Let go

Last week during one of my regular 6am yoga classes, the room felt hotter than I thought comfortable. The weather has been so unpredictable lately and the morning air seemed cooler than was usual for this time of year. I let it pass, thinking I would not notice once I had warmed up and begun to flow.

As we began to move, I felt enthusiastic and energetic. I could feel my strength beginning to return after months of injury. Through this, I have learnt to listen to my body. This meant modifying most of my practice for the past six months and leaving out more complicated or advanced poses that I would normally relish in.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, I felt less restricted and more mobile. My experimentation gave me a renewed sense of certainty.

However, the heat seemed to really bother me. I was reminded of Bikram days when it was all I could do to breathe through the intensity to make it to the end of class. But this was not Bikram. Power shouldn’t be this hot. No, it was too hot. Or at least it felt that way to me.

I tried to breathe. As we moved upright from Crowe pose to standing I could feel my head become light and fuzzy - the effects of standing up too quickly. The room seemed to close in around me. Nonetheless, I took hold of my breath and thought of nothing else for fear of passing out. This wasn’t likeIy to happen but it was a possibility and I might need to rest in Child’s pose.

There is no shame in Child’s pose or resting - but I was having such a great class, I didn’t want to stop.

Ego. It was my ego that would not let me rest. Instead, I chose to reduce my practice from there on in.

Interestingly, my standing poses were held with grace and ease. Perhaps consciously letting go of pushing myself to a place where I wanted to be and allowing my body to just be exactly where it needed created this grace and ease. And in doing so I achieved my perfect pose at that very moment.

Let go. Take a deep breath, focus, and just be.

Rose Quartz

Underneath the subtlety of this pretty and delicate stone lies a powerful gem that enhances spirituality and increases compassion.

Rose Quartz is all about love. It provides a soothing influence that softens the harshness of our life experiences. With this wondrous stone, we can discover the love deep within ourselves, that allows us to open up to others – to love and be loved. Amazingly, it calms emotions creating an appreciation of all things beautiful.

Using Rose Quartz in meditation can lessen feelings of trouble and disarray. Change and acknowledging its importance becomes easier, however problematic it seems.

Energetically, Roze Quartz releases negativity, particularly those relating to self image

Wearing this graceful stone close to the heart inspires positive effects and is beneficial to all signs of the zodiac.

Amazonite

Today I am wearing Russian Amazonite. I love the blue-green, almost turquoise colour of the stone. When polished, Amazonite is easily characterised by the streaky grain and spot-like colouring.

The green colour resembles the love and compassion of the heart chakra. On a physical level, the green influence is linked to fertility and protection. It helps to regulate metabolic disorders, harmonises the brain, nervousness and internal organs.

But really, it is the blue qualities of the throat chakra that make this stone special.

The fifth chakra, Visudda, is located at the neck. It is the connection between the more physical lower chakra’s and the higher metaphysical chakra’s.

Spiritually Amazonite can assist in self determination and expression.

Mentally, Amazonite synchronises communication between the intellect and our intuition, providing a wider gateway to personal expression. Amazonite can also enhance ones sense of psychic awareness and can be used to tap into past memories.

The healing properties of this gemstone are amazing. Symbolic of the throat chakra elements it can ease problems with the ears, nose, throat and nervous system. It is useful in releasing blocked emotions. And it can provide inspiration for creative endeavours, supporting all aspects of communication, so is therefore excellent for those involved in the arts.