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My mom has a PhD in molecular biology and my dad had a career as a chemical engineer. Suffice it to say that astrology was not one of the sciences that I was taught to believe as a child.
In my teens and 20s, I shunned horoscopes. I couldn’t comprehend how the date and time and location of my birth could be the determining factor behind my entire personality or make sense of how it could predict my compatibility with others. It all seemed mystical and preposterous to my practical self.
Now in my 30s, I find reading my horoscope to be an essential part of my morning ritual. I don’t recall exactly when or why I began consulting the stars, although I have a strong hunch that studying other sciences that I never expected to believe in—including yoga and Ayurveda—sparked my curiosity.
How Yoga Helps Me Understand Astrology
When you commit to studying yoga, you also commit to practicing self study, what is known in Sanskrit as svadhyaya. I think we are sometimes surprised by what we find out about ourselves in the course of showing up to yoga. How we approach the postures is often how we approach life. And I think those awarenesses and surprises prompt us to be more open in the way we look not just at ourselves but at the world.
One of those surprises came the first time I was able to get even slightly off the ground in Crow Pose (Bakasana). Growing up, I was never athletically inclined. I was always the last child to be picked in gym class, and whenever the kickball was near me, everyone would move up and wait for me to bunt it. As a result, I’d spent years doubting myself when it came to anything that required physical strength or coordination.
All of that changed the moment I lifted one baby toe off the ground. That newfound awareness of myself opened my eyes to just how capable I am, which is much more than I had ever given myself credit for. It also illuminated just how dramatically some of the stories that I held about my past were holding me back in the present.
How My Horoscope Helps Me Understand Myself
As I rethought more of my stories, I reconsidered even those that I look back on with fondness, including those from my practical, science-based upbringing. And somewhere along the way in my study of self, I found that I was beginning to listen more before asserting my knowledge on a topic or jumping to conclusions.
Whether or not I believe in astrology, I believe in the power of reflection and awareness. The simple act of lingering over a couple thought-provoking sentences each morning prompts introspection. I’ve found that it leads me to a clearer sense of purpose each day and I’m always surprised by the quiet and insightful moment of reflection it brings. Something about it opens my mind and heart to a different way of viewing the way my day unravels.
Those rare times when I forget to check my horoscope and play catch-up at the end of the day, I’m baffled at how accurately the two little sentences in my inbox align with the events and my state of being throughout that day.
But for me, it’s not even about believing exactly what my horoscope says. It’s that it inspires me to take a moment to analyze myself and my reactions and apply that to what’s going on in my life. Not unlike my meditation practice, my horoscope sparks self study. In a sense, reading it has become a part of my sadhana (daily practice).
When my son was two years old, he became infatuated with the Moon. On cold winter nights when the darkness would fall by late afternoon, he would run from window to window, pointing at the Moon. One day, we were outside midday when I heard his tiny two-year-old voice say, “Mooo-n, MA MA, MOOOOO-n!” I didn’t look because we were standing outside in broad daylight. But my little Taurus persisted with his pointing and prompting me to look. When I finally glanced upward, there it was, our beautiful Moon.
Sometimes we all need a little help seeing what is right in front of us.
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About Our Contributor
Neeti Narula is a yoga and meditation teacher and the Director of Mindful Movement at THE WELL in New York City. Her classes are inspired by various schools of yoga. She is known for teaching alignment-based classes infused with thematic dharma and yoga philosophy. Neeti believes that the way you move and breathe on your mat shapes the way you move and breathe in your life. You can practice with her in person at THE WELL or at Modo Yoga NYC. To learn more about Neeti, check out her Instagram @neeti.narula.