OOC: Hope it's OK to backdate this by a day or two...Say the 18th of April?
[html]
The sky was a stunning pale purple, a blue day waning to pink-golden sunset, but Caspa had no inclination to notice such frivolities. She was in bad humour, and it had so far taken hours to work out why. The spare-framed dog passed among slabs of bare rock that outlined the Shattered Coast cliffs, each one reminding her of tombstones she'd seen in the human settlements. Maybe it was air pressure, or some other unknowable reason, or perhaps it was a relic of stress left over from leaving her entire life behind and everybody she knew, on what was basically a whim - a deeply felt, heart-gougingly pain-induced whim but when it came down to it, little more than an extension of a rejected teenage sulk. And Caspa had thought herself so much more mature, so much more sophisticated than her peers, even than her sisters, they always seemed to be getting tangled up in emotional spats and reconciliations and thinly-veiled hierarchical games, and her priority had always been developing her skills and soaking in knowledge. Now, it turned out that this seemingly superior lifestyle had just been a form of her indulging lusts of the heart, like all the rest of them. She didn't know which had come first, her adoration of the lessons, or her adoration of the teacher and it frustrated her to think she might be so much weaker than she'd thought; her thirst for knowledge degraded by not being purely intellectual.
Then there was the simple pain of the separation, which she'd successfully blotted from her mind on the gruelling journey to her new home. It was impossible to listen to soul-sorrows when your stomach was chewing itself from the inside out with hunger, and your feet were as numb as iceblocks from the endless walking and cold. But now, now that she was regaining her sleekness and her strength, she also regained her spirits, and they didn't seem to be in the best of states. Her brows were knitted, fists clenched, she was hardly even watching where her heavy-legged strides were taking her.
|
|
[/html]
[html] Sounds good to me! 300+
Meditation didn't necessarily mean barricading yourself around four barriers shut from the rest of the world, or becoming so detached from reality that you were in another realm of your mind's eye entirely. Mother Nature spoke in the manner of a lover, passionate and zealous with spiritedness in a subtle way. Too busy was the world from the times before and even now to put their lives on pause to hear what the world around them spoke, from the tallest spruce to the deepest trenches of a man-made lake. There was a secret, a secret that awoke something within that could set a soul into a more natural rhythm. Resonating with the sound of distant seagulls, the crash of waves, the feeling of the coastal breeze, even the taste of the salt upon the breeze, it brought about a higher level of awareness in existence and to just be.
The Sidhe gently brought her mind back to reality, as she was seated in vajrasana the entire duration (otherwise known as "rock pose", where one sits on their heels, keeping the spine straight, and placing their hands across their thighs). Taking several moments to close her eyes and reawaken herself to reality from the haze of getting lost into the five senses of the Shattered Coast, her soul felt gratified despite her rather small meditative session for the day. Nature was nurturing to the heart, even if nature wasn't a physical being like the Luperci. It was eternal, forever more, and held the majority of answers to this existence. Alae meandered upon the Coast to escape the confines of Dahlian's borders for a day or two, in exploration of the greater neutral lands of the continent. Taking some time to quiet herself in meditation, the coast seemed to be the ideal place to connect the senses, and once that was achieved for the short duration, Alae brought herself to her feet to continue onward in a direction that wasn't predetermined.
Gracefully waltzing among the sleek rock littering the shoreline, Alae instantaneously managed upon a creature whose aura directly enraptured her own serene air. The Luperci female was spindly, a sleek muzzle with cornrows clipped back along with her ears. Unfamiliar with what species the Luperci was mixed with exactly, it wasn't only the intrigue of her eccentricity of herself, but of the frustration that wafted from her in thick invisible waves. Whitened knuckles, furrowed brows, her face didn't necessarily need be twisted in order for Alae to feel the woman's tenor radiate from her. Standing in place once the Dahlian approached close enough, sky blue eyes took a moment to observe her more so. "A little out of place to be flustered under a stunning sunset along the coast, don't you think?" Alae remarked, not a hint of sarcasm in her voice, though there was a lilt of regard melded with ice breaker witticism.
