Tate Sutton, Author at Thrive with Tate

Total Solar Eclipse

The Total Solar Eclipse in Aries

Monday, April 8, 2024

This time can bring a very intense energy that can trigger restlessness, anger, frustration, anxiousness, and/or impatience.

Moving the body (mindful movement, yoga, breath work, running, journaling, etc.) can help move any uncomfortable or excess energy in the body and also can help release any stagnant energy in the body.

During an eclipse, the higher vibrations are easily in our reach. As the warrior of the Zodiac, Aries can guide us to the courage, willpower, and motivation inside each of us.

This is also a time to recognize how the lower vibrations of frustration and anger may be manifesting. We can become aware if we are fighting ourselves or if we are at a war in our own minds.

Tips for the Solar Eclipse:

Mindful Movement (yoga, pilates, breath work, running, exercise, etc.) to clear excess energy from the body.
Journaling: write a stream of consciousness to help dump all thoughts down and clear excess energy from the mind.
Spend time outside during the actual eclipse portal, 11:38 am CST to 2:55 pm CST, grounding excess energy with nature.
Practice self care with things like lymphatic massage (abhyanaga), red light therapy or PEMF, Gua Sha, scalp massage, and a hot bath with pink himalayan salt.
Cleanse the space: smudge with sage, palo santo, incense, or dried herb bundle.
Release any emotions or stories you no longer wish to carry by freely writing them down and burning the paper.
Celebrate this time and this extraordinary event!

Deep Breathing Techniques

Breath Work, Yoga

“Looking for some peace? Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths…

That inner connection and peace are always available to you, at any moment.”
Nanette Matthews

Diaphragmatic Breathing (Abdominal Breathing)

How To: Stand, sit, or lie on your back in a comfortable position. Relax the whole body. Allow the breath to become natural. In and out of the nose, not controlled or forced in any way. When you inhale, fill up the belly with air – allowing it to expand. When you exhale, release the air out of the belly – relaxing the belly as it pushes the air out. Do not force the breath in any way. There should be no tension in the abdominal or chest muscles. If any tension is felt, allow it to melt away. Continue these deep belly breaths for a few minutes, or until relaxation is felt.

*Beginner’s Tip: Bring the right hand to the abdomen, just above the navel and bring the left hand to the center of the chest. With abdominal breathing, you will feel your right hand moving up with the inhale and moving down with the exhale. The left hand should not move with the breath.

Benefits:

Simplest way to relax mental tension.
Improves blood oxygenation and allows more efficient gas exchange to take place.
Decreases blood pressure.
Motion of the diaphragm massages the abdominal organs and tones the abdominal walls.
improving digestion and metabolism.
Reduces stress (cortisol) levels – activates ‘rest and digest’ response.
Relieves tension in the neck and shoulders and contributes to good posture.
Helps increase attention span.

Breath Awareness

Natural Breath Awareness

How To: Stand, sit, or lie down in a comfortable position. Relax the whole body. Close the eyes or soften the gaze. Think about your breath. Think about the feeling of your breath. Is your breath coming in and going out? Does it feel smooth? Does it feel natural? Does it feel forced? Or does it feel heavy? Any way it is feeling is okay. Just let your breath be exactly the way it wants to be right now. The breath coming in, the breath going out. Your breath coming in, your breath going out. Breathe in, breathe out. Observe the natural breath, without changing it. This is all that exists in this moment – the natural breath. Inhale, exhale. Continue for a few minutes, observing the natural breath.

Tip of the Nose Breath Awareness

How To: Stand, sit, or lie down in a comfortable position. Relax the whole body. Close your eyes. Think about your nose. Think about the very tip of your nose. Think about your 2 nostrils on the tip of your nose. Now use your imagination. Imagine that there are 2 thin, silver lines of air going into your nostrils when you breathe in. Imagine that those 2 thin, silver lines of air are coming out of your nostrils when you breathe out. Continue this visualization for a few minutes, observing the streams of air you are breathing.

Benefits:

The tip of the nose is directly connected to grounding.
It creates balance and harmony in the body.
Brings calm and stillness to the mind.
An effective tool to manage anxiety, stress, depression, and pain, as well as digestion and blood pressure.
Increases positive thoughts, promotes positive relationships with others, and fosters self-awareness of emotions.

