I have mentioned before that I lost my mother at an young age. It was a devastating time to lose her, but from my perspective, any time is devastating. In an ideal world, your mother is the one who is there to pick you up when you fall and tell you that everything is going to be all right. She is your biggest fan and she is always looking out for what is best for you. I know this is the ideal and even those of you whose mother is alive and well, did not have this experience. But what if we could turn this around and treat each other with the kindness of the archetypal mother?
This coming weekend, I have the opportunity to attend my first Iyengar Yoga Conference in Washington DC. The theme for the conference is Maitri which is translated as "friendliness". Patanjali's Yoga Sutra I.33 states: maitri karuna mudita upeksanam sukha duhkha punya apunya visayanam bhavanatah cittaprasadanam. Borrowing BKS Iyengar's translation: "Through cultivation of friendliness, compassion, joy, and indifference to pleasure and pain, virtue and vice respectively, the consciousness becomes favourably disposed, serene and benevolent." As many of you may be more familiar with Patanjali's Yoga Sutra I.3, yogas citta vrtti nirodhah, "Yoga is the cessation of the movements in the consciousness." Sutra I.33 is the remedy Patanjali offers to overcome the obstacles listed in Sutra I.29 and bring a serene, benevolent quality to the consciousness.
Even though many of us are aspiring yogis and yoginis, these may still seem like challenging qualities to cultivate. But what would happen if we practiced these qualities to the best of our ability for the next 30 days? Perhaps in honor of our mothers or other women in our lives who inspire us to be the best we can possibly be. Maybe you will find yourself wanting to continue the practice? Let us know how it goes.
To help set the tone, we would like to offer you two free yoga practices to inspire your daily practice. Please enjoy A Yin Yoga Sequence with Carrie Shuler and Garudasana with Cynthia Woodring. We will be releasing a special Moon Salutation Practice with Cynthia Woodring for Mother's Day. Stay Tuned.
In the Studio: Carrie Shuler Teaches A Yin Yoga Flow - Filmed by Saraswati at the Polarity Barn in Batesville, Virginia 2011. Carrie is a graduate of Asheville Yoga Center's teacher training program with Stephanie Keach. She believes that yoga is a beautiful metaphor for life, and that the infinite teachings on the mat are food for personal transformation. In this Yin Yoga Flow sequence, Carrie teaches the deep backbending pose, Saddle. Watch Now!
In the Studio: Learn to Soar with Garudasana! Filmed by Saraswati at Studio 206 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Hatha Yoga Teacher Cynthia Woodring breaks down the strength and poise required for Garudasana, Eagle Pose. In honor of Mother's Day, we will release another video with Cynthia Woodring teaching Moon Salutations. Stay Tuned. Watch Cynthia Teach Garudasana Now!
There is still time to enter our contest for a Discounted Sage Ticket to Wanderlust Vermont. One lucky iHanuman Newsletter subscriber will win 50% off one Sage ticket to Wanderlust Vermont 2012 !(a $235 value!) Simply click "Update Subscriber Preferences" at the bottom of your iHanuman newsletter. Click on the checkbox which says Wanderlust Ticket Giveaway 2012. Remember to SAVE and you're done! Please only enter if you can attend the festival June 21 - 24, 2012! Drawing will be held on Mother's Day! Update Now!
Thanks for helping to build the bridge with iHanuman.
Namaste.
Sara Miles Pope Agelasto
Co-Founder, iHanuman