no longer a point of singularity, but expanded into an infinite variety of parts of a whole, only existing in an exchange of energy between give and take. Just like breathing we can neither always inhale or exhale, we must do both to tap abundance. The support we receive to reach the achievements of our lives are inhalations of exchange. The ways we love and support others are exhalations of reciprocity. How balanced is the breath of relationship in our lives? Do we tend to give more than we receive?
We simply have to breathe into the availability of our hearts and breathe out compassion towards the Universe. As we trust the cosmic flow we slowly learn to root while arching, to fly while anchoring. We release our mental grip on things and pave the truthful way to the intelligence of the heart. We no longer have to grasp into goals and cling onto cravings, but rather melt into the compassion of the heart and its magical quality to deliver the right opportunities in divine timing. We live through the heart and radiate kindness, becoming the six pointed star that geometrically depicts the heart chakra. One triangle points down to the soil in a quest of reverence for all Earthly riches, the other one points up to the sky in a search for cosmic devotion. Being at the heart of devotion and reverence, of gratitude and availability we open to embrace ourselves and the world with empathy and love.
“Open wholeheartedly to your soul’s true vision” to add another bead to the Yoga mala around the world!
Heart-opening Yogea Flow Routine: Nurture Compassion
Designed and demonstrated by Yogea Artflow & Yoga Alliance certified teacher Xana Villan Rueda.
This is a dynamic Yogea sequence of chest and shoulder openers that flows unimpeded and allows you to integrate conscious breath with fluid motion. The poses are held briefly and the art of smooth transitioning is emphasized. A short ujaiic breathing meditation opens the sequence to ground you into the core and promote the flow to your heart. The shoulders and the neck are then semi-circled to open the torso and prepare the thoracic spine for safe back-bending. The flow progresses into a “breath-in motion” warm up to stretch the hamstrings, lubricate the joints, nurture the ligaments and pave way for alternating shoulder openers and back arches. The poses pulsate from foreword to back bends; from hip and IT band openers to adductor lengthening; from external rotation to internal rotation; from weight shifting to plane switching in an attempt to enhance the qualities of yielding and offering. The coherent pose-counter-pose design, coupled with useful breathing tools teaches you to receive and accept equally. Special inversions follow that help you redefine your relationship to gravity and allow you to promote circulation by stimulating the cardiovascular system. In the end a brief meditation circles you back into your pool of abundance and availability, paving your way to loving-kindness and grace.
Heartfelt thanks to our inspiring Yogea teacher and performance artist Xana for designing this invigorating and soothing sequence with integrity and compassion. And thank you for letting us shoot it on your roof top overlooking Manhattan and capturing this beautiful sunset!
Heartfelt thanks to our inspiring Yogea teacher and performance artist Xana for designing this invigorating and soothing sequence with integrity and compassion. And thank you for letting us shoot it on your roof top overlooking Manhattan and capturing this beautiful sunset!
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