Image by

Aziz Acharki
There’s something about fall, isn’t there? This summer had us spinning every which way under an intense heat that invited us to turn inwards and figure out what we are really all about. The work we’ve been putting in, consciously or not, will have ample opportunity to demonstrate its fruits during this beautiful season of harvest and gratitude. As we’re coming off of a restorative and reflective Gibbous moon and Autumn Equinox, we are likely feeling ready to leap into the next phase of our journey with a giant push, driven by our intuition and our passion.

Ignite the Fire of Aries 

What better way to step into this next phase than leveraging the powerful and fiery energy of Aries? The new moon in Virgo helped us clear our closets to make room for what we really want. With a clear mind, our intentions were made apparent to the universe, even if they may still feel a little unclear to us. With the Full Moon in Aries, we are invited to leverage the traits of this fire sign to our benefit and manifest what our hearts desire for 2019.

Follow. Your. Intuition.

An Aries is highly intuitive. While our inner being is always our guiding system, it will be even more accessible to us over the next few days. However, an Aries can also be highly impulsive. So we must take care not to confuse or combine our intuition with impulsivity. There is a difference between acting on our intuition and throwing caution to the wind, due to impatience and impulse. Ensure that you listen carefully to what your intuition reveals to you during this full moon and act accordingly for best results.

While a full moon in Aries can highlight our passions and bring a lively energy to ourselves and our projects, make sure that everything you start with this energy is completed, as Aries’ can tend to leave things mid-way. Don’t let your inner fire sputter and fade, drifting your attention to something else that may not be a good use of your time. It is also important that we tame our fire and passion, channelling it into a creative force of positive good, rather than letting it lead us astray. The fire and passion of a Full moon in Aries is a powerful force, but if it is not channelled appropriately for our benefit, then we risk confrontations that will be emotionally draining or just a plain waste of valuable energy.

With the Full moon in Aries, we are invited to act on the fires within us and make what we want come to life. Listen to your heart, connect with likeminded people, give in to supportive situations that really speak to your inner being. Leverage the passion of this fire sign to call in the goods and get what you want for the new year. Light your torch and let your intuition take lead. Now is the time to get excited!

Moon Cycle: From September 9th – October 7th

Full Moon: September 24th 

Keywords: Harvest, Practicality, Health, Self-Care, Simplification, Integrity, Opportunity, Success, Flexibility

This Sunday, we are welcoming the new moon in Virgo. While this new cycle puts a final stamp on the summer, many of us may find ourselves looking toward the next phase in our journeys with a certain wisdom and newfound understanding of ourselves. This summer, it seemed as though the universe did everything in its cosmic powers to give us the tools we needed to go deep within ourselves, and to help us come out of the heat and confusion with a bit more clarity about who we are and what we want. It’s only natural that we are now passed on to the practical and meticulous hands of Virgo to help us sift through what was uncovered and go into the next phase with a bit more insight as to who we want to be.

Virgo invites us to find our deepest and purest emotions to help us set truthful intentions for this next phase. Essentially, we will uncover our own secrets, if they have not been revealed to us already this summer. Virgo helps us determine who we are and what we want to call in to our experience, as well as shows us everything we no longer need. This practical new moon, we are called to unapologetically cut out everything that is keeping us from being our best selves. This can mean old habits and negative thought-patterns or even people who are dragging you down.

Harvest for 2019

The new moon in Virgo is when we harvest opportunities and work to translate them in to future successes and triumphs. In fact, opportunities will be abundant during this time. The various angles of this new moon in relation to Jupiter and Pluto mean that we are open to good luck as well as opportunities for happiness and success. Good fortune is on its way, and it is up to us to sift through the noise and time-wasters that won’t serve you. Because opportunities will be coming at you in more abundance, it will be important to tap into the practical nature of Virgo to determine what is a real opportunity and what isn’t a good use of your valuable energy and resources.

