Equanimity and the Eclipse with Nicki at Maui Yoga Shala: Wailea, Maui: August 21, 2017

Seems the biggest news around is about the total lunar eclipse that happened early this morning. Since landing on Maui I've pulled back so much from external sources I barely knew about it even though I somewhat follow astrological leanings and more and more think it does matter what's happening with the sun and other planets. Sages for a long time have suggested that the magic that moves the sun and other stars is within each of us.

Nicki offered a beautiful energetic teaching of the eclipse with the opening meditation.

Seated

Place your hands on your knees with palms facing each other (so not up or down, but neutral).

Offer the palms up or down depending on where you are. Sun side (pingala, right side, passion, creativity) or moon side (ida, left side, level headedness, steadiness)

Rainbow breath allowing yourself to charge what is lower in energy in yourself

Hands to the heart and find center

Its a practice that brought great awareness to my strengths and weaknesses and a practice that reminds me to measure myself to myself in an unemotional and matter of fact manner. Buddhist teaching offer equanimity (upekshanam) as one of the first suggestions on how one might quiet the mind as does Yoga Sutra 1.33. Instead of feeling bad about myself because I'm not grounded, or creative or whatever today isn't helpful in accessing that energy. Equanimity helps me see it and then make a wiser choice.

Generally the sutras are taught in reference to our relationship with others, but remembering that the person I'm spending the most time with is me, it was helpful to apply it to myself this morning.

We have both the sun and the moon  in us. Their powerful paths move and cross within us all the time, just like the eclipse that happened this morning in the early sky. Here on Maui we weren't directly in the path, but her effects were surely felt.

Namaste