BHUJANGASANA – BECOMING WATER ON LAND
In sanscrit, bhu implies “becoming, being, existed” and
bhuja invokes the vibration of winding, coiling, curling and
anga, the form of an arm or a breast.
Bhujanghasana is one of yoga’s most sacred and ancient forms. It holds a collective presence that is of great importance to almost every native culture and every spiritual tradition. The serpent is a symbol of water, of transformation, of creation, power, of life eternal.
When we invoke the serpent, the cobra, we choose to re-enact the creation of life itself. We slide into eros, the rich sensual experiencing that returns us to not only our full humanness, but also to our connection with all life on our planet. We are choosing to step into a river of all of life, authentically lived, unbound by cultural ties. The invocation of theserpent in our own bodies awakens ancient cellular memory and cosmic vibratory information. We become imbibed with a timeless knowing of flow, change, birth and death and rebirth. We somatically learn about saturating and being saturated as one and the same. The experience of truly entering in resonance with Bhujangasana connects us with the womb-rhythm, the earth-rhythm, the primordial presence that lingers inside of us.
Entering these slower pulsations of life require time. Time to feel, time to wait to feel, time that may step out of “clock time” and is ample enough to widen your perception into more possibilities for recalling the ancient movements of the serpent within your body. As you slow down, you will sense that primordial movement is inherent within you . . . for example the peristalsis of the intestines, the flush of the venous flow of the blood, the division and migration of cells. Slip your mind under your skin and feel your way along the ground as
you enter the inner temple of your serpent-self.
More and more, I am sensing that ALL yoga forms are the serpent transforming its collective self through bio-movements.
WEEK 3 HOMEWORK
Please read the above reflections about Bhujanghasana (Gesture of the Serpent)
2. Please reflect upon the Bhujanghasana and Midline practice from Wed 26/02 - if you need to watch the replay and/or practice again. If you wish to practice it again, you may try it with the audio only version, as that may give a different feeling sense than when you are using your visual senses.
3. Please write your reflections upon the practice itself . . . and how it expressed through you. Give some attention to the following questions as a way to reflect: (you do not need to answer every question, but this gives some ideas around which to start)
What was the general feeling tone of the practice for you?
Is there any particular part of the practice that you found a deeper connection with?
Is there any particular part of the practice that what difficult for you or you had resistance towards?
How to you relate to movement of your tongue in instinctual or primordial ways? Does it change how your movement expresses?
What was the general feeling tone within you after the practice? Have you had any dreams in the nights that you can remember (you can share or you do not need to)
Did you have any emotional feeling from this practice?
Is there any particular body messages that arise from this practice?
Do you have any questions about this practice?
Please submit your reflections in doc. or pdf. format to ateekayoga@gmail.com by Wednesday 5 March 2025.