Counting the Breath

4 Count Breath

How To: Stand, sit, or lie down in a comfortable position. Relax the whole body. Close the eyes or soften the gaze. Inhale for a count of 4, and exhale for a count of 4. Inhale counting 1-2-3-4, Exhale counting 1-2-3-4. Do 10 rounds.

Count Each Breath (Variation A)

How To: Stand, sit, or lie down in a comfortable position. Relax the whole body. Close the eyes or soften the gaze. Count each inhale and exhale with the same number, going up to 10. Do 10 rounds.

Inhale 1 – Exhale 1

Inhale 2 – Exhale 2

Inhale 3 – Exhale 3

Inhale 4 – Exhale 4

Inhale 5 – Exhale 5

Inhale 6 – Exhale 6

Inhale 7 – Exhale 7

Inhale 8 – Exhale 8

Inhale 9 – Exhale 9

Inhale 10 – Exhale 10

Count Each Breath (Variation B)

How To: Stand, sit, or lie down in a comfortable position. Relax the whole body. Close the eyes or soften the gaze. Count each inhale and exhale separately, going up to 10 and coming back down to 1. 10 rounds.

Inhale 1 – Exhale 2

Inhale 3 – Exhale 4

Inhale 5 – Exhale 6

Inhale 7 – Exhale 8

Inhale 9 – Exhale 10

Inhale 10 – Exhale 9

Inhale 8 – Exhale 7

Inhale 6 – Exhale 5

Inhale 4 – Exhale 3

Inhale 2 – Exhale 1

Practice Note: If you lose count then remember that is totally okay! Just gently bring yourself back to your breath and start over – without any judgment. Just be grateful you can always start again, you can always come back to your breath and to yourself.

Feeling the Breath

Hand to Belly, Hand to Chest

Feel the rise and fall of the breath in the body.

How To: Stand, sit, or lie down in a comfortable, relaxed position. Bring the right hand to the abdomen, just above the navel and bring the left hand to the center of the chest. Practice abdominal breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, with natural breath. Feel your right hand moving up with the inhale and moving down with the exhale. The left hand may move slightly with the breath or you may feel the beating of your heart. Allow yourself to feel your breath, connecting with inner peace and inner calm. Continue for a few minutes, or until a feeling of calm is present.

Benefits:

All of the benefits of abdominal breathing, with a deeper connection to the breath by feeling the rise and fall of the breath.

Hand Under Nose

Feel the inhale and exhale coming out of both the nostrils, actually feeling the air on the finger.

How To: Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Focus the awareness on the natural breath in the nostrils. Softly place the index finger of the right hand on the upper lip, beneath the nostrils. Feel the breath on the index finger flowing out of the nostrils. Observe the breath and the feeling of the breath on the finger. Continue this practice for a few minutes, bringing you in connection with your life force.

Benefits:

Develops subtle awareness of the breath.
Connects you immediately with your breath by feeling the air you breathe.

5 Ayurvedic Practices for Detox

Ayurveda

Try These 5 Ayurvedic Practices in your Daily Routine to Help Detoxification

We are constantly exposed to toxins from the things we consume and our environment. When our body cannot properly digest and eliminate toxins, they accumulate in the body. The accumulation of these toxins leads to inflammation and disease.

Here are 5 simple practices you can incorporate into a daily routine to help your body with its natural detoxification process to help live your best life and thrive.

1. Tongue Scraping (Jiva Prankshalasana)

Toxins that haven’t been properly digested or eliminated from the body accumulate and build up on the tongue (especially the back of the tongue) overnight. Ayurveda believes different parts of the tongue directly relate to different internal organs, so when we clean the tongue using a tongue scraper we are eliminating toxins from the tongue, as well as stimulating and helping to cleanse the organs while massaging the tongue.

How To:

Take tongue scraper and place as far back on tongue as comfortable
Apply gentle pressure and pull the scraper forward on the tongue
Repeat 3-5 times, as needed, rinse between each use
Rinse mouth with water, then begin oil pulling

Benefits:

Remove toxins, bacteria, and dead cells from tongue
Promote digestive health and overall health
Stimulates internal organs

2. Oil Pulling (Kavala)

Oil pulling is done immediately following tongue scraping, and is best done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

How does it work? The lipid molecules from the oil pull out the bad bacteria from the oral tissues. When we spit the oil out we are actively getting rid of any toxins that the oil has pulled from the mouth, bringing a healthier mouth, better immune system, and stronger overall health.

