Hanumanasana, Leaping Beyond Limits

Tara Woltjen in Hanumanasana

Some things in life don't come easy.

Hanumanasana is one of them.

Known in English as "the splits" Hanumanasana requires considerable flexibility in the legs and back.

It is a posture that demands your complete physical attention and yet may only become an asana when you bring more to it than mere physical effort.

Hanuman is a popular character in Hindu mythology.  In the epic Ramayana, it is Hanuman the monkey who locates the kidnapped princess Sita and leaps across the ocean between the southern tip of India and the island of Lanka to deliver a message of encouragement and hope along with her husband's ring.

Similarly, on the mat, the posture that mimics Hanuman's giant leap demands patience, persistence, steady breathing, truthfulness and positive intention.

"To start the journey, I needed firm intention." Hanuman said. "To make the leap I needed strength and courage.  To overcome the obstacles along the way, I needed flexibility and cunning.  To find you, I needed perseverance.  To speak with you and win your trust, I needed patience and discrimination.  Through Lord Rama's grace, I found all these qualities within myself, and was able to complete this journey." Quote from "Hanuman's Great Leap"

You can learn more about the mythology behind Hanumanasana here.

If you would like to experience this exhilarating posture for yourself, please check out this blog post first, for some great tips and warm ups.

This Weekend at Yoga Within

There are still a few spots available for this weekend's workshops at Yoga Within!

February 8 - 9 ~ Sanskrit for Absolute Beginners with Tara Woltjen

$82.50 + GST

Friday, February 8,  5:30 – 8:30pm (3hrs)

and Saturday, February 9,  1 – 4pm (3hrs)

The Sanskrit letters are said to be the sounds of the inner winds heard by the ancient yogis in deep meditation. Learn the basics of Devanagari script and transliterated Sanskrit in an easy, lighthearted way so that you too can resonate with these sacred healing sounds.

February 9 - 10 ~ Mantra Yoga the Complete Science with Yogi Amandeep

Feb 9th  - 1-6pm  $65, at door $75

Feb 10th – 10-2 pm $55, at door $65

 

Cost: for both days $111

  Mantra Yoga is perhaps one of the most ancient ways of self realization. “Man” means mind and “tra” means wave, Mantra is that which controls the waves of the mind.

According to the metaphysical science Mantras are primal sounds that alter the patterns of the mind and brain chemistry. Mantras are living conscious energy and have to be awakened to fully benefit from the sound, a process closely guarded secret.

The chanting of Mantras create blissful and peaceful mind. They bestow upon us the power to attain our goals and lift ourselves from the ordinary to the higher level of consciousness.  They give us the power to heal, attract prosperity, abundance and health. 

A very unique workshop on the detail science of mantra, how to awaken them, how they work, different forms of mantras, different stages in practise, their physiology in the body, their seats in the chakras, activation of 72,000 Nadis, their imprint in the mind and the whole science of mantra perfection.

This Day in Her-Story



Trustee Ron Roth, right, talks to protesting students at Sherwood Park separate school board’s office

on April 19, 1990.   Photo borrowed from the Edmonton Journal.  

Ok, weirdness of weirdness... 

That's me with the short dark hair in the center, directly below the exit sign. 

I randomly came across this online today.  I swear I didn't know it existed and wouldn't have gone looking for it even if I did! 

I never would have imagined the Journal had articles this old posted online.  When this was taken the internet didn't even exist!

When I brought it up again this evening, I noticed the date:

April 19, 1990, exactly twenty-two years ago today...

The strangeness of that co-incidence is boggling my mind, so I just had to archive it here!

Click here to read the article. 

And check out this excerpt:

“We’re urging you to solve the problem,” Tara Woltjen told trustee Ron Roth during a morning meeting at Archbishop Jordan High School. “We need our class time. We have no choice; we’ve got departmental exams coming up.”

Hahaha!  In addition to being an outspoken rebel with a cause, I guess I've always been a keen student and an advocate for education!

Have you ever experienced a co-incidence like this?  What do you think it means???

Update April 20, 2012:
 

I thought it was weird yesterday when I stumbled onto this that the Edmonton Journal would have articles this old archived.  Then I realized they don't!

They chose this article out of aaaaaalllll the articles over aaaalllll the years to represent April 19th on their "This Day in Journal History" segment!

I'm in awe... 

Curvy Girls Do Yoga Too

 

Wide-Leg Seated Forward Fold (Upavista Konasana)



Modified Child's Pose (Balasana)


I hate to admit it, but these photos have been hanging around in my files since Autumn of 2008. 

My Mom took them for a project that never quite saw the light of day.

Although I could have posted them here long ago, I didn't.

Why not?

Downward Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Well, frankly, I didn't like the way I looked so I didn't want anyone to see them. 

In fact, I didn't want to have to look at them myself.

But yesterday I came across some inspiration - a community of  curvy yoginis who practice with passion and ahimsa, look awesome and aren't afraid to show it!



Anna Guest-Jelley of Curvy Yoga in Nashville is gathering photos for her gallery as a loving response to the lack of representation we curvy girls (and big guys for that matter) get in yoga magazines and marketing.

Reading her body-positive posts and the feedback from her readers inspired me to send a few for her to choose from. 

She selected this one of me in the Bear Pose which she called "Totally fab!". 

Thank you Anna!  Namaste!  I really REALLY needed that!

Drawing on her courage and community I decided to, as Anna puts it, "grab life by the curves" and share them here too.
 

Bear Pose (Urdhva Upavista Konasana)

Wonder where the name of the asana comes from?  Nature, of course!  Need some proof?

Photo by : Meta Penca/BNPS

Look at Santra the Bear practicing one of several yoga asanas that are part of her personal stretching routine at Ahtari Zoo in Finland!

Click here to read more about Santra the Bear's Yoga routine!

I guess curvy bears do yoga too!  Jai!