SUN/MOON YOGA

welcome

   "There is no path to reality. Reality is a pathless land, and you must venture out and discover it for yourself. It is because you are frightened inwardly that you depend on something, on the priest, or on a belief, and so you get caught in the net of an organized religion". - Krishnamurti 

 dharma: The purpose of any path is for us to transcend the path. Yoga included. (If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.) The historical Buddha followed several paths until they were no longer useful, before he had his awakening. The path is not the destination even though we confuse the two all the time. There is a Zen story about people using a boat to cross the river, and then carrying it on their backs as they continue on the other shore. Leave it behind. It's like going to the temple and worshiping the door instead of entering in. We cling to the path and mistake the method for the goal. We take it on as another identity. Look at the huge market for Om tee shirts, jewelry, clothing, bumper stickers. It happens in all religions/paths. In fact, there IS no destination, just the journey...a sacred pilgrimage.

Clinging to the path can lead to dogma, instead of growing in wisdom and insight. At worst people use religion to justify their own ignorance and prejudice. And violence! It's happened throughout history, and will probably happen in yoga. This doesn't mean you need to abandon your religion, but to go beyond a literal interpretation of your faith and listen to your own heart. At it's best, religion (the path) provides a framework for deeper connection with God.

The beauty and mystery of God is that it can never be fully discovered. (Where does he/she live? How late are they open?) We often have an idea of God based on our fears and desires. It takes courage to go beyond our limited concepts, through darkness, away from safety and comfort. Safety and comfort are what keep us asleep.

There are some excellent systems of yoga. Iyengar Yoga is brilliant. And yet it is still a system... Anusara is another. And of course most yoga is infused with Hinduism. Having said that, we all need a path at times for the direction and support it provides. It can help guide us through the maze of life.

In the 60's east came west. It was perfect and fit what was missing in our cultural religions - mysticism, energy awareness, meditation, embracing the wisdom of the body. It seemed like the answer. But answers are within. In retrospect, we just added a Hindu/Buddhist mix to our Judeo-Christian beliefs. Yoga points us inward, even as it encourages us to be of service to the world. At it's purest yoga is mystical and gets us out of the box of beliefs by giving us direct experience of spirit. Paramahansa Yogananda chose the name Self - Realization Fellowship for his organization - realizing the divine within ourselves. That says it all. 

        -- Paresh

PRACTICE: Feet are the foundation. They need to be open and supple to counteract years of wearing shoes. Try the following on a daily basis for happy feet: 

From Virasana - lean back so the knees and ankles lift off the floor and the tops of the feet begin to stretch. (You could also do this sitting in a chair or standing, resting the top of one foot on the floor and adding some weight.

Kneel down so that the knees and the bottoms of the toes contact the floor and hold the stretch.

From sitting in a chair, cross one leg over the other thigh and interlace fingers of the opposite hand in between the toes. 

From standing and leaning into the wall, do calf stretches, both with the knee bent and also with the knee straight, to stretch 2 different sets of muscles. 

Practice squatting positions such as Malasana to get more flexibility in the ankles.   

Activate the feet by lifting the toes and spreading them wide... do this in each standing posture.  Do it at home, brushing your teeth, standing in the shower, washing the dishes...