How To:

Take 1 tbsp oil in mouth and swish around, push into cheeks, and pull through teeth
Start with 2 minutes, work up to 10 minutes
Do not swallow the oil (can cause health problems and lung infections), but simply spit out the oil in the trash, toilet, or another bottle (I use an old kombucha bottle so it doesn’t clog the drains)
Can be done 2x daily, morning and night before brushing teeth

Benefits:

Whitens teeth and promotes healthy gums
Assists with detoxification process of the body
Increases the circulation of the oral tissues and stimulates the lymphatic system

3. Dry Massage / Dry Brushing (Garshana)

Dry brushing is a powerful way to support lymphatic drainage and promote the natural cleansing and detoxification of the body. It creates movement and stimulation throughout the body.

This is best practiced before bathing, and without any oil or lotion on the body.

How To:

Before showering, use a dry bristled brush feet and hands, working your way up legs and arms, moving to the torse, keeping everything moving toward the direction of the heart
Apply gentle pressure and use long, sweeping upward strokes on legs and arms, and smaller, circular strokes on rest of body

Benefits:

Stimulates circulation and lymphatic drainage
Reduces appearance of cellulite and improves skin texture
Promotes healthy blood flow
Encourages movement and drainage of mucus

*Avoid this practice if have very sensitive or irritated skin, a skin condition, or on an open wound

4. Self Massage (Abhyanga)

Abhyanga translates to self massage with oil. Think of it as a practice of self love – you love your body and self so much that you want to treat yourself to oa daily luxurious spa treatment. It is also a very grounding and detoxifying practice.

Can use sesame oil, neem oil, or almond oil.

How To:

Before starting can warm the oil slightly and place a towel or mat under feet or get in the shower to catch any oil dripping
Start with the hands and feet, going up the arms and legs first, working toward the center of the body
Use long strokes on limbs, circular stokes on joints
Do the abdomen last, following the path of the large intestine: up the right, across the top, down the left, across the bottom
Try for a minimum of 15 minutes, but any amount of time is beneficial
Shower when finished, rinsing off any excess oil and toxins that came out

Benefits:

Increases circulation and lymphatic drainage
Stimulates digestion system with abdominal massage
Calms the musculoskeletal and nervous systems
Lipids from oil pull toxins from the skin and body when left on 20 minutes or longer
Relieves stress and improves quality of sleep

*bonus spa experience: light a candle or diffuse some oil while playing some soft music, mantra, or a meditation*

5. Yoga / Movement (Asana)

Movement stimulates the lymphatic system helping to drain the toxins that stay stored here. Yoga actually increases this stimulation because of its strong emphasis on deep breathing.

Book a yoga Session

There are also specific cleanses in yoga, known as kriyas. These kriyas need to be done with specific guidance of an experienced teacher, and specific ones focus on cleansing different parts of the body.

Book a kriya consultation

How To:

Benefits:

Increases blood flow and circulation
Removes toxins from cells
Aids in natural body detoxification
Connects the mind and body with the breath

Sound Therapy and Sound Healing

Ayurveda also believes in the healing properties of sound, and the vibrations can move energy in the body helping it to clear and release any stored toxins. The vibrations emit different sounds that connect directly to different frequencies of cells, tissues, and organs that can help clear and re-align all parts of the body, bringing the body back into harmony and balance. It can even remove physical pain, disease, and more.

Benefits:

Vibrations that create sonic acupressure to remove physical pain, disease, sickness, and tension in the body
Can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing risk of stroke and coronary artery disease
Better pain management, increases mental clarity, and improves sleep
Alleviates stress and anxiety, brining a sense of calm and relaxation

Book a Sound therapy Session

Looking for the Ultimate Detox?

You’re invited to join us as Sacred Retreats heads to Guatemala, January 13 – 19, 2024, for the Ultimate Cleanse in the New Year.

Reserve your spot in guatemala

Find peace in the present.

