8/7/2019 Awakening to Fluidity

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Fluid Power: Activating the Fluid/Quantum Body  

“The living ocean contains 97 percent of Earth's water, pro-vides home for 97 percent of Earth’s life, shapes climate andweather, governs temperature and planetary chemistry, gen-erates oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide and otherwise makesthis planet a hospitable place for mankind. We should ex-plore and take care of the ocean as if our lives dependedon it.  Because they do.” 

—Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, Oceanographer

 

I was born in Hermosa Beach, California with the Pacific Ocean as my literal “front yard”.

The sound, smell and constant rhythm of the sea, through all the seasons, permeated my ec-static little being till the age of four when we then moved to urban Oakland so my father could

go to UC Berkeley. I felt my first amphibious contraction from the pangs of separation from theeternal flow of the ocean. The solid, concrete jungle was such a contrast to the water world. Ihad to find a way to swim again on land –as many of us do- to answer the cellular calling of thesea that speaks so subtly through our primarily water bodies. 

Jala – sacred water – is an essential substance of living beings worshipped formaly and spon-taneously by beings throughout time and culture. The water element within yoga and ayurvedais considered to be the element that purifies and nourishes at the same time. Water is the greatcarrier, the conductor of prana- life energy, nutrients, vibration and subtle information. Althoughwe have grown up with facts about our fluid body - that like our planet, we are composed of over70% water – the realization and embodiment of our fluid power is often untapped. The goodnews is that the reservoir of our fluid body is waiting for us to dive in! 

One way to tap into the healing and rejuvenating potential of your fluid body – where the water element and energy meet – is to open to the wave motion within your body and in nature . Wavemotion is the underlying movement of all of creation – an understanding shared by QuantumPhysics and the ancient wisdom of yoga which discovered thousands of years ago the pulsatingquantum wave known as spanda or spanda shakti. Fluid Power practices explore the wavemovement that is the reality of our fluid, quantum body for your circulation, longevity, creativerenewal and amphibious longings.

My inner experience of wave motion awakened through living study, through my teachers (seebio and interviews) and guiding vinyasa flow yoga to people of all ages and backgrounds overthe last sixteen years in Los Angeles and across the globe.  In my experience, I have found cir-cular wave motion to be one of the most effective for transforming stiffness of body and mindand developing flexibility, agility and longevity – particularly for some of my “big guy” students,athletes, writers who sit a lot, actually – everyone

The practices that you will experience are based upon the primary characteristics of the fluidbody that benefit your health and well-being. The first characteristic of our fluid body is thatour bodies are physiologically rhythmic, vibrating and pulsating with the constant tide ofour breath, heartbeat and brainwaves as a few examples. You will experience a rhythmic and

(c)2006 Shiva Rea - Yogadventures

8/7/2019 Awakening to Fluidity

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energetic approach to prana vinyasa flow yoga where the breath initiates and inspires allmovement. In particular, I have developed a three part vinyasa technique based upon theteachings of Krishnamacharya that expresses this wave through the pulsation of the breath toenhance the state of flow and the instinctual alignment of your inner and outer body. I call this“thawing out poses” which are often rigidly held so that you can access your strength and flexi-bility with grace.

The second characteristic of the fluid body is the intrinsic expression through circular,spiral and undulating wave patterns that exists from the sub-atomic level to our cellular, fluidsystems and to the natural circular rotation of our limbs and spine. Why not move like who weare? Fluid Power practices emphasize these movements through sequencing asanas that  em-body the water patterns whether it is an asana that literally has a flowing wave shape as in acurving back or side bend to sun salutations that move in a 360 degree circle to creating circularmovement through the joints. 

The third characteristic of the fluid body is that we are inherently creative and capable ofgreat mobility, change, adaptability and spontaneous expression when we tap into our

fluidity. Just observe the ocean and the rivers and you will see the power of change and flow. 

This is a primary skill that we are developing through this fluid power practice:  the ability to beopen to change and your creative potential. With over 840,000 asanas said to exist withinyoga originating from the primordial source, Siva, Fluid Power emphasizes diversity and creativ-ity in movement by integrating spontaneous freedom within the structure of yoga practice. Thisoften rare fusion between structure and spontaneous movement increases one’s bodily intelli-gence and liberates your inherent creative energy. We consciously explore the dance of struc-ture and fluidity that is reflected in nature – from the stability of the trunk to the spiraling of thebranches. Enjoy the innovative sun salutation variations and many vinyasas that will developand positively challenge your moment to moment participation in living. 

Other fluid qualities we explore are global intelligence vs. local intelligence as a way to move

beyond body parts into your wholeness; embracing more rejuvenating rhythms such as aslower flow to relieve stress, or a joyous approach to dynamic strength to transform stresswithin action. 

Many of the vinyasas (sequences) and fluid body approach will be new to you although you willrecognize the vocabulary of the asanas and of course, being fluid as that is our very nature!  Iwill offer kramas or stages of the asanas for most poses giving you a way to evolve in harmonywith your body and level of experience. Always respect any tweaks or injuries that can be ag-gravated through the practice by modifying an asana or resting in child’s pos. Our body is al-ways giving us feedback – let us make sure we listen. Please enjoy experiencing the new pathways within you.

 

(c)2006 Shiva Rea - Yogadventures