Energy Moves

Hey! It’s a great day to be alive.

The sunshine pours through golden leaves, and the air whispers autumn. Halloween is coming, Samhein, Dia de los Muertos – all those fall festivals that mark the change in seasons and the turning of our world towards the time of hibernation and rejuvenation.

My friend’s old Tia told him that winds pick up in October as the Spirits begin to stir about. Now when Santa Anas blow wicked dry across my days, I shiver with that sense of motion.

For our nod to yoga today, let’s bring some of that mysterious autumn activity into our spines. Especially for those of us who sit for hours at our computers, our spines plead to have a range of motion. This Kundalini-style movement will give your vertebrae that little energetic boost they long for.

Come to sit cross-legged on the floor, in an easy, comfortable pose. Position your feet so that your legs and hips feel comfortable and not cramped. If you’re wearing jeans or tight pants, you probably need to unfasten them or even slip them off. (Okay, obviously, that’s if you’re alone, working in privacy. If you’re in the office, sitting on the floor in your underwear might not be the politically savvy move towards advancement!)

If you prefer, you can stay seated in your chair. Just scoot forward to the edge and plant your feet firmly on the ground directly below your knees, making a nice 90 degree angle.

Ground down through your sitting bones and feel your connection to the solid earth below you.

Place your hands comfortably on your knees and begin to rotate around. Make a big, easy circle with your heart, first left, then forward, then right, then back. The base of your spine makes a tiny circle, your tummy draws a middle-sized one, and your heart dances through a larger circle above it.

Think of your spine like a long-handled wooden spoon, and you are stirring a big, black cauldron full of something delicious and healing.

As you sweep forward, inhale. As you sweep back, exhale. Do that as long as you like. Then switch directions and go the other way.

While you stir, you’ll feel your spine slowly come to life and fluids and energy begin to pulse and crackle along this path.

Awake and filled with breath, return to your work.

There – life floods your body! It’s a wonderful autumn day. May you be blessed.