[/html]
[html]
The only stormy feature in a landscape summarised by that exquisitely tranquil sky and rhythmic ocean noises, Caspa stamped along the cliffs, leaving rather deeply indented footprints in the light, sandy soil. Though she hadn't seen another track for miles, she wasn't too surprised when the stranger came into view, likely one of her senses told her before her eyes caught on. It was a relief to have her sulk interrupted, but she felt herself tense a little, noting her size - all wolf, unlike Caspa - and scent, which was foreign, and there was a pack identity there that Caspa did not know. She squared herself, fists curled at her sides, utterly ready to defend herself, but at the same time recognising that her abrasive temper was probably causing her to over-estimate the danger; the woman had spoken in a fairly friendly manner, and wasn't leaping to attack. Her luck was in these days, Caspa noted to herself. As a lone wanderer, she'd never expected to be consistently treated so cordially, even considering she had the weight of belonging to a pack behind her. A little sceptical nonetheless, she replied simply "If it offends you, I can leave." The prospect of looking around her and using the natural beauty to improve her mood hadn't occurred to her. Caspa was in that single-minded state of mind that blocks perspective; makes troubles seem inescapable and worth the misery of wallowing in despair. Which of course, hers weren't and given a second of honest self-reflection, she would have realised this herself.
|
|
[/html]
[html] 300+
Noting the sudden square of the lithe woman's shoulders as she pivoted her air of frustration directly at Alae, despite how unruffled the Dahlian was on approach to the stranger, her instinct couldn't help but furl her guard hairs around her nape in response of defense. One couldn't be too laid back in approach to a stranger, for there were harsh lessons learned upon encountering rogues in their own company in the wrong place, at the wrong time. However, Alae's nostrils detected a specific scent to waft from the lanky Luperci, a scent mingled with a volume of individuals that could only detect scents of a pack. Dealing with a flustered pack member was easier in terms of dealing with a loner, and the Sidhe beckoned to calm her instinct only slightly.
The Dahlian suddenly grew puzzled by the words slipping from the Luperci's streamlined maw. Whether the woman had grown tired of whatever fight she endured, there was no attitude, but something rather of surrendering to her dissatisfaction and to the encounter even before it progressed into something further. Misery typically loved company, but this woman didn't seem to live up to that standard in the here and now. Alae shook her head, her braids tousled by the swing and picked up in the sway of the breeze that followed. "You do not need to. These are not my lands to claim." The neutral territories were something to be shared by all, no matter how much of a depressive day one was experiencing. A couple more moments of silent and crashing of the waves endured, before Alae spoke again. "You should stay a little longer, if anything. The salt in the breeze, when taken with deep inhales, can be relaxing to your chakra." Back in Ireland, there was a reveries of her grandmother's sea salts used with warm baths and overall aromatherapy. Salt seemed insignificant in this day and age, despite how it could heal by means of sterilization, and also through the senses of breathing it in for a period of time.
[/html]
[html]
She knew that the land was neutral ground, and also recognised the woman was from a pack - but not her pack - but even in Caspa's current temper she could see that the approaching sunset was about to become if it wasn't already, quite phenomenal and she certainly couldn't enjoy it as she was, so she could at least refrain from ruining it for somebody more receptive, more aware. The beautiful, artfully decorated wolf before her was clearly somebody who could appreciate aesthetics; but this observation was also part of why Caspa already felt her mood shifting slightly and a desire to not storm off, to stay where she was. The other female was striking, her plaits gusting in the wind in a way Caspa's tight cornrows never would. And more, she had an almost tangible aura of calm, beneath the instinctive defensive reaction Caspa had inspired. A little shamed, she looked down, letting the silence build, not sure how to break it. When the wolf spoke again, she was grateful and met her eyes with the first stirrings of trust and waning frustration, but as she chewed over the words, she realised she didn't fully understand and a quirk furrowed her brow. "Oh. But I haven't got one," she answered regretfully, then on further reflection continued "I don't think I have one." Of course, she'd never heard the word before, so maybe she did but she just didn't know it. "What is a chakra?"
|
|
[/html]
[html] 300+
Alae was well knowing that an individual's chakra wasn't commonly taught in this region of the world, and it was a wise little lure in order to keep the flustered female around a little longer. Not that the Sidhe was inclined to do trickery upon her and nothing more out of the sheer sake of amusement, for she was intrigued as to what could possibly be perturbing someone out here on a beautiful twilight as this. The sinewy woman before her didn't believe she held the seven chakras that were contained within every living being, and so Alae smile broadened across her agouti muzzle. It was then the woman asked of what these so called chakras were, and Alae, despite having to return to the Dahlian borders to become more situated with her recent new pack, decided to become more situated with the flustered stranger here.
