Yoga Storytime: Hanuman(asana)
The Story of Hanuman
And the power of friendship.
Storytelling is our oldest form of communication. Hundreds and thousands of years ago, our ancestors sat around the fire to tell each other stories. Many of these stories were rich with lessons and symbolism woven in to explain complex ideas and/or educate the listener. Some stories have been so impactful that they’ve been passed down for thousands of years. We often refer to this as Mythology. Mythology is defined as being a collection of traditional stories associated with a specific culture. Many of us are familiar with Greek, Norse, Roman, Egyptian and Hindu Mythology.
Yoga mythology borrows from Hindu mythology to explain the archetypes of the asanas and some of the more complex and nuanced yogic philosophies. One great example of this is the story of Hanuman. This is only a snippet of the epic tale, Ramayana, but tells the life and story of Hanuman. Cursed with short term memory, Hanuman is not able to recognize his own power. It is through his deep love for his friend, King Ram, that he is able to discover his suppressed strength and save his loved ones from the evil demon Ravana.
Hanumanasana Variation.
Students are encouraged to modify this practice to meet their individual needs..
I am excited to offer this class so close to Valentines day to demonstrate that there are so many fulfilling and empowering types of love out there and friendship is one of them.
This class will be taught in a new format. We will begin by sitting around the proverbial fire for the telling of the story of Hanuman. We will practice a flow inspired by the story, using the three archetypal poses, anjayanasana, hanumanasana, and virasana. Each of these poses embodies the vitality, courage, and humble nature that Hanuman displays. We will close our practice with chanting, inspired from the story, and savansana.
Since this pop up is themed around love and friendship, it is encouraged but not required to bring a friend. Modifications will be provided for challenging asanas to make this available to all. Participants are encouraged to modify their practice to fit their individual needs and show up wherever they are.
By Christen Schritter