Ganesha - Remover of obstacles

Wonderful Ganesha

 'Om Gam Ganapataye Namah'

Salutations to Lord Ganesha 

Yoga is generally considered to be more spiritual in nature than religious yet many of the images are drawn from Hinduism. The worship of prominent deities - Shiva, Ganesha, Kali, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati just to name a few -  are thought to represent different aspects of  pure consciousness or the One Supreme Divinity (Brahman). Stories of the Gods are found in the sacred scriptures like the Upanishads, or Vedanta (end of the Vedas). Each deity has a multitude of names, specific symbolic expressions, often a cohort and a respected animal mount (vahana).

I fell in love with Ganesha on my first visit to India years ago in my twenties (quite some time back now). He was often seen in restaurants and businesses as a sign of prudence and prosperity. I liked his generous size, big buddha belly and the way he was usually quietly smiling as if to say 'Everything is okay".

 Ganesha in Bali photo by Margot Porter

What does Ganesha stand for?

Ganesha, often called Ganapati, is the God of wisdom, education, prudence and prosperity. He is  a much beloved deity to many in the west and is easy to identify with his elephant's head. Not only can Ganesha remove material or worldly obstacles, he can remove spiritual obstacles, but interestingly he can also place obstacles in the path of those needing a fresh perspective.  

The rotund, generous and jolly Ganesha encourages lateral thinking  thinking outside your usual boundaries to approach situations and find solutions. Indeed he opens the way to reinforce ideas and approaches that are emphasise cleverness rather than physical attributes such as brute strength and speed. He is often depicted riding on a rat (his vahana) and the rat signifies Ganesha's ability to conquer all hindrances that could compromise his prosperity

Ganesha in Bali photo by Margot Porter

Storytime

His elephant head is a result of an altercation with his father Shiva. The story goes that Paravati wanted a son and so fashioned one out of clay. One day Paravati and her ladies of the house were bathing and Ganesha was put at the front gate to stand guard and prevent anyone from entering. Shiva weary from figthing came home to find a strapping young man standing guard at his front door. He explained and tried to get Ganesha to let him in but Ganesha stood his ground. In exasperation Shiva chopped off his head (as you do in great historical works) and rushed into the house only to discover that he had chopped of his son's head. Paravati distraught insisted he find a replacement and so Shiva raced off and came back with the head of a young elephant and replaced gave this head to Ganesha. And that my friends is how he ended up with an elephant's head... 

In many ways this story speaks to us all as we have all had a moment of anger or rage acting in a reactive or emotional state instead of stepping back and considering a calm and sattvic response. Ganesha reminds us of being present with what is and acting thoughtfully from a place of wisdom not habit.

 Your turn...

What obstacle stands in your way of living a more authentic, prosperous and peaceful life?

Would love to hear your thoughts...

Om shanti, Margot XX

Thank you - Spring Retreat yoginis and yogis!

Hello spring yoginis and yogis,

What a marvellous and magnificent weekend! Thank you everyone for being yourselves and sharing your sunny and positive energy. The vibe and energy of a retreat is determined by the people who attend and you made it truly sparkle. Great feedback- overwhelmingly positive, though of course, everything changes so our next retreat will be a little different - intrigued.

Relaxing

 Your thoughts

"Margot you continue to grow and offer so much as a teacher. I think it is good how you are very much on a journey and embracing change, not staying stagnant like some teachers do. Love learning from you, Margot." Jen

"Margot it’s a credit to you that you make every retreat so special; and a bit different each time. I admire your creativity, the fact that six other yoga teachers attended goes to show that your thoroughness, knowledge, creativity and spirituality inspires not just the ordinary yoga girl like me but teachers as well." Maria 

"Thanks again for the refreshing weekend my collarbones and heart space are singing with space, and peace, even my shoulders feel good. Much looser, I was surprised to feel so good after the weekend , I didn't have any aches or pains. Just a nice relaxed feeling, and nice loose muscles." Karen

 "The weekend retreat was just brilliant. Jan and I realised the massive amount of planning, choreography and rehearsing included, that was needed behind such a cruisy and carefree weekend. From start to finish it was balanced, heart opening and uplifting.

Thank you so much" Susan 

Comments on the new mandala making were very favourable with people really enjoying the opportunity to connect with nature and some quiet time. The Kirtana, on the hand, was a rousing and vibrant musical mediation to end our yogic day. Thanks Andrea and Shaun.

Thanks again to all the crew at SIBA for all their hard work in so many ways. Thanks to Marc and my friend Caitilin for supporting me and Marc again this time for taking some FAB photos. Thank you universe for the beautiful weather. Look forward to seeing you again. 

Om shanti, Margot and Marc XXOO

(for more photos go to the retreat page)

 

Yoga: thoughts on daily practice: Humility leads to gratitude

 

Our Ganesha outside in nature. Photo by Margot Porter.

Humility leads to...

