Yoga talking

This morning my Ashtanga teacher gave a short talk about the Sanskrit language and its roll in yoga. Sanskrit is believed to have been created by the sages and structured so that the five areas of your mouth and the breath is being fully used while speaking it, creating the word's cosmic vibration - its significance. Yoga talking.

She asked that during our practice we say the name of each pose prior to doing it and in doing so honor the tradition of yoga and the significance of its name. And in saying its name calling the presence of the pose to you and your focus to it. Connecting to the vibrational structure of the word and the pose and so tapping into the vibration structure of the everything.

I realized that I already do this during my practice say the name silently to myself, I was using it as a tool to learn the Primary series sequence and also because the language is very fun to say. This took it to another level for me. I started thinking that the names when spoken make a song, a poem, a prayer. Yoga has always felt to me like a prayer in motion. Connecting with something beyond yourself by getting really in touch with the self.

The whole thing makes me want to rap out the primary series while dancing around through the prayers.