"If you are alive and breathing here before me, you have chakra within you. Seven of them." Not just one but let alone seven, even Alae was surprised to know each layer had a specific purpose to the mortal soul's center. This might or might not have sounded like a bunch of hot air and breath being wasted upon the frustrated female before her, but Alae continued forth with her explanation. "They are sacred centers within that can bring us toward greater awareness and aliveness. Often, they could help reflect and solve issues and conflicts we have." Tapping into each and every chakra down the line was like an inward map to follow on the spiritual path toward enlightenment. "They show us the path to enlightenment and transformation. Not from a higher being, but from within you, with your control. Think of it as complicated layers to your being. Your mind has layers, and so does the rest of your spirit." Alae explained, finally falling silent in explanation in that point. The whole thing might have sounded like just another fanatical belief or religion, but it was worth a shot. While the female could take it or leave it as it was, Alae aspired she would give it a chance to see how it worked.
[/html]
[html]
Caspa listened with her usual serious expression to the explanation, parts of which had her lost, other parts seeming to make sense. Caspa had never seen her organs and bones, but she knew they were there, because the effects of them were obvious and they could be felt, sometimes when they pained, or when pressing on the skin. They corresponded with the anatomy of the many dead creatures she had dismembered, and they functioned in ways she had been taught about by the elders of Samira. She had never seen anything that looked like a sacred centre, let alone seven of them, but perhaps she just didn't know what to look for. After all, she would never have guessed what her other innards were for, without somebody to explain. Alae seemed willing to explain her theory, so Caspa would listen. "Control," she repeated. "Awareness. Can I learn those things?" The girl's head was lifted now, bad temper all but forgotten, but so was the sunset. She wanted to know more about how she could learn to rule her mind, rule her spirit.
|
|
[/html]
[html]
The lithe woman might have thought of Alae's theory as ridiculous (or even fascinating), but she was fairly well with concealing any such emotions across her solemn facade. Once the Sidhe fell silent with her explanation, she was tolerant enough to give moments of thinking process to her. Any sort of spiritual or religious like practices have always been a thing of doubt to the Sidhe, but while she didn't devout herself as a true Buddhist (nor apply the religious title to her), their practices brought about great clarity with mind and spirit, and hoped that (in a non-forcing manner) she could share her beliefs to those who were willing to explore.
Thinking aloud, the tall woman hit the practices right on the head with control and awareness. The Dahlian nodded in acknowledgement. "Absolutely. They are but the essences of such." And then there was a marvelous thought to stray across her mind, despite how the ocean's horizon was slowly engulfing the sunset. "Would you like for myself to provide some exercises on how to achieve this, if you have time to spare?" Alae then asked, seeing as how the both of them possibly had time to spare (she could go for another round of meditation, and hopefully the woman wasn't too perturbed to head back to her packlands in frustration). While the first time didn't necessarily guarantee anything life changing, it was certainly a start on the enlightenment path.
