asana – Page 4 – The VeganAsana

I’ve been compiling a little list of root words. I’ll add to it over the next few weeks. Let me know if you see something that is off!

adho – downward
anga – limb
angusta – big toe
anna – food
ardha – half
asana – seat, posture
asta – eight
baddha – bound
baka – crow
bhujanga – serpent, cobra
cat / catur – four
chandra – moon
danda – staff
dhanu- bow
dwi – two
eka – one
garuda – eagle
go – cow
hala – plow
hasta – hand
indra/ endra – lord
janu – knee
jathara – stomach
kapota – pigeon
karna – ears
kona – angle
kurma – tortoise
mala – garland
mayura – peacock
mukha – face
mula – root
nava – boat
pada – foot
padma – lotus
parivrtta – crossed/twisted
parsva – side, lateral
pascima / pasci – west, or back
pinca – tailfeather
pranam – bow
prasarita – spread out
pursvo – front of body (or east)
raja – king
salabha – locust
sarvanga – all limbs
sava – corpse
sirsa – head
supta – reclining, supine
surya – sun
svana – dog
tada – mountain
tri – three
urdhva – upward
ustra – camel
utkata – awkward
utt – intense
uttan – stretch
utthita – extended
viparita – inverted
vira – hero
vrksa – tree

As is my habit on Friday morning, today I attended a 9:30 practice. As we moved into one of our warming poses, which involved a lunge with a bent back leg and knee on the ground, I felt my thigh turn into a massive ball of cramp. Since I have rheumatoid arthritis, and pain tends to be bilateral, I wasn’t shocked to feel the same on the second side. And then later I noticed that my ankles were also cramping and hurting.

My first response to all of this was to think, “Oh crap!” I was immediately out of the starting gate with a critique of my body and my practice. Whoosh! Self-criticism! Zip! Shame! Wheee! Annoyance! But then, an interesting thing happened. A little voice in my head spoke up and said, “so what?” And I actually stopped to consider it. So what if I couldn’t stay in a lunge very long. So what if straightening my leg into a arm balance wasn’t going to happen? So what if I had to take a child’s pose? So. What. It just doesn’t matter. No one cares. The poses are of the practice, but they are not the practice. And, as I reflected on this a little, my retroactive hearing suddenly connected it with what my instructor, Micki, had said just moments before about cultivating contentment (santosa, or santosha, or santohsa) on and off the mat. Be content with where you are. Try and then be ok with what the outcome is. Mmmhmm.

On this path effort never goes to waste, and there is no failure. Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear.
~ The Bhagavad Gita

This is a great things for me to remember in the rest of my life as well. This week, I’ve been upset and thinking (about a few different things), “I try so hard and still _______” – fill in the blank with what doesn’t happen that I think should or what does happen that I think shouldn’t. There too, I need to embrace my inner snarky pre-teen and say “So what?” It’s ok. It is what it is. Try and then be content with what happens. Let go of the struggle.

Santosa, babies, santosa!

Tag Archives: asana

A Sanskrit/Yoga Word Root Post

So What? Getting your Santosa On in Asana Practice