5 Element 2/19
Parting Clouds East-West
North-South
photo:
The Roof Room
Breathing with earth
Dear Anahata Yogi,
This passage covers the movement ‘Parting Clouds East-West and North-South”. We will grow the basic breath-energy practice; breathing up and down the full body. This week practice breathing in from the earth and out into the earth.
Inhale, imagine energy rise up the body from the earth.
Exhale, imagine energy move down the body into the earth.
The FULL body from the soles of the feet, legs, pelvis, torso, arms, neck, crown of the head and back the other way.
Imagine earth’s energy to have the qualities of the Earth element; strength, support, stability.
We are energetically connected to earth. In the Anahata Tradition we practice this until we believe it and it becomes our paradigm and truth. Why? Because it effects our psychology. It’s a functional, enjoyable and beautiful reality to live in. In every minute of our lives we can connect with and feel the support of the entire planet running up our legs. It gives us resilience and courage in tough times. It also means we never run out of energy, the earth has more than enough to share. This belief is a CHOICE that creates a foundation resulting in many beautiful benefits, experiences an possibilities. Why do we emphasize that it is a choice? So that we continue to practice and not take our connection to earth for granted or just ‘think it’.
You can imagine the energy to be strong or subtle. If you can’t feel the energy yet, visualize the energy with a color of your choice (color is also energy). If you like you can just observe the natural flow of energy rising and falling with the breath without imagining it. Once you are comfortable doing that you can allow, or imagine the energy coming from the earth to flow up into the body and down again into the earth.
Parting the clouds of delusion
Each movement is accompanied with a simple story or analogy. During this movement you are invited to imagine that with your arms and support of the earth and Earth energy you are clearing away the clouds of delusion from your mind.
My teacher Premananda trained in India. Each morning at dawn he would face the misty mountainous horizon and do the 5 Element form practice with his teacher and fellow apprentices. He said that by the time they were done with their practice, the skies were always clear. 😉 You can also imagine clearing your aura with your hands.
Of course you are free to allow the movement to inspire you. The newest science says that plasma clouds are charged with energy, information and intelligent organization. Perhaps those are clouds we don’t want to clear but want to create space for in our perception.
The Anahata asanas (physical poses) have a lot of repetitions and (bilateral, left-right) movements. This is because movements promote circulation in the body. Circulation and movement help with the detoxifying process. And the simple bilateral repetitions help the mind enter the meditative state and inner-process as you move.
To Do
This week, practice the breathing with Earth (inhale energy rises from earth into your legs and body, exhale energy descends into earth through your legs) even when you aren’t doing the 5 Element movement.
Practice the movement ‘Parting Clouds’ breathing earth energy up and down your body. Allow the quality of the earth element (sense of strength and support) to clear your mind.
Mantra : ‘I am energetically connected to and supported by the planet earth and the energy of Earth.’
Going to your Nature Spot and breathe with Earth.
Breathe in your nature spot
Go to your nature spot and practice breathing to and from the earth . If you like, allow each breath to carry an element and its quality.
Optional, practice ‘parting clouds’ outside. Look at some real clouds.
A footnote
I am creating and posting these 5 Element Passages while traveling through Egypt. So the images shared are a mixture of Belgium and Egypt. The 5 elements can be practiced everywhere on Earth 🙂
Like many of the ancient wisdom and mystery schools, the Anahata Tradition practices prepare for spiritual growth, past life recollection, downloads, connection to the wisdom teachers of the Anahata lineage as well as our own personal ancestry and Spirit guides etc.
These awakenings and experiences will all eventually grow from the foundational practices you are learning and consolidating through this level 1 course.
If the body and mind are not ‘prepared’ the spiritual downloads will not integrate optimally. If the body and mind are not ‘prepared’ or ‘trained’ it becomes more difficult to see our blind spots or ‘kleshas’ further down the road.
Ps. The Egyptian ‘goddess’ in the picture behind me is Seshat, the daughter of wisdom (Thoth) who created writing, astronomy and astrology and more.