[/html]
[html]
If she could master her thoughts and every impulse, she would never waste time in futile regret and anger again, she thought with lifting spirits. She could focus entirely on the task at hand, whatever task presented itself, or path she chose to take. This seemed like a very good step, and the lean dog answered, "I have time." The dour content of her words was belied by a shine of excitement in her eyes, and an enthusiastic lift to her chin. She knew she was being over-short with the generous and wise-sounding stranger wolf, and thought for a moment before adding "But please. Tell me if there is anything I can do in return for your time. I can give seeds - flowers -" she hoped Alae, being beautiful herself, would like flowers for that was all she had, to be precise even the word 'flowers' was a stretch as she had only one variety - "or pieces of leather, engraved if you wish, pictures, letters - your name..." another thought came to her then. "Which I don't think you have told me. I'm Caspa of Cour Des Miracles." Caspa was rarely so effusive, although of course Alae Sidhe could not be expected to recognise the dubious honour this bestowed.
|
|
[/html]
[html] 300+
Delighted to hear the lithe woman held time to spare, it didn't particularly mind the Dahlian in the least to have another meditative session for the day. Usually one would suffice enough (and one was all she really needed), but there was always time for her to rediscover something new about herself and something new about the practice. Negotiation for such time was offered, as the prospect of flowers, seeds, leather engraved with symbols, was offered. The Sidhe thought about this for a moment, jogging briefly over the herbs collected from several days past. She was full on medicinal fauna, though customizable leather did sound intriguing to her. "Mm… I'll think about that later. Time like this is thoroughly enjoyed by myself, it is not hindering my own, and shouldn't be hindered for long." The sheer moment of delving into her deepest, darkest core was enough satisfaction for Alae. Also, the sun was quickly setting along the coastline. Meditations through the night were an exciting experience, but did not want to keep the woman out too late.
To come with an interesting presence was an interesting name and region. Caspa, of Cour Des Miracles. Both her name and her pack was stored away in memory, as her tongue had its go with testing any accent that might have been twined with both. "Caspa. I'm Alae, from Dahlia de Mai. Follow me." Without another word, the Sidhe motioned her muzzle to Caspa to follow. Whisking over the rocks, Alae drew a little distance away from the coastal area, seeking out a place where it was considerably more quiet than cliffside. The first time would be best if it was a little more quieter from the surf as typical. Once finding a spot where there was sand slowly beginning to transform into the cold soil of the Earth, this would be ideal. "Alright, lets sit down in padmasana, lotus pose. Carefully place your right foot on your left thigh, and your left foot on your right thigh. Keep your spine tall, both knees touching the sand. Your wrists will be on your knees, palms facing the sky." In the manner of her explanation, Alae adapted to the seated form. It might have felt a little uncomfortable and odd to place one's foot upon each thigh, but with time it was a pose getting used to.
[/html]
[html]
Alae clearly used her mysterious mind techniques and chakras for more than inner development: she enjoyed the process. Caspa couldn't have been more fascinated. She too stored away the syllables of her new - what? Teacher, acquaintance, collaborator? - noting the sweet rhyming rhythm of the name coupled with the homeland's title. This woman had so much style and grace. Caspa could only follow her, her deep dark eyes betraying nothing of her admiration, but it was there nonetheless. She halted a little awkwardly as Alae picked a spot, then concentrated hard on her explanation of the pose, which was looking outlandish and impossible to her eyes fresh to such motions, but when she tried it she was surprised to find her loose limbs had no trouble contorting themselves to interlock over and under one another. Her spine was constantly fixed into a ramrod posture instilled by her disciplinarian family, but her knees hovered a few centimetres above the ground, steely tendons refusing to allow them to drop any further. She subtly used her wrists as levers to try to get them down but they would not budge much more. She was surprised to feel how very balanced and comfortable she felt like this, despite her difficulty in achieving the exact leg angle. Unlike crouching or kneeling or sitting, the centre of gravity was perfect and the pose, although strange, felt extremely comfortable. That is, when she wasn't pushing too hard to get her knees right down.
|
|
[/html]
[html] Eep, sorry for the delay. D: 300+
A burst of excitement swelled in Alae's chest as Caspa was allured into this activity of meditation. This was the practice of her grandmother that Alae was more than eager to pass down, and Caspa was officially the first individual in these lands who would be able to get a private lesson of meditative yoga by the Sidhe. Watching with a soft smile as Caspa fidgeted into the mirror figure of Alae, once it appeared she adapted to the right stance in her seated position, Alae would delve into the first breathing activity of the meditation.
