Fire:
"an important process that affects ecological systems across the globe. The positive effects of fire include stimulating growth and maintaining various ecological systems. Fire has been used by humans for cooking, generating heat, light, signaling, and propulsion purposes. The negative effects of fire include water contamination, soil erosion, atmospheric pollution and hazard to life and property." (Wikipedia)
Agni:
"the 'digestive fire,' is one of the most important principles in the ancient science of ayurveda. It refers broadly to our ability to process all aspects of life, including food, experiences, memories, and sensory impressions. Agni is responsible for absorbing the nutrients and essential elements the body needs while burning off waste products (agni is the root of the English word 'ignite').
"If our agni is strong, we’re able to digest food efficiently and easily assimilate our daily experiences. On the other hand, if agni is weak, our body won’t digest well, creating toxic residue or ama that lodges deep in our cells." (http://www.chopra.com/community/online-library/terms/agni-ojas-ama)
Fire and agni represent destruction and then creation. The fire makes room for something new to emerge. The Hindu god, Agni, represents the fierceness of fire and victory over ignorance. There was an interesting descriptor of Agni's imagery. "He is depicted with two heads and three legs....In each head he has seven fiery tongues by which he licks the Ghee" (http://hindoe.eu/index.php?c=4&p=15&l=en). Oh, how I love metaphors. I am starting to understand agni as a clearing process. It happens in stages, but it builds into an incredible fire that burns out what is no longer needed in order to make room for new growth that the fire energy produces.
Ojas:
"A Sanskrit term meaning 'vigor,' ojas is the pure and subtle substance that’s extracted from food that has been completely digested. Ojas circulates throughout the bodily tissues and heart, sustaining the physical self, bringing clarity to the mind and balancing the emotions. In short, when the body produces ojas, the vital nectar of life, we feel blissful. The cells sing with happiness because both the mind and the body are receiving the nourishment they need." (http://www.chopra.com/community/online-library/terms/agni-ojas-ama)
The Relationship between Fire and Water:
"Fire and water are nearly perfect opposites. If we study the basic polarities of hot and cold, dry and wet, and light and heavy, we see instantly that fire is hot, dry, and light whereas water is cold, wet, and heavy. These forces work in every body to maintain equilibrium and good metabolism." (http://www.doshabalance.com/articles/fire-water_balance.html)
There is a necessity for balance between water and fire. Burning everything down leaves nothing from which to generate something new. Drowning everything leaves no mechanism to be and do in the world. Moving from spring to summer, I have found the pendulum swing back and forth between destruction of some old habits and the clinging and dissolving into the comfort of other old habits. In meditation today, I found the imagery of that dark dank world from previous meditations. That strange fleshy structure that I was working to calm and sooth. If you recall, it had slowly started to dissolve, but remainder a resolute presence in my unconsciousness. In meditation today, though, a fire emerged. It was as though all that balm was some sort of flammable oil (perhaps ghee?) that embraced the fire and flames and cleared out an enormous space within me. That structure was still there, but I realized why it was so black and sooty. It was the cyclical process of destruction that was taking place. It was an odd thing to witness in meditation. It felt like my unconscious was finally revealing to my conscious self what was happening beneath the surface. It was a revealing moment for me. All that balm I was rubbing on that structure to sooth and calm it down was the conduit of the fire and flames. And I stayed with the fire. I sat and watched the structure burn, but I seemed to know it was going to be okay. It was necessary. I kept wondering where all the stink that I was cleaning up in that space was it was going. And I could see right then and there that it was storing up and finally ready to burn off into the ether. It was freeing.
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Creativity Stack
[http://www.karmicblessings.com/shop/creativity-stack/] |
Ready for Creativity:
It was this morning that I knew I had cleared space and was ready for the creative work of the summer. I have been laying the groundwork--writing room nearly complete, organizing projects, setting up dates and deadlines, exploring the pieces I needed (books, articles, archives), basically all the productive procrastination needed to energize and bring to life the creative juices that have been percolating beneath the surface.
I even bought myself a set of beads to wear as a constant reminder that my creativity is the priority. It is front and center. It is a creativity stack for my wrist with three types of stones:
Sodalite: the stone of the wise. Rainbow Fluorite: promotes positivity and joy. Fire Crackle Agate: inspires free expression to overcome creative blocks.
Ocean Waves: When I think of release, I think of the ocean. The waves pushing and pulling their way through the sand. They succumb to the tide. Powerful as it it, they surrender with purpose. The tide is this awesome balance between release and constriction. The waves let go and penetrate the sand as the water makes its way closer to the coastline. Then it pulls back and draws back into the deeper ocean water. The waves pull back with them sand, sea life, and even garbage. Then they return to the coast, releasing sand, sea life, and garbage. But it's never quite the same as it was. It transforms.