Neptune’s a Bitch 

That said, beware of any feelings of insecurity or discouragement. This new moon is opposite Neptune which means we may face challenges dealing with feelings of competition or assertive people. These feelings may put our ego on overdrive and have us puffing out our chests to show who we are and what we can do. Don’t give in to the games of others. If you are focusing on them, you cannot focus on your own path. Remember, the universe is effecting everyone the same way. Expect other people to be hustling to achieve their own goals. Let them move in their own lives. Cheer on the success of your competitors. There is enough success and abundance for everyone and their success can’t effect yours.  .

And Finally, Self-Care 

Nourish your body, your sacred temple this moon cycle. Life will be picking up pace after a dozy summer, but that’s no reason to let your self-care rituals slide. Make time for yoga, for sleep, for washing your face and making a cup of herbal tea. Make time to meditate, to sit and do nothing and to rest. Your body is your earthly vehicle to create the experiences you want. The new moon in Virgo reminds us to honour our health and peace of mind.

With the moon in Cancer and the intense cosmic happens occurring this month (a solar eclipse, a supermoon, a blood moon, etc.) many of us are computing these cosmic energies into highly emotional vibrations. Whether you’re feeling sad, tense, irritable, nervous or uncertain, agate is recognized for its loving ability to help us get grounded and focused.

Agate stones can be identified by their stunning layers and signature bands, with an appearance akin to marble. Agate comes in a range of beautiful colours such as blue, green, grey, red, brown and yellow. It is a stone that is deeply connected to the Earth and vibrates at a slow and steady pace, making it an ideal crystal for balancing and harmonizing our chakras. In fact, different colours of agate vibrate and align with certain chakras. And while some colours will soothe and open up certain energy flows within the body, agate in any colour can help us find our balance in times of trouble or unease.

The slower vibration of agate makes it an excellent crystal for daily use, offering a soothing presence that can help us centre when we feel scattered or unfocused. It is a great crystal for when you are feeling overwhelmed as it will not overstimulate or interfere with our internal frequencies, but rather help us align with a more steady energy, stabilizing the aura and bring a sense of calm and harmony.

Beautiful Ways to Incorporate Agate into your Day-to-Day

 

 

Image By
Garrett Sears
When dealing with our spiritualities, the idea of getting grounded may seem counterproductive. After all, aren’t we always working to align with our higher self? However, while some of us may constantly have our heads focused on the workings of the moon, or are thinking about the universe and the stars, it is important to maintain a strong connection with the grounding energies provided to us by our planet Earth.

When working with practices like Law of Attraction, for example, it can be easy to let our minds wander far and wide, developing and visualizing our desired paths and futures. But the practice of grounding our selves in the present is extremely important to staying aligned with our higher selves.

Further to that when working in our day-to-day experiences, it can be easy to let our heads move quickly to the future, worrying about what needs to be done and how you are going to do it, or focusing on the incessant “what ifs” of every day life. When our minds begin to spin, it can generate worry, doubt and keep us from the task at hand. We can feel less productive, less focused and more stressed.

Getting yourself grounded in the here and now can be done anywhere, any time. Here are a few ways to practice getting grounded, fast.

 

Go Barefoot 

Easy enough right? The simple practice of taking off your socks and shoes, whether you are inside or out, can help you feel connected to the earth below you, fast. Try to walk barefoot at home more regularly, being mindful of why. The simple movement of taking your socks off and placing your bare feet on the floor, while mindfully saying the word “grounded” in your head, will help you achieve it.

 

Burn Palo Santo

Palo Santo has been recognized for its soothing and healing qualities, known to keep our energies clear and grounded. The earthy aromatic scent of Palo Santo can help bring our minds back down to Earth, while providing clarity to our minds and a grounded sense to our inner beings.

 

Use Black Tourmaline 

Black Tourmaline can help clear or neutralize negative thoughts. It is commonly used in practices of grounding and can add as a protective force from experiences or people that may seek to drain your positive energy. Black tourmaline is associated with our root chakras, and activates our feelings of security.

