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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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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In Sanskrit, dhanur is an archer’s bow. The most famous and well-beloved archer in the yoga stories is Arjuna, friend of Krishna.
Krisha as the driver, Arjuna with his Gandiva bow
The poses in yoga are named in groups: animals, plants, birds, structures, yogis, Gods and sages. In the very name of a pose we can begin to look for its symbolic meaning. As we move into the pose and take on its shape we feel the somatic hidden meanings of the asana. We have the amazing opportunity to become an explorer, making our own discoveries within the richness of each pose.
B.K.S. Iyengar, author of “Light on Yoga” and creator of Iyengar yoga has said “the yogi’s body assumes many forms resembling a variety of creatures.” One of these creatures is the dog. Dogs and humans have lived side by side for thousands of years. We see dogs as faithful, loyal, watchful and loving.
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To learn about the lion pose – Simhasana, we must be introduced to 4 characters from Hindu mythology. Vishnu, Narasimha, Hiranyakashipu, and his son Prahlad.
Narasimha kills Hiranyakashipu
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