"The most important thing is to keep your back straight to prevent your mind from becoming sluggish or sleepy." Alae spoke in a gentle voice, her octave dipping down several tones so her voice was as airy as the salty breeze that whisked by. Her sky blue eyes slipped closed, her posture rigid. There was a deep breath taken before Alae would begin. There was confidence in this would turn out well, though there was a bout of anxiousness that was within her. That, too, would be calmed with the meditative state. "Close your eyes. We're going to turn to our attention to our breathing. We breathe, naturally; there's no rhyme and reason to it. Feel your breath enter your nose, keep your lips sealed, and become aware of the sensation of your breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. Don't force it, just let it be." Alae spoke softly and controlled, concentrating on the natural flow of air coming and passing through her nose. There was no forced rhythm to how fast or slow her breath was coming in, for Alae was naturally letting her body take in the oxygen it needed to nourish every cell in her being. Her eyes slipped open, narrowing over to Caspa, watching for any signs of discomfort.
"Your breath will become the object of your meditation. We need to concentrate on this natural breath to exclude anything else that's a distraction on the outside and inside of us. Your mind will be very busy, and might even feel meditation is making your mind busier. In reality, you're becoming more aware of how busy your mind actually is." Alae spoke, then falling completely silent. Her eyes remained half open, watching to see if there was any particular reactions to rouse from Caspa.
[/html]
no worries! I've got a lot on at the moment so might be slow too.
[html]
If the most important thing here was keeping your back straight, Caspa supposed she was a born candidate. She sat upright, her bare shoulders squared and a rather rigid set to her posture. Her dark eyelids blackened her sight upon command, closing tightly with ingrained obedience. The next part was harder. She'd never thought about her breath before and it seemed to tighten in her chest and the effort of drawing it in to become more of an effort when done consciously. A few seconds later it wasn't such a problem, for with the passing moments of sensory deprivation her mind had already turned back to the last time she'd had a lesson in anything. It had been plaiting leather into rope and hadn't ended well. She remembered how to plait still, though, as clearly shown by her hair. She wondered when it would be warm enough every day to go without her jacket. It seemed warmer now, perhaps that was the clouds that the sun was taking such delight in painting its rose-garden colours. She sneaked a look at it and then noticed Alae looking at her, gave a small shrug of apology and quickly shut her eyes again. Yes, her mind indeed did wander, given half a chance. Reminding herself firmly of what she was meant to be doing, she thought of nothing but her breath. Other daydreams and reflections floated through her mind, but she fixedly returned to the breathing, forehead furrowing deeply at the effort. After a few moments, she had an uncanny feeling, as if she'd momentarily lost track of time passing. Again her need to take a peek was dire, and she did so out of one heavy-lidded eye, but this time it was in fact to check that Alae was still in front of her, that the sunset hours hadn't already flown past during that strange moment of timelessness.
|
|
[/html]
[html] 300+
The corner of Alae's muzzle twitched with the prospect of a small grin when Caspa stole a glance. The Sidhe remembered long ago it took her many moons over before she could settle her fidgeting and get her mind on a concentrated plane. It was a tool worth mastering with time and patience, and held conviction Caspa held a resolute, firm spirit about her. Soundlessness prevailed, as the Sidhe gave Caspa her patience in obtaining a state where time was not of haste. She would wait as long as needed, and for a moment the Dahlian seen there was progress made when the gestures of concentration crossed over Caspa's being. The flutter of Caspa's lids to steal another peek was a sign to continue, and Alae felt that while her moment might not have been significantly deep, there was certainly more to come.
"Let your breath take captive to clear your mind and relax yourself. Feel your tongue relax in your mouth, feel your shoulders melt away. Feel every wrinkle and crease upon your face soften as you stay concentrated on your breath." This was central to keep the mind from wandering, as Alae reminded and continued with eyes closed. The first Chakra didn't begin at the crown of the head, but rather at the base of the spine. It was the first Chakra recognized, as Alae's voice dipped lower into a soothing murmur to keep the ambience of the meditation serene and tranquil.
