Guest article by Fabienne Costa, yoga teacher
This is the Light of the Sun that we choose
We meditate upon this splendid Light, Source of life
May our meditation illuminate our consciousness
O God, source of light,
Lead me from the unreal to the real,
From darkness to light,
From death to immortality
The great yoga postures (asāna) are archetypes: they show us a path of realization, which passes through the body, the breath, energy, and the psyche, leading us to a spiritual dimension.
They offer to whoever practices them a quality, a particular energy, immutable and universal.
Each of these postures carries, like a symbol, one of the secrets of the universe… Through the body, the asāna (= postures-positions-attitudes) invite us to live this symbolic language in our totality of body-mind-soul.
Likewise, astrology teaches us to feel and understand the different energies that compose us, represented, in the natal chart of each individual, by the 12 Signs of the Zodiac, the Planets, and the Houses.
We thus find on both sides (yoga and astrology) this same notion of archetypes and symbols.
In the sequence of the Sun Salutation, a yoga practice linking the awakening of energy and devotion to the creative solar principle, each asāna possesses its own symbolism, and I found it interesting to correlate them with the astrological signs.
The allegorical meaning of this practice, if one follows the order of realization of the asāna, could be summarized as follows: to establish oneself in the consciousness of the entire body, and to experience an opening of the being to the luminous source of life; then to realize the incarnation of this light into matter; to imbue oneself with this source of light until one feels one’s entire body become luminous; finally, to conclude the practice by recentering consciousness once again in the “here and now”.
We are thus far from a purely gymnastic exercise… Even though the physical aspect is very important (this activity, practiced daily, is moreover excellent for maintaining good health) !
Based on the study of traditional Hatha-Yoga texts, Indian spirituality (see notably the 108 Upanishads) and my personal practice of this sequence, and thanks to the knowledge and explanations of Christophe Guillaume on astrology, I wished to show a particular way of practicing and experiencing this sequence.
Let us say it right away: there are as many “Sun Salutations” as there are yoga teachers !
Starting from an original framework of postures, and in respect for tradition, each teacher creates certain variations…
The analogy between yoga and astrology is not fortuitous: it suffices to recall the symbolic interpretation of the word Hatha-Yoga in Sanskrit: the reunion/reunification/junction (the root yug- meaning yoke, harness, union) of the Sun (= Ha) and the Moon (= Tha), that is to say, of the two opposite and complementary polarities: the in-breath and the out-breath, the masculine and the feminine, the Animus and the Anima, the nadis (energy channels) Idā and Pingalā, day and night, etc.
Finally (and this is the purpose of this article), it is possible to practice this physical exercise by linking it to the symbolism of the zodiac signs: to feel in the body the energy expressed by each sign, in connection with the 4 Elements (Fire-Earth-Air-Water) of which each of us is constituted, and with the chakras (energy centers that we feel in our subtle body).
In short, the practice of this exercise starts from the physical body to reconnect us to something greater than ourselves: “saluting the Sun” is equivalent to prostrating oneself before the Divine…
It is therefore an analogical reading that we share with you: starting from the microcosm (the human body, the human psyche), we move toward the macrocosm, the Sun, the stars, the Universe…
We then feel all the links that exist between these two “worlds”, which form but one, to attain, little by little, humbly, slowly, but with sincerity and conviction, harmony and unity 😉
It is from the dual perspective of yoga and astrology that we have wished to share with you the fruit of our research…
To introduce you to the practice of this sequence, especially if you are beginning yoga and wish to discover this discipline (what yoga is and what it is not), it is important to be well accompanied and guided by a serious yoga teacher who has received long and continuous training.
The Sun Salutation, like astrology, is an evolutionary path… toward greater consciousness, greater spirituality, greater joy.
So… let us try to practice each asāna by feeling what connects it to the energy of each sign and to its corresponding element.
