If you have been to a yoga class you might have been involved with chanting the sound Om. When a group of people chant this sound and all the voices find a resonance together a beautiful feeling is created. The benefits of chanting come through participation because it is something that has to be experienced to be understood. However, you may be wondering what this word is all about and why it is chanted so often, before you feel comfortable belting it out in a yoga class.
Yoga has always captivated me from the beginning. It is a fabulous system for keeping the body healthy, free of stress, flexible, strong and balanced. It works just as well on the mind, helping one to focus, be present, clear, one pointed and stable. These two aspects would be reason enough to get on the mat everyday. Yet there is more, much more to this ancient art and science. There is also the whole universe of the Spirit; the mystical union with Source Energy to know and explore.
Yoga is a journey; it is not an outward adventure, it is an inward voyage. Just like any trip you would take it is helpful to know where you are headed (at least what direction to start out in); it is even more useful to have a map and a guidebook and it is most supportive to have a guide that is familiar with the area. Here are 9 fundamental building blocks every beginner should know before getting started with the yoga positions. This foundation includes the big picture, the guidebook and I will be your tour guide. The asanas/postures are the maps that you will use to explore the terrain of yourself. Yet it is imperative to walk the journey yourself; I can not carry you and there is no benefit in staying home and just studying the map. These 9 fundamental building blocks chart the journey ahead, what you need to bring, what you can expect and what you need to know before we get started.
The teaching of sthira and sukha goes back through history to one of the earliest written classic texts about the practice of yoga, The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. There is a story from Indian mythology that beautifully illustrates these two qualities. It is the story of Ananta, the king of the snakes, the king of the Nagas. It is told that Ananta floats on an ocean, his long body is curled up to form a comfortable couch for the god Vishnu, his thousand heads come up like a protective umbrella over Vishnu on which lies our world. Ananta is firm and steady enough to hold the world yet soft and comfortable enough to be the seat of a god.
The qualities of sthira and sukha are essential to ones yoga practice. Without it there is no asana. Early on in my yoga practice, when I started taking classes, I learned about these qualities. I learned at that time that these words simply meant ease and effort and that each pose should posses each of these two qualities equally. Yet there is a richness and a depth to these concepts that I have just recently begun to unravel and shed some more light on. In turn they have brought a deeper awareness, sensitivity and joy to my practice.
