Monday, October 26, 2009

Whirlpool of Love


I am in the process of writing down my exercises from my chakra class. Here is an exercises called the Whirlpool of Love. Give it a try with your friends or yoga class. I'd love to hear how it works for you.

Whirlpool of Love

When I was a kid, a favorite summer fun thing to do was to create a whirlpool in a neighbor’s above-the-ground swimming pool. After we had our initial thrill of cooling off and splashing around, my friends and I would all work together to create a whirlpool. We would push ourselves through the water, wading in the same direction around outer edge of the pool. Around and around we launched ourselves until after a few minutes, the circular current grew stronger and stronger. Then, we would lift our feet and let ourselves float as the current carried us along.

Here is an exercise that you can use to create a whirlpool of love energy with your class or friends in a similar way. Perhaps as an alternative to savasana at the end of a yoga class on a cold winter day. This is a great way to use the group energy to create some healing and connection.

Warm up for this exercise by walking around an open space with the palms of the hands placed over the heart chakra. Hum a warm “mmm” sound into your hands and feel it resonate between your hands and your heart. Do this for a minute or two.

Come into a circle. Invite everyone to stand somewhat close together so that your shoulders almost touch. Turn to face the outside of the circle and lie down on the floor on your backs with heads toward the center. Inch toward the center until everyone is touching each neighbors on both sides with their shoulders. Let the connection on either side be comfortable, not too close as to feel cramped or claustrophobic. Feel the warmth of your neighbor’s body on your upper arm at the level of your heart chakra.

Take a moment or two to relax in this configuration. If contact is new or uncommon in your group, take a moment or two to breathe into the floor and into the connections on either side before continuing the exercise.

Fill the Pool

Each person will now take some time to connect to their own sources of love energy. This next part can be read aloud during the exercise or recorded and played.

Bring to your heart the beauty of love in your life. Bring to your heart the physical memory of love given and love received. Bring to the circle the love of family. Imagine the love at your birth. Feel the love given to you unconditionally when you were most vulnerable. The love of care and nurturing you received from your parents and family as an infant. Bring to your heart love given freely to your own children and the children of those whom you love. Love to nieces and nephews, to students and those that look to you for guidance.

Bring to your heart the love of your friends. Imagine these friends opening in your heart chakra like unique flowers, each offering a different shape, color and beauty of love. Re embody the easy expansiveness and joy you feel when you are with your friends. Perhaps you have a best friend with whom you share everything. Bring the depth and gratitude of your love for this friend into your heart chakra at this time. Bring to your heart the love of all your love relationships. Remember lovers past, present and future. Feel the complete connection you now understand from these important people in your life. Feel the fullness of this love sensation in your heart chakra.

Create the Whirpool

Imagine your heart is now an overflowing source of love. Like a mountain spring, visualize this love energy begin to flow like a stream outward from your heart center and into those around you now in the circle. Let it rush from your center like a waterfall and disappear into the point of physical contact with the person on the right. Relax and trust that the flow is happening without any effort. Remember that at the same time that your love energy is flowing out the right side of your body that a strong current of love energy is flowing in from the left. Visualize love flowing in and love flowing out.

Can you feel the current of energy flowing through your heart chakra. What does it feel like? What sensations are present? Allow your mind to be empty and open. Imagine that you can collect images of love from the love stream as it passes through your body.

Changing Direction

Let the stream begin to slow and eventually to stop. Before reversing the energy stream to the left, check in with your own heart energy. Oftentimes, it is moments of transition like this when the energetic body can be sensed most clearly. Repeat the same process of allowing the energy to flow out from your heart like water from a tap.

Let it flow out toward your neighbor on the left side this time and receive the current from the friend on the right. Once the flow is created, relax, receive, rejoice in this communal feeling of connection. This time allow the current to swirl through out your body before it passes on. Let it visit any pains. Let it wash away any heartaches. Let it refresh and revive every part of your energetic self.

Playing music with a feeling of continual flow is helpful to the experience. When the exercise feels complete, allow a moment or two for everyone to come out of the experience in their own way. Allow time for neighbors to talk about the whirlpool of love. Sometimes hearing what a neighbor has to say can enhance and expand the experience even further. Enjoy!

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home