As a Gemini, I chose focus on the best yoga poses for AIR signs: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius; the bringers of change that help us stay aware of life’s natural shifts and the signs most concerned with keeping relationships in tact.
Yoga and Astrology provide the framework to integrate the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of life.
Learning about the nature of the body and emotion will bring about compassion for the self and for others leading to healthy relationships and ultimately a peaceful planet.
AIR, the force of nature that provides movement, supports transformation, cleanses and offers a cooling breeze when life gets hot and hectic. If the element of air gets blown out of balance, however, it will stir up chaotic storms that spiral out of control, fan the flames of a heated argument and uproot even the most stable foundations. Regardless of your sun sign, we all breathe and need the element of air to sustain life.
Winds of Change: Keep Moving With The Flow
Yoga teaches you how to set your roots into the earth while also sending your brainwaves into the cosmos.To strike the balance between your feet and the crown of your head learn how to work with, not against, your natural tendencies. Ingenuity and intellectual air signs love having the freedom to soar the intergalactic head space and can easily forget to come back down appearing chilly, detached or mentally scattered. Stepping onto the yoga mat and embodying the freedom that yoga teaches will help air signs harness their creative forces and get those ideas out of the head and into the world helping to keep the rest of us flowing with change.
Air Signs: The Inventors of the Zodiac
Airy beings invent solutions to complex problems effortlessly because of their innate love of freedom, an uncanny ability to maintain balance amidst shaky situations and a desire to have new and exciting experiences. However, if this need for excitement takes over our flighty friends may forget their responsibilities and take off on a trip halfway across the moon. Remember that the dates for your Sun Sign differ between the Vedic (sidereal) and Western (Tropical) Astrology. Search for your sign(s) below and learn which yoga pose will keep you flying high without losing sight of your focus!
Gemini “The Spontaneity Seeker”
Mantra: I THINK
Asana: Dancer’s Pose
The zodiac’s sparkling conversationalist, ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, has granted Gemini with the “Gift of Gab,” and it governs the lungs and throat. These adaptable creatures sometimes are accused of having two sides or for having a fickle nature because they can easily understand all perspectives of an argument without needing to choose sides.
To bring a Gemini back to his or her authentic center practicing Natarajasana, which initially can feel like a tug of war will help him or her eventually settle into center discern how to make the best choice for the self without feeling swayed by others opinions and ideals. Gemini needs to find their own natural rhythm so they can keep on dancing with the stars.
- Begin in Tadasana.
- Bend your right knee and bring your heel towards your glutes, hold onto the ankle from the inside with your right hand and extend your left hand towards the sky.
- Keep your knees close together and gently tuck the tailbone only enough to feel a quadricep stretch.
- “Dance” your way through this pose by kicking your right leg back and easing your way towards a standing backbend shape.
- Be careful not to overstretch your hip or excessively arch your back.
- Hold for five to 10 breaths before releasing back into Tadasana.
- Repeat on the left side.
Libra “The Harmony Weaver”
Mantra: I BALANCE
Asana: Eagle Pose
Represented by the scales, Libra strives to find the peace amidst disagreements and weigh out all options ensuring that justice is served. Ruled by Venus, Libra appreciates beauty and has romantic ideals for love, partnerships and is the team player of the zodiac. Libra will show all of his or her emotions without fear or shame in the hopes that they will have a partner do the same. However, Libra will often feel that they keep relationships together and can wind up feeling overworked and dissatisfied if not careful.
Not surprisingly, Libra also governs the lower back which is the part of the body that usually supports most of the weight and requires balance to stay healthy. Learning to trust their own inner strength and power helps Libra find solace amidst inner and outer conflict. Eagle Pose provides the perfect amount of strength and flexibility to satisfy a Libra’s needs.
Eagle Pose:
- Begin in Tadasana.
- Cross your right leg over your left thigh and wrap the right foot behind the left calf.
- Bring your right arm underneath the left elbow and wrap your hands into prayer.
- Gently bend your left knee towards a 90 degree angle, while squeezing your thighs and arms closer together.
- Hold for five to 10 breaths before releasing.
- Repeat on the left side.
Aquarius “ The Eccentric Rebel ”
Mantra: I KNOW
Asana: Tiger Dog Pose
The Water Bearer, known as the humanitarian of the zodiac, empathizes with the galaxy at large and searches for imaginative ways to make the galaxy a happier place. Aquarians have the ability to easily detach and have been accused of having warm and loving hearts but a chilly demeanor but isn’t that elusiveness part of their unique charm? Ruled by Uranus, the planet known for never following rules, makes Aquarius an unconventional rebel that others find complex and eccentric. Aquarius governs the ankles as they find it challenging to stand with the crowd, they have an insatiable curiosity that keeps them craving new and unexplored terrain and prefer to have adventures that go against the grain. The Tiger Dog Hybrid Pose requires the perfect amount of stability and creativity to meet the demands of this sign.
Tiger Dog Pose:
- Begin in downward facing dog.
- Extend your right leg into the air for three-legged dog.
- “Test” your balance by picking up your left hand a few inches.
- Once stabile, bend your right knee and reach back for your right ankle with your left hand.
- This balancing act requires tremendous patience and focus. Make sure you breathe and give yourself sometime to get it.
- Return to Downward-Facing Dog before your switch to the second sid
The Perfect Savasana: The Supported Incline
Air signs love the floating sensation of drifting off into savasana and letting the mind run free. But if left to scan these active thoughts, an airy yogi might get so distracted that they miss out on all the soothing benefits of deep savasana by seeking for their next bright idea. Placing two blocks down on the mat ( one horizontal and one vertical) then laying a bolster over them will provide the heart opening elevation to help Air Signs drop down into the heart space and give the busy brain a much-needed breather.
The entire practice of yoga hinges on the breathwork which invokes the element of AIR into each and every posture.
“May you continue to flow through this universe’s ever-changing flow with the ease of a steady breath, a clear head and a blissful breeze.”
Veronika Prielozna, MA, RYT as a Gemini in balancing her life with yoga poses. http://livingharmonyondemand.com
Inspirited by http://yoganonymous.com
[Related: AsanaScopes: Yoga for Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn)]
[Related: AsanaScopes: Yoga for Fire Signs (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius)]
YOGA and TRAVEL 