Yoga and its teachings is so much more than a few exercises in the morning to get you going. It's a pathway to understanding ourselves, our body, mind and spirit, and most importantly, to understanding our connection to the Universe, to the planets, to the Cosmic forces that surround us. I love connecting all these pieces of the jigsaw together, creating a picture of life, of human form all fitting together in harmony.
Let's talk about the Sun and Moon. Why are they here? What is their purpose? Well first of all let me tell you that we need both. Their contrasting energies balance each other, like masculine and feminine, yin and yang, Shiva and Shakti ....these polarities are the essence of the jigsaw. In order for the picture to be complete, to be whole and beautiful, both are essential.
The sun brings fire, warmth; it's what gets you up in the morning and makes you want to do something, to get up and go, to create and celebrate. The sun is a constant, stationary star, always shining from dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn, and this steady, neutral stability is associated with the masculine, with Shiva. The sun is not subtle, it is powerful and gives you the known - all that is here and now, life ripening and blossoming....earthly success. This masculine energy of the Sun is described as “Pitta” natured, which means it is fueled by the Fire element. Fire is courageous, initiating and dynamic. This all sounds wonderful and perfect, but as with everything in life, too much of a good thing can lead to trouble. And so, the negative traits we associate with the masculine energy like anger, domination, control and power can be the result of too much sun energy, which is why we need a balancing force to cool us down. These unhealthy egoist masculine traits require an anchor in the unknown, in spirit, to stop the ego running wildly away.
And so, this where the moon steps in to save the day! In contrast to the sun, the moon is a cooling, mysterious object that waxes and wanes, changing shape everyday. It will stop you in your tracks and make you stare. This is because moon is the mystery, the guardian of the night, unveiling the unknown, which is why the feminine is ruled by the moon. Woman is like the moon. She waxes and wanes, she moves through ever-changing cycles. Man is like the sun - constant, stationary, never changing. Everything grows because of the moon and everything ripens because of the sun. And everything is conceived because of the combination of these two polarities of male and female, sun and moon. How beautifully interconnected are we with our magical Universe!
We are both sun and moon, Shiva and Shakti, possessing both masculine and feminine energies. Men will naturally posses more of the sun and women more of the moon, but men and women should strive to nurture both energies within themselves.
The feminine, moon energy, the unknown, the mysterious intuitive, healing force has been undermined and undervalued for many centuries, which is why there is so much imbalance in the world. It is crucial to recognise the role of the compassionate, patient, healing & flowing Shakti principle in our lives, and begin to elevate its status once again.
Men and women have to develop and embrace both sides of their nature. One cannot be balanced without the other; each of us must make space for the other in our life, especially through our partnerships.
Make peace with the male energy within you. Don’t be afraid to be resolute, principled, and take noble action. Make peace with the feminine energy within you. Don’t be afraid to receive, adapt, trust, rest and meditate.
With this balance in mind I am drawing my attention to the sun energy. Almost a year of withdrawal, closure, slowing down and meditating, I am feeling disconnected from my sun, from the real and known, and sense an imbalance within me as I continue to hibernate and withdraw, barely leaving the house. I've started more work on the Navel - lighting up my solar plexus with a regular dose of stretch pose, breath of fire and right nostril breathing. Ranjan's Hatha class on Saturday morning has also exposed my solar weakness so I am incredibly grateful for this gift of a practice every week.
I'm also returning more frequently to this beautiful mantra for healing:
Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung
Ra = sun
Ma= moon
Da= earth
Sa = infinity
Sa Say So Hung = we are all of that!
This is my favourite musical version. Sing to it. Dance with it. Play it out loud and feel the sun and moon inside.
My personal leaning towards the Sun, the masculine, the desire for action and the known, has led me to create a new online workshop with Ranjan in Sri Lanka. Virtual sun blended with inner sun is guaranteed to bring the promise of growth, warmth & success.
Book your place here:
