Kurmasana – The tortoise

If this Hubble telescope image had to be described in a story might be told as the churning of the cosmic sea of milk. Maybe that is where this Hindu myth originated, from the spiraling cosmos itself.

Spiral Galaxy M74
Source: Hubblesite.org

We told this story earlier in the year when we learned about Cobra pose. A cobra, a mountain, a tortoise, gods and demons are the main characters in this story and creating a great spiraling in the great ocean of milk was the goal.

As we have learned the Hindu mythology, I have wondered how some of the more unbelievable and fantastic tales could have been created and why they lasted so long if they were just stories. But mythology is more than just a story. Its how man interacts with nature and with forces that are above and beyond man himself. So if earlier cultures had some knowledge about the spiraling nature of the solar system, then maybe the bulge in the center of the milky way could be described as a tortoise. The tortoise is holding up the mountain so it does not sink into the ocean. Then the gods and demons wrap the cobra around the mountain in order to push and pull, thus churning the cosmic sea.

Hubble telescope. Milky way

I can’t say for sure if that’s the origin, but maybe so. The myth of the world being supported on a tortoise is also found in Chinese and Native American myths. We have amazing images from the Hubble telescope, detailed scientific astronomic explanations for the immensity of space, but maybe the concept is easier taught when we hear a story of two teams pulling on a cobra rope.

From All Posters

In various mythologies the spiral is a globally positive symbol. Here are some of the meanings that have been attributed to the spiral.

Carl Jung, the famous psychiatrist, said that the spiral is an archetypal symbol that represents cosmic force. It has been associated with the cycles of time, the seasons, the cycle of birth, growth, death, and then rebirth. The cycles of time and nature are the cycles of life. Some consider the spiral a symbol of the spiritual journey. It is also considered to represent the process of learning and growing.

It seems that life doesn’t proceed in a straight line. The path of life more closely resemble a spiral. We seem to pass the same point over and over again but from a different perspective each time. The spiral stands for coming into being.

As we practice the tortoise pose, we make the body like the tortoise inside his shell. The posture provides the opportunity to withdraw from external distractions and pull deeply inward physically, mentally and even emotionally. When we withdraw within and meditate upon our experiences, this provides opportunity for growth and a spiraling to a new level of understanding and enlightenment.

resources: cosmic spiral
yoga basics

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