One thing I regularly prescribe for my clients and anyone else who will listen is a regular practice of yoga. I first discovered yoga when I was in college back in 1969 and though I have been a sporadic practitioner since then, I have always found it to be a fantastic ally for life on earth. The word “yoga” comes from the sanskrit word for “union,” and it truly does facilitate the uniting of the body, mind, and spirit. Yoga is a wonderful tool for dealing with problematic planetary cycles: it grounds us when we’re feeling confused by Neptune, and it uplifts us when we’re under the thumb of Saturn’s negativity. It soothes the jangled nervous system under a transit of Uranus, and helps us to release the wounds revealed by Chiron. It’s simply a marvelous gift.

I have found a really lovely class online taught by Elsie Escobar, an instructor in California who is generous enough to distribute free audio podcasts of her classes (or you can listen right on your computer if you don’t have an mp3 player). She even kindly gives instructions for downloading podcasts.

Although I gravitate mostly towards a vinyasa or power-type practice, I have found Elsie’s class to be one of the best I have ever seen for connecting the inner practice of focus and release to the practice of the poses. She is teacher of the Anusara method which is based in heart opening and joy which is a nice alternative to the intensity of the power yoga that I am used to. And in addition, her actual instruction in the dynamics of each pose goes beyond anything I have seen. To top it off, her personality radiates through the audio and you can just feel the light of her smile illuminating the practice. These podcasts are fast becoming one of my favorite ways to practice yoga.

These classes are not for yoga beginners; you need to have a basic understanding of how to get into the poses or the audio instruction will be confusing even though Elsie kindly posts photos of many of the poses on her site when the podcast is posted. But once you have a few classes under your belt and know the basics, give her class a try!