Triangle Pose: Trikonasana – Tri konas or three angles
The triangle is considered to be one of the strongest and most stable shapes in nature. The quality of a triangle is strength and its capacity to support weight and resist pressure. 
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All the details you need to know about the upcoming yoga retreat are right here.
If your questions are not answered, please email Leslie.
leslie@rexburgyoga.com
WHEN: Thursday June 14, 2012. From 8 in the morning until noonish.
WHERE: Madison Middle School. Cafeteria- accessible from the back parking lot.
WHY: To learn about keeping healthy brain function and participating in the activities that do that. A little bit of learning, a lot of active doing.
This myth is not found in our regular text Myths of the Asanas, but there is a story about the dolphin in Hindu mythology, so I will tell you about it. I discovered it after finding a picture of the Hindu goddess Ganga riding on a water creature. Here’s what I found about the water creature and the story:
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When we think of Lotus pose many thoughts might come to mind all starting with the letter “P”, Padmasana, pain, pretzel, possible in the next life, purity etc. Padmasana is considered the quintessential seated mediation posture. What must be understood about Padmasana is that it is not accessible to all. What can be duplicated from this pose, however, is the grounded seat, long spine and a sense of replenishment.
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Our culture heralds and promotes the fast paced life. We are immersed in the need to be busy accomplishing projects, making agendas, setting up projects, achieving goals, slaying the dragon, multi-tasking, and multiplying our lives with detail. I believe that our culture values performance and we base our lives and identities on our performances.
We also know that stress is also part of our culture and that it can kill us if not directed appropriately. We have been visiting this subject this month and have discussed that Stress reduction is not a luxury but rather a necessity. Stress wreaks havoc on our mind, body and spirit.
Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva come into play often in our yoga stories so in this post I will give a little detail about these three characters. I do not consider myself an expert in Hindu culture, literature, or philosophy, so this post about the three Hindu deities comes from my understanding of the metaphors of each character.
I found several versions of a creation story in Hindu mythology and the one that corresponds to a yoga posture begins with Vishnu reclining on a couch while floating in the cosmic sea of possibility.
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We have new members join our class frequently. There are tips and suggestions we have for these new members that they may not know about the etiquette and traditions of a group yoga class.
1. If you eat before coming, let it be an hour or so before class starts. We do so much stretching and bending that it can cause nausea if there is food trying to digest in the body.
2. Turn off cell phones and leave them in the coat/shoe room. If it is an emergency, have your cell phone by you on vibrate. Cell phones going off during relaxation pose is a big distraction.
3. Do not wear perfume or hair spray or heavily scented lotion. Some class members are sensitive to these smells and it makes practice uncomfortable for them. Putting lotion on your hands can also make your hands slip during postures like down dog.
4. Be on time. We recognize that there are reasons why some may not be able to arrive and get set up before class starts at 9 am, but if you are just late for no reason consistently, we ask you to evaluate that habit and change it. Late comers always disrupt the smooth flow of the class.
5. We have props to use at the studio and every summer all the mats get washed and dried outside, but if you become a regular student you may feel more comfortable with your own mat and props. Let us know if you need help in finding resources to purchase. You may store your things at the studio or take them home. We rarely have any problem with equipment being bothered by the others who share and use the building. If you do store your things at the studio, we will all just get familiar with who’s is who’s so new class members use the studio’s equipment.
6. Bodily functions: Digestion happens and everyone who has practiced yoga experiences from time to time gas and wind. It probably bothers and embarrasses new students much more than seasoned practitioners, so just keep practicing and know you are part of the “my body works” club. Sometimes the irresistible urge to cough comes upon a student during relaxation pose. Just sit up and if things don’t calm down in the throat, quietly step out of the room.
Linked here is a nice article from Yoga Journal that addresses these same yoga basics.
The tradition of yoga includes the teachings and wisdom of wise men called sages. They sought to understand the mysteries of life and the universe. Often the poses associated with the sages are difficult and challenging. It takes patience, diligence and study, much what a student would also need to do to learn wisdom.
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In Hindu mythology Garuda is the half man, half eagle that carries Vishnu on his travels. He is the king of the birds. The word is usually translated into English as eagle though according to one dictionary the name literally means devourer because Garuda was originally identified with the all-consuming fire of the sun’s rays. 
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