Thou Art That: Teaching Yoga on the Grassy Knoll: Kihei, HI: September 13, 2021

Look at this gorgeous tree! “As a man thinkith in his heart, so he is” —Proverbs 23. 7

One of yoga's great enunciations (mahavakya, in sanscrit) is Thou Art That. Such wisdom echos Proverbs 23.7 and what William Blake said when he wrote, "The tree which moves some to tears of joy, some eyes see as a Green thing that stand in it's way. As a man sees, so he is".

The practices of yoga help move our blind spots so we can see the deeper Truth more clearly (yoga sutra 1.3). One of the deities called upon to assist us is Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Yogi Scott Blossom translates Ganesha as the master of obstacles. Mastery over our tight spots is a much different energy than pretending they aren't there, or spiritually bypassing the difficult, turbulant times we are in and insisting it's all love and light.

We are capable of transcending our tight spots, and that's more than half the battle. Feeling into our unseen superpowers of our breath that flows, our heart that beats, our neurons that fire, our digestion nourishing our bodies are some one of the first steps in stepping into our own magic and power. We are capable of lives of exquisite beauty.

But we have to see it in our minds and desire it in our hearts first. The play is to find a balanced heart within to the life happening on the outside. Yogis suggest equanimity (upeaksanam) as an aligment to help us.

One of the ways to know it’s “working” is a quiet mind and a loving heart, no matter what pose we are in or what life event is happening.

Our practice on the Grassy Knoll is ripe for such teachings. The grass that supports us is soft and forgiving, the. air from the ocean is fresh and clean, the sun shines bright, and the chickens beg us to Wake Up! It's easy to see these things with our physical eyes, and our practice lately has been to develop our spiritual eyes and find the truth in the teachings that "Thou Art That". Tat Tvam Asi is the sanscrit from the Upanishads.

Here is our sequence this morning.

Sit

Uttitha sukasana
Three way shoulder stretches
Half cow arms
Cow arms with forward fold

Balasana-easy updog vinyasa
Barrel rolls

Downdog

Lunge
Twsited lunge
Warrior II
Warrior dance
Side Angle-Peaceful warrior vinyasa
Bound side angle
Lizard
Lizard twist

Downdog
Plank

Cobra
Locust
Locust variation

Eye of the needle
Reverse Pigeon

Bridge

Savasana

Sit
Namaste