Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Expansion Contraction

 One of the most basic laws of the Universe is the law of polarity. The law of polarity says that "everything can be separated into two wholly opposite parts, and that each of those still contains the potentiality of the other." And that both are only different expressions of the same thing. That same thing being energy, the Divine, God, however you frame it it is source energy. And everything is made from source energy, particles of stars. The expression of this energy is boundless, and infinite. 
    
We cannot have day without night, left without right, expansion without contraction or an inhale without an exhale. There is no beginning or end of either, it is cyclical and continuous. We live in a world of duality, a world of positive and negatives, polarizing forces. Nature works this way. Even the way that trees grow. If not for polarizing energy and magnetics, how would the tree draw sap from its roots in spring, and pull nutrients from its limbs in fall?   

We see this in yoga, in the simple expression of a sun salutation. Extension (arms reach up), flexion (forward fold), extension (up dog), flexion (downward dog). In fact, it is this very vinyasa sequence, surya namaskar, that the ancient yogis aimed to connect with the natural rhythms and cycles of nature that they witnessed in their daily experience. The rhythm of day flowing to night, new moon to full moon, and on a much bigger scale the movement of the cosmos. One vinyasa cycle within the other, synchronized. The practice of surya namaskar synched with breath was (and still is) a way to become acutely aware of and tuned into the embodiment of the innate rhythm of the universe.  In this practice, there is potential to experience balance between the two opposites. In fact, this sequence that is practiced by millions today all over the world, is rooted - if not birthed from - tantra yoga. In its essence tantra yoga is the weaving of life; the weaving of our inner and outer experiences as one in the same;  and is conscious embodied experiences that connect us with the divine or God. This post is not an attempt to define tantra yoga, but tantra yoga exemplifies a way to navigate the ebbs and flow - the contractions and expansions - of life as an inevitable rhythm. 

Cosmically, and therefore collectively, we are in a huge contraction phase. We can see this in the alignment of the planets, specifically Saturn conjunct Pluto, and we don't have to look far to see it in nearly all aspects and systems of our life right now. It is no coincidence. Historically speaking the planetary alignments similar to the current chart coincided with major historical events, that as one cosmologist, Richard Tarnas in his book Cosmos and Pysche, says represents a contractive period. Where conflict and violence dominate not just in one locale, but across the globe. Saturn governs authority, solidity, security, tradition, status quo, order and system. Pluto governs the dark shadow and represents transformation. He also says in this book, that periods of contraction are almost always followed by alignments that have repeatedly been creative and innovative. Expansive! 

In this seemingly world of duality, we need to remember that one cannot be separate from the other. Polarizing forces coexist. Just like when day turns to night, the same sun continues to shine on Earth. From the sun's perspective, nothing has changed. So, ultimately reality is non-dual. Duality is a matter of perspective. 

Yoga teaches us that we are always under the influence of the gunas, or the qualities of nature, which includes the opposing, or complimentary, forces of tatvas (inertia) and rajas (action).  We will find ourselves operating from one of those forces at any given moment. The practice can direct us towards sattva, harmony between the extreme fluctuations of tattvas and rajas. This is the space in between. 

The space in between can be mirrored in the heart center, or heart chakra. In fact it is central to our lower and upper halves and energy centers, it is central to left (masculine) and right (feminine) sides of our body, it is central in how we connect emphatically with one another, it is central to compassion. It is central to our electromagnetic field that has immense capacity to expand and hold within it both ends of the spectrum and all the possibilities that have yet to be known. Our heart beat is like the undying steady pulse of the universe. 

Duality is familiar to us. Perhaps, we even find comfort in identifying with one side or other. But what if we identified less with what we know and explore the other side, or multiple sides, without identifying with it or denying it?  This is similar to what the yogis refer to as "riding the waves of the gunas".  

As we can see with the innate rhythms of nature and the planets, it is all cycles within cycles. One continuation from one extreme to the other. Synching to this rhythm is presence, is yoga, is freedom. Pure presence can be expansive for the mind as it is detached from either/or thinking. Pure presence is tapping into the field of potentiality. Here we are more open to receive new ideas, solutions or new ways of thinking and being that are beyond our current familiar dualistic experience. 

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