Svadhisthana, the sacral chakra, is the second of the chakras and is located in the lower abdomen below the navel, in close proximity to Muladhara, also responsible for awakening prana shakti (creative life force). The sacral chakra is associated with the emotional body, sensuality, and creativity. Svadhisthana means “one’s own abode” and is associated with the subconscious mind, also responsible for dreams and sleep. This chakra is associated with the water element, and the bija mantra is “VAM”. Svadhisthana is depicted as a 6 vermillion petalled lotus. It is also linked with the bladder and circulation and resonates with the colour orange. The moon symbolises creativity, sourced from this chakra, and signifies the energy that shifts us from survival (at the root) to nourishment and embracing what is meaningful in life.

​Over the next month, we will work on bringing balance to Svadhisthana in our practice of asana, breath work, hasta mudra (hand gestures), meditation and relaxation.

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Welcome to the Maitrī Yoga Chester March Newsletter.  Spring is almost upon us! So in preparation, lets clear out the emotional storehouse of the body: the hips.

March Intention: “I release….”

This month, our focus for practice is too release the hips. Our hips are the support system for the body, carrying the weight of the torso and upper body via the pelvis, and supported by the most powerful muscles; the glutes. Very often the hips can become tight due to our posture and the length of time we sit, or the way we carry weight through the upper body. Tightness in the hips can result in other areas of discomfort, such as tightness into the shoulders, pain in the knees or ankles, and pain in the lower back.
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The hips are also very closely related to emotional holding. The hips are our emotional storehouse, the place where we send those negative emotions that we don’t know what to do with. And when the area of the hips become tight, this can lead to our lower energy channels becoming blocked up. In releasing the hips, we are also working on releasing any deep-seated emotions that we have been storing there, opening up our lower energy channels ready for the awakening and creativity in spring. 

Mudra: Kali Mudra
A mudra representing overcoming difficulty; Kali is the fierce goddess representing transformation and ultimately purification. She is all about destroying dark in order to let in light. This mudra represents the sword of Kali.
 
HOW TO: Interlink the fingers, releasing just the index fingers, press them together. Cross left thumb over right.
 
BENEFITS: Kali Mudra helps releasing stress, letting go of anything that is no longer needed, and has a positive impact on the breath (naturally extending the exhale). 
 
The index fingers represent the air element. Bringing the two index fingers together is said to stimulate the air element and to blow away what the body and mind does not need.
Great to practice whenever you are feeling overloaded, before events that usually make you nervous, or anytime you feel the need to just let go. (Swami Saradananda, 2015), .                                                                                                          
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Mantra: Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha
This is the Ganesh Mantra; the remover of obstacles. This mantra awakens the energy of the root chakra, removing blockages and releasing the energy of transformation for new beginnings.
 
Namaste.

Welcome to February! The month of Love (yes, I know – any excuse!). After all, what is Yoga, what is anything, if it does not come from a place of Love?
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February: “I offer myself loving-kindness”
In February, we will be focusing on SELF-COMPASSION, kindness, and all things LOVE! It is often much easier to focus on the care and love we send out to others; our families, children, friends, colleagues, other people you care for. But do we show as much of this compassion to ourselves? We matter, right? So why is it trickier, sometimes awkward even, to consider loving and offering compassion to ourselves!

Yoga has taught me that in order to offer love and compassion outwardly; be this to my family and friends, those I work with and for, to those I share Yoga… I must care for and be compassionate with myself. That said, it is not easy! It is a daily practice; a constant self-reminder system of being friendlier to myself. Making that internal self-talk kinder and more forgiving. Treating yourself like you would treat your greatest friend.

We cannot pour from an empty vessel. But when we pour love and kindness into ourselves, it naturally spills out into everything we do, into everyone we come into contact with.

Our practice will connect us to our energetic heart space; the heart chakra.
In Tuesday classes we will be working towards Ushtrasana (Camel pose) with stages and modifications to explore. This is a wonderful pose that offers a deep opening across the heart space; opening the shoulders, chest and neck. It strengthens the mid back and posterior shoulder muscles, stretches the abdominal cavity, hip flexors, quadriceps and ankles.