Saturday, November 21, 2009
Forest Yoga
Forest Yoga
Ananda-Upaya: Realization of Siva-nature without any yogic discipline. Also known as Ananda Yoga or Anupaya.
from the Glossary of the Siva Sutras
(Jaideva Singh)
To do this yoga, you must offer your body as a sacrifice. That is, you must open to the energies around you, let the god/goddess enter your being, where and how she desires. You must know that this is a sacred act, a gesture completed only when you and the divine are one.
This yoga is not taught in ashrams or yoga centers. It does not involve difficult postures nor swift gymnastic movements. Its aim is not to produce a sleek and supple body. It is not done under the scrutiny of a teacher or a guru. It is not described in books. It has no set techniques. It is a private transaction between you and that which is. It occurs in the forest of your mind but it is felt as sensuous joy in your flesh-body. It does not involve any kind of touching, and very little movement. It can come as intense ecstatic bliss or a gentle sweet flowing sensation. Whatever form it takes, the inner feeling tells you it is real, not mere imagination.
Thus, you can pursue this yoga in your living room or your bedroom, or any sacred space where no one else enters to disturb your ritual. It is best done standing and with few clothes on, certainly no leotards which cut the flow of the energies.
Once you enter this level of consciousness, you must let the energies flow as they will. Almost no movement is required. Sometimes flexing your fingers slightly or moving your eyes back and forth will be enough. Someone observing you might see no motion at all. You are now a conduit, a channel for energies beyond your conscious control. You and your subtle body are fused in single, holy awareness, for the subtle body is the place where the god enters and dwells.
Sometimes you may want to listen to sacred music as part of your practice. Then you and the music and your subtle body and your slight movement and the flowing energies are all one.
The word “yoga” means “union.” This is how the union feels. It issues from the goddess Kundalini, who resides in all of us, and waits for the right moment to awaken.