5 Detoxifying Yoga Poses

Yoga

5 Yoga Poses to Increase Detoxification

Great for Relaxation and at Bedtime

1. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose / Seated Twist)

How To:

Sit with the legs stretched straight out in front of you. Bend the left knee and bring the left foot around to the right glute. Bend the right knee and place the right foot on the floor on the outside of the left knee. Reach the left arm on the outside of the right leg, holding the right foot or ankle with the left hand. Sit as straight as possible. Inhale and raise the right arm up, gaze up at the fingertips. Exhale and twist to the right, bringing the right arm behind you and gaze over the right shoulder. Use the left arm to help deepen the twist, while the right arm acts as a support. Do not strain, keep the body relaxed and focused on abdominal breathing. Hold here for 1-2 minutes, then inhale reaching back through center. Repeat on the other side.

Modification: keep the bottom leg straight, use opposite arm to hug knee in rather than reaching for foot.

Benefits:

Massages the abdominal organs, alleviating digestive ailments
Regulates the adrenal gland, liver, and pancreas
Beneficial for the kidneys
Tones the nerves of the spine

2. Supta Matsyendrasana (Supine Spinal Twist Pose)

How To:

Lying flat on your back, bend the right knee and place to right foot on the floor on the inside of the left knee. Shift the hips slightly to the right, the let the right knee come down to the left. Use the left hand on the outside of the right leg to guide you deeper into the twist, and open the right arm straight out to the side with the palm up. Turn your head to gaze over the right shoulder if that is comfortable to the neck. Hold here 1-2 minutes, focusing on deep abdominal breathing.

Benefits:

Massages the abdominal organs, alleviating digestive ailments
Regulates the adrenal gland, liver, and pancreas
Beneficial for the kidneys
Releases tension from spine, neck, shoulders, abdomen, and hips

3. Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby)

How To:

Lie flat on the back – floor or bed. With your head resting flat, bend your knees toward the chest. Reach forward and grab the outside or inside edges of the feet with the hands, flexing the feet and turning the soles toward the ceiling. Hold the feet, spread the knees apart and pull them back toward the armpits. Remain in this position for several breaths, breathing deeply into the abdomen. Option to rock gently side to side.

Benefits:

Releases tension in the hips, a primary place to store toxins
Reduces lower back pain; realigns and stretches spine
Eases stress and anxiety
Lowers the heart rate

*It’s important for your shoulders to remain on the floor or bed at all times, so if you can’t keep your shoulders flat then grab and hold your ankles or shins. Also, keep your head down to avoid any neck strain. You can place a rolled blanket or towel under the neck to help with this.

4. Makarasana (Crocodile Pose)

How To:

Lie flat on the stomach. Turn the feet in, bringing the inside of the feet to the floor. Stack the hands, palms down, and rest the chin on top of the stacked hands. Close the eyes and relax the body, letting the body realign. Stay here for as long as comfortable. Modifications: take forehead to hands if discomfort on neck; bring elbows to the mat and rest the chin in the hands.

Benefits:

Encourages vertebral column to resume its normal shape and and releases compression of the spinal nerves, making it very effective for people suffering low back pain from slipped disc and sciatica
Allows more air to enter the lungs, increasing breath capacity
Stimulates the thyroid gland, creating balance

5. Vipareeta Karani Asana (Legs up the Wall / Inverted Pose)

How To:

Lie flat on the back – can be on floor near a wall or on the bed. Option to place blanket or pillow under hips. Lift legs and place straight up wall or headboard, knees can be slightly bent. Relax the whole body.

Benefits:

Increases circulation and blood flow, draining stagnant blood and fluid from the legs and supporting lymphatic drainage
Balances the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems
Relieves mental and emotional stresses, helping to boost the immune system
Induces abdominal breathing, improving the exchange of air in the body and massaging the abdominal organs

*I personally practice this in bed every night for 15-20 minutes before I go to sleep. For ultimate relaxation: put on a face mask, light a candle or incense, grab some cozy socks, and read a book or listen to a bedtime meditation.

Book a private yoga, breath work, or meditation Session

Looking for the Ultimate Detox?

You’re invited to join us as Sacred Retreats heads to Guatemala, January 13 – 19, 2024, for the Ultimate Cleanse in the New Year.

Reserve your spot in guatemala

Find peace in the present.