Tree of Life: The TRUNK

Tree of Life: The TRUNK

Yoga is not a religion. It does not replace religion, but is a wonderful complement. Yoga welcomes all religious backgrounds or none at all. It teaches that we are spiritual beings in human form. Our bodies are a temporary vehicle through which we are having a human experience that should edify our souls. It teaches LOVE.

Yoga philosophy believes that each of us has a soul - ATMAN. We also have the mind and body. Our true identity can only be found when these are blended into one unified whole: Holistic. This is the TRUNK of yoga, the foundation. As branches extend from the Tree of Life, the branches of yoga extend from this grounding principle. This includes the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 200 A.D.

image source

Balasana | Child's Pose

image source

Tree of Life: The ROOTS

Tree of Life: The ROOTS

The ancient science of Yoga has been discovered by archeologists in multiple ancient civilizations. The geographic vastness in which some of these civilizations existed apart from each other is so amazing! Somehow they all practiced a form of yoga. This includes ancient India, China, Tibet, and also Mayan cultures all the way on the South American continent - Oceans away from Asia. They each created a system of yoga and passed down the practice from teacher to student from generation to generation.

The Indus River Valley civilization was the first, however, to fully develop the mind/body/spirit science and preserve it into the 21st century. The birth date of yoga is between 3,000 - 1,900 B.C.

image source

Tree of Life

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life symbolizes the seven branches of yoga: Hatha, Raja, Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Tantra, and Mantra. It is compared to the uncommon Banyan tree. This tree is huge and strong with curling exposed roots like huge branches gnarling into the earth. The trunk is so massive it would take at least 5 people to wrap around its circumference. It offers a solid foundation and provides a perfect metaphor to yoga.

image source

You Must Not Lose Faith in Humanity

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty the ocean does not become dirty.

-Gandhi

image source

Balasana - Child's Pose

Sun and Moon

Just like the sun and moon, everything has an internal source of energy. In our bodies, the sun and moon occupy opposing halves similar to the concept of yin and yang. The moon represents the left energy channel (ida nadi) and the sun represents the right energy channel (pingala nadi). Our goal is to achieve and maintain BALANCE between both.

"As above, so below. As without, so within."

Sun and Moon

Sun and Moon

Just like the sun and moon, everything has an internal source of energy. In our bodies, the sun and moon occupy opposing halves similar to the concept of yin and yang. The moon represents the left energy channel (ida nadi) and the sun represents the right energy channel (pingala nadi). Our goal is to achieve and maintain BALANCE between both.

"As above, so below. As without, so within."