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may/june 2017yogajournal.com.auKEY WORDCommunication
BIJA MANTRAam (pronouncedhum)
ASANASalamba Sarvangasana (Supported
Shoulderstand) and Matsyasana (Fish Pose).
The throat chakra is all about expressing our truth —
both our inner truth and choosing the words we use
to reveal that truth, says Mari. “How we speak and what
we speak is a representation of the mind,” she says.
ASKWhat does your inner voice tell you? Do you
see yourself as capable of being enlightened? Do you
believe you are worth it, or is your internal dialogue
limiting and negative?MATSYASANA Fish Pose
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor.
As you inhale, lift your pelvis slightly off the floor and slide
your hands, palms down, below your sitting bones; rest
your buttocks on the backs of your hands or slide them out
from underneath you, as shown. Keeping your forearms
and elbows close to your torso, and pressing firmly against
the floor, inhale and lift your head and upper torso away
from your mat. Then, release your head back onto the floor
and straighten your legs if you can. Stay here for 15 to 30
seconds, breathing smoothly. To come out, on an exhale
lower your torso and the back of your head to the floor,
then draw your thighs up into your belly and squeeze your
legs into your chest.VISUDDHA CHAKRA
KEY WORDHumility
BIJA MANTRAm (pronouncedaum)
ASANABalasana (Child’s Pose).
Commonly known as the home of the third eye, this chakra
is associated with humility. “The teachers we have in our
lives, who come in the form of parents, spiritual teachers,
and even our children, are simply us — outside ourselves,”
says Mari. “We often think a teacher is one we love and
adore, but sometimes the best teachers really
give us the business.”
ASKWho are your gurus? What are they
here to teach you? Who pushes your
buttons? Who loves you and kicks your
proverbial butt?BALASANA Child’s Pose
From Tabletop (on hands and knees, with your knees
under your hips, and wrists under your shoulders), bring
your big toes to touch and separate your knees to hip
width; as you exhale, lay your torso down between your
thighs. Lengthen your tailbone toward the back of your
mat as you stretch your arms in front of you, or reach back
and hold your heels. In this version, place the centre of
your forehead (home to your third eye, or ajna chakra) on
the mat. Stay anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes.AJNA CHAKRA