La Yoga Ayurveda & Health — October 2017

Connecting with Energy
through Practice
At its essence, yoga means to connect. Through
yoga and meditation we can literally move and
breathe awareness and connection into being;
in our bodies, our minds and our emotions.
Think of a time you felt a lump in your
throat. The sensation of restriction, closing off
and shutting down, choked by emotions and
words repressed and unsaid. Or the experi-
ence of your throat hot and raw, burning with
raspiness, your voice worn down and ragged
around the edges or all together lost, your
neck tight with tension holding the burdens
of what has become, for most, an increasingly
frenzied and fast-paced modern lifestyle.
Now, think of a time you have been on
your mat moving through your practice and
were met with an emotion that seemed to
come out of nowhere. Sadness. Grief.
Gratitude. Anger. Clarity.
This is what happens when our practice
unbinds the bound. This is what happens
when you have perspective and awareness
around the connections between your mind,
body, and emotions.
Perhaps you have studied the work of the
late metaphysical teacher and author Louise
Hay who among many books wrote, Heal
Your Body, Heal Your Life.
She correlates each body part or system to
specific emotions and thoughts and offers sug-
gestions on how to communicate to those parts
of ourselves; then we can release the correlating
emotions and thought patterns and ultimately
heal ourselves. Expanding further on this idea
of the evident connections between mind, body
and emotions, we gain an even richer and more
vibrant picture of our inner landscapes when
utilizing the elements, as seen in Nature, and
their relationship to the chakras.

Integrating Practice and
the 5th Chakra
Use these practices to build resilience and
internal resources related to connecting to and
speaking your own truth for optimal well-being.

Using oils in a pose:
Put a drop of one of the essential oils listed in
your left palm, slowly rub your hands together,
evenly distributing the oil on your palms and
inhale the scent deeply for at least three long
and deep breaths. Take this moment to set
the intention for cultivating a feeling of more
spaciousness and for expressing yourself
clearly and freely. (Make sure to avoid touch-
ing your eyes when you place essential oils on
your hands.)

Roaring Lion’s Pose

Kneel on the ground or sit in a chair. On an

exhalation, open your mouth as wide as you

can, exhale through your nose and mouth

and stick out your tongue, curve your tongue

down towards your chin. Hold your breath

and draw in your abdominal muscles. Open

your eyes, looking slightly up and stretch the

muscles of your face. Remain in this posture

for at least 5 seconds and up to 10 seconds.

Repeat the inhalation of your oiled palms

two to three times. Yes, you will look a little

funny, but who cares! Encourage bystanders

to join in.

Polarity Energy Exercise for

the Throat Chakra

Cook’s Hook-Up:

This pose helps you connect to and contain

your internal energy, and disengage from

external stimulation. Lie on your back. Cross

your right leg over your left as high as you

can at your thighs. Cross your arms over

your chest, palms facing down, and tuck your

hands into your armpits. Close your eyes and

allow your body to relax.

See if you can sense more space, the ether

element. Hold for two to five minutes. Then

uncross your legs, uncross your arms, and

bring your elbows to the floor at the sides of

your rib cage. Gently connect your fingertips

together as if in prayer position over the

middle of your torso. Breathe deeply and rest

for at least two to three minutes.

Meditation & Affirmation for

the Throat Chakra

“I now release the tension and noise of the

outer world. I let go and dissolve the cords to

other voices and beings. I cleanse and polish

the five rings of the throat chakra with silky,

blue energy. I surround and fill the wheel with

my own will, that which I AM. [Breathe!] I al-

low the nerves, glands and tissues of my body

to re-charge with the essence of that which

I AM. I affirm that guidance I receive is true

and harmonious with my well-being and my

natural pattern. I declare that messages I send

forth to others are sent with love, honoring

their level of receptivity. I cease effort, release

my will, and sink into silence.”

(Relax your throat, jaw and tongue. If

you feel like it, sing “I AM” on a comfortable

note.)

When we combine the use of essential oils

with Polarity Therapy exercises and yoga

asana, we give ourselves a profound self-care

practice, helping us unwind and restore on

very deep levels.

Hair and Makeup by Tracey Giovanelli

Grace is wearing clothing by Silly Yogi: sillyyogi.com

Tracy Griffiths, BCPP, LMT, CAC is a Board

Certified Polarity Practitioner and co-owner of the

massage and bodywork school IPSB (Institute of

Psycho-Structural Balancing) at the Life Energy Insti-

tute. She is the creator and author of Aroma Yoga®,

a blend of conscious movement, breathing exercises

and chakra meditations, combined with therapeutic

grade essential oils designed to help you to let go of

what no longer serves. Tracy leads the Urban Zen

Integrative Therapy (UZIT) program in LA, training

people how to use essential oils, yoga, Reiki and

meditation in Western medical settings. She believes

wellness should be easy and accessible to everyone:

tracyg.vibrantscents.com and aromayogaguide.com.

ESSENTIAL OILS

THAT INFLUENCE THE 5TH CHAKRA

FRANKINCENSE: sweet, woody;

connects heaven and earth

LAVENDER: cleansing light floral;

calming and relaxing

PEPPERMINT: clearing and stimulating;

can ease sore and tense muscles

IDAHO BLUE SPRUCE: woody;

cultivates a sense of emotional clearing

and fosters the ability to let go