"Picture a circle of red energy near the base of your spine. This energy is strong, for it connects you to the Earth. This energy generates instinctive feelings of survival. It urges you to love and care for yourself. It is your grounding, survival, and beginnings of this world. Focus your thoughts on your legs, feet, intestines, and the base of your spine pressing into the Earth. This is the Root Chakra, your stronghold. Focus on the bastion of the fortress that is you, and how strong it really is to you." Alae commanded gently, finding herself getting lost into the feeling of her own spine supporting her weight and everything that she was. The spine did many things for support, to keep one straight, to keep one walking upright, to provide flexibility and the nerve system to provide for the rest of the body to function. The tail end of the spine was seldom thought about, but it was the manifestation and the stronghold grounding of what a mortal was.
[/html]
OOC: Feel free to time-skip a little if you want to and assume Caspa is quietly paying attention the whole time! Of course if you prefer to write each stage out, please do cause it's very interesting :3 Mine is short though, sorry.
[html]
Paying attention to Alae's words, forgetting nearly everything else, she could feel a strong and secure sensation rising up from within, as if she really was rooted into the earth. Her spine felt stronger than concrete, as if it could go on holding her up forever. Caspa did not venerate the earth, any more than as ground to walk on and to provide footing for plants and objects, and some of Alae's words seemed foreign to her. But now she recognised it as the strongest thing she knew, and breathing carefully in the way Alae had suggested, hoped to invoke the same strength, and took that to be what the other wolf meant by connection.
<style>
.fred-caspa { font-family:verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size:10px; line-height:15px; padding-bottom:23px; text-align:justify; width: 380px; margin:0px auto;}
.fred-caspa p {text-indent:15px;}
</style>[/html]
[html] Sure thing! I'll condense them so three series are in this post, and following yours, the last three series will be in the next.  519
Lingering upon enough silence for Caspa to recognize the stronghold of her own grounding spine, Alae then gently moved onto the second hierarchal chakra located in the abdomen. "Imagine a force of orange color pitted in your womb. Svadhisthana, sweetness, your vortex of change, emotion, pleasure, and movement. This is the seat of life, connecting us through feeling, desire, sensation. Feel the tip of your spine push backwards slightly, feeling your hips open. It brings you fluidity and grace, depth of feeling, sexual fulfillment, and the ability to accept change. Feel the energy and the gratification for what your seat of life provides you; a means to bring about more life in this world, and provide the pleasures of another." The Sidhe could feel herself falling deeper into her own meditation by her own words, temporarily forgetting about the atmosphere herself and Caspa were presently in. Her breathing began flowing with her spirit, stabilized, as she moved into the next series of chakras.
"The fire of your ego's identity is found at your navel in a brilliant yellow ring, ruling your personal power, worth, will, and autonomy. The Manipura brings about great energy, effectiveness, spontaneity, and non-dominating power when we are healthy. Feel the core strength of your abs contract, for they are your self-definition of your own strength. They are your wall of power." One didn't need to have a solid rack of abs in order to rank how much strength was visible to the outside world, though most individuals had more definition than others. Still, not even the most visibly defined abdominals could show the true strength of what resided within. Alae didn't need to sneak a peek over at Caspa, for she had faith the tall woman was hanging onto each and every word spoken in order to feel the benefit of this meditation and to explore each level of her inner hierarchy.
The Sidhe allowed graceful periods of silence in order for Caspa to evaluate each hierarchy of her soul before moving onto the next, ascending upward through the body. Her voice gently brought them to the fourth level, Anahata. "Your balance of love is not of a fiery hue like we assume, but of a green color of balance, love, compassion, healing, and unity. Your heart is the terminal point of the sacred spiral, the intersection point of the body; the center, the balance. Work with the breath, tune into your heart. Feel your heartbeat, listen to your inner rhythm conduct its own symphony. Do not be afraid to feel your heart open, to broaden your shoulders to lift your heart up and out, for we are known to shrink away from doing such. Always lifting, always opening." Alae's shoulders reclined back, opening her chest so her ribcage protruded more and was able to sit a little more rigid than before. It was all too easy for those to hunch over and hide their heart from the rest of the world. In this meditation, it gave a bold opportunity in order to open the love and unity that was kept there, often shielded away.
[/html]
|