 

Journal 

Journalling helps you get connected to the physical quickly. The practice of having a pen in your hand and a notebook in front of you helps you formulate your thoughts. Even if you are applying a stream of consciousness practice, the act of getting your thoughts out of your head and into a physical space will work to ground and calm the mind.

 

Simple Yoga Poses

It’s in the name. Simple poses like Tree or Mountain can help you feel connected to the earth below you, calm your heart and steady the mind. And they can be done anywhere, any time.

 

Meditate

Conscientiously clearing your head space while connecting to your physical being, will help you come back into a state of feeling grounded and connected with the earth. The simple act of feeling your back against a cushion or taking a moment to be mindful of how you are breathing will help you find alignment, as well as gives you an opportunity to appreciate with how your physical body works and connects with the physical around you.

All Images from chrysyoga.com

Inspiring an appreciation or new consideration for nature, even when there’s an ice storm in April, is just one of the many elements Chrys Muszka brings to his yoga classes. In fact, Chrys’ love of nature can inspire the biggest urbanite among us to tinker with the idea of spending a long weekend out in the Algonquin backcountry on one of his specially designed, unique camping yoga retreats.

For those who are looking to connect with the spiritual side of the yoga practice, Chrys offers a strong insight on finding an inner calm along with a new, positive perspective on a daily negative, which can be as simple as a rainy day. As active students in Chrys’ classes at  Mimico’s Alive Yoga, members of the AOL team have found a grounding presence, a spiritual inspiration and a uniquely insightful way of looking to the inside and how it relates to the external factors that can bring us unnecessary discomfort, or unease. Life feels more beautiful after a session with Chrys.  

We sat down with this highly grounded yet super spiritual individual to get a sense of what it exactly is that makes his classes feel so unique and inspired, and chatted about his ego-facing experience of starting yoga, nature, astrology, energy and more. If you are intrigued to take a class with Chrys and discover how you can implement some routine insightful sessions into your daily life (and we highly encourage it) check out his weekly teaching schedule here.

 

YOGA AND THE EGO 

You found yoga at a very young age. Can you tell us a bit about that experience? Was it

an “ah ha” moment?

I grew up in a family that was always more arts oriented.  My sister started practicing at 15 or 16, and I had previously done kung fu and some dance throughout my childhood, so coming to yoga at first was more on the physical sense. I had developed scoliosis and some other injuries so my chiropractor recommended going to yoga, knowing I was so body-oriented.

 

My first class was a rough one, just like when you start any new physical class, not knowing the instructions. You fall over a lot and your ego is challenged, especially as a 14 year old coming from a dance, ballet, kung fo background. You think you can do it and then you stumble.

 

My family was very open from a spiritual perspective and I had a handful of friends that were open to yoga and spirituality, whose parents were artists or musicians (I went to an arts high school) and so there was this development that started happening. I found yoga at such a young age and connected to it.

 

At the same time, I was going to camp and then eventually became a staff member; you know you’re going into the forest, you’re going into nature, you’re practicing yoga or meditation and paddling your canoe, waking up with the sunrise; you’re finding more of that kind of silence, and connection to things rather than being in front of your game console or screen

 

You’ve turned this into a social thing too – you have meditation groups.

 

I’m starting to develop it into that. In your friendships you become that point person. People enjoy coming to hang out with me because I’m never putting pressure on them to do or be something, to look a certain way. It’s more like let’s go see a movie, hang out in the park or come over for dinner. There’s never any stress – I’m never complaining and demanding or taking over time, so I feel in that social sense, people find a lot of reprieve with me, that they can just hang out; it’s just Chyrs!  You’re (we/I) are always seeking that in life.

 

Rather than dedicating life to being a serious yoga practitioner & teaching, it’s nice if you’re not in it for the money or the growth. Part of it is to wake up on a day, meditate and do something for yourself, and you know, make a little bit of money 😉 cause money makes the world go round!

 

You have to afford anything you do, of course. It gets you to tune into other things, and then other people respond to that. Then you build your community.

