Not sure how about you but I have been noticing lately myself being more fiery and having those moments when I could burst, feeling like I need to create something or when the fuse gets very short. My children are also being even more creative, very vocal, driven and sometimes a bit aggressive lately. I thought that it’s because of all the changes with coming back to school and what is happening in the world and then it stroke me again when looking into what’s going on in the Universe. I have been working on my own relationship with anger for quite a while but there are times, like past few weeks when I can sense the anger surfacing even more. I used to shut it down, because being angry is not nice! It does not feel good, it’s not acceptable to express it, let anyone see it, anger is bad! Well those were my beliefs that I learnt in my childhood and from the culture of our society. But anger is an emotion, it is energy in motion same as other emotions. Have you ever thought about approaching anger in a different way? Asking myself further: What is my relationship with anger? How do I express it? How does it move through me? How do I use it?
Rather than burying it deep within, which usually ended up as a volcano explosion within some time or manifested as dis-ease, I started noticing how it feels in my body when the charge arises, how I process the charge....do I project it on something or someone to destroy or do I use it in a creative way? Noticing that it was arising, was the first important step, I purposely wrote noticing, because once I get on board of the anger train, it runs very fast. So noticing without judgement, staying present with it and then directing or expressing it in a way that is safe for me and for others? Well, as you can guess Yoga is an amazing tool for me, as I can have a strong practice or creative flow and you are very welcome to join me. It is also the meditation part, not only the the physical practice of Asana and at the same time the mindfulness of staying present in the moment with all that is, breathing through it even if it might feel uncomfortable.
My little daughter is a typical Aries, a little fiery power station (btw. Mars is in its home sign of Aries until January 2021) and I remember once she was projecting her pent up charge on everyone around, obviously not knowing what to do with herself in that state, I just told her to put her trainers and send her to run few laps around the green in front of the house. When she was done she came back to me and said: Mammy I feel much better! Then she sat down and was colouring manadalas for about an hour. Children are much more connected to their emotions and bodies.
There are various ways how to express what is in you, screaming to get out. You can get creative with it and also learn from it. If you are getting angry it means that something in you is not happy and the anger is giving you the courage to change things. Once the cloak of anger, frustration or resentment is lifted, wisdom, clarity and faith arrive. There is an important relation between creativity and anger as anger often blocks the creativity and creativity can use up the pent up energy of anger to create instead of destroy. So let me ask you too:
What is your relationship with anger?
How do you express is?
How does it move through you?
How do you use it?
Do you ever allow yourself to feel it and stay with it as it is?
Returning back to the planetary influence. We moved from the Full Moon in Pisces, which is governing the liver meridian in Chinese medicine (liver is an organ associated with the emotion of anger) the planets adjusted even further and Mars has moved retrograde. Mars the fiery planet of passion, aggression, action and courage is moving retrograde and will stay there until November 13th. When a planet is in retrograde it’s inviting us to turn inwards to look into our internal process. It’s our opportunity to re-evaluate what is important for us, to be able to make changes towards what serves us better.
How can you support yourself and your beloved through these intense times?
Become an observer of your own process being open and accepting of what is coming up for you. Applying extra self-care, in whatever form is nourishing for you, and embracing the learning. Anger creates acidity in our bodies, so eating alkaline food (sour and bitter) like fresh leafy greens, citrus fruit, beets, carrots and sweet potatoes are great for liver. You can start your day by drinking a big glass of lukewarm water with lemon before eating, drink tea infusions like dandelion or nettle and limit coffee and fatty food.
Spend time outside in nature.
Yoga poses for solar plexus area are warrior poses (virabhadrasana), side stretches, triangle pose (trikonasana), planks and push ups (chaturanga), downward facing dog (adho mukha vanasana), seated twists, etc...
You can massage your temples and jaws to relieve the pent up tension. Shake it off or dance it out.
Have you noticed that for things to change, something is called in action? To initiate the action there is an impulse? It can be passion or something that makes you angry so then you get the courage to do it. Well, it is your time now to look within and see what is important for you and even the Universe is supporting you.
If you are up for a vigorous yoga practice or relaxing class, check our classes on https://www.yogaflowwithlenka.com/book-online.
To calm your nervous system and enhance your capacity to cope with life from your calmer self, there is a RESTORATIVE YOGA workshop coming this Friday 18th September @8pm.
Sources: Tanishka - The Moon Woman, Kari Samuels, Sikhs Nurturing Nature.