Yoga by the Stars is for Everyone
Hello, I'm Jilly Shipway the author of Yoga by the Stars: Practices and Meditations Inspired by the Zodiac. The inspiration for my first book, Yoga Through the Year: A Seasonal Approach to Your Practice, came from the earth and her changing seasons provided. At the same time as I was researching and writing that book I was also being inspired to create yoga practices inspired by looking up at the stars.
I discovered yoga in my early teens and so I've had a lifetime of studying and practising yoga. I've been teaching yoga for over twenty-five years, and for more than ten years I have been studying astrology and integrating the richness of the symbolism contained within the zodiac wheel into my own yoga practice and teaching. Whereas some astrologers use astrology to predict character and destiny, my own interest lies more in viewing the 12 zodiac signs as twelve archetypal personalities, who are universally recognised and resonate with something deep in our psyche, and connect us to an ancient lore and wisdom. Consequently, my approach to astrology means that the star-inspired yoga practices on this website, and in my book Yoga by the Stars, can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of their views on astrology.
The Yoga by the Stars practices and meditations have been inspired by the celestial wisdom that has been handed down across the millennia by women and men whose imagination was fired up by looking up in wonder at the night sky. Over millennia, the learning that has been garnered by star gazing has been formulated into zodiacal systems. The yoga practices and meditations in my book show you how to tap into these systems, and gain access to an ancient wisdom and mythology.
I discovered yoga in my early teens and so I've had a lifetime of studying and practising yoga. I've been teaching yoga for over twenty-five years, and for more than ten years I have been studying astrology and integrating the richness of the symbolism contained within the zodiac wheel into my own yoga practice and teaching. Whereas some astrologers use astrology to predict character and destiny, my own interest lies more in viewing the 12 zodiac signs as twelve archetypal personalities, who are universally recognised and resonate with something deep in our psyche, and connect us to an ancient lore and wisdom. Consequently, my approach to astrology means that the star-inspired yoga practices on this website, and in my book Yoga by the Stars, can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of their views on astrology.
The Yoga by the Stars practices and meditations have been inspired by the celestial wisdom that has been handed down across the millennia by women and men whose imagination was fired up by looking up in wonder at the night sky. Over millennia, the learning that has been garnered by star gazing has been formulated into zodiacal systems. The yoga practices and meditations in my book show you how to tap into these systems, and gain access to an ancient wisdom and mythology.
Yoga by the Stars invites you to take a pilgrimage around the Wheel of the Zodiac. It is a journey through space and time and an exploration of how the constellation of your personality, your world, and the cosmos interact with time, the seasons, and a constantly changing universe. The Irish poet Louis MacNeice, in his book "Astrology", puts forward the theory that a pilgrimage around the zodiac is an evolution from the material to the spiritual, ending in the state of yoga.
To make the most of your journey around the zodiac, keep in mind the image of yourself as the Sun at the centre; and the signs as the planets orbiting around you. The zodiac signs are your teachers, but it is your light that illuminates the lessons and provides the energy for change to occur.
To get the most out of this website and the book, I'd like to encourage you, even if only temporarily, to let go of an attachment to being defined by a particular zodiac sign (e.g. "I'm a Scorpio", or "I'm an Aquarius"). Instead, I'd encourage you to adopt a more open-minded approach and recognise that you will find aspects of yourself and valuable lessons in each of the signs, regardless of whether they are your sign or not. If you try this your reward will be to find within the Zodiac Wheel a treasure trove of precious gems and insights, ancient wisdom, and undreamed of opportunity.
Before you dive into the rest of the Zodiac pages on this website, I recommend that first you go to the Zodiac Wisdom page, to familiarise yourself with the Yoga by the Stars approach to working with the Wheel of the Zodiac. After that, naturally, you might want to take a peek at your own Sun sign, and that's fine, go ahead! Then it's up to you how you navigate your way around the site. Remember, regardless of your Sun sign, each of the zodiac signs has a healing potency that can be used by everyone. Trust your intuition to guide you to the sign that will be most valuable to you. Or go back to the Home Page to refresh your memory on the healing potency of each of the signs.
To make the most of your journey around the zodiac, keep in mind the image of yourself as the Sun at the centre; and the signs as the planets orbiting around you. The zodiac signs are your teachers, but it is your light that illuminates the lessons and provides the energy for change to occur.
To get the most out of this website and the book, I'd like to encourage you, even if only temporarily, to let go of an attachment to being defined by a particular zodiac sign (e.g. "I'm a Scorpio", or "I'm an Aquarius"). Instead, I'd encourage you to adopt a more open-minded approach and recognise that you will find aspects of yourself and valuable lessons in each of the signs, regardless of whether they are your sign or not. If you try this your reward will be to find within the Zodiac Wheel a treasure trove of precious gems and insights, ancient wisdom, and undreamed of opportunity.
Before you dive into the rest of the Zodiac pages on this website, I recommend that first you go to the Zodiac Wisdom page, to familiarise yourself with the Yoga by the Stars approach to working with the Wheel of the Zodiac. After that, naturally, you might want to take a peek at your own Sun sign, and that's fine, go ahead! Then it's up to you how you navigate your way around the site. Remember, regardless of your Sun sign, each of the zodiac signs has a healing potency that can be used by everyone. Trust your intuition to guide you to the sign that will be most valuable to you. Or go back to the Home Page to refresh your memory on the healing potency of each of the signs.
