Seated Wide Leg Lateral Side Bend
The light alters. There’s a shift in the air. The Sun is in mutable Virgo. This sign helps us to remain-within-ourselves as we observe and adjust to the changing nature around us. We find Virgo in our feminine sensitivities, the ones that help us honor the connection between the ground beneath our feet and our being. Our bodies are nature, nature is our bodies.
As the sign that breaks big matters down into manageable pieces, Virgo digests. In the body, Virgo is found in the action of the intestines. At this time, you might notice slight changes in your gut, new messages from your digestive system. Our bodies remember the inheritance from over a million years as hunter-gatherers, we long for the appropriate new foods at each seasonal change. What you eat affects your gut, and your gut affects everything else, including your feelings. You can support both with a mindful movement practice like yoga, designed to strengthen the connections between earth, your body and your mind.
Our Virgo New Moon pose is “Lateral Dragonfly” in the yin yoga style. Find a spot that allows you to connect with the ground. Sit where you can feel held by the earth. Enjoy this calm solid support.
When you’re ready, bring your hands behind your hips and lean on them as you take your legs to a wide-leg position. Connect your heels to the ground. Check in with the action of the legs. They should feel comfortable. Your pelvis-to-thigh connection should feel stable.
Shift your hands in front of you to lean forward a tiny bit to determine the proper positioning for a long-held meditation in this wide-leg seated position. Your comfort zone will allow just the right amount of healthy stress (ie, no pain) on your tissues around the pelvis and down the legs. Soften the muscles of your legs and torso.
Lean to your right side and surrender in the lateral side bend for a couple of minutes. Take a few moments to find just the right spot for your head, so that all is easeful in the neck, shoulders, and side waist. (Take advantage of any props to help you feel relaxed in this position.)
The most important activity in this shape is observing your breath. Feel deeply into what trusting your body and your gut really means.
After 2-5 minutes on one side, shift into the same position on the other side. One side may feel differently than the other. Enjoy the sensations. Continue to be mindful of the gifts of earth energy.
When you feel complete, lean back onto your hands, bend your knees, and sway your legs with tenderness and a few more deep breaths.
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