Expanding from Center (Lunar Eclipse in Virgo)
and some other thoughts on the energetics of the spleen // march 9 - 15
In my yin studies, I’ve been moving through Sarah Power’s book Insight Yoga. I taught her series on the spleen and stomach, which is such a challenging but beautiful one. As I was preparing my Thursday evening class and figuring out how the heck I was going to choreograph these transitions, I felt a ping to pull a card for the theme of this class.
I pulled the Jupiter card.
I hastily threw the card, the book, my notes in my bag and walked to the train to teach. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to combine the themes of Jupiter (expansion, opportunities, growth, abundance) with the spleen.
The spleen (yin organ) and the stomach (yang counterpart) belong to the earth element. In the Taoist tradition, Earth is a center energy…it doesn’t move up or down - it centers. In Sarah’s book, she makes a note how the spleen energy relates to our “sense of being at home inside ourselves […] Spleen chi is the link between the self and the world outside.”
As I pondered this over my commute, the themes of Jupiter and the spleen started to weave together…
Finding expansion from a center place
I let this theme unfold throughout our various yin poses. I began to ask my students…
/ What does it feel like to be at home within yourself?
/ How can we be mindful of expanding from a center, true, authentic place?
This sense of centered expansion began to remind me of the spring flowers that we are just beginning to anticipate. These natural beauties that don’t compare or hold themselves back, they simply…and inevitably grow.
I then asked, “If you were like a spring flower, and didn’t hold yourself back or compare yourself to others, what would your inevitable expansion look like?”
As we approach the spring season here in the Northern half of the globe, we are starting to feel that rustling rise of yin energy and the blustery winds that mark the transformative equinox. Before we get too ahead of ourselves in terms of what we are striving towards and where we would like to expand, let’s fist take a moment to find our center.
(P.S - My class ended with a very floral guided visualization of a spring garden into savasana. Perfect for a freezing, windy March night in nyc)
This week’s astrology is juicy !! I share more practical insight and some personal notes on the transits below. If you are a paid subscriber, keep going! If you have a free trial for a paid sub, I might recommend using it today ;)
I am grateful to all of you. Everyone who reads, engages, and shares my work. Even if you aren’t a paid subscriber, sharing these posts, liking and commenting is immensely nourishing and supportive to me as I keep exploring and sharing what’s inspiring me! so thank you x
Moon Moves:
Monday → Wednesday: Waxing Gibbous in Leo 🌔
Thursday → Friday: Full Moon (lunar eclipse) in Virgo 🌕 ♍️ ✨
Saturday → Sunday: Waning Gibbous in Libra 🌖
The eclipse we’ve all been waiting for! Depending where you are in the world, this full moon/eclipse is happening on late Thursday or early Friday. 3/14 at 2:55am EDT to be exact. As I wrote in this year’s luminary journal, this moon focuses on themes of…
