Sama-Ashtanga Yoga

Sama, Vinyasa

BreathRootsCore!        

Yoga, the art and practice of discovering your True Nature, Sama!

Ashtanga Yoga, an Ancient Practice using the method of Vinyasa gradual step-by-step approach of sequence and development.

Breath Roots and Core are the anchors we use to cultivate the mind

Sama!  The target: “99% Practice, 1% Theory  ( By Chuck Miller) 

If you read the Mahabharata you will read a story about a royal family in ancient times in India. It is a great story which includes as one small part the Bhagavad Gita, considered by many as the greatest text on yoga! 

In this great story there are many stories… Five Princes, in cognito, find themselves at a Swayamvara, a kind of celebration that involved competition for the hand in marriage of a very beautiful Princess…

About the Swayamvara of Draupadi here.  And here…

Well, I am a sucker for a love story, especially if it includes super human feats and demonstrations of extreme skill! And then even more so if it also contains pearls of wisdom!

Arjuna, the middle of the five brothers and a famously expert archer, has always loved this princess and he is eager to win the competition.

There is the archers bow (named “Pinaka”) of the god Shiva, in a beautifully crafted box. Even the lid of this box could not be lifted by mere mortals. The princesses’ father Draupada knew that only Arjuna (actually the son of the god Indra!) could accomplish the feat. Many tried to open the box and failed. A few managed to get the box opened but could not lift the bow. Of the very few who could lift the bow none could get the string on!

After they had all tried and failed they cried “foul!” Declaring it an unfair competition!

Aruna stepped up disguised, easily opened the box and with no effort attached the string. In one elegant gesture he looked down at the pool of water in which a tall pole was mounted, the top of which spun a wooden fish on a string. using only the sight offered by the vision in the pond Arjun pieced the fish’s eye and won the hand of Draupadi.

The Epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana, are full of such stories which are really speaking to us about life and our practices!

We need to have an idea of the goal and the means to achieve it. Even in the Spiritual pursuit of a Yoga practice! 

Philosophy and Practice are ONE!

Sama… more to come!

from sama-ashtanga.org