Pregnancy is a journey all of its’ own.

Although it isn’t season-specific, you will experience flavors of each element from conception to birthing during your pregnancy that will give you a deepening sense of connection to not only nature, but to yourself and your baby.

The cycle starts with the contractive Autumnal essence as you surrender to your pregnant body and let go of thoughts and feelings that no longer serve you; then shifts into the juiciness of your growing body that reflects the Earth element (Late Summer) and deep nourishment of your blood and baby; the depth of water and Wintery energy invites us to delve into our own psyche to discover how all life is interconnected and flowing continuously; whilst the celebration of fiery Summer energy making hormones and emotions flare and surge; eventually we experience the rebirth of Self, an unfolding into Spring energy that symbolises new growth and personal fruition.

Pregnancy is one journey you will have to make on your own, regardless of how much support, self help books, birth plans or drugs you have lined up. It’s about finding and owning your power, which incidentally is your ‘birth-right’ as a woman.

Millions of women experience this rite of passage of course but when you yourself are swelling in the belly and ankles, it feels like you are the first and only woman faced with the challenges and realities of growing a baby and then getting them out of your body!

From the moment we conceive our bodies feel and move differently. We may not be able to describe it exactly, but we immediately sense that we are not ‘alone’, that something has shifted deep within. It’s like our intuition suddenly switches on and amps up and despite a myriad of outer distractions and busy lifestyles calling us, we feel an urge to slow down and acknowledge the possibility that we may be pregnant.

It’s this natural calling back to ourselves however that too often many women miss. Or we feel and hear it but then ignore because fear gets the upper hand. We get into our heads and allow mind to dominate which in fact creates the opposite of what we truly want to manifest deep in our heart and soul – a memorable, empowering and hopefully natural, birthing experience. One that takes you beyond yourself and into the arms of the Divine Feminine.  We go into story – mostly other peoples’ stories of trauma – and take on stuff that doesn’t support us, clouding our own script and taking us further away from trust and instinct.

Fear takes our power away from us, putting it into the hands of our granted, qualified and well meaning, Doctors and partners instead. But if we can learn to transform our fears and let go of all preconceived ideas and beliefs around birth, then we open the doorway to bliss. It starts with finding out about your own birth, how you entered the world and identifying any holding patterns in your heart that may block your ability to connect with all the love and trust and power within you. Talk to your mum, you may find that you not only get some valuable insights about your own behavior and attitude around birth but it can also help her heal any trauma that she may have been holding onto around her own experience. And as you are preparing to birth yourself from Woman to Mother, that’s a beautiful thing to share.

Energetically, pregnancy and birth is a rhythmic dance between the primeval elements of contraction and expansion.

Even though our pregnant bodies and emotions are expanding and swelling in more ways than one, this is the ideal time to contract – to contact our internal world, to contract and clear old trauma, buried relationship scars and beliefs about our sexual and feminine selves. If we do this work then we enter the birth space with clear intention and the resolve to release and fully expand.  Birth is the culmination of all our thoughts, feelings and preparation, on all levels, condensed into several hours of mind, body and spirit expansion.  It’s when you need to fully let go, expanding into your ripe sensual body and connecting with the energy that is your divine birthing right!

Birth is one of natures’ ways of calling us back to Centre, of stimulating our awareness via the most obvious instruments that we have: our bodies and our hearts. It also calls us back through food, via our belly centre, which is why you need to nourish yourself as your tummy blooms and surrender to the wonder of your body and what it does, without your conscious participation, to grow a human being. It’s mind-blowing really.

There are many toolkits of support, classes and therapies available to help you navigate your pregnancy and birth journey, but none so powerful I believe, as yoga. Yoga is our connective thread to the Divine, like a life line, our private umbilicus, and regular practice throughout your pregnancy will nourish your body as it changes, help alleviate common discomforts as they surface and deepen your connection to your breath, your baby and your belief that you are capable of birthing your baby from a space of power and courage.

Contrary to popular medical opinion, you actually birth your baby from your heart, not your vagina or your belly. If you anchor yourself in your heart you will be able to deal with whatever manifests during your labor. Nobody can predict for certain what will happen once your waters break – that is up to the goddess and the karmic story your baby has chosen – but you can create a *calm birth, one free of pain and fear (yes! it can and has been done), by staying in your heart space and mastering your mind.

