‘I will love the light as it will show me the way and I will love the dark as it will show me the stars’.

I recently heard this affirmation and I loved it.

I am finding it hard you see to love the dark, to love the dark space I have in my heart which is gripped with grief for my dad who passed away in the summer.
It’s black. It’s bleak. It’s dark.
When I touch it, I cry.
So I don’t want to go there.
Yet, just like a yoga pose which we don’t like yet we know it’s the one we should practice, I need to.
I need to relinquish the fear, soften into my breath and surrender in to the moment.
Rooting down to the earth to allow me to reach for the stars,
I will soften and use my breath to help me relax.
When I feel resistance I will find my centre again.
I will connect back into the dark and release into the space and welcome what-ever arises.
I will enjoy the openness that I have created and allow the light to flow through me to show me the way.

Yoga: Heart Opener Pose

Feeling Radiant

I am a beautiful pregnant woman

The following excerpt has been adapted from my book The Yoga of Pregnancy from week 22.

As a woman I carry compassion, kindness, power and beauty within me. In my practice this week I will reaffirm these qualities and enjoy feeling radiant.

Even though your organs are now formed and functioning, your brain is still developing.

Your sense of touch is perfecting itself and you have fun feeling and exploring the texture of your skin, body parts and your favourite toy, the umbilical cord.

Tastebuds have appeared on your tongue and your baby teeth are like hidden jewels beneath your gums.

As you grow, my little one, so do I. My uterus is stretching and feels uncomfortable and itchy – I use natural aloe vera to help alleviate this – and even my belly button is popping out now. Not to worry though, I’ve been told that it is likely to revert to being an inny after your birth-day.

I do feel radiant though. My cheeks feel flushed, my face is beaming, my hair gleaming – together we are blossoming!

Intention

Sitting quietly I will bring my hands together in front of my heart.
Closing my eyes I will look within myself
and feel my heart beat from the inside.
I will visualize the golden glow shining from my heart
beaming out in all directions, in all dimensions.
I will share this light generously with everyone I meet this week,
and I will share it with you.
Always.

Reflection

Glowing from the blooming stage of my pregnancy I expressed my inner and outer beauty in this practice, which left me feeling radiant.

Namaste.

Yoga for pregnancy: Goddess Pose

Adapted from The Yoga of Pregnancy by Mel Campbell (Findhorn Press 2012).

The Vibration of Sound

My baby is listening when I say, “I love you”.

The Birthing Breath

The Birthing Breath soothes the nervous system; focuses and calms the mind; improves concentration and helps to balance emotions. It is a useful yoga breathing technique when pregnant and to use in labour.

Using deep vowel sounds, as in this practice, can be a valuable tool during labour to help direct the energy down to the base of the body and help to relax the pelvic-floor muscles to ease delivery.

If you have pelvic girdle discomfort I will practice this breathing exercise sitting on my heels with my knees together. I will place a cushion(s) between my sitting bones and my heels to bridge any gaps.

My baby is listening when I say, “I love you”.

The Birthing Breath

For this pose I will need a yoga mat, a wall and several small cushions. This breathing exercise is suitable for all stages of my pregnancy.

•  Sitting with my back against a wall, I bring the soles of my feet together
• I rest the backs of my hands on my thighs, and bringing the tip of each thumb to touch the tip of my index finger I extend my other three fingers. This hand gesture is known as Jnana mudra, and symbolises the uniting of our unconscious with our unconscious energy
• I close my eyes and connect with my breath. Parting my lips and teeth slightly, I soften my mouth. Inhaling naturally through my nose, I exhale through my mouth, directing the sensation of the exhalation down past you to my pelvic floor
• I visualise and sense my pelvic floor softening and releasing with each exhalation
• I let my inhalations come in naturally through my nose and focus on exhaling through my mouth
• I notice that my exhalations are longer when I breathe out through my mouth, and that this makes me feel more relaxed
• I repeat this breath five times
• Letting go of my inhibitions, I begin to sound the vowel “ooo” along with my exhalation and feel it vibrate through my body down to my pelvic floor. How does it sound to you? I repeat this five times, then I repeat it making the sound “aaahhh” five times
• I find each sound soothing and calming
• Mindfully I repeat this week’s affirmation:

My baby is listening when I say, “I love you”.

• Gradually my breath settles back into its natural rhythm

Reflection

This week my voice reverberated through my practice and connected with my growing baby with the vibration of sound. Namaste.

The Yoga of Pregnancy book by Mel Campbell