Why I Incorporate Astrology into Yoga

Who loves astrology??

ME!!!!

Who loves yoga??

ME!!!!

Who loves yoga featuring aspects of astrology??

ME!!!!

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve read my Taurus horoscope. However, I quit looking at it because it seemed more far off than it was ever accurate, that is, until last summer. I happened to come across Moon Omens on Instagram. So different from when I was a kid reading my horoscope in the newspaper or in magazines. The things I was now reading just made sense. After that, I started looking into astrology to better understand myself and others. I had my natal chart (birth chart) prepared and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. I’ve taken a ton of personality quizzes for my past jobs and on a personal level with none of them comparing to the accuracy of the cosmos. Some of you may think it’s all woo-woo but I’m here to show you otherwise. First, let me give you a brief rundown on astrology before going into how I currently incorporate it into yoga and what my future plans are.

There are MANY layers that make up an individual person. Even learning every aspect of your natal chart doesn’t give you a complete and full picture because well, we are human and human beings are not carved in stone. We change every day with every person we meet and every situation we face. However, astrology is a perfect place to start when things are going wonky or you’re just curious about yourself. Think of it this way, your astrological chart is essentially your roadmap to your karma; your past, present, and future imprints. Our ripple effect in the universe so to speak. When interpreting your chart, I suggest starting with your sun, moon, and ascendant (rising) signs. Knowing the combination of the three can assist in understanding yourself to a higher level than just your sun sign, which you’re probably most familiar with.

Here is a basic understanding of what each sign means.

• Your sun sign is your ego, motivations, and the characteristics that form your personality that you project into the world. Although you have many layers, typically this is how most people would describe you when first meeting you.

• Your moon sign represents your emotional side. Your internal personality. Depending on how introverted or extroverted you are, you may choose to keep this side of you more private.

• Your ascendant sign or rising sign represents how the world perceives you. It is how you project our energies and personalities into the world. It is the way you naturally express yourself and connect with others.

So what does astrology have to do with yoga? Western astrology dates back to at least 332-30 BCE and can be used to connect on a deeper level with the physical and subtle bodies. Everything in the universe is interconnected through the five natural elements; air, fire, water, earth, and ether. For instance, zodiac signs relate to certain body parts and systems, the planets relate to the chakras (energy centers within the subtle body), and the luminaries (sun and moon) relate to the nadis (energy channels within the subtle body). When focusing on all aspects, prana (life-force energy) stays within the body creating more harmony and optimized health. There’s more though. There are two different types of astrology and this is when my mind officially blew. My eyeballs had some serious bulge!!

In yoga teacher training, when studying Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga, it was brought to my attention that there was another astrology system which was used in conjunction with Ayurvedic practices. It intrigued me but not enough to do any formal research. It wasn’t until recently when focusing on yoga poses for chakras and zodiac signs that it popped up again. Maybe at one point in my life I heard about Vedic astrology. I’m certain I did and I just didn’t remember it? Anyways, Vedic astrology which is prevalent in India, is different from Western astrology, which is what most of us are familiar with. In some respects they are very similar, but from my understanding, the Vedic system is far more detailed than the Western system with a strong focus on spiritual awareness and guidance towards fulfilling life’s purpose. When learning of this, I completed a new natal chart using the Vedic system and as expected, the results were completely different. My sun sign was no longer Taurus. Instead it was Aries. My moon was in Taurus rather than Gemini and my Rising sign was in Gemini rather than Cancer. Everything shifted. Talk about needing a brain break right then and there!

So why the differences? Vedic astrology is based on the sidereal zodiac – a system in which positions of planets are calculated based on where they are actually observed in the sky in respect of the constellations. Whereas Western astrology uses the tropical (fixed) zodiac. This system relies on four seasons that represent the Sun’s movement, equinoxes, solstices, as well as the tilt of Earth on its axis. As Western astrology focuses on the sun, Vedic astrology focal point is the moon. Oh, it gets even better. At one point, roughly 2,000 years ago, the tropical and sidereal signs were in the same position. However, due to a phenomenon called the precession of equinoxes, tropical signs are drifting westward at a rate of one degree every 72 years. Today, Western astrology’s Aries is about 24 degrees away from Vedic astrology’s Aries. Because of this, the two systems have slightly different zodiac dates which is why my zodiac signs and chart were completely different. These are not the only differences which is why the Vedic system is deemed the most accurate.

For now, even with all of this newfound knowledge, I’m still focusing on using Western astrology within my yoga teachings. I believe that there is more to astrology than the superficial horoscope. As I mentioned earlier, your astrological chart is essentially your roadmap to your karma; your past, present, and future imprints. Your ripple effect in the universe, your gateway to harmony and optimal health, along with spiritual awareness and the fulfillment of your life’s purpose. There are connections that cannot go ignored between the cosmos and the physical and subtle bodies.

Just as with yoga, I am not an expert in astrology. I am still learning how to interpret my own chart and how to take what’s happening in the cosmos and personalize it towards my yogic path. With that being said, as I learn, my goal is to share it with you so that you are able to do the same. Even today, I incorporate what I know about astrology into almost every session I teach on some level. For example, I am holding a session tomorrow where we will be doing specific poses that focus on the heart chakra for the current Cancer season. My goal is to continue sharing this information not only in my sessions but right here starting with the first in depth article next month (July) when we begin our Leo season. In each article you can expect an explanation of the current zodiac season that the sun is in, the chakra it represents, the part of the body the sign rules, and yoga postures to incorporate into your practice along with how to do them effectively to help create balance. These guides can be used by anyone and are not just the individuals with that particular sun sign. I also love the moon and its phases. I believe it also plays a crucial role in our lives so I’ll make sure to sprinkle info about the moon throughout my teachings as well!

I hope all of this didn’t hurt your brain as much as it did mine. I mean, WOW! If you’re interested in looking up your natal chart, there are a ton of resources online. I used astrologyzone.com. It gives you your placements with a brief description of each. You will need the exact time you were born for the most accurate chart. If you do not have it, there are instructions on what to do from there. As always, if you want to discuss or have questions, reach out!

P.S. At some point, they stop putting the time of birth on the birth certificates so make sure you record it for your babies and grandbabies and keep it someplace safe!

✌️🤍

Karen