«The purfication is acquired by the regular performance of  six practices (shatkarman); āsana or posture gives Driddhāta or strenght; Mudrā gives Sthiratā or steadiness; Pratyāhāra gives Dhairyatā or calmness».  (Gheranda-Samhitā, 1.10).

Ready to reinvent yourself!

It looks like all the big slow planets agree to push you to change, Capricorn. Pluto asks you to let go of the old to give birth to something new. Saturn, on the other hand, invites you to reflect on what is perhaps wrong with that old and to understand the critical points before embarking on something else, not to repeat the same mistakes. If you are not willing to do this work, Uranus square will force you to do it with unexpected events.

The dhautis are purification techniques described  in hatha-yoga texts among the shatkarman (the six cleansing practices). There are different types of dhautis and they are actually cleansing techniques for internal organs. In Hathayoga-pradīpikā they are recommended only for phlegmatic people before facing prānāyāma, which is an intense work on breathing. In Gheranda-Samhitā, however, they are prescribed to purify the body before any other yoga practice. The aim of these practices  is to have a kind of “reset” of the body cleansing it at a deep level, to get to a higher level of consciousness.

Think of a purifying ritual, Capricorn. Eliminate waste, change any negative habits so that you can be ready for a growth step.

Purify your body and mind with this short sequence too:

Natarāja-āsana, king of the dancers pose, or dancing Śiva. King of the dancers is one of the names attributed to Śiva and is linked to the mythological image of Śiva dancing his anandatandava, or dance of bliss. The dance symbolizes the cycles of creation and destruction. Everything dies and regenerates, we need to know how to let go to open up to the new. //1 min. per side.

Anuloma-Viloma prānāyāma, literally natural-unnatural breath, also called nādī-śuddhi or nādī-śodhana, that is cleansing of the channels. The purification par excellence. What’s more it will help you to calm down your mind and find peace. Try to exhale twice the time of the inhalation! // From 3 to 10 min.

Visualization. Sit down in a meditative posture. Take your time to relax all your muscles. Imagine a mountain with a lawn. Visualize a waterfall and a stream of clear, transparent, shallow water. Go near the waterfall, look at it, listen to the noise, the aromas around; immerse yourself into the water: in the waterfall or in the stream that flows a little further below. Think about the things that bother you, physical and mental problems, think that this flowing water takes away anything that bothers you. Let yourself be cleansed by this limpid mountain water. Then exit the waterfall or stream, observe the sensations after washing.

TOTAL TIME: from 10 to 22 minutes.

MANTRA of the MONTH: «I am ready».