Audio form

Video form

Move the stars and turn the Big Dipper from yamin chehin on Vimeo.

Story

We begin practice by aligning and connecting with the guiding energy of Polaris, the North Star.  We experience contraction (as we place the “beak” at the base of the spine with the right hand) to understand expansion (as we take a small step to the side so as to face a new direction). We trace a hatch towards the Light, the inspiring energy of the stars and we invite that energy “in”, through the top of our heads.  We feel that energy like “a rain of stars” pouring into our body.  Then we hold that energy between both our hands and take it to the front of our being so as the energy of the stars mixes with our human energy.  We spend a moment observing this movement as we practice “cloud hands”.  At a certain moment we start feeling the pull of the Earth, as if Mother Nature was tagging us from the sleeve of our jacket.  This is a different kind of energy, more nourishing, denser than Heavenly Energy.  That pull will take our hands into “scooping” motions; we feel the pull of gravity which will make our bodies feel much heavier, so much so that we “melt” into the Earth.  Our right hand, in a beak, will again invite the activity of our backs to quiet down while the left hand will be tracing yet another hatch, this time towards the Earth.  We may invite this arm to just do nothing but surrender to the subtle, yet noticeable pulsing of the Earth.  Then we will lift up the “lid” and allow the nourishing energy of the Earth to gush up like fountain water.  We feel it travelling through our ankles, knees, pelvis…all the way up to the Heart and beyond into the Third Eye.  Feel the energies of Heaven and Earth uniting in your sunny Heart.  Invite the power of these two energies to assist you in turning the “Big dipper”, a metaphor to create movement and alignment of the 7 energetic centers in your body.

After a moment of pause, you may want to repeat these steps to the right.

Movement by movement description

  1. Start in Single Horse Stance

2. Move into Left Bow or forward Stance

3. Form a beak with the right hand, and move the point of the beak, fingers pointing upward, to the base of the spine.

Move the Stars:

  • Horizontal circles with left hand from outside in. Arms circle at the level (height) of the forehead. X3
  • Vertical circles down to the center. X3
  • Gather into the chest. X3
  • Scoop into the Lower Burner. X3
  • Continue down to Earth

Turn Dipper:

  • Draw in feet together
  • Gather Earthly energy with left hand from outside in, close to feet.
  • Draw up midline to center of the chest and rest to gather.
  • Pick up again, hands in beak shape with fingers pointing downward, and look through the hole made by the beak.
  • Progressive turns X3

Repeat Movements on Right side.