Symbolism Of Pose: Essence Of The Fire

Yoga initially blossomed within my life as a vehicle to transform my body in the crucible of the asana practice. Over twelve years later it is my life practice. Every word, gesture, and breath is now an opportunity to refine my understanding of myself and the great dance of life in which we all partake. Refinement blooms in the wake of discriminatory passion, or tapasya in sanskrit. Tapasya is the ability to maintain steady focus in the middle of whatever challenge is arising. The root, ‘tap’, means “to burn”. As we strive more and more to clarify the fire of our intention, we begin to burn away the veils that keep us from experiencing our own luminous perfection and expressing our most profound gifts to one another.

Male peacocks are known for their magnificent tail feathers, which can be arched into a resplendent display of colorful “eye” markings. They also have the unique ability to digest poisonous plants and fearlessly swallow cobras whole. Mayurasana (peacock pose) invites us into a form in which the fire of our intention must be fine-tuned to digest the challenges this pose offers. If we are willing to engage with the toxins we have accumulated in our body, mind, and heart, they can be transmuted into a greater depth of understanding, from which the most beautiful expression of our life can blossom. As in any asana, it is not about performing what we perceive to be the complete pose. It is much more important to swallow the poison of our own doubt, and aspire to assimilate each part of the journey. In this way, we can unfold our own unique expression with confidence and joy.

Preparatory Asana Sequences: Building The Fire

To begin, move with precision and clarity through about three to five sun salutations. Be very mindful to link your breath with each movement and hold the poses long enough to explore a bit. Do a few lunge variations, and emphasize drawing your muscles to the mid-line with steadiness while lengthening out through the bones. Attention to bio-mechanical alignment will help refine your understanding of the asanas themselves. Your unwavering attention will not only build a detoxifying heat in the body, but a fiery discernment of awareness needed to face any challenge both on and off your mat. Utilize your upper back muscles in the cobras and up dogs to build a strong support to open your shoulders and lift your heart. A good mini-sequence is to do shalabhasana (locust pose) with the hands clasped behind you to open the shoulders, followed by a quad stretch in one-legged pigeon pose, and ending with dhanurasana (bow pose) to create a powerful lift through the heart and open the energy channels of the legs and spine. Next, mix in some locust pose variations with abdominal work to strengthen your back body and core. Do a basic hand balance, like bakasana (crane pose) to get used to bearing your entire body weight through the arms. Intersperse the sequence with a few wrist openers and strengtheners, since the hand position in mayurasana is one of the more awkward aspects of this pose. A fantastic mayurasana prep is to hold plank 30-45 seconds with the hands pivoted out so the fingers point back at the toes (Fig. 1). Now you are well-prepared to approach this challenging hand balance.

Mayurasana: Taking Flight

Kneel with your legs wide open and place your hands as in the plank variation, but closer together (Fig. 2). Optimally, the fingertips will disappear beneath your thighs. Ground your hands firmly. Inhale, lift your butt and lean forward a bit. Exhale, bend your elbows towards you, and gently lower your abdomen on to them. Stay for five breaths, allowing your arms to bear a bit more of your weight with each exhale. Next, carefully step your feet back to a plank position (Fig. 3). Hold for five breaths. Now it’s time to fly. Hug the legs together and firm the shoulder blades on to the upper back, then lean your heart forward. Spread the toes ecstatically as you inhale and lift the legs up. Use your focus and inner eye of discerning awareness to refine your balance. To lift your legs even higher, use your exhalation to root your heart through your hands while you expand the fire of your breath actively through your toes (Fig. 4). Hold at your fullest expression 3-5 breaths. Lower your legs and sit in a simple kneeling position. Close your eyes, and allow your awareness to open without any pre-determined focus. What perceived limitation has been dissolved in the fire of the pose?

Other variations include entering with the soles of the feet together, or from lotus (Fig. 5).

Contemplation: The Afterglow Of Revelation

Whatever form you take, mayurasana will help awaken the fire of your intention, and enable you to more and more transmute the many poisons life may offer into clarity, strength, and wisdom. With patient practice, you will refine your understanding of the myriad aspects of yourself, and unfold the splendor of your own glorious heart.

© 2009 Mark Shveima

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5
All Images © 2009 Charles H. Stinson