Yoga for Witches

Hawk: Hawks may be a sign that you need to look at something more closely before proceeding. An influential lesson may be about to unfold.
Eagle: The eagle can remind us to be courageous and seek new heights. Tough choices may be on their way, but you are capable of more than you may think.
Raven/Crow: Seeing a crow or raven could mean that you are ready to let go of something or enter into a cycle of transformation. Crows are symbols of strength and creation - they call us to recognise the magic alive in the world.
Owl: An indicator that you need to pay attention to your intuition and wisdom and a sign to connect to your authentic self.
Lizard: May be a sign you need to pay attention to your goals, a reminder of your powers and abilities. Perhaps you have lost sight of what you are capable of.
Snake: The snake is a symbol of life force and passion. It could be that you need to attend to your desires and put energy into pursuing them. The snake may also suggest that you are entering into, or in need of, a time of healing and renewal.
Spider: Spiders are symbols of creativity and spiritual connectedness - an encouragement to tune into creative inspiration and to take time to create.
Dragonfly: Dragonflies can be a sign of spiritual journeying and an indication that you are making progress in the right direction. Once, while I was teaching a yoga class in large event room in a local hotel, a dragonfly appeared from nowhere and for a few minutes he flew around the ceiling, occasionally skimming though the chandeliers making delightful tinkling sounds. The yoga students were delighted!

☾ Find a (preferably glass) bottle or small jar with a good lid. Make sure it is clean.
☾ Write a positive affirmation or sankalpa (intention) on a small piece of paper. What is it you are seeking on your journey? Strength? Freedom? Joy? Inspiration? Write it down and roll or fold it up to go into your bottle.
☾ Add some herbs and spices native to Asia, yoga’s homeland:
* A few black peppercorns for protection on your journey, and an acknowledgement of the most ancient uses of a witch bottle: as protection from negative or evil energy.
* A star anise, used to bring good luck, love, and health.
* A small stick of cinnamon for protection, strength and success.
* A few dried petals from a blue lotus, sacred to Hindus and revered by yogis. The thousand-petaled lotus represents spiritual illumination, wisdom and knowledge. The lotus flower grows in muddy waters, rising above the surface to bloom like the enlightened being who emerges from the noise of the world. (You can buy dried blue lotus flower petals from herbal shops like Neal’s Yard and online. You could also use lovely little lavender flowers – which are purple in colour, like the crown chakra and also represent purity and spirituality).
☾ A ribbon to go around the bottle neck: violet or blue for the crown chakra (or you may choose a colour of one of the other chakras that resonates with you).
☾ Something of yourself to claim it as yours – some hair, a fingernail clipping or something from your home.
☾ Once you have prepared and sealed your bottle, place it upon your altar or a sacred space, or you may wish to bury it in yoor front garden or a window box to bring protection and enlightenment to all who dwell within.

Growing plants helps remind us that we cannot force ourselves into growth and transformation. Just like plants, things cannot be rushed. All we can do is give ourselves (and our plants) time, love and nourishment to find our own path to bloom.

Questions

☾ How can I nourish my inner goddess today?
☾ Am I moving in a direction I want to go in?
☾ How are my choices helping my happiness?
☾ How can I better support my goals?
☾ How can I practice self-care today?
☾ What magic is present in my morning?
☾ What am I grateful for?
☾ Do I have an intention for this day?
☾ What seasonal abundance is present in nature today?
☾ What do I feel drawn to achieve?
☾ Is anything holding me back?
☾ What does my dream day look like?

By exploring our inner world through meditation and journaling, we can utilise both practices for deeper reflection and connection. Both meditation and journaling create a space for exploration: we are not trying to change or criticise, but just to observe and note thoughts, and feelings as they arise. Something that we have real difficulty with in modern life is stopping, reflecting or meditating: taking time to do nothing. It is easy to forget the value of doing nothing. Finding that space and silence is essential. It’s only in quieting body and mind (chitta vritti nirodha) that we allow space for inspiration, growth and relaxation. Allow yourself to pause from the busyness of life to explore, discover and learn from your inner world.

Journaling is a tool that yogis may call svadhyaya or self-study. Your journal, like your mat, can be a sanctuary, and place of reflection.

The ways to implement writing into your life are endless: writing as a form of manifesting, reflections or reminders.

The practice of journal writing dates back to the days when our ancestors wrote on cave walls, making sense of our world by recording it. A journal can play many roles: a tool for self-expression, clarity, creativity, and an exploration of what you think and feel.

lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu

“May all beings be happy and free,
and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life
contribute in some way to happiness and freedom for all.”

Can you allow everything outside of the microcosm on your mat that is your body, sink into soft focus? Can you allow yourself to ‘switch off’? It’s not easy, but meditation, nidra, mantra and mudra can all help us find this peace, nothing more or less than the next inhale and exhale… It is from this place that we may wish to manifest, cast spells, rest, or experience the moment.

To ‘just be’ is a simple concept, but that does not make it easy. So…we practice. It’s all we can do.