ASTROLOGY 

 

In the first paragraph in your bio on your website, you mention that you are  guided by

your “Scorpio heart”. What is the significance of astrology to you?

 

I think astrology, its purpose for me now, after having been into it for so many years, is that it’s a great pseudo psychology, you can find accessible information of our archetypes.

 

Astrology is all meant to be taken subjectively so you can understand yourself more, be more aware. In yoga, the highest work is trying to find awareness of yourself and observe yourself, how you’re flowing and how you’re moving.

 

With astrology, you can sometimes be made aware of the negative traits to your sign or astrological notions of the time you were born for example, but if you just sit, pause and be mindful of these traits, it can be observed not as a negative quality, but more of a personal or emotional tendency to be aware of.

  

Awareness isn’t always pretty.  It’s letting yourself know good and bad and how to balance – that’s always going to be life.  You can’t be high and mighty and perfect. You’re still going to have your moments, you’re still going to have your tendencies and patterns. But that’s what I think is so great about astrology.  If you read, and get sign oriented, and see certain patterns and you grow or understand yourself, it can give you a little bit of understanding rather than  having to sit with someone tell you what’s going on in your life.

 

MASCULINITY 

From a male perspective, do you think that men can often find the “wellness” space

intimidating even though it is just as applicable to them? How can they overcome that?

  

It’s always funny when we bring up these lines of masculinity and we even use the word intimidating because some equate the idea of being a man as not being intimidated by anything. But all of sudden we bring up the words ‘feelings’ or the ‘moon’ and people are reading something into it that’s self-analytical.

 

There are always layers or covers with masculinity. It’s about putting in the work of breaking down these rules of masculinity and realizing you can do and be into different things, and that doesn’t mean that you’re emasculate, and doesn’t need to bring up the certain fear for you to have to question your sexuality.

 

And if you already are (questioning your sexuality) then you have to deal with that – it’s 2018, we all have our story, but that aspect of breaking down and through past perspectives can be tough.

 

Women tend to be open to the moon or that spiritual speak that connects you inwards and men may also  find it interesting and intriguing, but don’t share that with other men,  so that’s’ the barrier – it’s within themselves.

 

How does that relate to the practice of yoga?

 

Some men are afraid of it, or the ideas others will associate them with if they practice, so they don’t do it. Which is funny, because you go to India and yoga is super male dominated, and much more aggressive. The West brought over the commodification of the practice, but  also brought in some heart elements, which made yoga more of this mixing pot where the market became largely women, so that’s how this whole image of women in yoga took over.

 

It’s so funny, because so much of what we come to see and what we find to be popular culture in yoga in Canada is not even Canadian popular culture, it’s from outlets like the Yoga Journal which is not about Canadian Yogis. It’s about American yoga so all of a sudden everything we come to know about yoga industries, is American

ENERGY 

In terms of energy and healing, your bring a lot of healing energy to your classes. How much does Reiki play a part in how you instruct, and to that extent, are you able to feel when certain students’ energy in your class are completely off or out of alignment and how does that reflect back to you as an instructor?

 

How the principles of Reiki have developed in the last 100 years mirrors some deeper principles of the yoga practice. So the practices merge, bringing an overall connection to a greater energy that’s intrinsically good.

 

With Reiki it allows us to tune in to being present. When we think about the big giant universe, we don’t think about a big daunting, out of control thing and I’m just this little tiny ant that can get smushed. That’s so negative! We think of this big free space that we live in. In Sanskrit we call it ‘pure free forever’.

 

So Reiki is becoming a tunnel to channel energy from one human to another human, because it needs a kind of connection, a bridge.

 

Energy reception is something that we humans get from just our natural sensitivities. I think everyone has it. For example, we all of a sudden get into a busy subway and we all tense up. Then we go into our own world and then we’re more tense in our own world, not even realizing that we just got tense because there are 100 people on this train and it’s 4 o’clock and everyone is exhausted.

