This is my first thorough talk on Rune Yoga focusing on Fehu:
Forgot to post the accompanying writing:
FEHU
Be open and receptive to the Runic Energies.
StaðaHold posture for 60 heart beats: 30 heart beats for each arm positions.
Standing in stillness (see Isa, pg), place the palms over the eyes, fingers pointing up, slowly move left hand parallel from the face until the arm is extended outward while the fingers tips are still level with the top of the head. Now move the right hand out halfway between the left hand and the head: keep the fingertips level with the top of the head as well.
Make sure the arms are not closing in together. Keep them even with the shoulders. Also make sure the elbows are slightly angled outward and not square.
The fingers are together, thumbs on the side. Everything pointed straight out from the forearm with a slight bend upwards at the wrist.
The feet are grounded. See Uruz for instructions on the Nine Points of the Feet (pg). The feet are not touching, but slightly apart and directly under the hips.
Watch the head that it does not tilt. See Isa for Centering (pg).
After thirty heart beats switch arm positions. Now the right hand is furthest away from body.
BreathLike the three tips of Fehu, there's three levels of breathing:
Most people are throat and chest breathers.
Yoga teaches us to take in energy as deeply and fully as possible. And so, we breathe from the depths of our being.
To fully benefit from Fehu's gift of Life we breathe diaphragmically. In other words, we consciously extend the diaphragm fully so as to optimize gas exchange within our bodies, which in turn optimizes our energy output via nutrient conversion to usable energy. To simplify, the better we breathe the more energy we have.
On top of the health benefits of optimal gas exchange, diaphragmic breathing messages the internal organs and helps with elasticity of muscles, tendons, and skin.
Energetically conscious breathing is instrumental in experiencing the subtle movements of energy throughout our bodies.
See my
Handhaltung (Hand Posture/Position)
Galdr"f"
Form: lower lip pulls in a little while air is pressed out through the upper lip. This makes three air channels.
EnergeticsRather than spell out all the areas affected, I will instead ask questions and leave it to you to answer.
- How's the neck? Is it tense or relaxed?
- Where do you feel it in the arms? What about the shoulders? Back?
- Take a moment to feel the experience.
- You will likely find many thoughts, emotions, memories, and such arise as you deepen your awareness.
Some thoughts will be gotten rid of easily,
others might need a moment to unraveled.
Let all the thoughts go and just feel.
Be fully in the experience of Being.
When you find stagnation,
blocks,
imbalance,
do subtle movements with the body and breath to get the energy flowing.
EmbodimentLearn everything you can about cattle. What's their life like? How long do they live? Where do they come from? What do they like? How do they effect/affect the world? Who benefits from their presence? What does the sagas say about them?
Connect with their energy. Meditate and touch in with their essence. Then, while in Staða, embody their being.
Once you've done that, go to my correspondence page here (
http://www.sohmpublishing.com/index.php/runes/101-rune-correspondences/473-fehu) and consider what other's have associated with Fehu and see if Fehu opens to you more.
Touch in with its energy, essence, and being: learn, grow, and become.
The more you embody the Rune, the more you radiate its Power.
LessonFehu helped me receive the Runic Energies.
Reach for the energy like a person reaching out for falling money. Don't sit around waiting for it to fall in your lap. There is definitely movement as this Runes is associated with moveable wealth: you have to make it happen.
As for the Staða, it's a static posture. We have to hold it. It's not easy as you will see. Holding those arms up becomes quite difficult as the minutes tick away. In the same way, working with moveable wealth takes energy. Imagine dealing with a herd: it's not easy.
One thing about moveable wealth is, it needs to be moveable. Try keeping a head of cattle in one place. You'll find shit starts stacking up, sickness and pollution arising, resources depleting, and a host of other unwanted consequences.
As I mention in my upcoming book, Rune Workings: Meditations and Rituals, the three points made by the head and hands represent three aspects of wealth: physical (health, energy, longevity, associations, skills, etc), psychological (mental and emotional balance, clarity, control, etc), and energetic (resources, money, gifts, spiritual connections, etc).
As we hold the posture we are seeking to receive these things. To invite them into our lives.
The more we learn about the Runic Energies the easier it is to work with them in accomplishing our aims.
Let's consider health. We can work with Fehu and Uruz. Position the legs to form Uruz and with the hands and head Fehu. While intoning from "F" to "U" (ffffffoooooooo). Now visualize inviting and receiving health. Intentionally strengthen your vitality and health. While intoning feel the vibration start from the head and move down to feet. Really feel it.
A large part of working with the Runes for me has been about seeing clearly. As I focus on a specific area of my life I begin to see clearly into what's going on. Am I healthy? In what areas? What things can I do to increase my health? These and other questions I ask. When I do that I can see those areas that need strengthening, clearing, balancing, and so forth, and with Fehu's help I can do something about it.
****
Awareness: one of Fehu's gifts.
Be aware of bodily sensations,
not only feeling,
but tasting,
smelling,
hearing,
seeing,
thinking,
sensing,
and so on.
Really feel and get to know your body,
environment,
relationships,
emotions,
and so on.
Be fully present.
There's no greater wealth than that which constantly enriches our lives.
PracticeBe thankful for all the blessings you have in life.
Recognize your gifts.
Be fully present and aware of the sensations within the moment.
Now stand in Fehu – just stand there.
Feel the feet on the ground,
clothes touching the skin,
the weight and balance of the body:
aches,
pains,
gravity calling the arms down.
Stop thinking and feel.
Every time a thought comes up let it go and bring the focus back to the sensations of the body.
Just feel.
Now deepen your awareness from the sensations of the muscles to the joints, bones, veins, organs, nerves, and so on: keep opening to ever more rarefied states of mind and being.
****
Three Horns of Physical Health
Part of Rune Yoga is healing and becoming stronger. Those three things above are helpful on both accounts.
Sleep is an easy one: figure out what your ultimate sleep duration is and then make sure you get that every night.
Diet is an easy one too: figure out what foods encourage health and well-being and then eat those while minimizing foods that invite the opposite.
Exercise on the other hand is not so easy for some because it takes a lot of effort, and with little energy it sometimes feels insurmountable. I know it's felt like that for me sometimes.
The more you exercise the easier it becomes and the more energy you will have. That's been my experience.
EmbodimentLearn everything you can about cattle. What's their life like? How long do they live? Where do they come from? Who benefits from their presence and what effect do they have on the environment and everything that lives within those environments? What parts do we use? How do they effect natural resources?
Connect yourself with their energy. Meditate and touch in with their essence. Then, while in its Staða, embody their being.
The more you embody the Rune, the more you radiate its Power.
Personal notesSome consider this Rune to be fiery. I can see the shape representing licking flames, and the fact that "f" is the beginning sound of "fire," does give that a little credence. As of now I have not connected with that.
I experience Fehu being fully in the present.
It's the moment you realize you're on a Path.
Like Fehu,
there are three Paths before us:
The same Path you're on,
and two different ones.
One Path is towards empowerment
the other to depletion.
Every moment offers three Paths.
Which one are you going to choose?
As you stand in Fehu make a choice and manifest it in your life.
****
Eyes closed,
awareness on the inner sensations:
what's it like to be a cow?
to think from its mind?
****
Learn to adjust the energy with subtle movements of the body, breath, and mind.