- Aries – Fire (backbend posture): standing, I rise toward the fire of the Sun and affirm who I am
- Taurus – Earth (forward bend posture): I prostrate myself toward the nurturing Earth, which gives me my stability, and rejoice in its riches
- Gemini – Air (opening and extension posture): I open my mind and express who I am, opening myself to communication
- Cancer – Water (forward bend posture): in this posture that resembles a hut, I keep my roots within me and consolidate the foundation of my feelings
- Leo – Fire (hands-supported posture): I connect to my strength, which allows me to advance with confidence in life, and to love who I am
- Virgo – Earth (forward crawling posture): I prostrate myself toward Mother Earth in an attitude of gratitude, of giving, and of service to the other
- Libra – Air (opening and backbend posture): I open my heart to connect with the other, in order to create together a harmonious “we”
- Scorpio – Water (forward bend and closing posture): I explore within my intimate hut the depths of my feelings and my unconscious
- Sagittarius – Fire (Hero of the Twins posture, in opening): I broaden and share my Knowledge toward the quest for a universal wisdom
- Capricorn – Earth (forward bend posture): I prostrate myself toward the Earth and toward my inner territory to assume who I am in my uniqueness, my solitude, and my responsibility as a human being
- Aquarius – Air (backbend posture): I rise toward the Sun, the Sky, and infinite Space in order to unite with all others in a movement of universal friendship
- Pisces – Water (standing Samasthiti posture): I gather myself in the infinite space of my heart to unite in a movement of universal love with the great All, with the Absolute that guides and fills me with wonder
You will find more details on the 12 sequences of the Sun Salutation on my website.
|
ASANA
| CHAKRA (ENERGY CENTER) | ZODIAC SIGN | MANTRA | TRANSLATION |
|
1.
Posture of Arms Raised to the Sky
(Hasta Uttanāsana) (Stretching, backward extension) | Vishuddhi (throat) |
Aries (Fire) | Om Mitraya Namaha | Salutation to the Universal Friend |
|
2.
Posture of Hands to Feet
(Pada Hastāsana) (Forward bend, inverted posture) | Svadhisthana (lower abdomen) |
Taurus (Earth) | Om Ravaye Namaha | Salutation to the One Who Shines |
| 3. Posture of the Mighty Hero or Warrior’s Salute (Virabhadrasana) (Backward extension, opening of the ribcage) | Ajna (between the eyebrows) |
Gemini (Air) | Om Suryaya Namaha | Salutation to the Lord of the Heavens |
| 4. Posture of the Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) (Forward bend, inverted posture) | Svadhisthana – lower abdomen |
Cancer (Water) | Om Bhanave Namaha | Salutation to the One Who Illuminates |
| 5. Posture of the Watcher (Dandasana) (Stretching of the back, arms-supported posture) |
Manipura
(navel)
| Leo (Fire) | Om Khagaya Namaha | Salutation to the Bird of the Sky |
| 6. Forward Crawl or Salutation of the Eight Limbs (Ashtanga Namaskara) (Forward bend) | Svadhisthana (lower abdomen) |
Virgo
(Earth) | Om Pushne Namaha | Salutation to the One Who Nourishes and Gives Strength |
| 7. Cobra (Bhujangasana) (Extension of the upper back) | Anahata (heart) | Libra (Air) | Om Hiranyagarbhaya Namaha | Salutation to the Cosmic Golden Germ |
| 8. Posture of the Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) (Forward bend, inverted posture) | Svadhisthana (lower abdomen) | Scorpio (Water) | Om Maricaye Namaha | Salutation to the Radiant Prince of the Dawn |
| 9. Posture of the Mighty Hero or Warrior’s Salute (Virabhadrasana) (Backward extension, opening of the ribcage) | Anahata (heart) and Ajna (center of the forehead) | Sagittarius (Fire) | Om Adityaya Namaha | Salutation to the Son of the Infinite |
|
10.
Posture of Hands to
Feet (Pada Hastāsana) (Forward bend, inverted posture) | Svadhisthana (lower abdomen) |
Capricorn
(Earth) | Om Savitre Namaha | Salutation to the Source of Life |
| 11. Posture of Arms Raised to the Sky (Hasta Uttanāsana) (Stretching, backward extension) | Vishuddhi (throat) |
Aquarius
(Air) | Om Arkaya Namaha | Salutation to the Supreme Flame |
|
12.
Posture of Prayer
(Pranamasana)
(Stretching,
standing posture)
| Anahata (heart) |
Pisces
(Water) | Om Bhaskaraya Namaha | Salutation to the One Who Illuminates the Universe |
Fabienne Costa