November Pose of the Month
Our pose of the month this month is Anjaneyasana. Anjaneya in Sanskrit means ‘son of Anjana.’ Anjaneya was the son of Anjana (a mortal) and Vayu, who was the wind god. In the myth of Anjaneya he was later transformed into Lord Hanumān, the monkey god. The pose Anjaneyasana resembles a young, divine child (Anjaneya), reaching towards the sky, toward the warm glow of the sun that he mistook to be a giant mango as the story goes.
The long journey and adventures of little Anjaneya to Hanumān is an inspiring story of faith, fearlessness, love, compassion, and complete devotion. Hanumān is said to embody all of the qualities of a true yogi and his journey is one that anyone can relate to. In the book The Myths of The Asana, Alanna Kaivalya & Arjuna Van Der Kooji write… “Hanumān teaches us that there is one thing that allows us to override all our doubts and fears. That one thing is love.”
We are MANY months into this COVID-19 pandemic now. Cases are climbing and at an all-time high now as our state’s positivity rate increased to 10.9%, a rate that is 6% higher since the state entered Stage 5. This is the reality and it’s scary, confusing, sad, and so many other dark feelings. While it’s not a reality that is easy to accept at times, we have to accept it so that we can move forward with faith and hope. We must try to keep our focus towards the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel that still remains ahead of us. As we head into the colder, darker months of winter that tunnel may start to feel darker and longer as well, but the light is there. It’s all about what we chose to focus on- the light or the darkness?- and perhaps changing our perspective a little bit to find the light again, to bring more peace and ease in our life during these challenging times.
Īśvara (Ishvara)
Patanjali says that the quickest, most direct way to find peace and ease in our life and to live “in the flow” is to surrender to God- and this isn’t the creator God that he’s referring to. This is Īśvara. Īśvara is described as a kind of ‘purusa’- inner divine awareness. However, as Nicolai Bachman explains, “whereas our purusa is the individual soul embedded in our body and exposed to the activities occurring in our heart-mind, iśvara is it’s universal correlate, unbound and untouched by anything at all.” Thus Īśvara is the purest light of knowledge, our ‘inner teacher’ so to speak. While it can’t act, it is conscious of all actions and can therefore influence action and inspire transformation. Actions that come from this place of iśvara inspire positive behavioral patterns, because they come from a more informed heart-mind. With an informed heart-mind we are able to see clearer, see from a whole picture-perspective, and then take selfless actions that benefit everyone. Īśvara is the eternal love that lives within everything and everyone.
In the tale of Hanumān, as a result of the trouble he got into as a child (Anjaneya), he was cursed with short-term memory so that he would never remember his godliness, his divinity, long enough to get into trouble again and cause harm. Just like Hanumān, we too forget our divine self, iśvara, during times of darkness when life gets challenging and we’re faced with a crisis. We lose faith and hope, and ultimately sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. We focus on the darkness more than the light.
The holiday season is upon us and it’s sadly evident that it’s not going to be the same this year. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t celebrate and find joy in all that we still have to be grateful and hopeful for. Even when we are socially distancing and we can’t get together in-person with all our loved ones, we can come together with hopeful and grateful hearts. We can celebrate the light that is still there, gracefully guiding us. The flame that hasn’t lost hope in us.
“Life is always changing, but the divinity that weaves through each of us is constant, whole, unbroken. Understanding and accepting this gives us strength and support in the face of life’s shifts, fluctuations, and turmoil. No matter what we face, we are connected. We are not alone.”
Kelly DiNardo & Amy Pearce-Hayden
To practice Anjaneyasana at home, follow the alignment steps below.
Alignment
Start in downward-facing dog. Step your right foot forward near your right thumb.
Stack your right knee over your right ankle and lower your left knee to the floor.
Inhale to reach your arms overhead, chest and head reaching upward. Face your palms toward one another and soften your shoulders down.
Draw your tailbone done towards the earth, lengthening your lower back and engaging your core muscles.
Stay here or lift your chest and gaze.
To release, place your hands down on the mat and step back to down dog.
Repeat on the other side.
Benefits
Strengthens the quadriceps and gluteus muscles.
Stretches the psoas and hips.
Expands your chest, lungs, and shoulders.
Develops stamina and endurance in your thighs.
Improves your balance, concentration, and core awareness.
Calms the mind.