Yoga Matrix, Yoga Crucible

Richard Freeman, a few years back, developed a yoga teaching series I enjoyed called "Yoga Matrix." In those teachings about yoga, he describes the human body as a matrix for transformation, including spiritual transformation.

He explained that the etymological root for matrix is the same as those for matrimony and matriarch. They are all related to the word mater, which means mother.

This name suggests that exploration of the human body is the fertile nurturing environment, the breeding ground, in which tremendous personal growth and change can take place.

In my last Daily Yoga Tip I promised I would write today about "the Mother of all Poses," salamba sarvangasana, shoulder stand.

In a very real sense, shoulder stand has earned this title because it is such a fruitful pose.

Its name gives a hint about why it's called the mother of all poses. Salamba sarvangasana does not translate as "shoulder stand." It literally means "supported whole body pose." The name itself communicates that this pose is so powerful it has beneficial effects on the whole body (not just the shoulders).

Christy Turlington reminds us that salamba sarvangasana is also known as the Mother because "it develops the feminine qualitites of patience and emotional stability." (See her book, Living Yoga.)

But the nuturing cocoon of the womb is not the only image we use for growth and transformation.

The destructive power of fire, agni in Sanskrit, is also used to symbolize powerful change.

Over the years of practicing and teaching yoga my view of salamba sarvangasana has evolved. From the beginning, it occurred for me as a powerful and beneficial pose that I always practiced for its comforting effects right before savasana, the corpse posture.

But now I can see more clearly that this mother of all poses can also be like fire...quite capable of destruction.

The more I teach, the more frequently I meet people for whom the pose is not a comforting, nurturing environment for growth and development. For them, it's a dangerous and debilitating pain in the neck...like fire.

I not referring to yoga dabblers, either. I'm talking about highly trained yogis, whose depth of subtlety and self exploration are rare. These people are neither sloppy, nor fool-hardy. They're careful and methodical.

But try as they might, they can't do shoulder stand without injury.

Just like your mother, salamba sarvangasana can be an amazing vehicle for change. But you can get burned, too.

Don't forget the fifth commandment: honor your father and your mother.

And don't forget the first rule of yoga, ahimsa, non-harming.

Don't just read about it. Get up. Experience it. Experience yoga!

Kevin Perry
www.ExperienceYoga.org

p.s., The Sanskrit word of the day from my last Daily Yoga Tip is mayura. Mayura means peacock, as in pincha mayurasana, the tail feathers of a peacock pose.

p.p.s., Today's Sanskrit word of the day is bhuja. I'll tell you what it means next time.

p.p.p.s, My heart goes out today to my friend and yoga teaching colleague Lisa, whose house burned down recently. She and her family are safe.

She welcomed us into her home on more than one occasion. She made us feel like family. She treated us with kindness and care, like the beautiful mother she is.

Now she's looking for the lesson in it all. She told me today she's repeating a mantra that you might find helpful: everything is happening today exactly as it is supposed to happen.

Shanti, shanti, shanti. Peace be with you, Lisa.

p.p.p.p.s., Almost exactly a year ago today I wrote about how many yogis find that salamba sarvangasana helps them lose weight. You can read that Daily Yoga Tip here. I wrote a Daily Yoga Tip about fire, too. Enjoy.

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved, Mo Yoga LLC.
Kevin Perry
Mo Yoga LLC
1305 Elmerine Ave
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 680-6737

Can't Keep Quiet About Mother

I got up yesterday morning--it was Mother's Day--and went to Memorial Park. It's a...well, it's a graveyard. And my mom is buried there.

My mom, Raemonda Ruth Perry, died on August 2nd, 2005. So this is the first time I've ever experienced a Mother's Day without her.

I miss her.

My Dad's been out of town, even out of the country, for over a month. So, I've missed him, too. He returned yesterday evening. Maybe there's some symmetry there.

Maybe there's some symmetry in my return, too. I haven't been writing this Daily Yoga Tip for a while. In fact, it occurs to me now that I haven't said anything about yoga here since the day my Dad left.

Honestly, for now, I can't figure it all out. But I think it's about assimilation.

I just checked it out. The Answers.com dictionary says assimilation is "The conversion of nutriments into living tissue; constructive metabolism."

In my case, it might mean that a lot of change has happened in my life and a period of silence was needed to take it all in, let it sink in.

Lest you think I'll never get to yoga, assimilation is one of the most incredible things I see as a yoga teacher and experience as a yoga practitioner. I get to see it over and over again.

It goes like this. Students practice an unfamiliar pose. They "can't do it" to their satisfaction. They fall, or they can't grab the body part their aiming for, or it's so far beyond them that it's a non-starter.

But they keep practicing yoga. They just don't practice that pose. Several weeks go by. Then, they practice the pose again. Now they can "do" it! We're all suprised. And thrilled.

During the between weeks, something happened.

I say their nervous sytems assimilated whatever information was received when they tried the pose the first time.

This is one of the greatest sources of encouragement for me in my day-to-day life. Below my normal everyday awareness, some pretty incredible things are happening. It's not until I act, until I do something, like try the really hard yoga pose again, that I discover something has changed! Transformation occurred.

Last weekend I was at Masterpeace studios in St. Louis with my teaching partner Sallie. We were teaching the Experience Sanskrit workshop. Things happening as they sometimes do, we got into a conversation with students about the difference between pincha mayurasana and mayurasana.

I've been doing pincha mayurasana for over a decade. But I've never done mayurasana, ever. Never. I haven't tried it in at least six months.

But in an attempt to show people what it looked like, I almost did it. I've never been that close before. Something had happened. I was amazed and encouraged.

So when you practice, take the long view. Practice regularly. And practice patiently. And know that beneath the surface of your awareness, some pretty incredible things are happening. Wait a bit. Keep practicing. And you'll see the results.

Dont' just read about it. Get up. Experience it. Experience yoga!

Kevin Perry
www.ExperienceYoga.org

p.s., The Sanskrit word of the day from my last Daily Yoga Tip is chatura. Chatura means four, as in chaturanga dandasana, the four-limbed staff pose. It looks and feels like a push-up.

p.p.s., Today's Sanskrit word of the day is mayura. I'll tell you what it means next time.

p.p.p.s, At dinner Sunday, I asked my mother-in-law, Frances Carter Dugger, if she would tell me something about her mother, Ida Lee Carter. Frances told us that her mother was literally a saint. That she always seemed to do the right thing. And that she inspired Frances to be a better person. Wow! I'm glad I asked. Please ask someone about his or her mother today. I think you'll be inspired, too.

p.p.p.p.s., I want to acknowledge here too that I've known Sallie Keeney as a co-worker, friend, business partner for nearly 8 years. All during that time she has told me probably hundreds of stories about her late mother Sally Diane Minter. I simply want to say thank you. I feel like I know her. And I'm honored to know her. I regret that I did not meet her while she was living.

p.p.p.p.p.s., I just realized now that a year ago on Mother's Day my mom went into the hospital with abdominal pain. You can read the Daily Yoga Tip I wrote that day when none of us knew it was liver cancer. It's here.

p.p.p.p.p.p.s., In honor of mothers everywhere, tomorrow I'm writing about "the Mother of All Asanas."

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved, Mo Yoga LLC.
Kevin Perry
Mo Yoga LLC
905 Eastland Plaza Suite B, #106
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 680-6737