The Element of Air

Chakra:

The Heart: Anahata

Or

Third Eye and Throat

Seed Syllable/Bija Mantra:

Yam 

Where it is in the body:

Nervous and circulator system, joints lungs, chest, heart, hands

Mind

Prana (life energy)

How the Air element can heal:

Stretching both arms up to the sky, clasping the hands as you rotate the wrists and open the palms to the air above you. Stretching over to the right side of the room. Up and out of the hips as you cascade the right shoulder towards your right thigh. Inhaling up to the sky, and exhale over the other side. Inhale come up, hold the breathe at the top of the inhale as you extend, and exhale release the hands slowly to come resting on the thighs.

Picture yourself somewhere delightfully warm. Like a calm spring day after its been raining; when everyone and everything starts to emerge out of their cocoon. The sun is shining through the trees, glistening of speckled raindrops and iridescent rainbows flashing in the corner of your eye. The weather is temperate, but a gentle breeze reminds sensations of the dew in the air, the moisture resting sweetly on your skin. As you breathe in you feel the damp air lubricate your nose and the back of your throat, flooding your organs with life force, greasing the cricks and cracks of the joints, saturating the powerful muscle of the mind. This is the beauty of the air element. That feeling you get when you wake from a night of camping in the woods to a crisp electricity, acknowledging signs of waking slumber as birds chirp their morning hellos.

Take a deep breath in filling up the whole belly, the chest and hold.

Exhale releasing fully out of the mouth.

Inhale

Exhale 

Call on air when you’re feeling:

Flighty, flaky, downright shaky

Affirmations:

My breath moves me to freedom

I inhale light

I exhale wisdom

My speech is guided by love

I power my life with intentional thought

My intelligence is sacred

My mind is beautiful

Breathwork:

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Intentional Breath can be used as a tool for clearing/healing/praying/spells

Tarot:

The Suit of Swords-

“The swords are the suit of action and intellect, ruled by the element of air. These dynamic cards address change, conflict, and power. They point to constructive & deconstructive tendencies within us all. A reading dominated by swords indicates a situation of turmoil and distress. “

Kim Kranz, Wild Unknown

Message of The Magician:

Self- Empowerment, Action

“The magician is a card of boundless, expansive energy. Whereas many of the major arcana deal with stillness or aspects of the mind. This card is all about action, action, action. It’s time to see yourself as the wildcat- embrace his speed, grace, and abilities. Do not be afraid to begin. You have the power of all four elements within your reach, now is the time to use them.”

Kim Kranz, The Wild Unknown 

Air Astrology Signs:

Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Meditation:

Drawing your attention to your breath. Feel the flow, in through the nose, out through your toes…

Drawing your curiosity towards to the left nostril. The breath, like a snake undulating its way up the cave. Notice how it falls into the back of the throat. Exhaling balance out through the mouth.

Continue breathing in and out, focusing on sensation of the left nostril.

In inhaling we find a breath of fresh air.  That energy of the crisp early morning. The one that rains glory upon your forehead as you gaze up at the sky. Feel this chilled air rinse and purify the mind. Feel how the breath clears the dust and debris from your neurons, your mental connections…sweeps away old dirtied story from your diary of thoughts. The breath: breathes new life. It accentuates expansion, resurrects not only your body, but your beautiful mind and your breath taking soul. 

Bringing your attention back into both nostrils.

As you feel your life expand and grow with the powerful intention of your breath.

Exhale

Next inhale, hold the breath at the top, feel your ribcage float.

How does it feel to be so full?

Exhale, sigh everything out of the mouth as you release every last remnant of your worries from the day.

Inhale again, feeling the opening of your chest, hold.

Exhale release everything out of the mouth. And come back to normal breath.

Movement:

General Shape Shifting

Invoking the Cobra Pose

Sphinx pose

Cat/cow breath to movement

Cactus arms, the heart as the alter

Standing half moon, balancing lunar energies

Restorative heart opener, all the props

Supine restorative inversion

Teachings of our teachers:

“Restorative yoga is felt, above all. It is an art of internal touch. Air is the medium of the tactile: immersing the skin and entering the respiratory channels to expose and vitalize all inner surfaces. Of course: Restorative yoga is breathed, transforming raw air element into its intelligent and structured evolute, prana. When the breath is full and calm, and when inhale and exhale are equalized, our inner and outer ecologies commune, and anxiety recedes. Air, both tactile and connective, resolves the tensions of our individuation.”

Kate Sanderson Holly 

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein 

Explanations:

Chakras- Centers of the energetic body where our life force accumulates and does its magic. These energies show up in anatomical terms, as well as in our moods and general life circumstances.

Chanting: “Unlocks codes and reveals sacred intelligence of our energy centers.”

Seed Syllable/Bija Mantra: One-syllable seed sounds that, when said aloud, activate the energy of the chakras in order to purify & balance the mind & body. When you speak the bija mantras, you resonate with the energy of the associated chakra, helping you focus upon your own instinctive awareness of your body & its needs.”-DailyOM

Mantra: A sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of “creating transformation.” The Sanskrit word mantra consists of the root man- “to think” (also in manas “mind”) and the suffix -tra, meaning “tools or instruments”, hence a literal translation would be “instrument of thought.” –ar-yoga