The ancient saying “as above, so below” really sums up the essence of how yoga and astrology are interrelated subjects.
This manual-in-progress is specifically written for yoga teachers & yoga therapists who would like to integrate some basic (and not-so-basic) astrology into their classes and with their clients. It is assumed that you have some basic knowledge of astrology even if it’s limited, and a willingness to learn more. I hope to continue collecting quality titles of astrology texts, as I have time, and add more titles on my lists at LIbraryThing.com and Amazon.com. I will add those links to this page soon.
If you are an astrologer, psychotherapist, bodyworker, or holistic practitioner you might also find this manual to be quite helpful. The common denominator is the ‘Therapeutic’ Approach.
Questions are welcome. However, this is not a forum for specific recommendations for specific situations. I respond best to those kinds of questions in a different format.
So how do we integrate astrology & yoga?
The first part of this question depends on the teacher/therapist. His or her present level of astrological knowledge will determine where to start. Although it’s beneficial if the client/student is open to astrology, it’s not necessary. Quite often I organize my classes/sessions according to the astrological principals without ever mentioning it to my students. The information contained within is for you, not your client, in order to help you make wise and timely choices for what practices to facilitate. Let’s move on.
There continues to be some hard-core science behind astrology and one theory goes something like this. The electro-magnetic energy emanating from each of the planets (and asteroids, stars, black-holes, planetoids, etc., etc.) has immediate effect on our Sun, which in turn affects conditions on Earth. The ‘energy’ enters from the ethers into our atmosphere where it combines with the air to form prana. We breathe in prana.
The planets are constantly changing their location in space, ergo, the fluctuations of the energy field changes accordingly. Prana is moderated in the body thru the Pranamaya kosha or Energy Body. The Chakras, energy centers, then moderate the flow of the energy thru the body. Over time and due to many different reasons , the various chakras of the body begin to work at less than optimum levels. We begin to lose energy even though we may still be breathing. When working with individuals the Natal Horoscope ( along with current transits & progressions) is a tool to help you figure out just where your energy is being blocked . When working with a group of people the current Transit chart would be the one to choose.
(When we practice the 8 limbs of Patanjali’s yoga we can remain healthy, well, and learn to absorb, integrate, and utilize the energy to it’s highest potential. Yoga teachers usually understand how energy moves in a body. They may be focusing primarily on the anatomy and physiology in their classes while they are learning how to ‘integrate’ information for themselves. Youth has it’s own teachers. And, the elders have things to teach too. Some times the chakras become overwhelmed and underwhelmed.)
Knowing basic sun sign astrology can alert you to behavioural tendencies to use or avoid. For instance, earth signs will respond much more readily to the asana practices, whilst air signs are more comfortable with pranayama. This of course is very non-specific and can vary according to individual differences. But, it’s a good starting point. Once you have command of the basics (sun signs, zodiac, planets) you can then move on to integrate more of the detail such as aspects, phases, progressions, and arcs. There really is no limit to what can be used. It depends on your willingness to learn, your ability to absorb new information, and your skill in integrating information into action.