Virabhadrasana.

Lord Shiva (The supreme ruler of the universe) was married to Sati, the daughter of a powerful priest named Daksha.  Daksha was against this union and when he held a magnificent Yajna (ritual sacrifice), he did not invite Lord Shiva or Sati.

Sati was determined to go to the Yajna and meet the people attending the ceremony, even though Shiva tried to dissuade her form going.  Upon her arrival, Sati was greeted coldly and she and Daksha got into an argument.  Sati was saddened and humiliated by her father and the way he criticised Shiva.

Sati became enraged and loathed her father, she trembled with disgust and indignation at  being so cruelly disappointed by her father.  She decided that it was her father who had given her this body, it was his blood in her veins and she no longer wanted to dwell within it.

Closing her eyes and going deep into a meditative trance, her body burst into flames (immolation).

When Shiva got word of his wife, Satis death, he was devastated. He pulled out tufts of his hair and threw them to the ground, where two of his fiercest warriors Virabhadra and Bhadrakali arose.



Virabhadra

Vira (Hero) + Bhadra (Friend). Shiva ordered these warriors to go to the Yajna and destroy Daksha and all the guests assembled.

Virabhadra, with swords in both hands, thrusts up through the earth from deep underground (virabhadrasana 1)

Establishing his arrival for everyone to see, he finds his opponent, Daksha (virabhadrasana 2)

Moving swiftly, he lunges forward and cuts off Daksha's head (virbhadrasa 3).

Meanwhile Shiva has performed the fearsome Tandava dance with Sati's charred body draped over his shoulders.  During this dance, Sati's body came apart and fell into fifty two pieces in different places around the world (called Shakti Peethas, and are places of pilgrimage.)

Shiva brings Daksha back to life and replaces his decapitated head with one of a goat.  Daksha spends the remainder of his life as a loyal and dedicated devotee of Shiva.

Meditation for peace.

May I be safe from internal and external harm.
May I have a calm clear mind and a peaceful loving heart.
May I be physically strong, healthy, and vital.
May I experience love, joy, wonder, and wisdom in this life just as it is.

Buddhist Metta Meditation to create peace in the world

How are you?

Just osmething to think about.

Stepping up and diving in.

Hello again.

This year I am really embracing my role as 'teacher' and with this comes a great responsibility to myself as well as my students. A very large part of exploring my role as a facilitator for growth and healing will be to come to terms with some of my greatest fears and insecurities and to really step into them, explore them and to not shy away from that which frightens me.

This is going to take a lot of courage, personal search, work and honesty. It is not an easy path, but it is unquestionably a worthwhile one.

My most pressing and ongoing struggle is my 'place' in this world. Whether I belong in this country or my home country? This is an inquiry that I am sure many of my friends are tired of exploring with me, as it has been an inquiry that has lasted 8 years and I still feel paralyzed to make this decision. Why am I so attached to finding this answer? Why not just relax and enjoy the gifts this city has to offer while I have chosen to live here?
I realize that it is not just the place I live or the people I surround myself with, it is the peace I need to find in myself to unattached, to let go and to trust that I am here for a reason and I am here to grow.


Some questions to consider:
1. Where is the discomfort in your body/life?
2. How long have you known about it?
3. What is it saying to you?
4. What have you done about it?

My goals for the coming year are as follows: I will learn new skills, I will take at least 3 dance classes a month, I will explore new teachers and try new restaurants. I will cook something new twice a month. I will try to worry less, and breathe more. And I will do a better job at blogging about my discoveries.

I am thrilled to embrace my dharma.

May the fun begin!

P.S
I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill-health.
There is no way to escape having ill-health.

I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love
are of the nature to change.
There is no way to escape being separated from them.

My actions are my only true belongings.
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.
My actions are the ground on which I stand.
~the buddha