Category: Breathe

Yoga Poses to Uncover More Intensity & Desire

Posted on by TheMuse

[two_third][/two_third][one_third_last]CosmoMuse yogi, Brooke Musat, brings us some Scorpio Season intensity with two poses that help us balance our yin & yang energy during this transformative season. Photography by Bus Couch.

In the height of the transition between fall and winter upon us, we welcome Scorpio into her reign. Harnessing the power that is transformation, now is the perfect time to turn lessons learned into lessons shared. With Mars in Scorpio’s corner, the courage within will help us as we turn toward our hidden depths. Because Scorpio energy calls upon our inner detectives, consider this an opportunity to dig a little deeper into what you desire. Don’t shy away from identifying what it is you want, need, or simply crave.  If what you desire feels a little avant garde or taboo, find comfort that identification is the first step in the healthy exercise of self-discovery.[/one_third_last]

[full_width]With Pluto, Scorpio’s second ruling planet in your court, your intuitive abilities should be easier to call upon. Knowing what is right for you and when to act, are powers you already embody. Know though, that your journey to seek that which you desire does not need to be a lonely one. Sure, Scorpio season strengthens our self-control, but Scorpio season also reminds us there is power in intimacy. Give yourself permission to open up and share your truths with others. The essence of who you are is worth celebrating with company and embracing both your dark side along with your light side will bring greater empowerment!
The Yin and Yang poses of Scorpio season will keep you balanced as temperatures drop and the scenery shifts. With focus on caring for the loins and the heart, we are reminded that sometimes access to our desires requires a great deal of concentration and hard work. Steadiness achieved through strong feet, hamstrings, and quads, we recognize that transformation isn’t fleeting, but rather best initiated by finding strength on a cellular level.
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[one_third padding=”26% 0 0 0″]Yin Pose :: Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Folded Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose)

o Stretches the hips, shoulders, and hamstrings

o Strengthens the ankles and legs

o Can help to strengthen the tiny muscles in the feet to help with cultivating a better sense of balance

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[full_width]Fire Signs (Leo, Aries, Sagittarius):
Fire Signs, practice this pose only after warming up the hamstrings and opening up the hips. Don’t let your ego tell you props aren’t permitted. A strap looped around the foot in the air is a great way to give tight hamstrings room to breathe.

Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn):
Earth signs, your tendency may be to focus on the foot that is connected to the ground or your mat, try to avoid this, as it may throw off your balance. Instead, try to bring your focus to the lightness of the leg suspended in the air. You could even try letting go of the foot with the hand and using your core to hold the leg up.

Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius):
Air Signs, we challenge you to hold this pose for more than 1 minute. If your hamstrings are tight, bend the knee, and take both hands to the shin, then draw the knee closer to chest.

Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): 
Water Signs, focus on trying to make this posture comfortable. You may need to play with bending either the standing leg’s knee or the knee of the leg in the air. Relax the shoulders and break in this pose in as it feels right for you.
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[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”5% 0 0 0″]Yang Pose :: Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana)

o Strengthens the core and legs

o Opens the heart and chest

o Stretches the shoulders and back

Fire Signs (Leo, Aries, Sagittarius):
Fire signs, be aware that this pose should be eased into. Draw your attention to the tension of the foot in the hand and make sure your knee (of suspended leg) is pointed down toward the earth.

Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn):
Earth signs, recognize this pose is quite an opening for your chest, back, shoulders, and heart. If you begin to feel vulnerable or trapped, try bending the standing leg, focus on the breath, or acknowledge you need to come out of the pose and try again.
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[full_width]Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius):
Air signs, consider bringing the hand into the foot and aligning the knees. From there slowly begin to push the foot into the hand. With every breath you can focus on bringing the leg a bit higher. Once you’ve reached your peak, exit the pose the same way you entered it.

Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces):
Water signs, bring your attention to the shoulders and the arm suspended in space. Play with the angle of the suspended arm, reaching up toward sky, or reaching forward and parallel with the earth. Try to keep the shoulders squared toward the front of your mat. [/full_width]

Yoga Poses to Attract More Harmony & Romance

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]CosmoMuse yogi, Brooke Musat, brings us some Libra Season love with 2 poses that help us balance our yin & yang energy for the current season. Photography by Bus Couch.

When the sun travels through a constellation, it brings vitality to all of us through the traits of the astrological sign that rules that constellation. For most of October, Libra is our reigning queen, gracing all of us with enhanced access to harmony, romance, balance, and diplomacy. Relationships are a focus as is fighting for equality in the things that we care about.

It is no surprise that Libra begins her reign at the autumn equinox (or spring equinox in the southern hemisphere) – the perfect balance between summer and winter, day and night and light and shadow. One of the four cardinal signs of the zodiac, Libra kicks Fall off with grace and style, while charming us all into believing beauty lives around every corner.

