MINDBODY
In Astrology, the positions and movements of the cosmos and planets hold so much sway in our characters and how we connect with the world. Our individual astrological signs even offer insight into our ideal exercises! Pilates Instructor Celeste offers a deeper look into each Astrological sign’s personality traits and exercise style in this monthly blog series – this month is all about Libra.
LIBRA
September 23 – October 22
Symbol: The Scales (the only non-living being symbol in the Zodiac)
Body Association: Kidneys, skin, lumbar region, endocrine system, and buttocks
7th House: Partnership, union, yin and yang, balance, romance, cooperation/cardinal air, ideas, intellect, communication.
To strengthen the body parts associated with this sign, the following Pilates exercised are practiced:
Teaser: This is your symbol move, because you use your low back muscles to find perfect balance.
Rocking Horse: Your Power move! It’s another all-over balancing move, focusing on the glutes.
Opposite Arm and Leg: Centering move, as you find harmony in the body o work on a diagonal.
Libra Motto
“I balance learning to be fair to myself and others in order to achieve equilibrium.”
Food for Thought
Libra is the only sign not represented as living beings. Libra’s scales represent a balanced position of rest, and among other things, literally deal with weights and measures. With Libra as your sign, you see all sides of an issue and find the equilibrium between them. Yours is a sign of opposites, and you’re all about acknowledging others and forming peaceful relationships. Complex, objective, and conscious of others’ needs, you’re very responsive to your environment and the people in it. Yet constantly trying to “balance the scales” on practically everything can be very trying on yourself and those around you. The desire to make the perfect decision can sometimes prevent you from acting decisively before it’s too late. Therefore, learning how to attain a stable, harmonious approach to life is one of the most important lessons for you.
Physical You | Libra Movement Personality
Libra, since you’re concerned with maintaining balance, this desire is your greatest strength when it comes to living a healthy life. You don’t stand for anything ill-proportioned and you strive to discover the best exercise that diet that works together to help keep your body strong and fit. Definitions of beauty mean different things to different people, so try to keep your “critical eye” (like Virgo), from becoming too off-balance. Also, keep your desire for relaxing “contemplation” time or socializing from leading indecisiveness and postponing your workouts. Because you’re gentle in nature, it’s easy to forget how strong you are. Make no mistake, however. Your cardinal nature makes you a leader, and you take charge easily when you set your mind to it.
Libras like to hang out with friends, which can be hard to do when also trying to find the time to exercise. As the ultimate partnering sign, you do best when you team up with another person in any fitness program. You’re more likely to stick to achieving your fitness goals if you work out with a friend. Take friendly walks, play tennis or golf, explore fencing or archery, meet at the gym for a buddy workout, or find a trainer you really jibe with to help you stick to a plan. Having someone to talk to while working out and to hang out with afterward can make exercising a lot more fun for a Libra. With a mixture of refined judgment and fierce competitiveness, the more fun you’re having, the more likely you are to reach your goals.
The Best Advice for Libra Friends:
To work toward the balance you’re ever-striving for, try devoting a day a week to aerobic exercises, then weight training, then yoga, then barre, etc. to work all areas while keeping your mind from getting bored. If you find it hard to picture big goals, or it’s daunting to accomplish them, try dividing up one goal into many small goals. If you want to work out for two hours every week, don’t hold off until the weekend. Instead, divide it up into shorter segments spaced evenly through the week.
You don’t necessarily have to do low-impact routines, but you tend to shy away from high-intensity moves. You generally want something in the “middle zone”, so exercises that get your heart rate up but aren’t too taxing on your body are the way to go. Due to your social nature, it may be a challenge to focus on your workout and not on the people around you. Though you may be tempted to work the circuit of your fellow gym mates rather than utilize the machines, remember that you can always chat after everyone is finished.
Watch a Demonstration of the Libra Pilates Moves:
https://youtu.be/Ycs-ATu3rLo
Personal You | Going Deeper
Libra is ruled by Venus, who graces you with a gentle, kind demeanor and compels you to seek out beautiful surroundings in all things. Libra exemplifies partnership, representing both marriage and divorce, love and hatred, war and peace. In the Northern Hemisphere, Libra season arrives around the autumnal equinox, when days and nights are equally balanced and grain is harvested and weighed. Librans are constantly weighing information, striving for balance and consideration of others’ needs, especially loved ones. You’re impeccable in your discernment, with a direct and objective approach, though you may take your time in making a decision so you can weigh all the options. There’s an intuitive aspect to your thinking, so trust your logic is best when combined with intuition. Don’t hesitate too long and complicate your decision with a desire for perfection.
As an air sign, you’re intellectually oriented with a careful, tactful, and courteous nature. Conscientiousness is your superpower. You long for social balance and what you perceive to be correct and harmonized. You present a peaceful spirit but will stand up and fight when you feel the peace has been violated. Though refined and diplomatic, you can be surprisingly aggressive or self-possessed. You use your quick mind to find disorder and set it straight. You may like a good debate, but you hate to argue. Your ultimate goal is the resolution of conflict through compromise. Where protocol calls for niceties, remember not to give up your power for the comfort of others.
COSMIC BUTTERFLY
Libras love to bring people together for food, feast, and festivities. Unlike Cancer, your focus isn’t so much food and family, but social interaction itself. You’re naturally gregarious and adore an active social life. Libras represent some of civilization’s high points in music and culture: painting, dance, ballet, and theater are all arts where grace combines with skill. The ability to pen songs, scores, operas, or ballets is enhanced by the seventh sign. Librans love to work in musical partnership – John Lennon being the ultimate expression of the Libra personality. Outspoken in supporting peace, love, and harmony, John thrived in partnership with “John and Paul” or “John and Yoko”. Naturally, Libra rules legal matters and court cases, so you make good lawyers, architects, or judges. You tend to rise to power positions in your careers, though not by burning the midnight oil like Capricorn or Virgo. Rather, you enjoy your leisure and tend to be considered a bit lazy. Contemplation is your way of letting your mind roam. Your best ideas come to you when you allow time to come up with the right answers.
BALANCING HEART AND MIND
Be careful, Libra, that you don’t become so obsessed with balance that you can’t make up your mind. When you lose confidence in your views, instead reconciling them with what others think, you could abandon your own judgment. Since you’re partner-oriented, it’s difficult for you to function without one when you feel incomplete within yourself. Find an equal partner who enables the way you feel about things by being a sounding board. Otherwise, you may be influenced by someone else’s wants. Despite a sophisticated presentation, you can be naive, even gullible. You tend to project your view onto others, leaving yourself open to disappointment and disillusionment when they don’t live up to your expectations. You’re gifted with the ability to understand perfect equipoise, so your tests of discernment are easier if you trust your heart and inner inner knowledge to help you. Stay cool, and you always come up with the right decision.
Celeste discovered Pilates at an early age while studying dance in LA. She has a life-long passion for movement and has transferred that love to helping others move well. Celeste is comprehensively certified in Pilates, GYROTONIC, and TRX. She has helped clients of all ages and abilities to move better since 2011.
Learn more about Celeste, see her class schedule, or connect about private training here!
