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.

The triangle appears in many forms in our world.  It is used in the construction of buildings.  We use the form for our tripods as a platform for our cameras and other devices.  We use dutch ovens or pots with three legs, stools and other items to help stabilize and support our activities.

There is also the application of a triangle in our language called the triadic relationship—a speaker, a message and receiver. Early Romans established in their government a triumvirate or board of three officials.  Our own government uses a system of checks and balances that involves three branches.

We know that three is also a sacred number when it applies to the trinity or Godhead in religion.  The Paschal or Easter Triduum is three days of prayer and fasting proceeding a Roman Catholic feast.  In Hinduism, Siva, the Lord of Yoga uses a three pronged tool—the trident as his scepter.  It represents truth, consciousness and bliss   A flower called the Trinity Lily has three petals and is a symbol of a pure heart, body and mind.

In yoga the triangle pose is not only the physical form of a triangle but the representation of the body, mind and spirit.   As we explore this pose be in tune to any thoughts or images that may arise and spend some time reflecting what you might be learning about yourself.  You might want to think of what supports you in day to day living.  What are some of the relationships with others you are interconnected with?  Do you feel that you are balanced in the things that you do for yourself mentally, physically and emotionally?  Is there a relationship you want to stabilize?  What are three of your greatest strengths?

Pictures from here, here, andhere.

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.

HOW MUCH: $25 at the door and $20 if you register early. $20 for regular Rexburg Yoga students (even that day at the door). You can register at Nature’s Nook in Rexburg. Or register at any class that Leslie or Shelly teach. Or Leslie has paypal and will accept registration online through paypal. Email leslie about that. leslie@rexburgyoga.com

More details:
1) The retreat will begin with an intro to the factors contributing to brain health. We will learn 7 things that should be done frequently to maintain healthy brain functioning. The retreat then continues as we enjoy many of the items on that list of 7.

We will learn something new from a guest teacher, Wendy Bone. We will have a nice long flow yoga class led by both Shelly and Leslie that will get circulation going. It will be a chance to practice our favorite yoga postures without rushing.

Stress relief is next on the list with a restorative yoga posture and another guest instructor, Galene Carter. After a serene Savasana (relaxation pose) we will enjoy a pot-luck tasting table and time enough to socialize.

2) We will provide a few breaks and there will be herbal tea provided by our sponsor, Nature’s Nook. We will have brain games and something called The Smell Test to enjoy during the breaks. If you need more of a snack during the retreat, please bring something. And everyone will be free to take a break during any portion of the retreat. There is a drinking fountain a the school or bring your own water bottle.

3) If you own a mat, blocks, strap, blankets or bolsters, please bring them. If not, we will have props to provide. It will be helpful to know ahead of time who needs the props. The restorative pose will need blocks and blankets. Please email Leslie if you need props provided.
leslie@rexburgyoga.com

4) Pot Luck Tasting Table: If many who are coming bring something, then there will be a wide variety of things to try.

Do you have a favorite recipe for a healthy dish? Do you want to try something new made of healthy ingredients and you need people to try it out? Is there something you love that’s healthy and awesome but your family won’t eat it? Do you want to share something that’s been growing in your own garden? If you have specific food allergies or needs, you can bring something you can enjoy. These are all ideas for the tasting table.

We will have plates, bowls, cups, utensils. If your food needs to be refrigerated, we can do that. If your food needs to be hot, you will need to bring the crock pot. Call Shelly if you have questions about the tasting table 356-6307.

5) As with all of the yoga classes we teach, the teachers lead a moderate, safe class, but there are always individual issues and we expect each person to be responsible for his own modifications and safety needs. Each student should be aware, awake, and honoring of her own body’s limitations and injuries. We are not doctors and can give no advice, diagnosis or treatment of any physical symptoms. We provide this retreat to inform and encourage students to take an active role in their own health and well-being.

6) For the Rexburg yoga students who have already paid for the month of June and just want to come for the regular hour’s class, just drop in from 9-10. We will be in the middle of the flow class.

7) If you are a beginner at yoga, you are invited, but having some experience with yoga would be helpful.