 

And so, walking in the yoga room I can always, being in that sensitivity of energy awareness, get that vibe of oh, is it kind of a tougher class, are people coming in with a tougher energy? Like on a grey day, you can sometimes feel the energy is low. So being energy receptive can get you to be energy sensitive.

 

How does energy receptiveness help you teach?

 

Energy receptiveness allows me to find the intuitive guide to move through by seeing what’s going on in the room rather than pushing an agenda. I’m never making yoga just a workout. I think that what a big approach is, for me and a handful of other yoga teachers, is how to bring the challenge, while still tune into that ease, the oneness, the higher side of the philosophy of yoga.

 

Even when it’s a “Power” class, it can still be powerful in the little slow moves, or if you move a little more mindful and then it becomes a whole way of thinking of how to actually be powerful in life.

 

I think that’s where hugely, getting into reiki has helped me as a teacher, a facilitator, in building that intuitive sense.

 

That intuitive response helps in my camping retreats because you’re in the forest, you’re in the woods, it’s raining, it’s a hard day, someone’s hurt or you’re just hanging out and relaxing; make sure the conversations don’t steer in a negative way because it’s the sunset and it’s beautiful, and that’s why we’re here. Intuition helps in that sense too.

YOGA AND NATURE

So talking about your retreats – some may have personal resistance to the idea of the uncomfortable, being out in the woods for 3 days with people who you may not know well for example.

 

What do you think people’s biggest challenges are when working to obtain a spiritual connection  specifically with nature – do you see resistance  responses from participants? Do you find that’s common and how would you overcome that resistance or do you have any advice for someone who does want to do something like this?

 

When it comes to something like camping, where its perceived out of our comfort zone because we live a very kind of structured life, especially in city life but even if you live in small town, you’re in your home, you lock your doors. When it comes to camping we may think “I’m in the wilderness, I’m away and sleeping on the floor in this little nylon tent” and our mind turns to fear. Once we let that seed of fear in, it’s always so hard to break it, or that fear of the discomfort.  The thing is with camping, we as humans did it before; it’s how we got here.

 

The retreats are a relatively small period of time, and you’re going to bring yourself in some way, shape or form to the edge of discomfort.

 

The last retreat I did, I left my dry shoes in the car, but I was the retreat leader, so immediately i knew I couldn’t show that this was a bother, so now I’m here for 4 days with these people and you can think it’s the worst.

 

It was actually even kind of a wet trip and it wasn’t the worst! I had extra socks and other things, and it all worked out!  In every way it actually teaches you how to handle challenge. People don’t think of a retreat, or yoga even as something that brings us to an edge, but it is in an edge because that’s where we understand ourselves. That’s where we can see fight or flight. If we never start to get to a challenge, we never know what we can do.

 

That’s where the retreats really came from, it’s something that was different then just going away a kind of created, privileged experience. Most of the yoga & physical stuff is actually the paddling, portaging, hiking, the sleeping on the floor, waking up and dealing with cold nights, cooking all your food on the campfire, wanting to check your phone but there’s no reception. Then you remind yourself, it’s only 3 more days, 2 more days. You go on the challenge of this trip but every moment you’re on it, if you realize that every minute you’re one step closer to getting out, and then you realize that complaining about these things out here is not going to help you!

 

Then at home, on wet rainy day when you have to go to work, it’s actually better, then when you’re camping on a wet rainy day. It brings you into this perspective and opens you up, which is why I like going back (into the city), because it’s like a check in, that’s why when I travel I’d rather backpack and stay somewhere that’s a little more rustic and a little bit more social because I feel like I learn more, I experience more.

 

It’s how we grow and how we learn. We choose when we want to confront a wall or discomfort, but that’s how we grow, getting to that edge. That’s what the retreats were born out; what they are for. How to give something a little bit different, that keeps people at an edge and still offers yoga. When you meditate in nature it’s beautiful, it’s those quiet moments, you see a great blue heron fly across or a beaver, all the magical stuff that happens when you are in nature! It’s part of being there (unless you get to a secluded cabin, that would be great too!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Brief History

Recognized for its violet beauty and spiritually guiding powers; Amethyst is known to be a calming and meditative stone that brings in a balanced peace. Zambia, Brazil, Uruguay and the U.S are the most frequent places Amethyst is mined.

