“Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.”
– Amelia Earhart

Weekly Focus: Abhaya (fearlessness)

Named as one of the spiritual virtues in the Bhagavad Gita, Abhaya is fearlnessness, strength and courage. Setting aside fear allows us to overcome our difficulties and avoid hindrances so that we might live in more harmony and peace with the world. 

So many decisions and situations in life are dictated by fear. Fear leads to apprehensions, anxieties, indecision, lack of confidence, avoidance, and so much more. When we pause to reflect on our negative reactions and patterns, we can usually trace them all the way back to the root of fear within us. 

The Bhagavad Gita is the narration of the warrior Arjuna conversing with his friend and divine being, Krishna, just before battle. Krishna tackles the topic of fear repeatedly throughout this beautiful narrative. Krishna reminds us that it is not suppression of fear we seek but rather a dissolving of our fears. This dissolution comes from awakening to our eternal nature and seeking refuge within that divinity.

When we release fear there is less resistance to life, less resistance to change. We have more acceptance of challenge and struggle. The worries associated with fear do not prolong or hinder our processes, leading to anxieties and stress. We are able find ourselves in a calmer and more contented state of mind from day to day. 

So how do we release our fears? We must first recognize them. When we notice ourselves falling into negative or destructive patterns, we take time to pause and consider the WHY behind our thoughts and actions. What is leading us towards this path? What are we afraid of? Are we ready to dispel that fear?

The process is a challenge and we aren’t always ready to take on our fears. Don’t let this be a discouragement. The first step is acknowledgement and recognition. Even this small act begins the process of stepping into Abhaya.

Passive Pose of the Week: Malasana (garland pose)

Malasana is a deep squat them helps us to drop into ourselves and get grounded. This rooting is a powerful skill as we prepare to step into Abhaya and look into our fears. 

• Begin standing. Step the feet wider than the hips. You may prefer to turn the toes out slightly or keep them straight forward. You choose!
• Bend your knees and drop your hips low. Try to keep the chest tall and lifted. 
• Let yourself sink as far into a squat as you are able to.
• Hold for 5 – 7 breaths before standing out of the pose.

Squat depth and comfort is effected by many things – how is your ankle mobility? How is your hip mobility? What is the length of your femurs? Your torso? Taking all of this into account will impact how you set up for the pose. Most people prefer their feet just outside of hips-width distance, but some folx may like their feet even a little wider. Some people will keep their toes pointing forward and others will prefer a turned out foot position. Play with different stances to see where you have the best combination of depth and comfort in the pose. 

Active Pose of the Week: Vyaghrasana (tiger pose)