Humility is the act of bowing my head to Ganesha as I begin practice (my day) and gives time to note that the state of body, mind and ego are a smaller part of something of much bigger: the cosmic spin of life and energy. All I have to do is my best and slow down. Challenging sequences or individual poses ask me simply to be present, to be here in each moment with humility just as in life when I react to an experience. My yoga practice supports me by giving me space and practice at stepping back and really assessing my thoughts/emotions/reactions before acting- inaction in action. After all it is not the experience itself that is creating waves of attachment or aversion but the reaction to it.  It does not matter how many times I perform a beautiful handstand or for that matter fall out again - I just have to breathe and let the moment shape me.

So humility is kind of like 'ahimsa' or loving kindness/non-violence (the first yama from Patanjali's 8 limbs of Yoga) in that you make peace with yourself and stop pushing, hurting, trying to achieve that little bit more stretch or strength instead just be part of the swirling energy mass that is the world. It could be that humility is not a passive state and further changes perhaps even that you can encourage this state of being. Nip that negative thought in the bud...snap out of that moment of self- critiquing or comparing because we are all amazing just as we are. This sense of humility lends itself easily, naturally to gratitude.

 

Dedicate your practice make it an offering then go forth and shine.

... gratitude.

And gratitude is like santosha or contentment - one of the niyamas again from Patanjali. When life is cruising along and all is going well gratitude helps us to celebrate the goodness in life and when life takes a turn in a different direction then being grateful has the power to energise. Gratitude looks despair, depression, de-moralisation and brokenness square in the face and gives us the power to hope and the fibre to cope with hard times.

Yoga is on and off the mat! Time on my yoga mat is a way to keep reminding, reinforcing and reinvigorating me to keep trying to be kind, to be grateful for all that is. 

I am grateful for having a mat (probably don't even need one).

I am grateful making some time for myself - a luxury for many.

I am grateful for all my teachers.

I am grateful for me who is my greatest teacher even though I have to repeat many lessons.

 I am grateful for my practice that lets me know it is just a practice to feel into this life in this moment and all is well.

Go forth and shine. Light and laughter, 

Margot

 

 

Yoga - thoughts on daily practice: Humility

"Wisdom is knowing I am nothing, love is knowing I am everything, and between the two my life moves."

Nisargadatta Maharaj

If I am to believe the images that yoga marketing and media promote I will be a real yogi when I can tie myself in knots like a pretzel while standing on my head. Of course, I need to either have a look of sublime ‘I am so blissed out’ aka as my partner refers to it ‘the yoga stone’ or a look of stern seriousness. I am not having a go at the magazines/websites etc as the accompanying texts often extol approaching yoga with loving kindness and acceptance of our potential as well as our limitations. 

I admit I am very flexible though lack strength and can indeed make pretzel like shapes with my body on occasion, however, my attraction to yoga at a physical level is for strength, stability and balance. The benefits to my mental and emotional well being have been tremendous and this is what keeps coming back for more.

 

Wild thing. Photo by Marc Perri

Physical humbling...

Over the years, I have generally been able to keep up a regular asana/pranayama physical yoga practice until last year. I was really unwell and for months found it difficult to even make it to my mat (or even out of bed) let alone perform a pose more difficult than child’s pose. I had time to really think about what my yoga practice could be although with not much sleep even thinking was difficult. Each action throughout the day is yoga if done with connection: breath, body, mind and spirit. I think Elisabeth Bailey captured this idea in her book “The Sound of One Snail Eating.” A great read when you are resting and rejuvenating from your life of doing!

Yoga is not all about poses although it does appear this way in many Western yoga classes- asana, asana, asana! Sure we can reconnect and explore amazing insights/breakthroughs via the body but surely the myriad of yoga practice/inspiration offers so much more. A rest from physical practice is still yoga as yoga is a way to move through and with the cosmic swirl not as separate but together. Meditation and mindfulness practices can be done even when visible movement is not possible…each moment is a chance to embrace the now. 

Mental bumbling... 

 I like doing as many in the modern day do - busy, busy, busy, do, do, do - which brings me to humility… when you learn to 'be' not 'do' and find contentment in this state knowing it is enough to not need to prove anything to anyone. 

Definition: humility

[hyoo-mil-i-tee]

noun

1. the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.

Humility is a state of being that cracks open our delusion our little nest is immune from life’s ups and downs and throws us head first into the fire. Humility strips us down and removes illusions of being secure, of being apart from others or in some way different. It helps us recognise with full force how delicate, vulnerable and exquisitely beautiful nature truly is and how it all changes, transforms and is ephemeral just like our thoughts, emotions, responses and our bodies. 

Making mandalas helps me to quieten down and become in the flow with the rhythm of nature. A meditation practice. The wind in the trees, the hum of the bees, the beat of my heart - all one moving together. The mandalas do not last they blow away in the wind, get trampled by the rain, and like thoughts arise and dissolve. They are humbling...nature does not create this amazing beauty with idea that it will last forever. It keeps changing, morphing, transforming.

Peace be with you,

Margot

Inspiration for your practice

 Inspiration for Your Practice

Lotus flower photo by Margot Porter

"As a bee seeks nectar from all kinds of flowers seek teachings everywhere. 

 Like a deer that finds a quiet place to graze seek seclusion to digest all that you have gathered. 

Like a mad one beyond all limits go where you please and live like a lion completely free of all fear.”
 

Dzogchen tantra