The moment you go into your head, you hand over your power, the pain can intensify and the need for drugs will increase. And once you’re out of your body, you lose touch: you disconnect consciously from your baby who needs you to be strong and present and you deprive yourself from experiencing the indescribable bliss that is birth, as nature intended. If you’re in your heart, your fears will dissolve, your cervix will dilate and your baby will feel safe enough to release from your body. And in the instances where caesarean is necessary, being in your heart will never serve you more profoundly, keeping you emotionally strong and brave and connected to your baby. Birth is not a competition between vaginal and c-section – I view them both as natural, valid processes – and as long as you are in your breath and in trust, you can minimize or better process, any feelings of failure or disappointment if the latter eventuates. That will support how you and your baby bond as well as help you feel nourished and healed on all levels.

Breathe deeply and your labor will be full of love and light.

Birth blessings,

Denby

*Calm Birth: a birth concept and process originally created by renowned Sydney Doula and Childbirth Educator, Rebekah Fisher.

**Above image: The Divine Mother Kwan Yin, protector, guide and inspiration for all women, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. 

Everyone can find some space somewhere in the home for an altar, a few beads and some candles, even if it is small and even if it isn’t terribly glamorous. Just like on your mat, your intention is the key here. Spend a few moments in contemplation to get a sense of what you want to place on your altar, and when I say altar, it can literally be anything from a wooden side table or milk crate covered with decorative cloth, to a more stylised base, carved indian-style. The gods and goddesses don’t mind what you use as long as you infuse the space with love and devotion!

There’s no generic rule for placement and direction of altars. Everyone has a direction that is auspicious for them. One aspect of home design is to have an ancestral altar facing the front door so it welcomes you home, but your personal place of worship/ritual should face in an auspicious direction that is dictated by your specific natal chart. Basically ‘feel’ out around your home for a suitable place that is light, airy, relatively quiet/private and undisturbed by draft. You may like to put up a bamboo screen or some pot plants to separate a small area away from the main room if you are pressed for space.

Hunt around local markets and vintage and red cross shops in the hope of finding some unique piece of furniture, esoteric carving, tasselled fabric or bowls for beads, candles and crystals – it’s always good to recycle. Just make sure you cleanse anything second-hand by either rinsing it in salted water and/or leaving it out under the full moon. This will purify and charge everything properly so the energy you create with your altar is clear and powerful and yours.

Think of adding these:

Candles – several colors depending on your mood or the energy you wish to create from day to day.

Incense – any fragrance is fine but traditionally sandalwood, frankincense, sage and nag champa work well. Make sure you have a safe holder for all incense and of course, never leave it burning unattended! Same goes for candles.

Mala/prayer beads – made of wood or crystal, they look lovely draped over large crystals or statues, or just coiled up softly on their own. Mala beads are used as a meditation tool, working each bead between the fingers whilst chanting mantra or zoning out in whatever manner you choose.. they are potent and again, you can charge in the moonlight.

Tibetan bowls – singing bowls, chimes and bells are traditional altar pieces that you can find in most spiritually minded shops or online as well.

Statues – Buddha, Shiva, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Durga, Ganesha, the list goes on… find one that resonates with you (read about them first and meditate on which connects with you or pulls you the most) and then place at the centre of your altar. It doesn’t matter about size, it’s more about finding the right guide for you, so reading about the gods and goddesses is helpful when choosing whom to devote your attention and intentions too.

Cloth – find some indian sari-style fabric, sarongs, veils etc to cover your altar and make it as decorative and appealing as you can. This is a space where you WANT to come and sit at, a space that calls you each day, so make it special.

Talismans – these can be anything from shells, statues, jewels, carvings, dream catchers, tarot cards, feathers, beads etc, that have either sentimental and/or energetic value to you. Ideally charge under the full moon and in ritual and place close to your devotional statue.

Flowers – fresh is best of course, but you can get some amazing faux ones that look just as pretty. A piece of fruit is also appropriate.

Cushions – it makes it more comfortable if you can sit quietly in mediation without being distracted by aching knees or cranky ankles, so get a good meditation cushion to support your posture whilst you are at your altar.

