Sunday, May 18, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Graduation Day
Today was graduation day for our 2007-2008 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training class!
Worship is the effort on the part of the upasaka, he who does upasana, or worship, to reach the proximity or presence of God. Upasana literally means "sitting near" God.
Swami Sivananda
The new teachers performed a puja to formally close their 9 month training. Puja is ritual worship of one's chosen Ishta Devata, the personal form given to the formless energy of our Source. In Hindu philosophy (Advaita), there is no one God; there is only God.
God reveals Himself to His devotees in a variety of ways. He assumes the very form which the devotee has chosen for his worship. If you worship Him as Lord Hari with four hands, He will come to you as Hari. If you adore Him as Siva, He will give you darshan as Siva. If you worship Him as Christ or Allah, He will come to you as Christ or Allah.
Swami Sivananda
The puja is "God coming for a visit", much like an honored guest in one's home. The Ishta Devata is offered incense, food, water, flowers and prayers.
In the puja, the teachers offered up prayers of gratitude for the gift of the instruction they received and paid homage to the root gurus of our lineage. They asked for assistance and guidance in teaching Yoga. They received their new spiritual names and asked for support in integrating this new energy into their lives. Finally, they sent blessings to their dharma sisters and formally closed the ritual.
Our celebration moved to Treaty Park, home of one of the most amazing trees in all of Jacksonville. The Treaty Oak is massive and full of shakti. We took our class photo there- the tree was a beautiful reminder that the teachers will be anchored by the teachings of the root gurus and will, like the tree, continue to grow and flourish.
We broke our fasts together at 3 Layers, a new coffee shop in Springfield. The "Jeff Squares" rock!
Pranams to:
Erica Devi McLaughlin
Dawne Kumari Dowell
Sonja Tarini Reynolds
Stephanie Vimala Shieldhouse
Jayne Tara Parker
Natalie Prajna Lord
Mary Sivani Cobb
Bethany Uma Crawley
Rachel Suci Burney
Shannon Srila Kelly
Tru Vani Leverette
Worship is the effort on the part of the upasaka, he who does upasana, or worship, to reach the proximity or presence of God. Upasana literally means "sitting near" God.
Swami Sivananda
The new teachers performed a puja to formally close their 9 month training. Puja is ritual worship of one's chosen Ishta Devata, the personal form given to the formless energy of our Source. In Hindu philosophy (Advaita), there is no one God; there is only God.
God reveals Himself to His devotees in a variety of ways. He assumes the very form which the devotee has chosen for his worship. If you worship Him as Lord Hari with four hands, He will come to you as Hari. If you adore Him as Siva, He will give you darshan as Siva. If you worship Him as Christ or Allah, He will come to you as Christ or Allah.
Swami Sivananda
The puja is "God coming for a visit", much like an honored guest in one's home. The Ishta Devata is offered incense, food, water, flowers and prayers.
In the puja, the teachers offered up prayers of gratitude for the gift of the instruction they received and paid homage to the root gurus of our lineage. They asked for assistance and guidance in teaching Yoga. They received their new spiritual names and asked for support in integrating this new energy into their lives. Finally, they sent blessings to their dharma sisters and formally closed the ritual.
Our celebration moved to Treaty Park, home of one of the most amazing trees in all of Jacksonville. The Treaty Oak is massive and full of shakti. We took our class photo there- the tree was a beautiful reminder that the teachers will be anchored by the teachings of the root gurus and will, like the tree, continue to grow and flourish.
We broke our fasts together at 3 Layers, a new coffee shop in Springfield. The "Jeff Squares" rock!
Pranams to:
Erica Devi McLaughlin
Dawne Kumari Dowell
Sonja Tarini Reynolds
Stephanie Vimala Shieldhouse
Jayne Tara Parker
Natalie Prajna Lord
Mary Sivani Cobb
Bethany Uma Crawley
Rachel Suci Burney
Shannon Srila Kelly
Tru Vani Leverette
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