I love that word – platypus platypus platypus. It’s fun to say. It’s fun to feel. I am still a novice on the Yoga scene here in the USA. I’ve recently gravitated to a local yoga studio at my new digs. They offer several gentle yoga classes. I love the gentle yoga in that I find more breath introspection over the traditional breath exertion aspect. Being gentle with one’s self is an art unto itself. Yoga fits so well with my tree hugger, holistic Earthy crunchy (and what used to be) esoteric way of life.

I am in awe of Yoga’s relational Power on so many levels. I find that the terminology varies for different postures, or Asanas, among different studios and among the different arts or disciplines as in Baguazhang (baug-wha-zshan) or qigong. Through my naïve Americanized translations, it all boils down to the same thing. We are, all of us, Energy.

EarthDay gallery
nasa.gov

I love pictures of Earth. The translucent hazy layer that surrounds our world intrigues me. The words electro-magnetic field comes to mind as I contemplate its misty vastness. I feel a connection to it as I ground with Earth during practice. One particular pose really plugs me in to this revered connection. I call it platypus feet.

With the knowledge that the body, too, has an electro-magnetic field, it was not that long ago when, due to an unexpected jolt, I would close my eyes and notice myself sitting off to my right. Maybe that’s where the phrase ‘she was beside herself’ came from. Yoga and meditation have been instrumental in my getting centered and coming back into myself, literally. I really appreciate platypus feet for the profound centering affect it offers. I could stand there swaying with Earth Energy all day!

Posing in my platypus feet, I am naturally standing straight with my feet slightly wider than hip distance apart. My tailbone is grounded, gently reaching toward the earth. The belly button is naturally connecting with the spine, my shoulders are relaxed down my back which easily opens my heart and my chin is level with the ground. The top of my head gently reaches toward the heavens. The feet connect through the heels, near the ball of the foot and across toward the pinky toe. Ever so easy, ever so relaxed, breathing through the body, breathing through the feet, I begin to feel the whole bottoms of my feet connect with my mat. Breathing, breathing, breathing connecting to Earth, through the body up through to Space and back again; allowing the arms and hands to naturally float or levitate up near the heart with palms down – just relaxing and breathing, relaxing and breathing. Next thing I know my feet are so connected that they almost feel webbed; Hence the term, platypus feet.

I am so loving being here on our precious Earth, this time around. It is just amazing what b r e a t h i n g and meditating for a few minutes every day can do for quality of life. B r e a t h i n g changes everything. Taking just a few minutes every day to focus on your b r e a t h  in meditation – give it a whirl. You may find you can’t live without it. It’s only natural.