Altars aren’t just for mediating in front of either. You can roll out your mat and do your daily yoga practice facing your altar, starting and finishing your asana and pranayama practice in silent prayer and gratitude before you move into your day or evening. Yoga is so much more than just a physical activity – not only does it engage every single cell of your being, it massages your heart and soul bringing you closer to the Divine within and around.

Essentially, your yoga space should be one that stills your mind and makes you feel peaceful and safe. Your special place to regroup and rejuvenate… be it in through asana, meditation, chanting or some other ritual practice… aim to honour yourself and your sacred space every day and feel the love radiate from the inside out…

And if you need a hand or want more information about altar bits’n'pieces, please visit the following sites and connect with these wonderful guides connected to Breathing Space Yoga:

Stacey Demarco: www.themodernwitch.com

Thomas Walsh: Chinese Astrology and readings – manticdragon@gmail.com

Jo Leak: Mala bead designs/Harmony Tree – 0424 666 421

Happy creating!

This posture is a challenge for many because of the intensity of the stretch in the thighs, hamstrings, glutes and tensor fascia lata, areas where we typically hold our fears, regrets and patterning. It combines a twist movement with a hip opener and helps with clearing sinus congestion, constipated thoughts, sluggish digestion and an inability to flow with life!

Lay on your back and bend right knee to the chest, other leg straight along floor, pushing that heel actively into the mat. Hold outside edge of the foot with right hand and extend the leg.

It doesn’t matter if the leg is bent, work inside your edge. Dorsi flex both feet and feel the colon channel along the outer edge of the buttock, knee and shin.

It will feel obvious, like a clogged, dark perhaps sluggish sensation, indicative of how toned your bowels and digestive organs are.

Hold for about 8 breaths, using your lower belly muscles to stabilise the spine and focusing on releasing old congestive thoughts and emotional blockages on each lengthened exhalation.

Keep your jaw soft and keep your chin gently drawing down towards the chest to lengthen back of the neck to allow chi to flow – we store a lot of our tensions in the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) and stay connected to your breath. Gently work shoulder blades broadly into the mat and widen across the collarbones.

To work deeper, swap hands over and take the right leg across the body slightly, right thumb hooks into the right hip crease to roll the upper thigh down towards the mat, creating more space at the hip and helping to lengthen the right waist.

Aim the toes for the left shoulder and keep the long leg anchored on the mat, using gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata to turn it in slightly, counter balancing the outward stretch of the larger gluteus muscles of the right leg.

Release when ready and float the leg to the floor.

A few breaths here to observe the channel flowing up the right leg and around the lower belly, clearing the ascending colon and relaxing up into the shoulder, jaw, even nostril, of the right body. Do the other side when you’re ready in the same manner.

The descending colon governs the left, carving an energetic channel of release to support digestive and eliminatory function. Savasana afterwards will feel light and cool, the lower body floaty yet anchored as it softens and balances.

Dear yogis and yoginis…

Well – although it may seem like weʼve had months of ʻ5 seasons in one dayʼ – we have all definitely felt the shift in the air this week… spasmodic rain, cooler evenings, a lingering dampness in the air… the sense that life and activity are winding down.

Humans automatically start to gravitate indoors – some of you may have started your journey towards hibernation already! – but I would encourage you to defer from retreat just yet and stay active, keep up your yoga practice, keep cleansing your bodies gently and keep emptying your busy minds in preparation for Winter. Donʼt be in a rush… quite often we ʻskipʼ Autumn the moment Summer starts to fade. We do it coming out of Winter also… forgeting that Spring squeezes in there before Summer ripeness blossoms… and hence, we can miss the gifts offered by these two, often challenging yet inspiring, seasons.

Autumn asks us to surrender. Itʼs contractive nature is the opposite to Springsʼ expansion. It is the perfect time let go of the things that no longer serve us. To soften around patterning and release old toxins and stagnancy so we can refine, not just our physical bodies, but our emotions and thoughts too. Then we have space to create, to allow new things, new opportunities, new ways of being. Even if we donʼt know what they are… itʼs about allowing yourself and going into trust. Often the focus is on boot-camp style detoxes and pushing ourselves to our limits with the belief that this creates strength and resilience. It doesnʼt. It just creates another pattern that will at some stage, need to be un-wound. And it often creates new, or agtiates old, injuries.

