Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Colors

Today is an orange ink day. I am noticing I am drawn to yellow and orange lately and fantasizing about filling my garden with yellow and red tulips. For many years I have been focusing on spiritual work and have been most drawn to jewel tones. My house has indigo, blue, purple and green throughout,even the carpets.Chakras or energy centers in the body are different colors.Jewel tone colors represent the heart chakra(green), the throat chakra (blue), the third eye center(indigo or purple) and the crown chakra( violet). These chakras represent such issues as relationships and love, speaking your truth and connecting with spirit. Lately I have begun to inhabit my body in a deeper way. Being in my level 2 yoga teacher training which is focusing on the hips and the pelvis is bringing up all sorts of stuff about what my body can and can't do. It is helping me to learn to accept my body as it is even when there is a huge temptation to compare myself to others. Focusing on accepting and loving my body draws me to the warmer colors.Red, orange and yellow are the colors of the three lower chakras. I am learning that they aren't lower because they are lesser. They are lower because the centers in the body are the base of the spine (red), the genital center(orange) and the abdomen(yellow). They represent issues about survival, sexuality, creativity, etc. These energy centers support us in being grounded in the world in a vital way.Writing this,I remember that when I was in my twenties my favorite color was orange. I had an orange down jacket and an orange V.W. bug.In college I painted my bedroom in my first apartment primary orange. Not exactly soothing,no wonder I had trouble sleeping.I guess this color thing has gone full circle. In my thirties I hated orange. It was my least favorite color. I have come back to my body with the spiritual awareness borne of thirty years of meditation.
I notice I am doing my yoga poses in a much more mindful way- learning to focus on my breath and be present-not just go through the motions. Doing yoga I feel my body, my breath and my mind uniting.Practicing yoga is the way I learn that I am a spiritual being in a human body. All of the colors of the chakras can come together and create rainbows. That is the joy of yoga.
I am excited about teaching my new class starting on Wednesday May 14th from 12 to one at Whole Yoga at 1735 E. 17th Ave. http://www.wholeyoga.com/ It is an all levels, drop in class. Beginners and non-pretzels are very welcome. Please come and tell your friends. I would love to share my passion for yoga with you.Together we can celebrate our rainbows.
So what about you and colors? What colors are you drawn to? How has that changed over the years? On these beautiful spring days with budding trees and flowers be especially aware of the color of things. Experiment with breathing the experience of color into your body.

No comments: