Don’t Be Afraid

“Don’t be afraid,” were my dad’s last words to me. I was sitting at his hospice bedside and after a peaceful nap he opened his eyes and looked right at me as he spoke.

I cringed. My heart was breaking. He was dying and he didn’t want me to be afraid. And then it dawned on me … he didn’t mean that at all. He was telling me not to be afraid — to live.

As I launch this site with online yoga classes and astrology readings — I feel some trepidation. But I am pushing past it. I took a hike today and came to a point on the trail where I could have taken a shorter, more relaxed walk and headed back to my car OR I could take a much more strenuous route on The Red Trail. Climbing up and over glacial boulders is the only way to complete this trek and at the top, the view is stunning. I used to be fearful of doing that trail on my own – but in the last month, while I worked on this site, I’ve done it three times.

The pile up of planets in Capricorn is pushing all of us into new territory. The last time Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter were in Capricorn together was in 1285! 2020 is a year of profound shifts as we release old paradigms and make room for a new age. The planet Pluto rules death and just as importantly — rebirth. We are evolving and it is a time to say YES to new directions, new opportunities. Dr. Joe Dispenza tells us, “The people who stop and change fear into an elevated emotion, despite anxiety and the body’s resistance, will tell you they too were afraid about stepping into the unknown, but their passion for their vision was greater than their fear. They will also tell you the effort was worth the reward of what they found on the other side—liberation, freedom, wholeness, and more self-love.”⁣⁣

If you need to push past fears, backbends are for you. You can do a simple “Kidney” Camel pose while standing (or hiking!). Simply put your hands on your low back – on either side of the sacrum (the heels of your hands will rest near your kidneys). And then draw your elbows closer. Lift your heart a little or a lot and then your chin. You’re in a backbend! Dropping back into the unknown and trusting life.

You can also do the full yoga pose called Camel Pose or Ustrasana. Begin by kneeling on the floor with your knees hip distance apart. Curl your toes under to help with balance. Bring hands together in prayer in front of your heart. Begin your backbend by lifting your heart an inch. Then, lift your chin an inch. Move along – inch by inch – until you are in the back bend that feels best for you. Your pelvis doesn’t move much – it stays neutral and over your knees. Inhale to fill the lungs and puff out your chest. If you are able – reach back with both hands and grab your ankles to move into the full pose. Hold as long as feels nourishing. To come out of any version of Camel pose, bring your spine back to vertical and sit back onto your heels (if available). When you are ready, drop forward into child’s pose.

Backbends are uplifting, energizing and stimulating. They will help you say “Yes!” to life.

Don’t be afraid.