8 ) Since the movement part of the retreat will not begin until about 8:45 am, please eat something before coming so you have energy to enjoy the retreat.

9) All of the regular guidelines and etiquette apply for the retreat. Please look these over if you are a beginner to yoga.

10) For beginners and everyone else, there is a class specifically designed as an introduction to a yoga practice. It is a 2 hour class on Saturday, June 23rd, 2012. 9:30-11:30 am at the Fuzion Studio in Sugar City. It will be a gentle flow with a restorative element at the end of the class. Call Shelly for more information. 208-356-6307.

Here is a little poster you can print out if you want to help us advertise. BrainYogaRetreat1

This water monster is called in sanskrit makara. It means crocodile, but I also found that it could be a representation of a river dolphin which has a long snout and sharp rows of teeth that resemble a crocodile.

The Ganges River Dolphin is a real creature primarily found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers and their tributaries in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

All dolphins are mammals rather than fish and thus need to breath air, although they can dive for a long periods of time. River dolphins live in fresh water unlike the salt sea dolphins with which we are more acquainted. River dolphins have very long beaks, are slow swimmers so they have rather floppy appendages, nondescript color patterning, and a small pinhole eye, and thus functionally blind. All of these features are considered adaptations to living in an environment where the water is typically shallow and very turbid. The Ganges river Dolphin has been recognized by the government of India as its National Aquatic Animal. Several varieties of river dolphins are threatened with extinction at the present, including the Ganges River Dolphin.

In mythology, the river dolphin or a crocodile was the vehicle to transport goddess Ganga from heaven to earth. The Ganges river is considered sacred in India and as the story goes, Ganga flowed only in heaven until ordered to come to earth. Not wanting to, she threatened to flood the whole world. The gods were so afraid of her that they sought the help of Shiva. Shiva broke the fall of Ganga by capturing her in his mighty locks of hair. Since then, Ganga resides on top of Shiva’s head as his second wife. In drawings of Ganga, the Ganges river queen, she is seen riding on the long-beaked water creature, Makara, carrying a lotus among other things.

The river dolphin was the vehicle to safely transport Ganga so she would flow on earth. We will use Makarasana, dolphin pose as a safe approach to headstand. It builds up the muscles needed to do headstand, and helps get alignment principles in place before worrying about balance, and for those for whom headstand is not appropriate, dolphin is a great alternative. Makarasana is also a great modification for Down Dog when the pressure and intensity is too much for the wrists or hands.

Pictures and reference information from here, here, here, and here.

In India the lotus flower grows in the most unlikely places, canals, swamps, ditches and heavily polluted areas.  The flower has modest beginnings as the seed is often found in the bottom of a muddy pond.  Beneath this water the root of the lotus takes hold and the shoot begins to grow.  The struggle of the shoot is to search and find the sun.  By the refraction of the sun in the water the plant knows to rise up to catch the rays of the sun.  Once it breaks on top of the water it blooms taking care that its petals are not touching the muddy water.

This journey of the lotus represents the journey that we all may take.  We too are rooted in the earth among the joys and sorrows of this life.  We are in the process of finding our divine nature and seeing ourselves clearly. Our journey is one of struggle.   We often define ourselves by the labels and titles that either has been given us or what we have accumulated in this life but are not really accurate of who we divinely are.  We can feel separate and alone from others.  By keeping our sights on truth and light we can begin to reach and move toward understanding.  The symbol of surfacing above the water is another way of realizing our full potential.

The interesting fact about the lotus is that it blooms all the time and is found all over the world in a myriad of colors. It is the ultimate goal of the lotus to continuously work to find to find the light and create beauty.  The beginnings of the lotus flower tell us that our own beginnings need not dictate our endings.  We too can rise above and blossom. 

In yoga this ultimate seated posture is a way to connect firmly to the earth by the grounding of our legs while reaching up through the spine like the lotus toward the sun.

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.

