Grasshoppers
Shelach 2010/5770
KOSHER SUTRA 'In our eyes, we seemed like grasshoppers' (Numb 13:33)
SOUL SOLUTION Positive thinking, positive feeling.
BIBLIYOGA POSE Locust
BODY BENEFITS Strengthens back, relieves stress.
 


The new age mantra used to be to ‘think positive’ but many of us gave up on this a long time ago. It’s too difficult, too hard, too much work, especially when we are continually bombarded with the slings and arrows of outrageous emails and 24/7 media coverage.

Our Kosher Sutra is taken from the incident when Moses sends 12 spies to scout out the land of Israel and the majority of them come back to the desert-bound Jews with negative reports. They decided that the mountain was too high to climb, the inhabitants were too big and the challenges too great. ““In our eyes, we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we were in our eyes”, they said (Numb 13:33).


Today’s yoga practice will reconnect us with our higher purpose. We can take an insect pose (locust) but use this to lift us up and beyond our human limitation. By focusing on our breath and concentrating on a visual point in front of our eyes, we work towards what the yogis called ‘ekagrata’, a single-point meditation. In the Bibliyoga practice, this is becoming truly ‘Echad’, one with the moment. We will use eyes to bring focus, our breath to bring stillness and our mind to bring healing for any negative thoughts that have held us back thus far. Try the pose, stay confident in your abilities, and conquer the new world ahead of you.

Marcus J Freed

 

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THE KOSHER SUTRAS © MARCUS J FREED/BIBLIYOGA 2010/5770

Marcus J Freedis the creator of Bibliyoga, USA & North America Director of  Yoga Mosaic – the association for Jewish yoga teachers, and yogi-in-residence for JConnectLA and Jewlicious Festivals.

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LOCUST
i. Lie flat on the ground with your palms by your sides, facing towards the ground.
ii. Inhale and lift your chest up off the group, looking downwards and being careful to lengthen the back of your neck not to crunch the back of your neck.
iii. Engage your abdomen and lift your thighs up off the ground.
iv. Push your feet backwards, pointing the big toes to one another and elongating the calf muscles.
v. Lift your hands up off the ground behind you.

Modification: Keep your thighs and hands on the floor, or put a rolled blanket beneath your thighs to help with the lift.

Variation: Increase the backbend by lifting your sternum even higher. Another advanced option is to do Crocodile Pose.

Benefits: Strengthens the back, torso, abdomen, digestive system, hamstrings and relieves stress.  

Locust