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.

What do the Yogis Say About Success?

Rama and King Janaka, Image Source, V&A Archives

Recently I was asked, "What do the Yogis say about success?"

Not feeling particularly "successful" myself at that moment, my response was, "I think I should ask a Swami!"

The reply I received from Swami Kashi said to read the stories of King Janaka, the wise Philosopher-King and father of Janaki, also known as Sita, wife of God-King Rama.**

Swamiji said,

"King Janaka is an example of a very rich, very successful person, who was a Brahma Jnani.  There's no contradiction between the two.  It is about your approach to your possessions and how you deal with it (such as generosity etc.) and not the numbers that make the difference."

Hahaha!  How characteristic that Swamiji's answer would require a little "homework"!

Authentic teachers always prompt us to investigate for ourselves.  Besides, those of you who know me as Swamiji does, know how much I loooooooove geeky yoga homework!

I suspect that such educational and entertaining research might benefit others as well, so I'm offering a sampling here, in a series of posts over the next several days titled, "Stories of King Janaka".

I hope you find them as amusing and inspiring as I do.

Thank you Sharon for your excellent question, and thank you Swamiji for your fitting reply!

**Important Update** Swami Kashi has informed me that actually, King Janaka, the father of Sita is NOT the same King Janaka mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita (3.20) and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.  Looks like I have some additional homework to do to make sure I'm sharing stories of the correct King Janaka.  Lol, otherwise, I'll have to change the title of the series to "Stories of King JanakaS"!

Sattvic Movie Saturday: The Story of India, Part 4

Some time ago I posted parts one and two in this series.  For some reason, Part Three is unavailable, so today we're moving straight to the "Golden Age" in Part Four of The Story of India.

"In this landmark six-part series for PBS and the BBC, Michael Wood embarked on a dazzling and exciting journey through today’s India, seeking in the present for clues to her past, and in the past for clues to her future." - Source:  Top Documentary Films, The Story of India

The Story of India, Part Four: 

Click here to watch: Ages of Gold. Episode Four is the story of India in the Middle Ages. At the time of the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, and the European Dark Ages, India had a series of great flowerings of culture, both in the north and the south.

Sattvic Movie Saturday - Sita Sings the Blues

My second offering for Sattvic Movie Saturday is one of my very very very favorite movies of all time!

Annette Hanshaw

Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley features the music of 1920's jazz/blues singer Annette Hanshaw.

Nina Paley's storytelling and animation are each marvels in themselves. 

Together, they are a masterpiece of spectacular beauty and humor; an uplifting and intelligent commentary on life, The Ramayana and the timeless affairs of the heart. 

Perhaps most amazing is Nina's free distribution of this film, insisting that copyrights are actually an impediment to artists.

She cites the case of Annette Hanshaw, whose stardom has faded into relative obscurity thanks to the companies who own the rights to distribute her songs, but feel no obligation to.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.  Click here! Ya gotta watch it full screen!!! 

And share it with others - lots of them!  Nina wants you to.

I also highly recommend this presentation at the University of Baltimore by Nina Paley on her work, her inspiration, and copyrights. Click here to watch it full screen on YouTube.

"That's all!"  ;-D