~ reconnecting to higher wisdom or divinity ~
It's difficult to see, hear, or think of a Unicorn without immediately questioning if it's real. Did they ever exist? Perhaps long, long ago? The mind answers, "maybe..." or "it could be..." or "no way." This very contemplation explains our relationship with divinity, and encapsulates our wavering belief in the Unicorn. We wonder what divinity is. We wonder where our intuition comes from and if we can really trust it. We think about a higher power and our mind hesitates between yes, no, and maybe. Is it male or female? Does it have a name? Is it just a feeling? The Unicorn card appears and "wakes us up' to curiosity about the higher self and the divine. It is a card of questioning, exploring, and contemplating the inexplicable. The mind's eye knows there is something beyond our day-to-day lives, a deeper dimension to our experiences. The mind's eye reaches and reaches and reaches out to grasp something more. You are the Unicorn, and you have begun your quest for the answers.
~ the unicorn and the sixth chakra ~
It's no surprise the subtle essence of the Unicorn card resides at the third eye, the exact place from which the Unicorn's horn extends. This center is called the Ana chakra, or "command center." The ancient yogis believed it to be responsible for our intellect, intuition, and deepest wisdom. Some say our two eyes see the past and present, while this third eye peers into the future.
Hi friends! :) Welcome to week 30 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 hummingbird of the air element taught us how to live from a place of overflow -- endless energy and joy. We move toward that state by learning where to find nectar; our places of nourishment. We also learn to avoid poison and the things that lack nutrition.
This week, we complete our sixth cycle of the elements with the unicorn. This card is associated with the space element, which differs from the other four elements. Space is the container that holds the earth, water, fire, and air. It is the stage upon which the other elements dance. The space element cards point us toward a deep, primordial aspect of ourselves... an underlying current -- a deep calling. The unicorn 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?
The sun rises, it sets. Food goes in the mouth, flush the toilet. Clean the body, keep it healthy, find shelter, deepen relationships, get a stable job, have some hobbies, explore the corners of the earth. Follow your dreams, love relentlessly, serve humanity, savor the moments of peace and beauty, stress and tears during the struggles, stand in awe of the mystery of this human life.
In our day to day, we have such a variety of experiences, from the sacred to the mundane. Experiences that light up every cell in our body, and experiences seem to break us. This is the human experience... but uh... what is this?
I don't know... I was just born here, I just woke up one day in this body. And I have a name and a family and a body and a mind. And the earth seems to operate by these certain laws, and society seems to operate according to these certain beliefs. And I don't know what this is... I'm just here living it.
The unicorn represents the aspect of ourselves that is seeking more. As we deepen into our human journey (which is inextricably a spiritual journey)... we aim to become more sensitive and more aligned. A natural result of becoming more sensitive and aligned is the creation of space. Our minds and bodies are no longer so crowded with triggers, distractions, and unhealthy habits... we surrender, we stop clinging on so much, and then this space opens and naturally we are in a place to receive. We are in a place to listen.
This listening is sensitive to the whispers of the subtleties and secrets of the mystery of existence. It's not that anything particularly changes, but we are more aware of what is already here... our conditioned mind that is ruled by fear... attachments and aversions, begins to shift to love.
The whispers tell us that there is something more... that we are a part of an incredible mystery. That we are a part of something much greater than what we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. That there is a profound divinity threaded throughout all things. The deep parts of ourselves know this to be true... but will we allow ourselves to explore and question this mystery? Or will we put our head down... "that's a bunch of nonsense".
We fear what we do not understand. We are quick to shut down the unknown. How can the mystery of existence be "nonsense" or "not matter"? You ARE existence. You ARE life. Know yourself, know this, love this. The more we listen, the more we understand, the more we connect to the mystery, the more we align to the divinity of this earth, the more we move through this human experience with grace and effectiveness. And who knows... perhaps even a glimpse into the beyond.
As we dive into the existential... to the nature of reality, there can be a tendency to get overwhelmed or to get trapped in inquiry. This is not something to take on all at once. This is not something to go searching for. Life is happening right here right now. The answers are right here right now. Don't throw away your human-ness for this "something else". The mystery includes what is happening here. There are no shortcuts. Go deeper into the now. Naturally, effortlessly, as we open ourselves to curiosity and receptivity, we will receive the answers we are meant to have.
"You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a single drop." -- Rumi
...
Next week, the snake of the earth element sleeps coiled at the base of our spine. There is no more time to waste. The snake calls us to awaken our untapped potential and creative energies. This is the sign to stir this creature from its slumber -- rise. We need you, the journey starts now.
til next time ✌︎
dream extreme!
♡ kat
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