A Cliff Notes version of the story from the epic Mahabharata that explains Vishnu's appearance in his
tortoise-like form as Kurmavatara, inspiring the yoga pose kurmasana: During a war
against the Asuras (demon-gods), many of the Devas (demi-gods) perished. As a result, the Devas sought out Vishnu's
help in producing amrita (the nectar
of immortality) by churning the cosmic ocean.
The Devas decide to use Mount Mandara in the center of the ocean as the
churning rod and Vasuki, the king of the serpents on whom Vishnu rides, as the churning rope. The giant snake wraps himself around the mountain and the Asuras hold the head and the Devas hold
the tail and they pull back and forth.
As they begin to churn the mountain begins to sink into the ocean. As always when things go awry Vishnu manifests
into the world, this time in his tortoise form as Kurmavatar. He climbs under the mountain and holds it up
so the churning can continue. This process churns up a number of things from
the depths - one was the lethal poison known as halahala, which Shiva swallows to save humanity from certain death
and forever turns his throat blue. The
goddess Lakshmi also arises from the divine stirring, as well as jewels,
nymphs, and a divine cow. Eventually amrita is produced, and the Devas drink
to immortality.
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| A beautiful depiction of the Churning of the Milk Ocean at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bankok |
Vishnu represents the sustaining force of the Universe,
which is why he is the one to show up when life starts to fall apart, and there
are many
yogic practices associated with his mythical tortoise-form. The hard outer shell represents our practice-born ability
to stand strong beneath the churning of life, to support the often-turbulent
processes that we have to weather in search of a long and meaningful existence.
It represents the strength and stability we need to stay steadfast on our
spiritual path.
Kurmavatar
also epitomizes the fifth step on Patanjali's ashtanga
(eight-limbed) path: pratyahara or
withdrawal of the senses. Just as a
turtle draws its head and limbs into its shell for safety and protection, we
yogis develop the ability to draw into ourselves to protect our emotional and
mental well-being. In a world
increasingly filled with sensory overload, being able to bring awareness
inwards to a subtler, quieter, more refined state of being is essential to
living with authenticity. I know for me, the more I allow myself to be
bombarded with epithets, slogans, memes and hashtags, the more drawn out of
myself I become. I get sucked in by the
pretty noise and lose my center, meaning the decisions I make are less a
reflection of who I actually am than the person I’m being told I should
be.
Pratyahara gives us the ability to
draw our senses away from outer distractions so we can begin to
tap into what Sally Kempton calls “the meditation bandwidth” without
interference. As we draw our senses inwards, like a tortoise retreating into
its shell, we can access the more subtle layers of our awareness, and come
closer to our divine essence. Although is traditionally practiced
as a beginning or lead in to meditation practice, it is related to mindfulness practice and helpful in many situations
in our daily lives. For example, if we are watching TV or reading a book or
surfing our phones when we are eating a meal we are not tuned in to our bellies
and when they are actually full. See any
one of the numerous studies that have shown that people who eat in front of the
television overeat and make less healthy food choices. In relationships, if we can be aware of our
inner voice we can respond in the present situation from a place of connection
and calm. In asana practice, if we are tuned inwards to our own physical and
energy bodies we can feel the subtle movements and alignments that will bring
us deeper into our poses - the ones we miss when our minds wander off to how
lovely a fellow practitioners pose looks, or the adorable baby geese walking by
the windows.
The
most obvious attribute of the tortoise that can inform our yoga
practice is to simply slow down.
Spiritual practice, meaningful living, learning and growing take time
and practice. The tortoise way is represented by our continual dedication to putting one foot in front of the other, day after day, sometimes staring at
the backs of the ones who we feel have pulled ahead of us, seemingly absent of
the glory of the leader of the race, and yet the only way to get there.
Off
the Mat:
Take
time this week to practice drawing inwards.
Some ways to do this: designate a time each day where you can spend 5
minutes with your eyes closed, allowing the breath to draw you inside. Really, just start with 5 minutes! If it is working for you, gradually extend
the time each week and let a meditation practice begin to flourish. Or try eating a
meal with minimal distractions - no radio, TV, newspaper, phone - and chew each
bite 20 - 30 times.
On the Mat:
Practice forward bending postures which allow us to turn inwards
more easily. Do some good hamstring lengthening (like Adho Mukha Svanasana, supta Padangusthasana, and ardhahanumanasana or ardha gomukhasana) as well as shoulder openers (garudasana arms work particularly well) working on creating a long
spine before a gentle turtle-shell curve in kurmasana. If full kurmasana
is too deep, upavista konasana or paschimottanasana sitting on a blanket
with a strap are good alternatives.
For the Anusara Junkies:
Open to Grace: Fill the inner body with life
sustaining breath.
Breathe in and fill yourself with all that supports
and holds you steady in practice and in life.
Muscular Energy: Draw from skin –muscle-bone and draw
awareness from surface distractions to inner peace and tranquility.
Hug legs to the midline, into a still, calm, quiet
place inside.
Organic Energy: Lengthen the spine by expanding away
from the focal point, then create a gentle curve.
(In seated forward bends) Root from the PFP down to
the earth, and rise up through the spine expanding your inner quiet state
through the whole pose.
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