Linked to the Crown Chakra, these crystals hold power to minimize negativity while at the same time radiating positivity. Amethyst’s serenity enhances higher states of consciousness and meditation; which can help align and unblock chakras for those who are on their path to enlightenment. Use its energy of contentment to soothe the conscious mind and relax after a long stressful day.

Daily Application

In the Workplace

Amethyst’s healing energy is especially useful for work-related stress. Since it is linked with communication, intuition and The Crown Chakra; it’s believed to have the power of increasing work effectiveness. Amethyst in the office facilitates not only the decision-making process but also brings in common sense and spiritual insights into practice.

In The Home

Amethyst in the living room can help grow families bond together and create positive, open communication with them.  Placing an amethyst somewhere in the bathroom is another way to relieve stress during a soothing bath.

Meditate

In a room with calm energy and soft lighting, you can use an amethyst cluster or an amethyst point to send energy and intentions into the universe. Place the amethyst in the palm of your hand, and breathe in the violet energy of amethyst. Before finishing take one last breath and slowly open your eyes as you breathe out.

Below are easy ways to incorporate Amethyst into your daily life:

 

Image Source: Energy Muse

Aesthetically pleasing and the perfect compliment to Instagram flat lays, Rose Quartz has been manifesting itself increasingly into our daily experiences at Age of Lapin and we thought it was time to pay more attention.

Naturally attractive with a light pink hue, Rose Quartz has long been deemed the stone of the hopeless romantic and has been used in love ceremonies and rituals for centuries. While it was Greek and Roman myth that first deemed Rose Quartz the stone of love, early Egyptians were the first to use it in beauty rituals, with the belief that it could prevent signs of aging.

 

Whether in its raw form or polished state, the soft pink of this stone will, without a doubt, magnetically draw those who are most in need. And while those who are looking for relationship love may search out Rose Quartz to assist in this area, we have found it to be a stone that works powerfully when we are in need of boosting our own love of self. You may find yourself drawn to Rose Quartz if you are feeling a need to reassert your personal determination in life or if you are feeling out of alignment and in search of something to soothe your soul.

 

Our relationship with ourselves is the ones we must pay strongest attention to in order to ensure other areas of our lives flow with positivity. If we are lacking in self-love, then all other areas of our lives are likely to be affected; relationships, work, and even our health.

 

Healing Properties (Emotional/Energy)

A stone of universal love, Rose Quartz is naturally healing, bringing forth warmth and compassion and is used to restore trust and harmony within self and for others. Rose Quartz encourages us to move towards self-acceptance and self-love, making it easier to extend these feelings towards those in our lives and those we come in contact with. Rose Quartz is useful for dispelling harmful negativity, and opening the heart and soul to welcoming more loving vibrations into your existence. Rose Quartz can have a calming affect, bringing peace and harmony to those suffering inner turmoil and grief. Rose Quartz can activate our Heart Chakra and as it is considered one of the stones of the Great Mother, it can also aid in our feelings of oneness with the Earth and Universe as a whole.

 

Daily Application

Meditating: Meditating with Rose Quartz will work towards releasing old emotional patterns that hold us back, and increase our vibrational frequency of compassion, both for others and the self.

In the Work Place: A piece of Rose Quartz in the work place can bring calming energy and aid in keeping nasty workplace gossip at bay.

In the Home: An excellent piece to keep on a mantle or beside the bedside table, Rose Quartz will elicit a calming and loving energy, opening members of one’s household up to greater communication, compassion and love.

Jewellery: Its lovely pink tone makes Rose Quartz a gorgeous piece of spiritual jewellery. Wear a piece of Rose Quartz to insert compassion, self-love and expressions of peace into your day to day.

 

Six easy ways to incorporate Rose Quartz into your daily life.