1.Lesson

As I told you in my last letter, about five years ago I decided to start studying yoga with the intention of doing some physical exercise that would not involve any danger of over exertion but would be a gentle attempt to change my life style patterns.  I will never forget the beginning asana (yoga posture) that we did in my first class. It is called the corpse pose and it requires the student to lie flat on the floor, on a yoga mat or towel. Close your eyes and allow the body to go limp. Adjust the arms and the legs as you become more comfortable. Now bring your attention to your feet. Inhale and as you exhale imagine all tension flowing out, like sand out of a bag. Work your way up the entire body gently inhaling and exhaling at a normal rate. Remain in this posture for at least one minute, allowing your entire organism to be a state of deep relaxation. If you have pain in your lower back it is beneficial to place a cushion under your knees. This is also a wonderful posture to do at any time during the day as a way to calm the body and mind. 

As you can see from this example, yoga is a psycho/physical discipline. It originated in India about 5000 years ago. The word yoga means union and refers to the union of Self with the Absolute. There are many types of yoga, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kripalu, Hatha, to name a few. The student may focus entirely on the physical aspect or may take it to the deeper level of spiritual development. While yoga is not a religion, it is connected to Hinduism.  At the inner core of each one of us spin several wheel like energy centers called chakras. Each one reflects an aspect of consciousness essential to our lives. Think of these centers as data banks that store all the memories and belief systems that we hold not only as individuals but as groups or tribes. Chakras are also called lotuses and like these flowers, have "petals", each one having it's own vibration and corresponding sound. Like flowers they can be open or closed, dying or budding, depending on the state of consciousness within. These centres of energy exist in the subtle body, that is the non- physical body that is superimposed on the physical body. We experience this aspect of ourselves as thought and feeling. The first chakra begins with the feet and includes the legs, large intestine and base of spine. It is also known as muladhara, a sanskrit word meaning root or support. We feel our connection to the Earth and experience the right to have through this chakra. Other issues related to this area are survival and security, sociological beliefs, superstitions, and all lessons related to the material world. Experiences that we have from ages 0 - 3/5 years will be stored in this part of our bodies. Malfunctions will manifest as obesity, hemorrhoids, constipation, sciatica, degenerative arthritis, anorexia nervosa and knee troubles.  In order to feel a connection to the earth it is important to feel grounded.

Grounding is a process of dynamic contact with the Earth. While mechanically our feet may be touching the ground, this contact is empty if we are cut off from the feelings in our legs and lower body. Through our roots we gain nourishment, stability, growth and a sense of belonging. Without this connection we are separated from nature, our source. We can harmonize our chakras through the foods we eat, colors we surround ourselves with, chanting certain sounds and most importantly examining our belief systems. Proteins are essential to the first chakra, whether they come from meat, eggs, beans or nuts and seeds. The color red and the sounds lam, lang and "o" as in "toe" are connected to the root chakra. There are many yoga postures and physical exercises that we can do to increase our sense of being grounded and connected to the earth. Tadasana or the mountain pose is one of my favorites and involves standing with the feet together, big toes touching, toes spread apart. Imagine roots growing from the soles of your feet reaching deep down into the earth. Feel the energy in your legs, tuck the pelvis under, lift the spine and imagine a long cord extending out through the top of your head. Allow the arms and hands to be by your sides and feel the energy flow down from the shoulders and out through the fingers.  Without a sense of balance and belonging, it becomes very difficult for us to have a harmonious existance. By developing our relationship with ourselves as individuals, we are in a much better position to contribute and to feel connection to society as a whole.