Spend some time thinking about what serves you, how you support yourself, who supports you, what you could do with less of, and from that space, insight, balance and lasting inner health can flourish. Winter will be a joy if you journey towards it feeling light, clear and positive…

So! Lots to keep you warm, engaged and vital… but before we get all bear-like and introspective, I encourage you to keep breathing, in and out, DONʼT GIVE UP YOUR YOGA PRACTICE! and remember the next time you step onto your mat… there is strength in surrender; there is power in letting go.

BTW Iʼm also getting a lot of requests about my book… it will be available soon so if you are interested in pre-ordering, please visit www.sexyyoga.com.au and register.

My “Ki FUSION: The Nature of Yoga” book will be released towards the end of the year to co-incide with the Ki FUSION Yoga Teacher Training course.

Blessings to you all… see you on the mat!
Namaste, Denby

When the lightness, expansion and growth of Summer reaches its’ peak the energy begins to turn in and cool down… becoming quieter, introspective, still. Change is afoot. This is a unique moment in the seasonal calendar, a phase where the energies reverse, recede and regroup. We know it as Late Summer. It is also referred to as Indian Summer.

It is a time of great change and great sweetness: when pumpkins fill and ripen, when vines drip with fat ripe fruit, and the fullness of Nature is expressed abundantly. Between the extremes of each of the 5 seasons we find ourselves morphing along with Late Summer with a growing and sense of allowance, knowing and grounding. It is time to attune to and nourish, the Earth meridians of Spleen and Stomach.

This past summer season hasn’t been like ones previous. We have experienced such extremes in temperature – searing heatwaves giving rise to rampant bushfires; claustrophic humidity breeding sluggishness, inertia and playing havoc with seasonal crops: torrential rains flooding most of the country, drowning positivity and eroding our internal landscapes of stability, structure and balance. We have all felt the presence of uncertainty and change.

From a seasonal perspective, our yoga practice should include all 5 flavors much like a well balanced meal… stimulating (fire/hot), cleansing (metal/pungent), agitating (wood/bitter), soothing (water/salty) and supporting (earth/sweet) us along our journey… in fact, in every Ki Fusion sequence, essences of each of the 5 seasons can be tasted and explored and redirected, within each posture. Using your breath and intention you can morph yourself from one element into the next, experiencing the qualities of each and the effects each has on your body, mind and spirit. This is just one aspect that makes this style such a unique and rewarding practice! (NB: This focus/information is copyright to Ki Fusion Yoga. If you wish to learn more, Ki Fusion ‘The Nature of Yoga’ ebook will be available for purchase soon… please register your interest on this website.)

The fullness of the Earth element is expressed in opening poses such as Reclining Seiza (Supta Vajrasana), Camel (Ustrasana) and Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) for they locate the earth lines and bring our awareness to this, one of the longest meridians in the body.  Releasing poses such as Spleen Leg Lifts (Setu Bandha variation) and Horse (Vatsyasana) will purify glands and pump blood around the body to revitalize body/mind/heart, whilst those that ‘fuel’ us such as Chair (Utkatasana), Plank and Spleen Curls, will bring a sense of achievement, inner strength and empowerment.  Hero (Vajrasana) will provide deep grounding, stillness and maturity of spirit. One posture that combines all 3 focuses by simultaneously charging the earth and encouraging renewal and rebirth is War Hero, a variation of traditional Hero, designed to ignite an internal ‘battle’ between the lower and higher selves, giving us the opportunity to face, contemplate and conquer any weaknesses within, on any level. To essentially, win the war with our ego and reestablish harmony and connection to the Divine within ourselves. It is a challenging one, but worth the effort! This pose is included in the Sexy Yoga and Ki Fusion Yoga books btw…

With this grounding also comes mental stability, alertness and emotional sensitivity as we develop a growing sense of connectedness to our breath, our pulse and to the energy of the universe.

These poses respectively open, release and empower the front lines of the body, stimulating the Stomach and Spleen channels primarily, and giving support to our sense of self. By igniting digestive fire and creating soft-strength in the belly we are able to experience our ‘natural self’, in alignment, in tune, from the inside, out. We become a vessel for information, processing, digesting and eliminating in cycle with Nature’s rhythms and in reverence to our own. Soft-strength will give you a deepening sense of personal power, emotional security plus the awareness that vulnerability and openness is actually more powerful and reliable, than rigid-strength and force, in the Hara/belly. With this core power ignited, the rest of the body can relax and begin to function in harmony. Everything stems from a balanced, nourished and empowered centre. We become immovable, stable in ourselves, regardless of changing circumstances, emotions or seasons.