With Venus as Libra’s planetary ruler, venturing into design, pleasure and romance, are areas perfectly suited for us to leave indelible marks during this season.  

This year’s Libra Season brings good news and fortune into our lives as Jupiter has just moved in and is planning an extended stay in this sign – until October of 2017! Fluff the pillows, dust under the rug, and do your best to make Jupiter feel welcome, because Jupiter is a lucky planet. Jupiter loves the airy sign of Libra and feels the freedom to expand its infections optimism around all things harmonizing and equalizing over the next 12 months.
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[full_width]Let Jupiter’s luck be a vehicle through which you pursue beautiful endeavors. Avoid allowing the yang energy of the Libra sign to take over when deciding between passions. Procrastination due to heavy deliberation, or relying too much on what others say, could introduce an anxious fog that distorts your desires. Treat your desires like you would a relationship: pay attention, be thoughtful, and maybe even romance them from time to time. After all, Libra is our zodiac’s relationship expert and romantic guru!

Practice the yin and yang poses of Libra Season to find beauty in balance and elegance in embracing luck when it finally comes your way. Whether you are a Libra by birth or at heart, there is Libra energy available to all of us at this time.

Fire Log Pose helps pacify Libra’s airy tendencies in a rooted seat. With a stable base made by stacking the legs on top of one another, you’ll begin to invite yin energy in. Just as shorter trees and low-lying shrubs weather strong winds better than those that are tall, Fire Log Pose will protect you from strong shifts in energetic currents.

Practice Upward Plank Pose to reenergize the entire back body and boost adrenal function in a healthy way. With support originating in the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands, you’ll embody balance between floating and grounding sensations.
Read on for how to adopt the yin and yang postures of Libra Season for your sign’s fire, earth, air or water element.[/full_width]

[one_third padding=”18% 0 0 0″]YANG POSE
Upward Plank :: (Purvottanasana)

Pose Benefits:

o Strengthens arms, wrists, and tiny muscles in the hands

o Tones calves, hamstrings, and back

o Stretches fronts of shoulders, chest, and tops of ankles

o Opens heart

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[full_width]Fire Signs (Leo, Aries, Sagittarius):
Fire signs, be cautious not to enter this pose with too much ego. Instead, ease into it one breath at a time. Resist the tendency to tighten through the chest so the fronts of the shoulders can open. Practicing this pose in the early morning or as a midday pick-me-up is recommended.

Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn):
Earth signs try a variation of this pose by alternating bent knees. Draw attention to the areas of your body that are suspended in space (head, back, legs, etc).

Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius):
Air Signs, if you have the option, it is encouraged to strike this pose in a warm humid space. Focus should be on holding this pose for as long as it feels physically appropriate. Tendencies may be to touch the pose and move on, but try to meditate on if your desire to move is a call from the body or the mind.  

Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces):
Water Signs, practice this posture somewhere peaceful, but not void of emotion (corner of your bedroom, home, etc). Be open to hosting whatever emotions come to the surface, but be cautious not to let them take over. Use small movements or adjustments (slightly bend the knees, gently turn the head side to side, wiggle the toes, etc) to move through uncomfortable moments.
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[one_third padding=”10% 0 0 0″]YIN POSE
Fire Log Pose :: (Agnistambhasana)

Pose Benefits:

o Deeply Stretches hips and buttocks

o Opens groin

o Strengthens calves

o Quiets a busy mind

o Can help to reduce anxiety

o Releases built up tension in the lower ½ of the body
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[full_width]Fire Signs (Leo, Aries, Sagittarius):
Fire Signs, practice this pose to cool off after a morning run, or in the evening after a long day. If the hips allow, invite more calm into the mind by leaning forward and resting on the elbows. Let the head hang passively.

Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn):
Earth Signs, invite movement of the torso while in Fire Log Pose. Consider initiating tiny cat and cow movements of the spine with your breath. Inhale for cat and exhale for cow.

Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius):
Air Signs, find stillness in this pose and focus on spreading deeper mental roots. A great visualization would be to imagine a gentle pressure on the top of your head pressing your sacrum more firmly into the earth. Between these two points, (the top of your head and the bottom of your sacrum) is a long spine.

Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces):
Water Signs, use this posture as an opportunity to retreat inward. Bring hands to heart center and tuck the chin toward the chest. Lean forward slightly on the inhale, and return to a neutral spine on the exhale. Extend the length of each breath, and match your movements accordingly.

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Yoga Poses to Produce More Discernment & Refinement

Posted on by TheMuse

[full_width]CosmoMuse yogi, Brooke Musat, brings us some Virgo Season love with poses that help us balance our yin & yang energy for the current season. Photography by Bus Couch.

