Yoga yokes together the dark and the light
Spiritual practice is much more than simply poses, writes Johanna Steinfeld
Hatha is the term to used to describe the physical practice of yoga.
Ha means sun or light and Tha means moon or dark.
Yoga is the practice of yoking together the light with the dark and everything in between.
We begin every practice by taking a quiet moment to notice how we are feeling and to listen to the flow of our breath. We join our palms together in front of our heart. This is known as Anjali Mudra, the mudra of offering, and is symbolic of the bringing together of the opposites within us.
The right and the left joined together, the stronger and weaker sides of our bodies, our masculine and feminine nature, the light and the dark within.
We bow our chins and offer ourselves a Namaste, the light within me honours the light within me.
We offer this simple blessing out to our teachers and to the students practising alongside of us.
It is a strong reminder for all that we are — light and that divine light is held within all of us.
Yoga holds its roots within the Hindu traditions, and many poses are named for the Hindu gods and goddesses.
These divine beings are known as “deities,” which is translated as “bits of light.”
Consciously and unconsciously, we carry within us dark thoughts and fears of where we are and what might be in our future.
We tell ourselves negative stories and we often think negative and dark thoughts of judgment against ourselves and others.
These thoughts can lead us to feeling depression, fear, anxiety, tension and can cause disease in our bodies and minds.
My friends, Yoga practice is an invitation to invite in the Light.
This week we celebrated a new moon, a solar eclipse and the Hindu Festival of Shivartri, devoted to the Hindu God Shiva, the Great Destroyer and the God of Yoga.
All events are a signal we are being slowly ushered towards the rebirth of the Earth and the oncoming of spring, and a reminder to welcome in the light wherever it may be offered.
The cycle of life demands that everything that is created and sustained, must eventually be destroyed.
It is the soft destruction of the world outside in fall and the sleep of winter, that has us looking forward to the recreation of the world in the spring.
These events are all a reminder that we moving from the darkness to the light
The darkness is the great unknown and yoga requires that we cast ourselves willingly into the dark.
This can evoke all those feelings that come from the dark (depression, fear, anxiety, stress, feelings of inadequacy) and it requires us to dig deep, feel these emotions and be in practice along with them.
With time, we learn to greet this darkness like an old friend and allow our awareness to seep into these places and fill them with light in the form of our breath, our softening and acknowledgment.
The practices of yoga include meditation, pranayama (breath work) and asana (the physical practice).
Yoking these three together lead us to meeting the dark places within us.
If we aren’t in a safe place to do this work, it’s easy to get scared off and maybe even to believe that Yoga is not for us. Yoga is for everyone. It is the work we are meant to do so that we can be our most true and authentic selves.
If we want to live in lightness, we have to make our way through the darkness.
Without winter, there is no spring and without destruction there can be no recreation.
Shiva as the god of yoga, is there to remind us that the work is worth doing and to do the work for your entire lifetime and with no attachment to the end results.
We are reminded that it is not the destination, but the lessons learned along the way where we greet the light.
In other words, yoga practice is not about touching your toes, being flexible or being able to stand on your head.
These are just wonderful side benefits that may happen when we commit to our practice. Invite in the light, my friends. Join your palms in front of your heart.
Sit up tall and gently bow your chin towards your chest. Feel your breath. Relax your shoulders, the muscles of your face and close your eyes.
Chant Shiva’s mantra through 108 times (or 10 times) and invite in qualities of love, grace, truth, and blissfulness
“Om Namah Shivaya, Shiva Nama Om”
As you end your chanting, turn your fingers towards your own heart and offer yourself a love filled, “Namaste, Namaste, Namaste.” The Light in me honours the light in me.
For a detailed instruction on how to move into and out of each posture safely, follow along with this month’s yoga video at Calgaryherald.com.
The best way to practice Yoga is under the careful watchful eye of a knowledgeable Yoga instructor.
With Light and Love. Namaste.
Without winter, there is no spring and without destruction there can be no recreation.