“Life is not about finding our limitations. It is about finding our infinity.” –Herbie Hancock
Weekly Focus: Ether — element of potentiality
Winter is a time to visualize our limitless potential. Ether is infinite space, everything + nothing at the same time. This element serves as a reminder that our possibilities hold no boundaries, hence, it is the element of potentiality. Full awareness — it can be frustrating to hear a phrase such as “our possibilities hold no boundaries.” We all come from different backgrounds and privileges which may make this feel entitled, out of reach, or assuming. Let’s break this down and remove any material or earthly connection from this phrase. Do you know the limits of your own mind or spirit? Are there any? It’s true, we have very little control over so much, but what we do control is everything with the Self — and that is where our limitless potential flows forth. Ether is a curious concept, everything and nothing at the same time, it is a bit like coming into meditation. To be present and aware, but unattached. To find your dharma, your life’s work, but to act separate from the ego. To embrace and allow yourself emotion and to feel, but to find a general contentment day to day. Consider the expanse of the mind and its strengths — how can we work to hold so many qualities at the same time, to find balance in all things?
Passive Pose of the Week: Prone Twist
Build a gentle internal heat to help you stoke your potential. Windshield wiper your legs from side-to-side. Allow your knees to land towards your right (close to a 90-degree angle), then continue to rotate and turn the body towards your right thigh and hip. Lower your forearms to the floor, a blanket, or blocks; perhaps eventually lowering to your belly. Hold for 1 – 2 minutes then switch to the second side. If you have the ability, you might try using extra props in this pose and extending the whole to 5 or even 7 minutes per side. If you are at home, thick blankets or even bath towels folded and stacked can create a great alternative to a bolster. Prop the body with a bolster or thick stack of towels for more cushion and support. Additionally, you can pad the knees with blankets or thin pillows, and perhaps cover up with a blanket. Get cozy and let your thoughts become soft, giving the mind space to rest.
Active Pose of the Week: Viparita Virabhadrasana — Reverse Warrior
Peer into the realm of possibility, seek outside your shell. Come into a Warrior Two stance, keep your front knee bent and reach the corresponding arm up alongside your ear. Drop your back hand to your back leg. Allow yourself to lift up and out of the hips, lengthening the ribs with each breath. As you lean back slightly, you might even give a slight rotation of the heart to the sky, finding a subtle, twist, backbend, and lateral bend simultaneously. So many possibilities within one shape to expand the body and broaden — can you explore them all?