"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

Yoga for Christians

Camille, my dear Yoga friend, and I, spent the weekend at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit attending a "Yoga for Christians" retreat.
http://www.trappist.net/

It was presented by Dayna Gelinas of New Day Yoga, and Father Thomas Francis, a Cistercian Monk. The focus of Dayna’s practice is, "to lead people, through yoga and centering prayer, toward a fuller life in Christ, led by the Holy Spirit, renewed in mind, and strengthened in body."
http://www.newdayyoga.com/

Frather Thomas' focus is on the "need to deepen our commitment to God" through Contemplative Prayer or "understanding and experiencing the central place of the Triune-God in [our] lives" (*).

Camille and I shared a room, ate many of our meals together, and sat next to each other during the presentations – and for myself, I had a wonderful time.

By far, this was the most beautiful and meaningful Christian experience I have ever had the joy of partaking in. Likewise, the retreat was educational. For example, I have long sought out those bible verses that relate to Yoga, breathing and meditation, and now I have many wonderful examples.

By way of comparison, I could discern little difference between Yoga as it is taught in an ashram and Yoga as it was presented by Dayna at the Monastery. Our rooms were clean and ample for our needs; silence/mauna ("instrospection and reflection") was emphasized and rewarding; ritual/puja ("worship, adoration") was loving, gentle and filled with divine energy; and the monks/swamis ("master of Self") embodied the difference between reading spiritual scripture and living a spiritual life.

Dayna's asanas were gentle and nurturing, relating the basic Yoga 'limbs', namely: asana/body; pranayama/breathwork; dharana/concentration, chanting; dhyana/meditation, prayer; and Samadhi/contemplation. The only term I was unable to immediately identify to its original Yogic model was "Centeredness Prayer". I was finally able to make that correlation during Father Thomas' presentation on Centeredness Prayer, which he likewise referred to as "Contemplative Prayer". Both terms are the English equivalent of Samadhi Dhyana, or "meditation on the triad, sameness meditation".

For example, Yoga is meant to prepare us for Samadhi Dhyana, which is the highest state of meditation/prayer, in which our spirit resides within its natural state – unfettered by body and soul – within the god-self, or, as Father Thomas expressed, "within God-Triune". To stress how identical these two ideas are, both of them – Centeredness/Contemplative Prayer and Samadhi Dhyana – are conditions that are present all the time because they reflect our natural and true being. So that when we learn the Samadhi/Contemplative practice, we open ourselves to our inner grace.

The only unfamiliar aspect of the weekend was the food in which we ate (which I can not say was the same for what the monks ate). The food, though sufficient for our needs, was overly processed, which is quite unlike my experiences in ashrams (Hindu monasteries). One of the five basic aspects of Yoga is "right diet", or Ayurvedic diet, which means eating pure/sattvic food, high in the lifeforce/prana. Food that is pure, close to the source, without preservatives or artificial flavorings calms the mind and sharpens the intellect. Such a diet is easily digested, supplies maximum energy, increases vitality, and eliminates fatigue, so has a profound effect on the physical and spiritual body. This is why Yogi’s for thousands of years have preferred a pure/sattvic diet to one that is denuded of the lifeforce. Eating like a Yogi helps us attain and maintain a high standard of health, a keen intellect, and serenity of mind.

Because I brought fresh fruit and nuts with me, this was a small matter in a sea of metta/loving kindness. In all, I always knew that Christianity and Yoga shared a similar ideal, I just never realized how much – let alone how much information a Monk would have on the subject. Father Thomas, for example, related during his presentation that he "read, reflected, responded and received" wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita and considered it 'one of the worlds greatest spiritual god-texts', and that he particularily enjoyed the writings of Sri Ramana Maharshi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramana_Maharshi

In all, this was a blessed and joy-filled weekend with my own personal "trinity" of: Camille, Dayna and Father Thomas.

Om Peace!
Yogini Valarie Devi

*Angels: Our Guides to Contemplation for the Third Millennium – Trinitarian and Cosmic, by Father Thomas Francis, O.C.S.O., pages 3-4.