Akasha: Connecting to Our Inner-selves

The Loneliest Hwy in the Nation 

     My husband and I spent the summer on our 2018 Harley Road Glide riding the roads from Chicago, Ill. to Moab, Utah.  I love the feeling of riding on the bike with the wind blowing and the sun shining. One of my most favorite roads (and there were many) was, properly titled the   "Loneliest Highway in the Nation." Hwy 50  runs from the western edge of Nevada into Utah.  It truly was lonely. The road stretched forever.      We met a vehicle or another biker rarely. It is here, on these desolate roads that my mind begins to wander. I love to tip my head back and look up into space, clearing my mind and just being. I begin to imagine what is beyond, what is our there; out there is space. What I loved most about this road was just that; the open space, the sense of freedom and stillness. I could see the clouds and feel the sun on my face, but I had no idea what was beyond. 
     To me this road and the sky above encapsulates the idea of Space/Ether/Akasha. This element can not be touched or manipulated as the others (exception of Air). And so one begins to wonder. I can attest that when I sit on the back my yogic mind begins to generate questions: what is beyond the clouds? How am I a part of this world/this universe?  


Akasha/Ether Qualities: Taken from the CA. College of Ayurveda

• Ether's qualities are based upon the absence of its opposing quality. i.e. ether is cold because it lacks warmth created by fire.
• Ether is light... it lacks the heaviness created by earth and water.
• Ether is immobile due to its inability to propel like air.
• Ether is subtle.
• Ether is omnipresent.. it is everywhere.
• It is that which all other elements are derived from.
• And, it is the most expansive. It has no limits.
• In our body, Ether is expressed within the empty spaces: empty intestines, blood vessels, bladder, and the lungs are filled with Ether.  
• The winter season is the time of Ether. The season begins after the leaves have fallen and the earth is barren. Everything and everyone becomes lighter at this time. 
• In the cycle of life, death is the time of ether. The body disintegrates and the elements flee their boundaries. All that remains is the subtly of our spirit. 

Look around you.... become aware of your surroundings.... find the stillness.... and peace.

Props:  Mat, Bolster, Blanket, Blocks

ETHER/SPACE GENTLE YOGA

Observe the stillness, freedom, & sense of awareness that opens w/in you. 

Associated with Throat Chakra/Vishuddha: Speaking your truth.

Stillness, Freedom, Expansiveness, Emptiness. The element from which

All other elements originate.

COLD..DRY..STILL..LIGHT..

OPENING

Aakash Mudra

Seated Meditation “So hum.”/Aakash Mudra ***

Side Stretch

Massage 

TABLETOP

CNC/Lion’s Breath

Side Looks

Gate Pose 

Child’s Pose

REPEAT

STANDING

Tadasana w/Side Bend

Heart Opener w/Hands Behind

SUN SALUTATIONS

1/2 Sun Salutations “Invite Space” Offering (ea.time)

Knee Down LL

Star Pose

REPEAT

STANDING

Tadasana

Open Throat/Hands Behind 

Crescent Lunge

Pyramid

Warrior II

Wide Legged

REPEAT

BACK

Pelvic Tilt

Knees In

Supported Fish 

BELLY

Cobra

Breath

SAVASANA

Supported Reclined Cobbler

MEDITATION

Let go of that which is not serving you. Bring in the stillness.

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***Aakash Mudra: Aakash mudra is a symbolic, ritualistic gesture of the hands often used in Ayurveda and spiritual yoga practice to increase the element of space, or the cosmos, within the body. The name comes from the Sanskrit words aakash (or akash), meaning "view" or "recognize," and mudra, which means "gesture," "mark" or "seal."
Increasing the element of space, or cosmos, within the body helps the practitioner to unite with a specific deity or a broader cosmic power. It is also believed to make an individual's way of thinking more honorable, as it assists in removing negative emotions like anger, sorrow or fear. Additionally, this mudra detoxifies the body, eases discomfort due to overeating, and offers relief from arrhythmia, chest pain and high blood pressure.(https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6852/aakash-mudra)



Resources: https://chopra.com/articles/7-yoga-poses-to-connect-you-to-the-space-element
https://bliss-flow.com/yoga-ether-element/
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ether
https://desertyogatherapy.com/the-etherspace-element/