I am on fire! I start wondering, "How am I going to get some sleep tonight?!"
Heating myself up to exhaustion is how I roll sometimes. Bit by bit I have learned to slow down and unravel my mind from the daily routines and give my body and mind the rest it deserves. My friend Nibohdi, an Ayurveda Vaidya (or Ayurveda physician), recommended once that I surround myself with water, take surf lessons, and once a month go out to the countryside and let Mother Nature wind me down, cool me off. I found this easy to accomplish during the summer (although I have to admit I didn't surf). These practices, however, can be a little difficult to achieve as the seasons change and the temperatures drop. (No, I am not ready for the polar bear club!) So let me share this cooling routine that I've been practicing in the evenings, at the end of those New York-intense-days that have left me with a lot of fire inside, making it really hard to fall asleep.
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Sit on your heels, move your feet apart--a little bit wider than your hips--letting your seat come to the ground (sit on block or a blanket if you need to), with the tops of the feet and all 10 toes making contact with the ground. Bring your hands in Anjali Mudra in front of your heart close your eyes, and listen to your body.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (perro boca abajo) into Salamba Sirsasna (headstand) from Virasana
Come forward to all fours, lengthening one leg at a time, letting your breath lift you to your down dog. Stay here for a couple of breaths and find stillness in your body. Let your breath trickle through your body and lengthen the sides of your neck and your whole back body. Slowly bring your forearms to the ground, clasp your hands interlacing the fingers, bring your elbows shoulder-width and place the crown of your head to the ground, using your palms to embrace the back of your head. Press your forearms down into the floor as you move your shoulders away from your ears and start to walk your feet as close as you can towards your torso. Lift your legs straight up making an L shape and reach them straight towards the sky. * If this in new to you, you can practice against the wall and come up with bent knees. Never try to jump up! I find going upside down a great way of shifting your energy.
Let your legs come down take a child's pose.
Salamba Saravangasana
Lying on your back with a blanket or two underneath your shoulders, roll your knees towards your third eye, let your hands rest on your lower back and move the elbows towards one another. Lengthen your legs up, toes pointing up, inner thighs rolled in. Allow your gaze to soften and let the cooling qualities of the pose settle in your body. I like staying here for a good 3 to 5 minutes.
Iyengar calls this asana the mother of asasnas, as it strives for the harmony and happiness of the human system, just like Mother Nature does.
Slowly roll down (passing through halasana, plow pose) and roll up to a seated position with comfortably crossed legs. Close your eyes and stay closed in, bringing your mind to your breath. Meditating, letting the remains of the day melt away as you come back and bring your mind back to your breath.
Playlist:
"Naked Spirit" by Sainkho
"Washing of the Water" by Peter Gabriel
"Om Namah Shivaya" by Russill Paul
"Quiet 1" by Sheila Chandra
"Closing Prayers" by Bhagavan Das
