The Spirituality Of New Routines

For the past few weeks you may have been feeling like something was different, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on what.  Maybe you’ve been feeling misunderstood or you feel like you aren’t able to verbalize your feelings.  Electronics may have been a bit fritzy, and not because of Facebook going down. Maybe you’ve been taking a look at what motivates you or maybe you feel you’ve been reacting to situations that don’t normally bother you.  

You’re Not Imagining Things

Since late September, Mercury has been in retrograde for the third and final time for 2021.  During periods of Mercury in Retrograde, you may hear people talking about everything going wrong, or you may feel this way about your own life.  

We can look at what Mercury in Retrograde really is or what it means from a variety of perspectives.  From an astronomical perspective, Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion that makes the orbit of Mercury passing the earth appear as if it is going backwards.  Astronomers say that this is related to the length of the orbits of both planets and the Sun.  

Astrologers believe that Mercury is the planet that represents communication of all kinds and when Mercury enters retrograde, our communications get thrown out of whack. 

Yogis may describe this period as the planet of the mind appearing to move backwards, which makes us feel like we are moving backwards as well.  We lose our keys, drop our phones, miss meetings, the list goes on and one.

Disruption and Confusion Cause Stress

Whichever perspective you believe in, the feelings of stress are real.  And the origins of the stress may not be all the fault of Mercury and it’s antics, though.  October is a time of year when lives may be in flux and new routines are emerging as the school year begins, days are getting shorter, the world experiences more hours of darkness and the weather becomes changeable.  

With new routines come new responsibilities, car pools, tutors, homework, the end of summer Friday schedules, the returning needs for sweaters and jackets, as the lazy days of summer fade.  

All of these changes, not to mention Mercury stirring the pot, can lead us into fear, which leads us into fight or flight mode and the realm of the negative mind.  Seasonal and astrological changes that bring us into the negative mind can overwhelm our positive mind and our ability to see hope and joy in each situation.

Spirituality and Grounding Are the Key

This is where spirituality comes in.  Stepping back into our positive mind and reminding ourselves that “this too shall pass” is a first step back to peace.  Here are some other steps we can take to help us ease through retrograde, get back on track and include self care and spirituality into the new routines.

1) Prioritize and Simplify:  

• Identify what is not urgent and make a list of those non urgent matters to keep your schedule a bit more open to allow for potential changes and confusion that may ensue during this period. 
• Get comfortable with not completing EVERYTHING on your task list when your life is in flux.

2) Balance your Negative and Positive Minds:

• When either of these two of our ten bodies get out of balance, we feel out of balance, especially when experiencing or seeing others with stress around us.
• Balancing our negative mind, which corresponds with our second chakra (the seat of our creativity and sexuality), will enable us to balance our needs for freedom and belonging. Kundalini mantras, kriyas and meditations are great tools for balancing our negative with our  positive mind, which corresponds with our third chakra (our place of action and balance), enabling us to strengthen our sense of humor and our organizational skills. 

3) Slow down and Focus:

• Recognizing that any time of year, but especially in times of transition, schedules and communications may get kooky and disrupted. Take time to slow down, and allow yourself to act rather than react in response to oncoming stress. Adding a Kundalini practice to your regular routine is a great tool to use when you need to regain balance and focus. 

4) Simplify:

• Find ways that you can simplify life.  Pre-prepare meals, organize a carpool, switch to a class on zoom to avoid commute time, enjoy some daily breathing and meditation practices.  

5) Make Space to Breathe:

• Kundalini yoga breathing exercises can help us get through any challenge we face and can help us enhance our spiritually through turbulent times.
• Work a breathing meditation into your everyday routine.  Taking just a few minutes each day to relax, become grounded and focused is the key to building a peaceful life for you and your family.

6) Don’t Forget to Include Fun! 

• October is the month of Harvest Festivals, Apple Picking and Halloween.  Don’t forget to include some time for fun in your schedule.  
• Studies show that having fun and laughing increase our endorphins and bring brightness to our sense of well being.  So, even if your cell phone is glitching or you mix up a few appointments, get out there and enjoy what this season has to offer.

Want to know more about Kundalini Yoga and Marni Yoga?  Visit Marni Yoga for more information on the benefits of Kundalini and Yoga Nidra.  

Sat Nam, Marni