~ positive, enthusiastic, spiritually resourceful ~
Inside the tiny Hummingbird resides an endless well of energy and positivity. The Hummingbird's secret is that it has learned where to gather nectar, and it returns to these sources daily for nourishment and rejuvenation. This sacred elixir springs from many sources, but usually involves nature, creativity, and exploring spirituality. Follow the way of the Hummingbird and you cannot go wrong. Every droplet of life becomes sweet, every moment worth savoring.
when in balance ~ smart, curious, loves to learn
when out of balance ~ pushy, insistent, sharp
to bring into balance ~ take a class
Hi friends! :) Welcome to week 29 of our yoga series - exploring this life through the symbolism of the animal kingdom. Each creature represents a different aspect of our human journey, helping us to better understand and connect to our inner and outer worlds. Every 5 weeks in our yoga classes, we cycle through each of the 5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) and their respective animals in this card deck. How can we bring each of the animals within us into balance?
Last week, the tarantula of the fire element watched and waited... there was a great decision to be made. Did you choose the dharmic path? Or did you continue feeding into the conditioned behaviors and beliefs that keep you stagnant or moving in the wrong direction?
This week, we return to the air element, which relates to clarity, movement, communication, breath and life force. The hummingbird represents ourselves when we are in a state of overflow. In this state, we pour out an abundance of joy and energy... because we are properly nourished. And we are nourished because we understand and honor where and when to fill ourselves. How do you fill yourself? Where do you find your nectar? Are you being called to discover... or return to... your spaces of nourishment?
I've found myself so many times going about life... la dee da, doing things, doing things, doing things... and then one day I suddenly go "HOLY shit why do I feel horrible?!" Like it snuck up on me or something... but as I look back, no... it didn't really sneak up on me, it had been compounding for a while and it just finally reached a boiling point where it was so loud I couldn't ignore it any more.
The specific type of horribleness I'm referring to can be blamed on many factors... but commonly feeling "bad", in my experience, doesn't specifically involve WHAT is happening... rather HOW. For example... I could be at a concert, which I would consider a "fun" activity, but feeling bad because I'm tired or stressed or insecure. Conversely, I could get in a car accident, which I would consider a "not fun" activity, and if I am feeling well-rested, calm, and aligned... that experience isn't going to phase me too much. I might even focus on the silver-lining of that incident rather than the annoying or dangerous aspects.
There are obviously situations where you may feel "horrible" regardless of your energy level, such as extremely difficult physical or emotional situations. However, from my experience, when I follow my "problems" to their roots... I can't really blame an event or experience for why I feel bad. Yes, they can be contributing to my negativity, but it's rarely ever an isolated thing for me. Usually I feel bad because I feel bad. I feel bad because I am drained or burnt out or stressed and so many things have been compounding. I feel bad because I am lacking life-force energy -- what the yogis call prana.
So, when I find myself in these "holy shit I feel so horrible" moments (maybe I spend a few minutes or hours or days sulking and suffering) but when I've had enough, I invite in a deep breath, pause, and take an aerial view of my life.
Similar to a chess game, the masters review both the games they have lost and won to see where they have made mistakes... and how they can improve. In life and in chess, you can't play "a perfect game", you're not a computer... but you can grow as a player, so that your outcome is more desirable... so that you feel like a winner.
From this aerial view, without taking on EVERY LITTLE ASPECT which can be too overwhelming and crippling... I try to single out my most prominent moves. Which "move/moves" have I been making recently that have been helping me to advance? And which ones have been hurting me... either resulting in stagnation or moving backwards?
The moves we make in life that help us advance are naturally nourishing. Even if those moves require hard work or delayed gratification... they are nourishing -- they aid our growth and add to our life force.
The moves we make that hurt us, suck out our prana, leaving us feeling helpless, drained, and desperate. Some moves can also be toxic... maybe they give us a form of energy, but not the right kind... not a nourishing energy. Poisoned sources of energy can cause us to be "pushy, insistent, and sharp" as the card says signifies when our inner hummingbird is out of balance.
So, we learn from the hummingbird that as we continue down our life path, it is important to recognize and identify the things that feed us with quality nourishment... and the things that lack nutrition, drain us of nutrition... or even poison us. The hummingbird knows all the best spots to find her nectar... and she visits these places again and again so that she will always be in a state of loving joyous overflow. And perhaps the places she finds nectar will shift and change over time as she grows and requires different things. In order for her to show up as the magical energetic creature that she is, she spends her time around her favorite flowers. So when storms and obstacles and obligations come her way that are draining and difficult, she does not need to operate from empty, she is full enough to move through them with grace, until she is able to refill again.
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Next week, the unicorn of the space element directs us toward the questioning and exploration of life expanded beyond our day to day... beyond our conditioning... beyond what we can see. What powers lie in the invisible places we can't experience through our 5 senses? Begin to settle into the subtle aspects of your body and mind... the subtleties of the energies all around... what do you believe?
til next time ✌︎
dream extreme!
♡ kat
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