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Inspiration from the Source

Story of the First Yogi

By Alice AbyssPublished about a year ago 5 min read
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Photo by Author

Photo by Author

Draw a breath... Now that's inspiration. Roots of the word 'inspiration' date back to Old French for 'breathing in’. Think of respire and inhalation. When we feel inspired by something, we bring it in, to meet our soul. It is the soul which muddies inspiriation into a puddle of creativity. We make it unique. Yoga is like any art; it started with a seed of inspiriational light. It started thousands of years ago. But the drop, the initial seed that forms the tree of yoga, is known as Shiva.

The source of yoga is not a teacher. It's a force. In this way every yogi is a vessel for the original teacher, Shiva.

Hinduism constructs myths around a formidable figure named Shiva. He is the destroyer of the universe and a harbinger of mischief. Shiva is blue. Vasuki, the King Cobra who lives around Shiva’s neck, bit his Lord. Snake venom turned him blue. He is depicted as remarkably peaceful and dedicated to meditation. He sits for hundreds of years at a time in union with each present moment. Shiva is ecstatic. He meditates for decades then dances in a burst of exuberance. In other instances he is depicted as full of fury. He murders and rapes. Vasuki allows Shiva to spit rithless truths from his throat chakra. Sometimes he is pictured in divine union with Shakti, his feminine essence. Shiva is nothing, yet everything. And, Shiva created yoga. In Sanskrit he's referred to as the 'Adiyogi' or 'Original Yogi'.

In myth we can find meaning on our mortal path. We can find intentions for our yogic practice. The myth’s of Shiva can inspire the heart’s yogi’s. Let us start with the myth of the creation of yoga. Shiva’s first wife was a goddess named Parvati. Together they had a son named Ganesha. But, Shiva was gone. He spent many years in deep meditation, high in the mountains. Shiva is a dedicated ascetic. Shiva had no idea he was a father. Twelve years after Ganesha was born, Shiva came down from the mountains to see his wife.

Little did Shiva know that Parvati asked Ganesha to protect her. Parvati asked him to stand outside their house while she was bathing and to never let anyone in. Ganesha was her guardian.

As Shiva approached the house Ganesha barred his entry. He refused to let him enter. Shiva had no idea he was meeting his son and Ganesha had no idea he was meeting his father. They were at odds. Shiva wanted to see his wife, but Ganesha was loyal to Parvati and sought to protect her from a man who was seemingly a stranger. they argued. Then Shiva, in a destructive rage, brought his axe upon Ganesha's neck. He unknowingly beheaded his own son.

Parvati ran from her bath when she heard the noise. She was distraught. How could Shiva do this? She cried and cried. She demanded that he fix what he had done. Shiva obliged. He instructed her to go into the forest, behead the first animal she found, and bring him its head.

So the grieving mother walked into the forest. The first animal she came upon was a baby elephant. Just as Shiva beheaded her son, she beheaded the young creature. When she brought the elephant head back to Shiva he attached the elephant's head to Ganesha's body. Shiva resurrected the boy.

Ganesha was alive once more, but not with his human head. He now had the head of an elephant. Ganesha lived on to become a prominent character in Hindu mythology, using his detachment from the human mind for transcendental wisdom.

In this way Shiva both destroyed and saved his family. But his work had just begun. He had a conversation with Parvati. He loved her very much and wanted her to be strong within herself. He told Parvati that she would never find fulfillment in having a son. He said to her that peace could not come from the external world. If she walked that path she would always be searching and seeking more. The way to enlightenment is not through material. We live in a universe of empty space. Shiva said Parvati must find that space within her. She must make peace with it. So he taught her how.

So Shiva created yoga. It was an act of love so his wife could feel her internal limitlessness. Yoga is not about stretching. Or strength. It's not even about balance. He created yoga as a means to show Parvati's mind, heart, and body that they can tap into more than just what happens to them. He created yoga to give the spirit somewhere to just be spirit. So Shiva taught Parvati and Parvati taught those around her. And now you're a student of yoga.

Yoga is a technology created for a specific purpose. We practice to rise above circumstance and unlock power within.

Parvati was a victim of circumstance. That is the human experience. Think of a circumstance in your life when you felt like her. It doesn't have to be as major as watching your son be beheaded by his father. That is a symbol. Are you frantic in your means to restore something? Do you demand the world around you change? Are you attached to your emotions? Use yoga as an opportunity for inner reflection. And rise above whatever you discover.

What we do during yoga is transcend... That is what Shiva taught. We still the mind and come to meet ourselves as ourselves. Shiva is a whisper of curiosity. It's what happens when we ask ourselves- What if I committed fully? What would happen if I become the practice? Complete and total transformation is what allows us to grow into who we are.

Shiva is not only a God and an ancient teacher. Shiva is where we go when we dissolve the illusion. Shiva is the force which animates yogis. Shiva is limitless space. When you are attuned to the source, the force of life is in your breath with every inhale. Yoga allows us to become an expression of Shiva.

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About the Creator

Alice Abyss

Adventure is calling...

My debut novel is coming soon <3

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