Befriending the emotional body:
The body speaks to us with amazing guidance if we can learn to
listen. I encourage bringing the wisdom of the body into awareness,
and believe in using the body as an aid in moving through and beyond
the limitations and suffering of our egoic sense of self to a broader,
more inclusive, heart connection with our lives.
The healing power of astrological symbols: I use the astrology chart as a diagnostic tool and guide to identifying recurring problem areas in your life, as well as hidden strengths and optimal life directions. The symbols of the chart offer a roadmap for inner work and encourage a more objective relationship to these patterns. Simply discussing the wisdom the astrological picture paints can support a stepping back, a detachment from the difficulties we tend to take personally. Naming the larger forces at work in and through us gives power to our Soul to remember who I-AM amidst the pressures of daily life and can be most helpful during times of transition, stress or change.
Clearing a path to everyday contentment: Difficult external circumstances, which often turn out to be deep blessings in disguise, bring the chance to uncover our limiting beliefs, along with the feelings and thoughts that keep them running, often out of our awareness. In this cramped, limited sense of self, often experienced as an inner tension or inability to relax, most of us complacently pass our days until life serves us up a challenge, maybe even pulls the rug out from under our carefully constructed lives. If we can find the courage to face ourselves during these difficult times,(which planetary transits can often help us recognize and understand), we have the opportunity to stretch out of our comfort zone into a richer sense of who we are. When we touch into this larger sense of self, we are refreshed and reminded of the joy at the core of our being.
Our interior body, the light body, awaits our relaxing into its supporting arms. In contact with this subtle sense of ourselves we radiate our most basic nature of joy and contentment-- our innate happiness. Most of the time, however, we find ourselves trapped in ancient memories, emotions, and yearnings. Seemingly no amount of conscious intent can change these old habits of thought and feeling we carry with us throughout our lives. However, with gentle focus on the unpleasant feelings, thoughts and sensations we normally strive to avoid, we can begin to move through the holdings that constrict our awareness and keep us from experiencing the mystery and magic of each moment.
Yoga of the emotions: Yoga ("union") serves as a bridge between body and mind -- not yoga as physical exercise, rather, yoga as a meditation on our true nature. Through attention to breath and other body sensations and with simple postures, we contact the energetic body and listen to the messages encoded there. This method works as a tool for focusing and can become part of a daily practice. Through sensations associated with the emotions and beliefs we hold, we learn to discover our 'edge'. At this edge, attention opens the body and the mind to the deeper self, leading us on to our natural peace, joy and strength.
Ongoing Group Work:
Small group work focused on using the body as a doorway to open to deeper emotions can be a powerful catalyst to deeper self-awareness. Please contact me if you are interested in becoming part of such a group at sanleeden@gmail.com.
_______________________________________________________
