February POM & TOM: Bhakti
February 5th, 2015Hello loves. I hope you’ve had an excellent first month of the year! Thank you for all you do to embrace and nurture our communities of students. Especially at this time of year, when it’s still so cold and bitter out, the extra love you share goes so far!!
FEBRUARY POM & TOM
Our February Theme of the Month is bhakti, usually translated as “spiritual love and devotion”. A more literal definition might be “participation”. Bill Mahony, in his book Exquisite Love, Heart-Centered Reflections on the Nārada Bhakti Sutra, defines bhakti as “sharing a portion”, “participating in”, “devotional love”, “spiritual devotion”, “spiritual love”, “loving devotion”, and “sharing in divine love”. It’s a term (and a practice) that can describe the love and devotion we feel towards the divine, towards one another, and towards our true self.“The Sanskrit and old Hindi noun bhakti is derived from the verb root bhaj, whose meanings include “to belong to”, and “to worship”. It also occurs in compounds where it means “being a part of” and “that which belongs to or is contained in anything else.” Bhajan, or devotional singing to God, is also derived from the same root. “Devotion” as an English translation for bhakti doesn’t fully convey two important aspects of bhakti—the
sense of participation that is central to the relationship between the
devotee and God, and the intense feeling that is more typically
associated with the word “love”. An advaitic interpretation of bhakti goes beyond “devotion” to the realization of union with the essential nature of reality as ananda, or divine bliss.” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhakti
Slow Flow – Adho Mukha Svanasana var. (Dolphin Pose) <– sometimes called Makarasana, though I believe this in incorrect… anyone know the Sanksrit?
Deep Stretch – Adho Mukha Svanasana var. (Puppy)
Pranayama: Please continue to focus on Ujjayi Breath this month. Here are some resources:
Mudras:
Varada mudra (favorable gesture) signifying offering, welcome, charity, giving, compassion and sincerity. (Often combined with Abhaya Mudra.)
“The Varada Mudra opens our mind to compassion and love. It is an
excellent mudra for freeing oneself from greed, anger and
possessiveness.” – http://thedailymeditation.com/varada-mudra-meaning-technique-and-benefits/
“Gilded bronze Statue of Tara,
Sri Lanka, 8th century CE. With her right hand, the bodhisattva makes
varadamudra, the gesture of charity or gift-giving, while her left hand
may originally have held a lotus.” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varadamudra
FEBRUARY POM & TOM
Our February Theme of the Month is bhakti, usually translated as “spiritual love and devotion”. A more literal definition might be “participation”. Bill Mahony, in his book Exquisite Love, Heart-Centered Reflections on the Nārada Bhakti Sutra, defines bhakti as “sharing a portion”, “participating in”, “devotional love”, “spiritual devotion”, “spiritual love”, “loving devotion”, and “sharing in divine love”. It’s a term (and a practice) that can describe the love and devotion we feel towards the divine, towards one another, and towards our true self.“The Sanskrit and old Hindi noun bhakti is derived from the verb root bhaj, whose meanings include “to belong to”, and “to worship”. It also occurs in compounds where it means “being a part of” and “that which belongs to or is contained in anything else.” Bhajan, or devotional singing to God, is also derived from the same root. “Devotion” as an English translation for bhakti doesn’t fully convey two important aspects of bhakti—the
sense of participation that is central to the relationship between the
devotee and God, and the intense feeling that is more typically
associated with the word “love”. An advaitic interpretation of bhakti goes beyond “devotion” to the realization of union with the essential nature of reality as ananda, or divine bliss.” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhakti
If you’ve read the Bhagavad Gita, you’ve read about bhakti. Bhakti is further explored in texts like the Bhagavata Purana and the Narada Sutras, as well as in some of the Upanishads. As the Chandogya Upanishad says, “This is the self within my heart: smaller than a grain of rice, or a corn of barley, or a mustard seed, or a grain of millet, or the kernel of a grain of millet. This is the Self within my heart: more vast than the earth, more vast than the atmosphere, more vast than the heavens, more vast than all the worlds… This is the Self within my heart.” – Exquisite Love p.9
But you don’t need to read ancient texts to understand bhakti! I have a feeling it has a lot to do with why you keep coming to the mat. 
To quote Bill Mahony again, “the practice of asana is a form of devotion to the Beloved within, for it honors the body as the abode of the indwelling Self.” – Exquisite Love p.106
To quote Bill Mahony again, “the practice of asana is a form of devotion to the Beloved within, for it honors the body as the abode of the indwelling Self.” – Exquisite Love p.106Our Poses of the Month all have the heart as the physical and energetic focal point: down dog, dolphin, handstand, and forearm balance.
Asana:
Align & Flow – Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Downward Facing Tree, aka Handstand)
Vinyasa – Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock Pose, aka Forearm Balance)
Vinyasa – Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock Pose, aka Forearm Balance)
Slow Flow – Adho Mukha Svanasana var. (Dolphin Pose) <– sometimes called Makarasana, though I believe this in incorrect… anyone know the Sanksrit?