Think about the oil light that goes on in your car.  Our cars are expensive investments we make.  Wouldn’t you want to do the small thing to maintain and service your car now then having to deal with the consequences of an expensive repair later?  Too often we treat our cars better than ourselves.  We have warning signs of stress until something catastrophic happens and then we are incapacitated for a time that I am sure is always inconvenient for us.

One of the many “tune-ups “ we can do for ourselves is to participate in a “slow activity.”  Slow activities are just what they sound like.  Think of some things that require that you pace yourself.

Slow activities can reduce your stress and blood pressure while improving your body’s ability to regulate sugar.  It improves mindfulness and mental focus.  The first step is to clear some room in your life.  That might mean looking at your priorities and realigning them. 

In an article “Stressed Out” by Natural Health it refers to it as the 4D’s.  Delete:  Ask yourself if your task is necessary, if not, don’t do it.  Delay: Reschedule a chore for a more appropriate time when you have all the information or time and energy to concentrate on it.  Diminish: Create a short cut or do less when it is really doesn’t matter.  Delegate: Turn tasks over to others who are willing and want to help.

Clearing the schedule to include gardening, a nap, a break in your day to walk around the park, quilting, painting, eating slowly, meditating are to name a few.  Of course yoga also falls into this category.  Slow yoga is restorative or yin yoga practices.   

As you practice yoga focus on systematically disengaging from your hectic pace and concentrate on opening your body in a nurturing, caring way.  If you find your mind becoming overactive, consider what is driving you today to feel anxious.  Ask yourself what is the most important purpose of my day?  Then be still and listen to the answer.

Following is the link to the picture and an article with more details about restorative yoga. Relax and Renew is the name of the book by Judith Lassiter and the system of restorative yoga for which Shelly is certified.

The three actions or processes of Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva are preservation, creation and destruction. Let’s look at these actions and characters in relation to the life of a garden tomato. That should be something we can easily understand. Before the tomato plant is even created, there is a seed. The seed is Vishnu. It is a preservation of the spark, information and potential of a tomato.

Planting the seed, sprouting, watering, sunshine, roots, leaves, stalk, growth, flowers, fruit are all examples of Brahma. There are many parts to the creation of a tomato just like in the Hindu creation story, all parts of the earth, plants and animals are made from Brahma’s different body parts after he came from the lotus flower.

Vishnu is also needed during the lifetime of the tomato. Sunshine and water preserve the plant’s integrity. A tomato cage or stake preserves the plant vine so it can grow taller. Around here in Rexburg blankets and buckets preserve the tomato from a summertime frost.

The harvester plays all three roles: Vishnu when the tomatoes are picked and preserved for the winter, Brahma when a new food is created like tomato sauce or salsa and Shiva when the fruit of the plant is removed and eaten and thus destroyed from its original form.

Shiva is the destroyer and there is a natural cycle of all things when destruction is necessary. At the end of the growing season frost and snow will eventually kill the plant. If the tomato has ripened completely and left on the vine it will eventually rot or dry up and return to the earth. This rotting process with enzymes or mold is Shiva. Bugs or animals that would come along and eat the plant also would be portrayed as Shiva the destroyer.

But inside the tomato there are seeds. Information and potential life force is preserved. The seeds represent Vishnu. Just like in the creation story, Vishnu rides on his couch on the cosmic sea of possibilities until the lotus flower blooms, Brahma appears and the cycle begins again. The tomato seed remains dormant all winter or for many years until planted and watered and the cycle begins again.

A yoga practice uses the elements of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The desire and intention for practice is Vishnu. The first breath and movement is Brahma. As each new posture is formed in the body, that is Brahma. As we breath and make subtle changes in each posture, that is Vishnu. Releasing a posture from the body and finally savasana is Shiva and the death of the practice.

We may not see the physical deity of Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva but the processes of preservation, creation and destruction are happening at every moment if we take notice.

Pictures from here and here.

Amid the timeless eternities of creation and destruction Vishnu is reclining on his bed which is a coiled serpent named Ananta. The cobra has 1000 heads that cover Vishnu and protect him. In our yoga stories, we learned about another cobra named Vasuki who was wrapped around the mountain while being pulled from both sides by gods and demons. Vasuki and Ananta are brothers. Snakes are a common element in the Hindu mythological stories.

