In this ‘stack’ you’ll find practice notes on 5 of my current go to’s for nourishing mind / body / soul / spirit through relationship with the Element’s of Space, Air, Fire, Water & Earth.
As i write:
The Solar eclipse changed the world in unseen ways.
Mercury Rx is winding towards a close.
Spring is Springing.
The Moon is full in Scorpio.
This post is going to focus on some super basic things. Why? Because spring is a great time to make sure the basics are taken care of!
PRACTICE: Water First
Wake up.
Drink a hefty dose of water ASAP & before consuming anything else.
NOTES: 10+ years ago I began drinking a 20oz glass of water first thing in the morning. With very few exceptions I’ve done this every morning for the duration of this time. Here’s what I’ve noticed:
Increased energy.
Increased likelihood of drinking water throughout the day.
Decreased coffee/caffeine.
Decreased muscle strains & joint pain.
Decreased fatigue.
There’s more I could say on this. Lots more, for now that is all on water.
PRACTICE: Nose Breathing
Inhale through the nose. Exhale through the nose.
While driving.
While talking (speech itself is an exhale so this one is just about inhaling through the nose).
While working out.
While walking.
While running.
While stretching.
While…..
Limit the pacing & intensity of whatever activity is being engaged to allow for nasal breathing.
There are certain physiological conditions that make this difficult or impossible. If that’s you, please take care of yourself & ignore this practice.
NOTES: I went for a trail run the other day. It was a long one for me. Before leaving my car. I took a swig of water. I held it in my mouth for the duration of the run. Periodically I’d offer a bit of it to a tree. When I completed the run & gave the remainder to the creek.
I love doing this (I also don’t recommend it to anyone that is not a masochist….)
There’s something deeply meditative about enforcing nasal breathing in this way. There’s also something special about offering water carried within to the rooted ones while abstaining from its consumption. It’s one of those things that can’t be explained with words & likely isn’t for everyone.
Nasal breathing supports in moderating the bodies stress responses. In my experience this means:
Enhanced “high level” cognitive function.
Increased stamina.
Broader emotional availability.
Expanded perceptive capacity.
Larger capacity to digest (info, foods, energies, etc.)
More capacity to hold relational charge.
Strengthened immune system.
Better internal temperature regulation.
Decreased anxiety.
Less racing / out of control thinking.
Generally, slower everything….
This may seem counterproductive in some cases but “slow is smooth & smooth is fast.”
PRACTICE: Standing Practice
Ideally this is done barefoot on unobstructed ground (dirt, grass, rock, sand, etc.).
Stand in an upright relaxed posture.
Bring awareness & attention to the base of feet.
As much as possible relax all the muscles of the feet & allow the bones of the feet to soften into the ground.
Move up to the ankles, relax the muscles connected to ankles as much as possible.
Allow ankles to settle atop feet in a relaxed vertical alignment.
Move up to knees, relax the muscles connected to knees as much as possible.
Allow knees & shins to settle atop ankles in a relaxed vertical alignment.
Move up to hips & pelvis, relax the connected muscles as much as possible.
Allow femurs, hips & pelvis to settle atop knees in a relaxed vertical alignment.
Move up to spine, ribcage & shoulders, relax the connected muscles as much as possible.
Allow spine, ribcage & shoulders to settle atop hips & pelvis in a relaxed vertical alignment.
Move out to arms & hands, relax the connected muscles as much as possible.
Allow arms & hands to hang from shoulders in a relaxed vertical alignment.
Move up to neck & head, relax the connected muscles as much as possible.
Allow the head to settle onto the neck atop the shoulders & ribcage in a relaxed vertical alignment.
Move back down the body joint by joint allowing each muscle & joint to more fully relax into verticality.
Bring awareness to the entirety of body as unified whole. Notice what is present within.
NOTES:
I LOVE this practice.
It has been a go to meditative & integrative stance for me for many years now.
Three of the times I love this practice (there are many others…):
Right before a movement practice. It’s amazing to me how much my posture can be torqued & asymmetrical at any given moment. Taking a moment to work this practice pre movement has dramatically decreased my tendency to injure myself during lifting, grappling, running, etc. There’s something very nurturing about it that needs time & practice to be felt.
Right after movement practice. Inevitably moving (including all of the above modalities & others) creates internal movement of both the physical & the subtle. Tissues compress & re-organize across lines of tension, energetic flows shift, fluids pump. There are times when the states tapped into & generated are less than ideal to carry into circumstances that follow the practice. For instance: I’m lifting heavy loads. My internal stress response spikes. I head inside & connect with my partner. Without a transitionary phase (aka the standing practice) I can easily bring the stress with me & impact my time with Her. The standing practice helps me de-escalate my stress response & orient my stance in a way that can support connecting with Her in more pleasurable, less stressful ways.
Standing in line. Any line. Traditionally I’ve deeply disliked waiting in lines. This practice doesn’t negate that dislike but it does give me something to focus on (other than the monotony) & bring a sense of value to the time waiting.
PRACTICE: Offering Reverence to the Sun
Give the Sun attention.
Be present with the light.
Offer gratitude in a way that fits.
NOTES: 12 years ago I was dealing with insomnia. It was no joke. Sleepless nights…. shudder.
It left a deep mark in my psyche.
At the time I was starting my days off pre-dawn in man-made lighting most days.
In seeking answers & solutions I found out that my circadian rhythm (& the hormones that infuse it) are directly linked to sun exposure, most specifically unfiltered early sunlight in the retina.
My Sun Reverence practice began by taking time as early in the day as possible to let the light land on bare my skin & permeate my eyes. It worked (along with other measures) to reduce & eliminate my insomnia.
Feeling the early rays on my skin & in my eyes consistently leads me into a state of reverence, this has transitioned from a welcome side effect to the primary focus over the years. The path to my current relationship with the Sun has been (& continues to be) filled with wonder & a sense of gratitude for all that the light provides (including deeper rest in the still, darkness of night).
PRACTICE: TAKING RELATIONAL SPACE
This practice has some nuance to it. At the heart it is a practice of tending to charge within relationship by taking responsibility/ownership of ones capacity to hold & express charge in a relationally generative way (generative as opposed to destructive).
Track internal charge in relationship dynamics.
Charge = emotional, psychic, physical, mental energy flow / tension.
Notice when charge is becoming (or close to becoming) more than can be held &/or expressed constructively.
Take space.
Literally leave.
Take a deep breath.
Change posture / placement.
Request a pause.
Return & engage when / if the charge becomes manageable.
NOTES: This has been a tough practice for me. It remains a growing skill (likely will indefinitely).
Blowing up & leaving in a rage is easy.
By the time that happens I’ve missed the window for this practice to be effective.
The key to the practice (& on of the bits that is the most nuanced & personal) is the noticing & tracking of charge + capacity.
I used to have an inflated impression of my capacity to hold charge. Turns out I was better at suppressing than truly holding.
This suppression would lead to blow-ups / blow-outs in my relationships (which have looked many different ways, none of them pretty).
The first (& most challenging for me) step was to get really honest with my own capacity. This has led me into the work of preemptively taking short bits of space (which presents its own challenges; namely learning to do this in a way that is honoring of both myself & those I’m connecting with).
Practice is ongoing and has yielded significant, nourishing fruit within my most intimate relationships.
I’ll also note: most children that I’ve met are fantastic at doing this for themselves. They know when they need space & typically are completely unabashed in their expression of the need (albeit through unpolished methods). I’ve also noticed that as this super-power is socialized out of them (ie being forced to cohabitate when they need alone time) also coincides with an uptick in violent outbursts (psychic, emotional, physical, etc.)