Deep Stretch – Adho Mukha Svanasana var. (Puppy)
Resources
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) – http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/downward-facing-dog/
Dolphin Pose – http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/dolphin-pose/
Anatomy of Dolphin Pose – http://www.yogamagazine.com/anatomy-of-dolphin-pose/
Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance) – http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/feathered-peacock-pose/
Uttana Shishosana (Puppy Pose) – http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/extended-puppy-pose/
Notes on Down Dog:
Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance) – http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/feathered-peacock-pose/
Uttana Shishosana (Puppy Pose) – http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/extended-puppy-pose/
Notes on Down Dog:
How exciting it is to touch the floor… with our heels, with our heads, whatever! I see students compromise their low backs and shoulders so often in pursuit of one (or many) of these elusive goals. This month, we have a chance to change that!! With Downward Facing Dog as a preparatory pose for all of us, we can teach strong foundations, integrated arm bones and shoulderblades, and extension from our hearts back down to the earth (as well as to up into our spines). Lift heels! Lift arches! Bend knees and lift quadriceps! Get those (tops of the) thighs back so we can enjoy more curve in our low backs, as we find more freedom to tilt our sitting bones up and back. Support with strong abs, tucked-in ribs, and strong shoulderblades that stay lifted and flush with the back, as the pelvis moves. No more dropped shoulders and sunken armpits to try and find pelvic tilt… No more hunched backs and shoulders-as-earrings alignment to try and find grounded heels… Whether your students are very flexible or very tight, attention to alignment in downward facing dog will change this pose and many others for them, opening their hamstrings more safely, and building more strength and flexibility in their core and shoulders.
This is good info for the “flexy” ones of us… As Erich Shiffman describes, in his book Moving Into Stillness, it’s extremely important to find the proper alignment through your spine and arms BEFORE taking your head and chest towards the floor: “Do not attempt this, however, unless you
have first established a straight line through your spine and arms. Let
me repeat. Create a straight line from your hands through your shoulders
to your hips before attempting to bow your spine.” He’s got a beautiful pose! Check it out (with detailed alignment cues) here: http://www.movingintostillness.com/book/asana_adho_mukha_savanasana.html
This is good info for the “flexy” ones of us… As Erich Shiffman describes, in his book Moving Into Stillness, it’s extremely important to find the proper alignment through your spine and arms BEFORE taking your head and chest towards the floor: “Do not attempt this, however, unless you
have first established a straight line through your spine and arms. Let
me repeat. Create a straight line from your hands through your shoulders
to your hips before attempting to bow your spine.” He’s got a beautiful pose! Check it out (with detailed alignment cues) here: http://www.movingintostillness.com/book/asana_adho_mukha_savanasana.html
If you have any questions about teaching alignment in this pose (or any others), please reach out. I’d be happy to help! I taught a master class on Down Dog a few years ago and I can still totally geek out on it!
Pranayama: Please continue to focus on Ujjayi Breath this month. Here are some resources:
http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/conqueror-breath/ (I’ve also heard Ujjayi translated as “victoriously uprising”)
http://www.yogajournal.com/article/practice-section/what-is-ujjayi/
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5823/8-Reasons-Why-We-Use-Ujjayi-Breath-in-Yoga.html
http://yoganonymous.com/pranayama-101-breathe-deeply-love-completely-live-mindfully/You might also enjoy teaching the “Breath of Love”, from the Kundalini practice… Since none of us are Kundalini teachers, we can approach it as a slow, steady, natural breath, with even inhales and exhales. Encourage students to let their abdomens release to encourage full, deep, belly breaths, and enjoy the rush of prana!
http://www.yogajournal.com/article/practice-section/what-is-ujjayi/
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5823/8-Reasons-Why-We-Use-Ujjayi-Breath-in-Yoga.html
http://yoganonymous.com/pranayama-101-breathe-deeply-love-completely-live-mindfully/You might also enjoy teaching the “Breath of Love”, from the Kundalini practice… Since none of us are Kundalini teachers, we can approach it as a slow, steady, natural breath, with even inhales and exhales. Encourage students to let their abdomens release to encourage full, deep, belly breaths, and enjoy the rush of prana!
Mantras:
Om Namah Shivaya (I bow to Śiva, consciousness, within.)
Om Hrim Namah Shivaya (I bow to the heart of consciousness within.)
Harihi Om (Hari, free my heart.) <– Hari is another name for God, literally meaning “the one who carries away”. – Exquisite Love p.24
Mudras:
Varada mudra (favorable gesture) signifying offering, welcome, charity, giving, compassion and sincerity. (Often combined with Abhaya Mudra.)
“The Varada Mudra opens our mind to compassion and love. It is an
excellent mudra for freeing oneself from greed, anger and
possessiveness.” – http://thedailymeditation.com/varada-mudra-meaning-technique-and-benefits/
“Gilded bronze Statue of Tara,
Sri Lanka, 8th century CE. With her right hand, the bodhisattva makes
varadamudra, the gesture of charity or gift-giving, while her left hand
may originally have held a lotus.” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varadamudra
Heart Chakra mudra:
Mudras for Chakras – http://thesevenportals.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/2/6/4426317/chakra_mudras.jpg
Thank
you! Please share your thoughts, inspirations, and any additional resources
you find on our Facebook Group page. Have a lovely month!
In love,
Allison
