The element of water in Sanskrit is Jala or Aapa.
Jala means water.
Aapa means something which flows.
The Water element helps us go with the flow and let things roll off of our backs.
Water is matter in a fluid form.
Binding and coating our insides, water holds us together.
Calming and cooling our emotions, the water element keeps us from flipping our lids and can cool our lids once flipped.
Water is creative. It takes the shape of whatever container is holding it; and it flows around any obstacles in its path.
Physically, the water element hydrates and nourishes our tissues, lending fluidity and flexibility to our joints.
Mentally, water gives us the flexibility to seek creative solutions to life’s setbacks and roadblocks.
Emotionally, water helps us feel calm and loving.
Water helps things become sticky- think of two piles of powder colored blue and red. Mix those piles when the powder is dry and you still see flecks of the original colors, blue and red. Add water and stir, and you get a totally integrated new color, purple. Water brings things together, including people. When the water element is strong in us, we’re more likely to display the relationship preserving qualities of compassion, kindness, understanding, patience, and forgiveness.
According to Ayurveda, water has the properties of: flowing, moist, dull, cloudy, and soft. Integrating these qualities into a yoga practice can help to balance the commonly experienced excess of Air and Space during Vata times (pre-dawn and evening; fall, winter, and seasonal transitions; elder years; times of life characterized by uncertainty and change). With that in mind, this week's recordings feature the Great Nourisher, Water. I hope you enjoy.
Water Element: 25 min Vinyasa Flow (suggested Spotify playlist is in the Vimeo description that you’ll see once you click the link.)
https://vimeo.com/622588487/09efa44d13
Water Element: 41 min Gentle, Restorative, Yin (suggested Spotify playlist is in the Vimeo description that you’ll see once you click the link.)
https://vimeo.com/622602097/7971a4a3c1
These recordings are offered free of charge. If you enjoy them and know someone else who would like them too, please forward this email :-)
If you’re able and would like to make a $1-$5 love offering/recording, many thanks!
Paypal = shala@YogaAndTheCosmos.com
Venmo = @Shala-Worsley
PS,
Want to add more Water element into your diet? Drink more water, yes. Eat foods that hold a lot of water or require a lot of water to grow, such as melons, cucumbers, avocados, almonds, coconuts. Add healthy oils and fats. Your body needs the oil in order to hold the water.
Want to increase the water element in your daily routine? Take restorative breaks when you can; walk or sit near water- streams, creeks, waterfalls, lakes, or the ocean. Oil your skin every day with a good quality oil like sesame, almond, or coconut.
And, here are some examples of how to integrate the Ayurvedic qualities of water into a yoga practice:
Flowing- roll all the joints, be attentive to the transitions between poses
Moist- move the body in a fluid, wave like way, to help the muscle layers slide and glide more easily
Dull, cloudy, and soft- practice in a gentle way that preserves coolness in the body and mind; add in restorative poses; calming pranayama; and meditation and inquiry practices which cultivate compassion, kindness, patience, forgiveness.
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