Autumn Round 1--Clearing the Channels

MYOGA SEASONS for Subscribers

Accessibility Level = Easy

All Round 1’s are the warm-up session, while Round 2’s are generally more intense and demanding, Round 3’s are the integration section, and Round 4’s are the Wrap-Up which is challenging for its fullness and length. So the more attentive you are all along the way, the more familiar and accessible the wrap-up becomes.

Welcome to Autumn Round 1--Clearing the Channels. Let’s dive in! Be in touch if you have any concerns or questions. Also feel free to comment directly below this post, or on the YouTube page.

Notes (also found below the video when you go to YouTube):

As we warm into Autumn’s first round we’ll focus on Clearing the Channels of wrists, waist, legs and neck. Vishuddhi chakra in the neck and throat is a key channel between the head a d the heart, as well as the rest of the body. It’s the highway through which we take in what nourishes us, and out of which we communicate our truth to the world. It’s no wonder it gets clogged, tight, and sore. The first third of this 30 minute practice is sitting cross-legged so be sure to set yourSelf to sit comfortably tall so that you can focus on the more subtle realms of the breath and opening the neck space.

Here's what Others have to say about this practice:

"Melissa, thank you so much. In this brittle time, there's nothing better than hearing your clear, calm and sure voice in iso-yoga. I really am truly grateful for all the love you put into making these treasures. Namaste, esteemed teacher :)"--John

Although the arms are connected to Anahata, the heart chakra, with the palms of the hands considered secondary energy centres of the heart, the expressions we make with the hands are part of our communications, the realm of Vishuddha the throat chakra. We generally gesture when we speak. I think of mudras like programming the brain in reverse. Instead of the brain sending signals to manipulate something with the hands, we manipulate the hands and the pressure put on the nerve endings in the fingers sends a message back to the brain. I love mudras!

So here in Autumn’s throat chakra focus we’ll do quite a few of them, starting with Surya (Sun) and Shankh (Conch shell) mudras in our purification pranayam practice from Kundalini Yoga. If you’re new to Breath of Fire, do it on its own first by going to the video below, as we’ll be channeling this dynamic breathing into the left nostril only. Have some tissues handy! And you might wish to watch and listen before you give it a go, as it can be tricky to hear the directions and do it simultaneously.

In fact, the entire Sounds Module is the realm of Vishuddha and our focus in the ears, nose and throat, so check it out! You’ll find other pranayams and mantra sessions, including Breath of Joy that we get into later in this Seasons Round, so if you’re short on time but want to create an impact or shift a mood, go to Sounds for single short practices.

Shankh mudra is said to help stimulate the throat and it looks like a conch shell, so let your Ujjayi Pranayam really sound like the waves of the ocean in your shell hands. Though you’ve likely done the Adi Mantra ‘Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo’ before, paying attention to how the sound is made and where your tongue is while you do it will likely bring new awareness to sound itself.

Be sure your seat (asana) is an easy one (sukh) and use a support if your knees are higher than your hips so that your low back isn’t struggling, as we’ll be sitting a bit longer at the start while we open the wrists, neck and jaw. Our glandular system here is the thyroid and we stimulate and balance it by keeping the chest lifted and tucking the chin down. Space is the element in Vishuddha chakra, which means purification, so encourage space in your joints.

Dynamic Up-Table is another Kundalini Yoga exercise and it stimulates the thyroid as well. This is a great exercise for building butt muscles, which are essential for avoiding low back pain. And Squat (Malasana) is a Basic, so if you’re still struggling with it, keep at it! It’s brilliant for flexibility in all leg joints and for helping digestive flow.

Go back to Basics if you need, because here in Autumn we’re taking squat to the next level with Moving Crow, another Kundalini Yoga exercise. So follow the option to modify if that’s what feels strongest for you right now. Not only are we cultivating space within, but we’re also moving through exterior space, sometimes rapidly and sometimes slowly or seemingly not at all. In all variations keep the breath with you, even as it changes, and let it indicate for you where you kink or go unconscious. Especially when we get into Supported Standing Banana and Standing Spinal Flex, use Ujjayi Pranayam like a reverse alarm system. The alarm is when you don’t hear the ocean sound steadily in the throat. Pay attention and adjust the body so the breath stays regular.

This practice is brought to you by Rumi in all his truth-speaking wisdom and poetry:

There's courage involved if you want

to become truth.

There is a broken- open place in a lover.

Where are those qualities of bravery and

sharp compassion in this group? What's the

use of old and frozen thought?

I want a howling hurt. This is not a treasury

where gold is stored; this is for copper.

We alchemists look for talent that

can heat up and change.

Lukewarm won't do. Halfhearted holding back,

well-enough getting by? Not here.

That’s our extended intro to this practice with the free option from Sounds and Basics. If you’re keen to give MYOGA Seasons a go and want to receive new intermediate level sessions throughout the year that carry you through the Seasons and the Chakras, it’s only $6/month to subscribe!