Late Summer foods will reflect the energies of ease, nourishment and the belly/mind centre, so anything that is round, solid, grounding and soothing will support.  These include sweet, yellow, round and golden foods, millet, corn, carrots, sweet potato, sweet rice, yams, tofu, apricots and rock melons. Keep spices and seasoning to a minimum and prepare meals with patience, care and a sense of gratitude for the earth as our provider.

A good Earth practice is a nourishing and peaceful practice – one where you can hold yourself in the moment, stay there focused on your breath, on your belly and remain undisturbed by the continual dialogue of the mind… although the thoughts will be there, don’t follow them, they can run like destructive rivers that erode the peaceful landscape of our hearts and souls. Take control of your mind and be guided by your body, not by your reactions or opinions. Remember that opening the front of our bodies quite often makes us feel vulnerable, emotional, even a little defensive as we step out of the ‘suits’ we wear most of the time, exposing our inner layers, our heart and our humanness.

Mini sequence: 3 poses to help with digestion, grounding and cleansing the Stomach and Spleen channels…

Dhanurasana (Bow pose)

Lay on your belly and grab both ankles, dorsi-flex feet to activate kidney points in the heels and lower back. On the exhale lift legs and chest off mat, keeping the neck long and the arms resisting the pull-back action of the legs. Inhale and lower, adjust knees to hip width and repeat, lifting x 6 slowly, pressing the belly into the earth, shrugging the shoulders back and shining your heart forwards and up. Hold up on the last one and breathe, working the legs/arm connection, lifting thighs and pressing pubic bone into the mat to protect lower back. Have the sense of lengthening the front and back lines of the spine evenly rather than cramping the lower back and neck. If you like you can rock’n'roll over the belly/breasts/pubis a few times vigorously – this is great for lymphatic drainage and digestion plus good for a laugh which keeps us light and positive!  Also good to do before going out to a big meal as it helps clear the stomach in preparation for food! Roll over and rest in Savasana, on your back with arms/legs long, eyes closed. Observe the sensations all along the front lines of your body, how your breath has shifted and deepened, and where your thoughts have drifted too…

Spleen Hip & Hara Lifts

Extend both legs vertical (may be bent slightly if your back is tight), keep legs squeezed together and interlace hands behind head, chin/throat relaxed. Before you lift, take your attention to your pelvic floor (point between anus and genitals) and draw up and in on the exhale, feeling an internal lift/pull up to the navel. Keep this focus and then start lifting the sacrum only off the mat. This will be challenging! Don’t let your elbows/neck or shoulders lift and don’t squint your face or rock you legs towards your face! If you find your face and neck is contorting or straining, this is an indication that your pfm/sacral area is weak. You may suffer from headaches, insomnia and reproductive/hormonal imbalances. Use the deep pfm squeeze to elevate your sacrum just off the mat and aim to touch the ceiling with your tipee toes! Inhale and lower and continue x 8, slowly and mindfully, legs strong and straight, and all the work in the pfm and belly. If you are flapping your wings perhaps bend the knees or don’t lift so high with the buttocks. You want to feel the belly pressure building, and you will feel it around the pubic bone area and lower abdominals. This is excellent for building belly power, digestive integrity, strengthening reproductive organs and blood quality as well as empowering this area.

… see www.sexyyoga.com.au for my Sexy Yoga book and sequences targeting issues and building power in these ‘trouble’ spots!

