The Fire Element - Nourishment. Willpower. Focus.
The colour of this chakra is yellow
TRATAK MEDITATION is a simple, powerful fire meditation.
LIGHT A CANDLE. SIT QUIETLY AND FOCUS ON THE FLAME
Time frame - Practice 5 to 20 minutes daily whilst learning and working in this section of the course. Just sit and be mesmerised as the candle dances and flows. Use beeswax candles, they are so beautiful and natural. They smell of honey and nektar (food for the spirit.)
It is also lovely to practice this meditation in the bath, my essential oil blend is Sun Women - lemon myrtle and cinnamon. Three drops of each mixed with a little milk, this helps the oil disperse throughout the water and smells beautiful.
TRATAK is a powerful practice. It stimulates the pineal gland and production of melatonin regulating hormones and sleep.
It purifies and strengthens the eyes, they may begin to water and it clears the tear ducts and sinuses. It is a psychic cleanser and helps improve concentration and focus.
Change your life with this simple affirmation and practice.
Stand or sit and take your arms out to the sides with your thumbs pointing upwards. Take a lovely deep breath in and repeat these words with power and conviction. I am changing in anyways that I need to in order to live a beautiful, joyous life.
Full of Energy - Solar Plexus Chakra
I call forth clarity of vision, radiance of light & sovereignty of self.
A quote from Women Most Wild by Danielle Dulsky. I highly recommend her books,
The yoga asana for the fire element and solar plexus chakra focus on improving digestion and building core strength.
1/ Bhanda in the Mountain. Everyone FREE YOGA CLASSES
2/ Full of Energy. Beginner to Intermediate The Heart of Yoga
3/ Moon & Sun Flow Yoga Class. Beginner to Intermediate The Heart of Yoga
By now you have practiced quite a few different yoga classes and meditations. You have practiced Hatha and alignment. Flow Yoga. Yin Yoga. Restorative Yoga. Yoga Nidra and many meditations. This is a time to learn not to keep pushing yourself but instead to feel nourished and enjoy your yoga practice.
From being very little we have been taught the wrong things, to try hard, to be the best, to be perfect. This creates a feeling of separateness, feeling alone & never good enough
We should have been taught to share, support, encourage, help and always "play" together. Learn to support and encourage yourself. I jokingly call my meditation room, my play room. I play my musical instruments. I make up essential oil blends. I write. I read. It is a beautiful place for me to create. I play with yoga positions and adapt them to see how they make me feel.
Yoga Sun Flows or Sun Salutations are beautiful to practice with gentleness. Your breathing should not quicken, it should be slow as should your movements and you should never feel short of breath whilst practicing yoga. This lovely flow sequence is at the beginning of Class 3/ Moon & Sun Flow - Beginner to Intermediate The Heart of Yoga
I once went to a class where the yoga teacher sadly lamented she couldn't practice Sun Salutations anymore. She used to practice 108 per day! And she had to have a hip replacement. I need to speak up here, because I see this so much in yoga classes, they have become exercise classes. Don't do too much, start learning to relax your body, it will heal, grow stronger. The breath and movement in sun flows should be slow and always stop and rest in the child or pranam before flowing again. In my opinion sun salutations are practiced too quickly and strongly in most classes. You don't get the time to breathe properly, let alone practice correct alignment before the next asana. Sun salutations are warming, they generate heat in our solar plexus, our own inner sun and should encourage digestion and metabolism.
The Solar Plexus Chakra focuses on nourishment and food.
It is the part of your body where many of the digestive organs are, your stomach, liver, bowels.
A simple cleanse or detox, would be to eat fruit and drink only water and herbal tea's for 1 day. *No banana.
Another is to eat kitcheri for one day. The recipe and my delicious detox tea blend plus more information is in Bird Song.
Herbs, food, yoga asana, meditations, hand gestures, chants all work with individual elements.
I always like to use chilli as an easy example of a fire herb, it immediately has an effect but most herbs and foods are more subtle.
Cobra is an example of a yoga asana that is heating and sun flows. The yoga classes above will bring warmth into your body.
You also have your own individual constitution which is easy to discover, you probably know it deep down anyway. Are you a bit fiery in temperament, suffer with skin conditions, always pushing yourself? Then you probably have a PITTA constitution. After finding out your own balance of the energies, you can then discover which section of the course you need to work with, to balance what is known as your dosha. I recommend finishing all the sections of the course first. This will give you a deep understanding of why and how to work with the elements. Even more importantly you begin to experience them within yourself. They never remain constant, but your disease tendencies tend to be connected to the element or elements that are stronger within you.
I explain and talk you through the assessment so you can see how your disease tendencies and emotions are connected to the elements and then find out ways to balance them.
Food is a medicine, when you learn it's energy, not just herbs.
There is a lot of information in this Newsletter on how to improve the health of your digestive system February 2018
I will recommend a Herbal Tea for you once you know your dosha * Guided students only. As of 1/04/2025 if you'd like my guidance send me an email.