The story continues and a lotus flower grows from Vishnu’s navel and in the lotus is Brahma with a face turned in each direction. All creation as we know it comes from Brahma including the earth, the heavens, sun, moon and planets. All the different animals and all the people come from his mouth, arms, thighs and feet.

But this universe only lasts for one day. A day to Lord Brahma is longer than four thousand million of the years that we know. Every night when Lord Brahma sleeps the world is destroyed. Every morning when he awakes it is created again. When the Lord Brahma of this universe has lived a lifetime of such days the universe is completely destroyed by Lord Shiva.

For an unimaginable period of time chaos and water alone exist. Then once again Lord Vishnu upon Ananta appears, floating on the vast ocean. From Lord Vishnu a lotus flower grows from Vishnu’s navel and in the lotus is Brahma with a face turned in each direction. This cycle continues for ever.

The two yoga postures that accompany this story are anantasana, Vishnu’s repose and padmasana, lotus.

Whether we are doing these featured postures, or any other posture, the creation story gives us a clue as to how to practice. Each day the universe is created. Each night it is destroyed. Each posture is a new creation. We build the structure of it with our body and breathe life and energy into it with the breath. What keeps the structure living and growing is our awareness in the body of how it feels.

If a moving in a posture becomes too automatic then it is essentially dead since the awareness and growth in that moment is gone. This becomes the greatest challenge then to the longtime practitioner, to keep breathing life, attention, awareness into each posture as if it were a new experience each time.

Picture from here
Story reference from here.

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.

As he lay dying at the end of his third lifetime he was visited by Shiva who asked him, “Bharadvja, What are you doing?”  Of course he replies that he is dying and wants to be taken with him.  Much to the astonishment of Bharadvaja, he is told “No, I won’t be taking you with me this time and I hope you finally learn your lesson about all this outrageous studying you’ve been doing!”  Of course Bharadvaja is surprised thinking he was doing it all for Shiva. 

Shiva reached through a window and picks up a handful of dirt from a nearby mountain.  He tells Bharadvaja that in his first lifetime he only learned about this much.  The second handful is placed next to the first and he is told that is about how much he learned during his second lifetime of study.  The last handful of dirt he reaches for represents his third lifetime. 

Bharadvaja is in tears.  With compassion it is explained to him that even though he knows more than anyone on the Vedas it is only “a handful compared to the mountain of information that is still left to be learned.”  He is told that he does not understand the true meaning because he “never bothered to share their grace and joy with others.  It is through sharing this wisdom that it will truly come alive and live beside you.”

Shiva decides to give him a second chance.  He gets one more lifetime.  In this lifetime Bharadvaja learns the lesson well and dedicates himself to sharing the joy and wisdom with others.  He spends time educating and showing compassion.  When he is back on his deathbed at the end of his life this time he is surrounded by students of many lands to pay him honor. 

He is visited by Shiva and asked “Do you see now how the wisdom of the Vedas is not contained within the knowing, but in the living and sharing of the wisdom?  Look how many souls are alight because of your grace and generosity.”  Then Shiva invites him to come with him.  Bharadvaja looks up at Shiva and declines knowing that he is most close to him when he is sharing joy with others.  “Living this great wisdom is more of a heaven that I could ever ask for.”                                              
What can we learn from this story?  Do you share your talents and gifts with others to bless their lives?  What brings you most joy?  What would it look like if you imparted the most beloved things dear to you to others?

Picture from here.

Garuda is sometimes depicted as having a golden body, white face, red wings, and an eagle’s beak, but with a man’s body. He wears a crown on his head. He is ancient and has size enough to block out the sun. In some stories Garuda must use his mythical powers to shrink to a smaller size.

In one version of balancing eagle, that is what we do, shrink into the core while still balancing on one foot. It’s challenging and creates heat, requires single-minded focus and builds strength in the legs and flexibility in the hips.

If you want to read more about the mythology and story of Garuda, go
here.

Pictures from here and here.