Utkatasana (Chair pose)

Come to standing with feet/knees together, heels slightly apart (enough to work inner heels towards each other and activate legs) and hands to the heart in Anjali mudra (palms together at the heart centre). Take a few breaths first and visualise the pose, it is a challenging one but worth mastering because it is so grounding, nourishing and strengthening. Inhale the arms up, shoulder height or wider if tight shoulders/neck, palms face inwards, fingers spread or together, your choice. Even play with this as the heart energy radiates through the hands and will feel different for each of you. Stretch through the fingertips and pull the shoulder blades down into the back, lifting the heart and broadening the chest. Armpits roll forwards and neck is neutral, relaxed and long. Gaze or drishti focus on horizon or nose tip depending on your balance/mind state. As you hold the pose and breathe, draw the breath up through the soles of the feet, up the front lines of the body, lifting pubis to navel, navel to heart, heart to crown, and then exhale the breath down the back lines, down the back of the heart, over the kidneys and lifting up out of them, lengthening the tailbone to the heels and finding the soles in the earth again. Breathe cyclically like this for about 5-8 breaths, working your legs, arms, belly, and seeing if you can lean into your heels and drop your buttocks so your thighs are parallel to the mat… eventually! you may get there, but don’t cave the front body or close the heart just do go deeper in the legs. Be happy where you are, feel supported and come to Tadasana with hands at the heart to observe after the pose, feeling the whole-body pulse and energies rising and cleansing your whole being.

When you’re ready move into your day feeling connected, balanced and clear…

Remember during this Late Summer transition to support yourself with good food, good thoughts and good heart opening activities.. be brave, breathe, be present and allow… and hopefully you will find that being on the ‘cusp’ of nature is one of the most rewarding and supportive places to be…

Namaste

These are the only Ki Yoga pregnancy/active birth posters available!

The sequences are designed by senior Ki and hatha yoga teacher, natural therapist, energetic healer (and mum!) Denby Sheather, and have supported women along the northern beaches and throughout Sydney for over a decade. You will work on a structural and organ level as well as an energetic and meridian level with these poses, so read the ‘how-to’ on the back and aim to practice daily or at least 3-4 times a week, as well as attending specialist prenatal classes.

Price and Ordering

The cost of each poster is AUS $18.00.  It is A3 size, double-sided and laminated (laminate via post only).

If you would like to order one or more posters, please fill out the form below. We will calculate postage and email you the full payments details. We accept cheques or money orders. Once we have received your payment we will wrap your poster up safely and send asap.

Bulk Orders

If you would like to buy bulk please contact Denby directly on denby@breathingspaceyoga.com.au or call 0413 747 644 to discuss.

These make great gifts, can be sold in your studio, kept for yourself if you’re pregnant, or used as a teaching tool for those starting out teaching prenatal yoga. * (All sequences and information copyright however and may not be reproduced unless permission given by the author).

* Keep an eye out for Denby’s pregnancy and birth ebook coming soon as well as her DVD’s for each trimester and post natal care.

If you have a further enquiry please contact Denby on denby@breathingspaceyoga.com.au or call 0413 747 644.

Buckle up!

The purpose of Chinese Astrology is sometimes misunderstood as the discovery of oneself, and to a degree it is, but probably more important is the understanding of where you are in the bigger picture that has more relevance. Last year’s bigger picture was Metal Rabbit – we all had to ‘do the Rabbit’. The fortune you discovered was not only your own expression of life, but also your own ability to express yourself under the guidance of Rabbit. As the Year of the Rabbit comes to a close, we say goodbye to the most yin period in the 12 animal cycle. The time for introspection and subtle reflection is over, so too the quiet family home life. The discretion that motivates us in a year ruled by Rabbit, now turns very naturally into the expansive expression that is Dragon energy. This is the year to implement those plans you were at home hatching. It is time to step back out into the world armed with strength and confidence.

Are you ready for the Dragon?

The Dragon talked about in Chinese Astrology is the only supernatural sign in the Chinese calendar. It is associated with the rising sun in the east, with spring, and therefore with the life that begins anew after the long cold winter. Grand is the Dragon’s favourite scale. For Chinese philosophers, the unique power reflected in the Dragon is only of use when it is turned away from the egotistical exploration of oneself, and toward the dedication of helping others. Water Dragons are known as the “Rain Dragon” in China. To the agricultural societies in Asia rain brings life. The Dragon represents powerful leadership, change and creation. It is an icon of individuality and of ambition, of charisma and adventure, of grand generosity and confidence.

Picture the mystical Dragon flying high above mist covered mountains and lakes, it’s vast appetite for experience unhindered by the grounding aspects like earth or metal, instead the dramatic changeability of water guides it towards the unknown and uncharted. Its motivation is creation, excitement, and the profound realisation that the meaning of life is found in the experience of life, not in the conclusion. It is not the result that the Dragon seeks, merely the path of diversity and creativity.

