"Hamsa" and "Shala"

This past weekend, several retreatees asked if I had a business card. I asked Dayna if it would be alright for me to give them out since it was her retreat and I did not want to detract from her efforts. She was agreeable to the idea so I handed out all that I had in my bag.

Frequently, I found myself explaining what "hamsa" and "shala" meant, so thought that I would explain that here as well. I know that most of you understand these words, having been long-time students, but there are a few new souls here so it is a good idea to review these words and their Yogic meanings.

"Hamsa" means, literally, "swan, gander"; however, there are several alternate meanings. Such as, "advanced sannyasi", or "advanced renunciate". For example, I am a sannyasi or renunciate. The best translation for sannyasi in English is "nun", which, according to the dicitionary means, "a woman member of a religious order, esp. one bound by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience". So, as a Yogini, I did indeed take sannyasin vows. However, many in the States consider this to be a non-married woman, which is not necessarily the case. Just as Episcopal Priests can marry, so too can Yogins.

Likewise, "hamsa" refers to the breath/prana, as it moves within the body. Breath is seen as the physical manifestation of our spirit - that divine spark gifted us by god. When a baby is born, its first breath is an inhale, or "ham", and when we die or last breath is an exhale, "sa". So that every inhale is "ham" and every exhale is "sa". Hamsa then is considered the "innate mantra", or the one mantra that all living/breathing things share. Further, this idea is seen in the _Maha Vakya Upanishad_ (which is part of Ayurveda, or the health and healing aspect of Yoga). In this text, hamsa is expressed as "hamsa soham" or "I Am That / That Am I". This corresponds to Exodus 3:14 which reads:
"And God said unto Moses, "I AM THAT I AM": and he said, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."

Because hamsa is the breath/prana, it is also referred to as the "heart of Yoga". And so integral is the idea of hamsa to Yoga that there is even a Hamsa Chakra - which is part of Vishuddi Chakra or the throat chakra (which is, of course, were we breathe). According to Yogic thought, the Hamsa Chakra is the center of discrimination and discernment, which helps us choose the right course of action in our everyday lives. If we consider the breath again – Hamsa Soham / I Am That, That Am I – this makes sense, because, when we trust in god, all our actions are the right ones.

One of my favorite Yoga parables relates:
Hamsa kshveta ha, baka ha kshveta ha.Ko bhedo hansa bakayo ho.Neera ksheera vivek e tu.Hamsa ha hamsaksh, baka ha baka ha.

"The crane and the swan, both are white.So what is the difference between the two?If you mix water and milk together,the hamsa (swan) will drink only the milk.It can pull only the milk from the water,while the bakha (crane) cannot."

My idea of an inhale/hamsa mantra that is positive, and an exhale/bakha mantra that is negative, is based on this parable. For example, in class, when I have suggested that the students inhale something positive and exhale something negative – like joy and sadness, or prosperity and poverty, or calm and turmoil – we are using a form of our innate breath. Another way of expressing this idea is a common childhood sing-song: In with the good, out with the bad.

Hamsa, as the swan that is the 'heart of yoga' is the power of breath that is always with us, like the presence of god, but also assists us in rising above the stress of the physical world. And in so doing, allows us to fly, or evolve, upwards into our natural state of being.

Regarding "shala", that means both "school" and "sanctuary". Not only is it a place where we learn Yoga, but it is a refuge from the rush of daily living, which is why I have always encouraged the students of Hamsa Yogashala to go there to simply relax, unwind, nap or meditate.

Om Peace!
Yogini Valarie Devi