Ayurvedic Workshop * Guided students only
Sprouts as well as being highly nutritious are good for Pitta because they are cooling and cleansing. They are excellent for skin problems and allergies. You'll learn how simple and easy it is to grow your own sprouts Week 21 in Bird Song my book.
Send me an email if you'd like me to guide you to sections in the course and recommend specific, yoga, meditation, life style, mudra, mantra, massage, diet and herbs.
There are more details in my Ayurvedic Workshop. Guided students only. I do have spaces available at the moment.
Relax. Relax..Relax...The Heart of Yoga
Restore your energy levels and improve flexibility through your whole spine with this beautiful yoga class.
I think it is beneficial to keep balanced and go back to the previous classes now.
Spend time recovering your flexibility and especially keep practicing
The Gentle Class FREE YOGA CLASSES
Yoga Nidra The Heart of Yoga
We have been led to believe, building strength will help us with injuries and pain, it will.. but firstly we need to release stiffness & tension. Regaining flexibility, gently holding in stillness and deep breathing, help us let go. Let go of pain, tight muscles and in yoga teachings, allows Prana to flow back into an area. Prana is healing energy, that you begin to feel as warmth, tingling, release...it's subtle but once your mind can focus inwards...you become so much more aware of your body.
Links to the Teaching Meditations
10 Minutes - Sun Women Meditation will balance the fire within you. Free Meditations. It teaches Samana Vayu or nourishing breath.
To improve digestion and core strength all you need do is learn to breathe properly again.
10 Minutes - Live in Beauty is another lovely meditation too. Yogic Healing
Practice the next 8 Weeks of Bird Song
Week 17 to 24
It's has lots of delicious, healthy meals. Learn to grow your own sprouts. Practice a nourishing meditation by awakening your senses and more.
This 2 months go back and explore the other classes.
Make sure you understand how to breathe properly as you practice.
Look carefully at the classes and my breathing.
As you breathe in your belly moves outwards
Bird Song
As you breathe out your belly moves inwards.
Make this happen as you practice the bridge in particular and the standing asana.
Find out more about the fire element
What disease tendencies to look out for:
Emotions such as anger, irritablity are fiery in nature..learn how to cool down.
Treatments include diet, specific meditations, mudra, essential oils, yoga & lifestyle advise.
Indigestion - A pitta complaint
In Ayurveda healthy digestion is essential for the health of your whole body.
There is a lot of information in this Newsletter on how to improve the health of your digestive system February 2018
The Rainbow Teachings
PITTA DOSHA
Fire April Newsletter
Yellow
Ram
Physical focus: Is the core, middle back, improve function of abdominal organs such as digestion, liver, kidneys.
Mental focus: Helps with anger & irritability.
Note E
Summer
North (Australia)
Uddiyana Bhanda
Samana Vayu August 2020
Ready to move on to the next section?
Donations appreciated
My Diary 5/01/2022
I practiced Full of Energy when I started this section and it made me feel hot and tired. I should have known better as it is summer here now. I went back to the Earth & Water classes and am still enjoying them. It may seem strange but I really enjoy practicing my own classes. It feels like my subconcious mind has come to life and I didn't realise how much wisdom is in there. It bubbles to the surface when I quiten my mind and teach. One day I hope to be able to access and feel it every moment of my life. Modern life keeps getting in the way!
My favourite walk in The Blue Mountains.
June 2021
07/01/22 Whilst practicing this section on my Solar Plexus Chakra, I made the decision to upload all my work, my videos, onto my website for anyone to practice, a gift which has made me feel like I am contributing to a great change that is happening in the world. It took time, focus, determination and willpower to make them and this course. Often there was a part of me niggling, why are you doing this? But I wanted to share with you more of what yoga really is. It all connected and evolved as my normal routines stopped due to government restrictions I had time to finish the video's. The zoom workshops & classes were special classes I recorded when I was teaching on Zoom.
Its taken confidence to put them out so anyone can see. I share them with my heart open and hope you share and learn and grow confident. Everyone of us has special gifts to share but also, not everyone will appreciate or love your work, art, gifts.
A healing circle - Changing direction
A new day - The Air Element
Turn to the East
Watch the sun rise through a window or sitting in nature. It doesn't matter.
Or watch the clouds & sky lighten...feel the morning..fresh and welcoming...a new day.
Notice how the morning has a different feel to it than any other time of day.
The birds sing you good morning.
Midday - The Fire Element
Turn to the North (South in England)
Energy is at it highest, do you need to add a bit of sunshine to your day?
Decide and do it before the day ends.
Sunset - The Water Element
The magic & mystery of a setting sun or the sky darkening.
A cup of chamomile tea.
A breath of fresh air.
The Earth Element
The dark side, the shade, the cool winds.
Yin,
Night noises, dark.
Strengthen and ground you.
Sleep well.
Four directions...all have a different feel.
Explore the rooms of your home. Which has sunrise & warmth. A morning place.
Where does the cool southerly breeze flow best on a hot summers day?
Explore your garden.
Your neighbourhood.
The beaches and natural places.
Follow the sun..the moon...know the best times to visit, feel, absorb, watch, experience, smell, listen......through the seasons and the years.
