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Shake, Rattle and Roll!

Christina Souza Ma

CA QuakeThat’s what happened here in Southern California on Tuesday. It’s been quite a while since we experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4. But this was just a friendly reminder from our planet of the universal and planetary shifts that take place on a daily basis.

Okay, so what has this got to do with yoga, I hear you ask? Well, as we were experiencing the quake, I became very aware of the people around me and their escalating reactions when the shaking didn’t stop for what seemed like an eternity. Although we were not that close to the epicenter, we could definitely feel the vibrations here in our three-storey building. As everyone began scurrying around, my first thought was for the well-being of my child.

My immediate reaction – even before getting up from my desk – was to take in the fullest breath of air into my body and pull it all the way down to the core of the earth. Why not? It’s far more stable down there at the center of the earth than it is on its surface. Using those few precious seconds to take that deep breath totally and completely grounded me, and I could feel every single footstep as I made my way to my son, who at this point was sitting alone in his high chair. Nanny was very shaken up as she had never experienced such a thing in her life and, of course, the recent news coverage of the quake in China did not help alleviate any of her panic.

I looked down at my wonderful son, unbuckled him from his chair, and held him close, continuing to breathe very deeply so that he could feel my calmness. By now, the shaking had stopped but the energy emanating from others around us continued at a hyper-active level. Because I was able to instill an inner calm in myself and my son, he and I just laughed and giggled as though nothing had happened.

I don’t think I would have reacted this way if it weren’t for the fact that a few weeks ago, during my Neti Pot adventures, I began my daily Sun Salutations again. Reconnecting with my body, which I know supported my son and me during this event, gave me a sense of happiness, contentment and peace that even a shifting of the earth could not dispel.

So, the next time our planet nudges us to remind us of its presence, just take a few seconds to ground yourself by breathing deeply and allowing a calm energy to flow through your being.
[tags] California earthquake, yoga to calm, July 28th earthquake, ground shaking, breathing technique, reconnecting with the body[/tags]

Author: Christina Souza Ma

Christina has lived many lives – from professional Cosmetologist, L’Oreal’s Technical Commercial Director of South East Asia, Hair and Make-up designer behind the camera, to Actor and Body worker. Many years ago, Christina had a vision to create an entity that would

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