This year brings a realisation of the deeper aspects of aspiration. For every person it will be different, it is hard to explain what everyone will experience, but you will see a bigger version of yourself. But don’t expect this year to be all smooth sailing. The profound quality that the water element lends this already expansive animal, and the natural fluctuations experienced within Dragon years, make for a very interesting year. These years are typically uneven, both in the material world and in the internal emotional/spiritual landscape. Years under the influence of the Water Dragon are characterised by hard work, restlessness and idealism. Constant change is here to stay!

With this we will all have to embrace the expansive revelation of our own unique capacities. Society will reinvent itself, and us along with it. Leadership may change, if not actually then figuratively. We will all have to revaluate what leadership means to us and to this world. What does the majestic Dragon say to us about how we see this world? How we will leave it for our children? For this is not a year to be bogged down in the local, but the global. Not the personal but the fraternal. Not the year but the millennia. Not you but us.

All prophecies and “end times” aside, 2012 – the year of the Water Dragon, is going to be a change for us all. The question is… how do you cope with change? Chinese astrology looks at relationships, between people, within people, and around them in both business and in play. Some animals will have a more natural capacity towards the movements required of the Dragon. Ideas of change and expression are not every animal’s best suit. As with any year, it is important to understand your own capacity within the auspices of that year.

Those born in a Dragon year are the best suited to this expression. Your innate tendencies toward expansion and adventure will serve you well this year. If this is you, lend a hand. If this is not you, try and catch one and hitch a ride. At the very least it will be exciting. Trust them, there’s nothing good on the tele. For those people born under the sign of the Snake, this year will be far more obvious than for most. The Snake and Dragon are uniquely bonded, but sometimes face trouble resolving these bonds – think Romeo and Juliet. At the very least your will invent a magical escape this year with your usual flair.

For those under the signs of Pig, Rat, Horse, Monkey and Rooster, you should be able to keep up and enjoy the ride. Your tenacity and diverse abilities will be of great use within the Dragons’ unique vision. Even Dragons’ need to come down from time to time, and when they do, you will be able to offer a unique compliment to this years’ excitement.

Ox’s may have a tough time handling all the change that occurs around them, but you’re tough and resilient and it will take more than a complicated year to bring you down. Those Tiger’s, Rabbit’s and Goat’s out there may find this year overly competitive and struggle to find the peace they strive to find. Weather you can handle this depends on the support you gather around you. – especially for those Rabbits who don’t share the Tiger’s power or the Goats adaptability. Finally, the loyalty of the Dog will be severely tested this year, try and remember it is not personal – it just is. Make sure your insurance is up to date, and remember to breathe. Allow your friends a bit of slack, they are doing the best they can under the circumstances too!

So for all of us it is time to drop the mask and reinvent ourselves. Such a dramatic opening in social change requires activity on all levels – the physical, emotional and the spiritual. Enjoy the unpredictability that is life. Move consciously toward those experiences that challenge you, and embrace the concepts of power, majesty and grace – whatever they mean to you. The Dragon is far too great to fight, so if you can, jump on it’s back, hang on and allow this year to fly by. You thought this year went fast. You ain’t seen nothing yet!

The profound await us!

If you would like to explore what the year of the Dragon means to you on a more personal level. Consider a Transit or Natal Chinese Astrology reading. Call Thomas on 0415 387 332.

(copyright Thomas Walsh/BreathingSpaceYoga2012)

At last – a comprehensive and connective series of yoga courses blending the fundamentals of hatha yoga with the wisdom of oriental, seasonal and vibrational medicine.

Study corrective asana, healing pranayama and traditional yogic philosophies as well as meditation, chakral and somatic bodywork with renowned therapists. Deepen your understanding of Ki FUSION Yoga and how the meridians, 5 elements and chakras engage and guide our entire being, in a fun, supportive and healing space. Discover and nurture your inner teacher through this truly unique, transformative style.

Designed, taught and mentored by senior teacher Denby Sheather and her team of dedicated practitioners. Limited numbers so please register your interest now!

Email denby@breathingspaceyoga.com.au or call 0413 747 644.