I'm having a little fun this week! Vijnanamaya kosha could not be a more perfect theme for a Halloween weekend. If we know that a kosha in yoga is thought of as a layer of perspective; a lens through which we may see our reality, then for this kosha you might think of the third eye, the sixth sense, the womanly instinct to cast spells, the wizardly impulse to gain knowledge, the unusual ability to listen when a whisper of warning travels on the wind to whistle in ones ear. This is Vijnanamaya Kosha; the spiritual sheath.

The other day, I succumbed to the hype and downloaded the new Dracula adaption on audible. I was short on time and excited to listen to it, so I decided to put it on headphones during my morning walk. I felt as though I was stepping out of my world and into another ~ one full of mystery, intrigue, loyalty, and wonder. When I got home and took out my earphones, I was shocked and amazed to realise that I had almost no recollection of my walk around Greystones whatsoever. I couldn't remember what the weather had been like, or even what route I had taken! For me, this is a perfect example of how powerful the manomaya kosha is as a mask for reality.

In yoga, the pranamaya kosha is seen as our second layer of perceiving reality, one layer inward from our physical form. We experience reality through our physical senses on the superficial level, but if we look a little deeper, we also see that we experience life on an energetic level. While the word 'energy' is sometimes thought of as synonymous with more esoteric (woowoo) terms, the kind of energy we're talking about here is firmly rooted in science. In fact, the pranamaya kosha is essentially an ancient study of our nervous system

The kosha are a yogic idea that each individual perceives their reality through five sheaths, or layers; known as the five koshas. Pancha is the Sanskrit word for 'five', and so the pancha kosha is a study of the 'five sheaths' that wrap around the soul (atman).

As we consider our theme of space this week, I can't help but wonder if the whole northern hemisphere is lacking in this essential quality. It's no surprise that outer space, the final frontier, holds so much fascination for us in this century. Space embodies something essential that we have lost...the ability to do and be nothing. The ability to sit comfortably in the unknown. The ability to let go of time.

This Sunday in our Hatha and Soft Stretch classes we will be considering the element of Air. I come from a windy place out on the Aran Islands, so when I think of air I naturally think of strong winds; forceful and inexhaustible energy that pushes and pulls you one way and the other. The kind of air that somehow tugs and shoves at great weights in the ocean long enough to create enormous waves. The kind of air that lifted my trampoline out of our garden when I was a child and flew it two miles east to land in my friend's cow field. 

In our yoga practice, we might consider the energy of fire as synonymous with stress. Just as lighting a small and controlled fire in a forest, if you know how to do it wisely, can cultivate and allow for great natural healing ~ lighting and inviting that same small flame of stress and challenge into your life can do the same.

When the element of water is out of balance it can show up as dry skin, dry hair, cracked nails ~ it can show up as stagnancy in your mood or energy ~ it can show up as low libido, lack of creativity, that awful feeling of no ideas, no solutions, worry, stress...anything that feels fundamentally dry, stuck, unnourished, or empty.

I feel like I am always writing to you on a full moon! I was walking out of Tesco late last night and just over the tree line a great big hazy orange moon was rising. In August we call her the Sturgeon Moon ~ named by Native Americans after the giant lake fish that were abundant and easy to catch this time of year…

I've been away traveling for nearly an entire month, living on a shoestring and out of my orange backpack. Sometimes the most nourishing moments evolve from stripping away familiar comforts...and oh, was I nourished. I spent a week in blessed community without my phone (!) at Plum Village in France, embarked upon the Camino Del Norte in Northern Spain on a quest to view the eclipse in Santiago de Compostela, and satisfied my near constant desire to be around water with several days surfing in Portugal ~ where I was humbled and inspired by feisty waves and crowded line ups. 

When researching the mythology behind Savasana I found multiple stories behind this precious shape. I've decided to share two of my favourites here, in short renditions. They are two very different stories; one demonstrates the calming power of choosing to witness within chaos, and the other tells the wisdom of accepting that life is chaos; that shakti, life energy, is inherently wild and free.

Now, for the great story behind Vrksasana ~ a tale of how Sage Markandeya was eaten by a child and spat out again during the end of the world ;)

As we continue our term theme of the yoga stories behind the poses, I would like to share with you now the story of Eagle Pose, Garudasana. An adventurous tale of great trickery, wisdom, service, and strength, around which our two Sunday classes this week will be designed. 

Many moons ago, in a time when demons roamed the earth and great yogi masters levitated atop mountains while river goddesses flowed down their backs, there were monkey people living in the Himalayan forest…

In a time that was long ago but was also quite recent, the world was dry and dying. The earth goddess Prthvi cried out for help, her body cracked and wasting away. High up in the heavens, Lord Visnu, who is the keeper of the world, heard her suffering and vowed to help solve her problem…

Practically speaking, jalandhara bandha involves lifting the heart and extending the neck before lowering your chin to your chest and squeezing the throat back and closed. It can be practiced with kumbhaka, breath retention, for increased benefits. Just like putting up a boundary in one area of your life can magically cause an unleashing of energy in another area of your life (!), exploring these strong neuromuscular engagements (locks) in the body can help to release a natural state of flow that may enliven and rejuvenate in unexpected ways.

In yoga we understand that this area of the body, our core centre, is where the third chakra dwells and is represented by the element of fire. Interestingly, fire in Sanskrit is known by two separate words: Agni, and Tejas. Agni refers specifically to the physical element of fire, the heat of it, and sits rightly in this area of digestive and processing power within our bellies. We 'cook' life in our stomachs. However, the word Tejas, also referring to fire, has a different meaning altogether. Tejas is not in fact the fire but rather the glow and illumination created by fire, the transformation that comes when things are burned away to create space for new growth.

While our days of living off the land and pouring fresh milk across the doorstep to ward off faeries may feel long gone (for some), it's hard not to look out today and see the fertility and exuberance that people have been celebrating in Ireland for over 5,000 years. Bees are buzzing, flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and all that was asleep has finally finished yawning and is now ready to dance. 

Hasta Bandha in Sanskrit translates directly to 'hand lock'. It is a practice of finding anatomical alignment and energetic lift in your hands to optimise balance, strength, and relieve pressure on your wrists. But in yoga philosophy we learn that everything is connected, and that the hands are direct extensions of the heart space. You give and feel with your hands. When you press down with your fingers and palms to lift out of your wrists in a downward dog pose, you simultaneously lift and enliven your heart centre. Just the same, when you offer something freely to another - simply because it feels good and right to do so - there is a subtle softening in the muscles of your upper back, and you tend to stand a little taller for the rest of your day.

I am writing to you enthused, rested, and restored from a glorious eight days away sailing around the Greek islands. I was pinching myself! I hoisted the mains and set sail towards Poros, swung like a pirate off the halliard and into crystal blue waters off Dokos bay, hiked to ancient temples in Aegina, and explored the cobbled and carless streets of Hydra where Leonard Cohen once roamed and wrote. Hallelujah!