With Virgo season upon us until September 22nd, we can all learn a lot about the power of discernment. Being able to sift through the intricacies of life, determining what is good and what is bad, examining the pros and cons of complex situations, and generally being able to celebrate our ability to recognize what is right and wrong for us in any given moment, is something we can thank Virgo and her ruling planet, Mercury, for.

Confidence in Virgo’s ability to discern only gets stronger through their September reign with the sun in Virgo until the 22nd. The influence of the sun can bring intensity to almost any situation, so it is wise to stay balanced by recognizing the importance of rest, relaxation, and a good work/life balance. Virgo’s ruling planet Mercury is also in retrograde during this time, so be cautious not to put all your eggs in one basket, having a backup plan for everything you intend to do is probably a good idea.

A yin outlook accompanies Virgo, and may be the first nod that Fall, cooler temperatures, and longer nights, are on the way. The yin of Virgo should inspire us all to cool our egos, make the most of warm evenings, and refine our lives as we prepare for the opportunities that the next season will bring. When practicing these Virgo inspired postures, be mindful of the yang and yin energies each pose brings. Bharadvaja’s Twist is an effective way to invite yang energy into the body, stimulate the digestive organs, and strengthen the spine. Inspired by Virgo for its ability to benefit the body in a myriad of ways, this pose is surely something Virgo’s gut instinct would approve of.

The passive variation of Bharadvaja’s Twist is more rooted and inspired by Virgo’s earthy element. Elbows, forearms, and hands on the ground can help bring about a sense of peace and calm to an over active sympathetic nervous system. Allowing the head to hang passively can do wonders to release tension in the neck and “shoosh” a mind busy with too much judgment.

Read on for how to adapt the yin and yang postures of Virgo season for your sign’s fire, earth, air or water element.
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YANG POSE

Bharadvaja’s Twist :: (Bharadvajasana I)

o Stimulates kidneys

o Stretches hips, chest, side body, thighs, and the tops of the ankles

o Boosts strength in the spine

o Revitalizes internal organs

o Can release tension in lower back

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[one_sixth][/one_sixth][two_third]Leo and other Fire Signs (Aries, Sagittarius): Attempt this pose before sunrise or after sunset. Focus on the rhythm of the breath with your eyes closed. If this pose is readily accessible for you, think about holding the posture for a longer period of time, or repeating your expression of this pose with short breaks in-between.

Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): Earth signs should practice this pose in a warm environment that is not too warm where sleepiness or lethargy has an opportunity to sink in. Attention should be paid to creating length or “airiness” into the spine. A great visualization would be to think about the top of the head and root of the sacrum being pulled in opposite directions.

Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): If possible, Air signs should assume Bharadvajasana I right before retiring to bed at an early hour. A location void of unnecessary distractions would help Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius reap all the mental and physical benefits of this posture. If the urge to fidget begins to creep in, slowly begin to circle the head allowing the breath to be the initiator of all movement.

Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): Water signs should use their innate gift of awareness to observe the small shifts (tilt of the head, length of the breath, rootedness of the hips, etc) that make this posture more or less intense. Focusing in on the physical should help Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces create distance from emotional burdens they may be carrying.[/two_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

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YIN POSE

Passive Bharadvaja’s Twist :: (Bharadvajasana I) Variation

o Stimulates kidneys

o Stretches hips, chest, side body, thighs, and the tops of the ankles

o Boosts strength in the spine

o Revitalizes internal organs

o Can release tension in lower back and neck

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[one_sixth][/one_sixth][two_third]Leo and other Fire Signs (Aries, Sagittarius): Fire signs should feel relaxed in this posture. If relaxation does not initially settle in, let go of the weight of the head, focus on sinking the chest toward the earth while gently squeezing the shoulder blades towards one another on the back. Long, deep, inhales and equally long deep exhales should aide in the sense of letting go.

Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): In the passive variation of Bharadvajasana I, Earth signs could play with modestly rounding and arching the upper spine. Arching with an inhale and rounding with an exhale.

Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): For grounding and a fun all-sign- variation, Air signs could practice this pose with a bolster. If twisting to the right, lay the bolster long ways just beneath the center of your chest. Palms down, stack the hands on top of the bolster. Lay head on stacked hands. Allow the chest and torso to descend toward the earth and become supported by the bolster.

Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): Water signs should feel free to luxuriate in the freedom of a dreamy mind in this posture, as long as “dreamy” doesn’t turn into a wandering of the emotions. Intention on celebrating positive parts of the day, or committing to exploring the creative limits of the passive Bharadvajasana I variation are all healthy approaches for Water signs in this pose.

For more Virgo Season inspired yoga, try this restorative yoga sequence

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