Creating Your Sanctuary

In uncertain times yoga can help us to find a sanctuary away from a troubled world. Nowadays, we are bombarded by a relentless, rolling news cycle, that can leave us feeling like there’s nowhere to hide. At the same time many of us feel vulnerable and exposed as we submit to the pressure to live out our lives in the glare of social media. Fortunately, when the world feels hostile and unwelcoming our yoga practice can provide a place of refuge.

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I’m the author of Yoga by the Stars and in this article, we’ll explore yoga inspired by the zodiac sign Cancer. The yoga suggestions in this article are suitable for everyone, regardless of their sign. These Cancer-inspired yoga practices will help you to create your sanctuary, find respite way from the fray of life, nurture and nourish yourself, and allow you to take time out for healing.

Cancer, the crab, is a watery sign, ruled by the Moon. It is known as the mother sign, with a strong desire to care for, to nourish, and to protect others. It’s a homely sign, associated with anything enclosed that surrounds and protects, including the womb, the cradle, and the grave. The private and the hidden are concerns for this sign. Key words are sensitively and protectively.

Cancer, the sign of the crab, encourages us to scrutinise where in our life we are showing crab-like tendencies by erecting a hard shell of defensiveness to protect our soft, vulnerable heart. The mother imagery of the sign enables us to use our nurturing skills (available to all genders), to develop the courage and compassion to accept ourselves as we are, in the here and now.

This sign gives us the opportunity to look at the nurturing, nourishing side of motherly love, while simultaneously the sharp pinch of the crab’s claw reminds us not to fall into the trap of reducing motherhood to a sentimental ideal. The Indian goddess Kali Ma mirrors this dual aspect of mother as both creator and destroyer. In the Cancer-inspired yoga practice in the Yoga by the Stars book, we use the mantra Ma to induce a sense of well-being and connectedness. Ma is the basic mother syllable of Indo-European languages. In the Far East it represents the “spark of life” and was often defined as intelligence.

We also integrate into the practice the yogic concept of withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara) to enable us to access a place within us that is an island, a refuge from the storm. Poses such as Tortoise Pose (Kurmasana), allow us to draw our awareness inward, to take time out, and to just simply be in our own private, peaceful haven. It’s a wonderful antidote to lives that are lived out in the public glare of social media. Pure bliss!

Yoga Inspired by the Zodiac Sign Cancer

Yoga inspired by this sign aims to create a space that helps you to feel at home and comfortable in your own skin. When you arrive in the present moment, you will feel a sense of coming home to yourself. The affirmation we use in the practice is, I am home in the here and now.

Now, let’s look at some Cancer-Inspired Meditation Questions, adapted from the Yoga by the Stars book. The theme is “coming home to yourself.” You could integrate the questions into your journaling practice, turn them over in your head on a meditative walk, meditate upon a question whilst in a yoga pose, or read them before bed and trust that your subconscious mind will come up with some insightful answers whilst you sleep.

Zodiac Sign Cancer-Inspired Meditation Questions

What is my recipe for a happy home?
If I were to create a place of sanctuary, what would it be like? (Use all five senses to describe it: sight, smell, touch, taste, and feel.)
Who makes me feel warm, safe, secure, and at home? What qualities would my ideal loving and supportive friend have?
What self-soothing techniques would I recommend to a friend who was feeling down or anxious?
How does my ability to care for others compare with my ability to show good self-care to myself?
Which yoga poses help me feel nurtured, nourished, and cared for? Which meditation practices do the same? What other activities help me feel safe, secure, at ease, happy, and at home?

You can find more Cancer-inspired yoga ideas in the Yoga by the Stars book, or on my website www.yogabythestars.com. And remember, whenever you feel unwanted, unloved, or uncared for, your yoga provides a place of refuge. Step onto your yoga mat and you are stepping into sacred space. Here you are loved; you can let the public mask slip and simply be yourself.