“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.”
– Indian Proverb
Weekly Focus: Bija (seed)
Bija has several different definitions dependent on the school of wisdom you turn towards. The essential root of all definitions though, is an origin point of manifestation and creation, a seed.
In Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, Bija is the metaphor for the seed of / or the origin of all creation. This month, we turn to bija as a reminder to constantly plant new seeds of intention for growth and expansion. As we awaken new spaces in ourselves, the seeds of our intentions may being to sprout.
Have you considered what seeds you want to plant this Spring? They may be small intentions to enact change within our daily life, improving the way we feel, or they might be big, long term plans that create pivots in our life or create a new pathways! Spring may also be a good time to revisit any intentions we set earlier in the year, to replant and reinvigorate those seeds and give new life to intentions that may have been set aside.
Here is a simple practice in replanting seeds of intention:
- Revisit goals or intentions set — take some time to write down any goal(s) you have had in the last three months. Be honest, even if you set it aside and forgot it temporarily, jot it down.
- Check-in and reflect — look over the list with grace. Circle the goals that were lost or fell to the wayside. Consider the why behind the drop-off and ask yourself, is this still a goal that would serve me well? If so, great, if it no longer aligns with you, cross it off!
- Give yourself space to restart — rewrite any goal that is still circled on another sheet of paper. Write down all the reasons you want to complete this goal and get deep. Remind yourself of what can be achieved along the way, and give yourself permission and grace to restart!
Passive Pose of the Week: Parsva Gharbasana (Fetal Pose)
Allow yourself to come into this posture of rebirthing, our fetal position. See yourself, your body as the seed to all your intentions, nurturing your possibility and waiting to bloom.
- Lie down on your back and roll to your side.
- Prop the head with the bottom arm and allow the top arm to softly fall towards the floor.
- Stack or stagger the knees and slide them up the floor towards the hips or belly.
- Lie here and breathe intentionally for 2 – 3 minutes before rolling over to your second side.
This pose may seem fairly basic, but there is a lot to take in here. Parsva gharbasana gives space to rest and reset. It can be easy to drift off in easy reclined postures, so see if you can find some intentionality here. You might focus strongly on the weight of your body on the floor or the textures beneath you, to help bring awareness to the pose.
Active Pose of the Week: Vrkshasana (tree pose)
Vrkshasana means tree pose, which makes a lovely connection to bija. Even the largest of trees once started from a small seed. This posture recalls that while growth can take time, it is from small intentions that big change arises.
- Begin in a standing Mountain pose (tadasana).
- Focus your gaze ahead of you, perhaps to a spot on the floor, the wall, or the place where wall and floor meet.
- Root down through your right leg, feeling it strengthen and press lightly into the floor.
- Being to lift your left foot and place it along the right leg. It can press to the ankle with the toes on the floor, to the shin, thigh – anywhere that works.
- Press the knee of the left leg open to the left.
- Hands can stay at your hops or heart center to help with balance, or you might reach them over head.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and switch sides.
Vrkshasana is a classic, we often see it pictured in reference to yoga. Sometimes we want to rush right into our balance postures. Let tree pose remind you that growth is slow, and you can take your time to enter the pose. Try slowing down your entry and build in one layer at a time. First, you steady yourself, then you set your gaze, then you lift the leg, then you adjust the hands, continuing to layer so that you have time to adjust with the shifts of the balance.
Join us in class this week to practice your replanting (or planting!) the seeds of your intentions. See the full schedule HERE.
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