Where is Home: Aj Trecena Journal Prompts
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” ~Emerson
Aj is the cornstalk. It is one of the most masculine of the nawales, literally meaning “man of” and representing leadership in the realm of home, family and community.
The renowned 19th-century American transcendentalist writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson was 1 Aj. Here are a few of his timeless wisdom quotes:
“Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”
“Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.”
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
Like a corn stalk, sugar cane, or bamboo, Aj is strong yet flexible, as well as hollow and open to receive. As the Buddhist Heart Sutra says, “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.”
Aj inspires us to stand tall and draw on the energies of the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth, to bring peace and prosperity to our own heart, our home and the wider community around us.
Aj is the pillar that facilitates the connection between the cosmos and the earth. It reminds us to keep our backs straight and to stand strong in ourselves. Aj helps us to feel connected with our inner home, our heart.
Suggested Yogic Practices for Aj
Asana
Slow flow between mountain pose and chair pose
Tree pose
Seated and reclining spinal twists
Bridge pose, full wheel, and any other backbends
Pranayama
Alternate nostril breathing
Inhale through the nose, exhale sigh
Inhale for 8, hold for 4, exhale for 8, hold out for 4
Meditation
Sitting, feel the earth beneath you. Extend the crown of your head upwards in extension to the sky above you. Keep your spine in straight alignment with your chin tucked in. Visualize roots growing down into the core of the earth from the base of your spine. Breathe the earth energy upward, your body with grounding earth energy. As you reach your crown, let the grounding earth energy merge with the sky energy. Breathe clearing sky energy into your body. With every breath, visualize how this energy descends down through your spinal column until it reaches your roots. Let the heart of the sky merge with the heart of the earth at your own heart center.
Journal Prompts for Aj
1 Aj
A new beginning of leadership. Plant seeds of intention for your home, family and community.
What does community leadership mean to you?
Describe your home and family.
How do you find balance between strength and flexibility?
2 Ix
See and embrace the magic in your relationships and in Mother Earth.
How do you know when to say yes and when to say no?
What does your authentic voice sound like?
What magic within you are you bringing forth?
3 Tz’ikin
Visualize. Meditate. Notice the fruitful abundance of your inner world.
Looking within, what is your vision for the future?
What makes your laugh and keeps you lighthearted?
In what ways are you prospering?
4 Ajmak
Grounded forgiveness. Ask for pardon. Enjoy the sweetness of life.
How can you truly accept and forgive others and yourself?
What are you celebrating today?
When was the last time you fell and how did you get back up?
5 No’j
Great day for idea generation, conceptualizing, and problem solving.
What efforts are you putting into your mental health?
What topics do you enjoy analyzing and pondering?
What new project will you launch?
6 Tijax
Find physical healing through stability and devoted practice. In Spanish, curar and sanar both translate to “to heal.” Today is a day for both.
Where are you needing healing now?
What are you ready to cut yourself free from?
What are you ready to let go of?
7 Kawok
Be patient as you weigh your options. Avoid rushing into things.
What would happen if you slowed down and were less busy?
What new idea or project are you birthing into the world?
Write a poem about rain.
8 Ajpu
Return to the hero’s journey. Celebrate the divine aspects of yourself and the world we live in.
What is your true nature?
Write about the most recent chapter in your journey.
Write a new bio of yourself in 3 sentences.
9 Imox
Celebrate feminine power. Connect with collective consciousness and the whole of life.
What did you dream of last night?
How do you feel when you are near the ocean?
How can you honor your name and memory?
10 Iq’
Create change through clear communication. Manifest your words in the social realm. Write a letter, publish a blog post, or pen an essay.
Where do you find beauty?
What are the winds of change blowing into your life?
How can you remind yourself breathe more consciously and deeply throughout the day?
11 Aq’ab’al
Be open to creative distractions and meandering through in-between spaces.
What is in the shadows that is ready to come to light?
How does watching the sunrise/sunset make you feel?
What new concepts are now forming in your mind?
12 K’at
Bundle your life experiences to cultivate passion, love, connection and clarity.
How have the choices you’ve made brought you to where you are today?
What do you wish to carry forward on the next part of your journey?
What are you ready to lay down and leave behind?
13 Kan
Connect with the profound power and wisdom of the Spirit world and the ancestors.
How can you let life energy flow through you more freely?
Who are your greatest teachers?
Copy down a wisdom quote that you resonate with.
