Prana Pages

One of my favorite exhibits at the zoo is the Gorillas.  I could spend hours watching the calm solid beasts go about their peaceful day.  So, it is no surprise that I equally love Gorilla Pose  or Padahastasana, in my yoga practice.  The “hastas” (hands), go directly under the “padas” (feet), sole to sole, or better said, soul to soul.  Our hands represent our “doing” or the ACTION we take in our lives, and our feet represent our “standing” or the ground we stand upon.  Thus, this pose is the perfect representation of taking a stand (literally), or sitting in a grounded foundational place as we take action in our life. 

That we are putting the soles of our hands and feet together take an even deeper meaning.  The soles of the feet and palms of the hands represent the softness of our being, the tenderness or belly of our Truth.  By physically placing these two together, we are connecting energetic lines of Truth from the top half of the body to the bottom half of the body. 

This pose also stretches two vital parts of the back body:  the hamstrings and the low back.  Typically, the hamstrings hold deep anxieties and fears that we have not been able to face, and the low back holds tension from experiences of instability or ungroundedness.  By stretching the hamstrings simultaneously with the low back, we are releasing the anxieties and fears that have surrounded our lives from living with instability and shaky foundations.  Many people face a bit of “fear factor” in this pose as their hands are restricted fromcatching a fall.  By facing this “fear factor” and rolling the weight evenly into the hands from the ground of the feet, we realize that we can find stability in our lives from our conviction to the action we take.  We also learn that external forces may vary, but we can always find stability within ourselves, in this case, in the soles of our feet and palms of our hands.

In addition to opening up the hamstrings and low back, Gorilla Pose is a key healing pose for the wrists.  The tourniquet effect of the pressure on the wrists from the toes temporarily slows blood flow to the wrists and hands, and upon release, the wrists and hands are flushed with clean fresh blood oxygenated from the lungs.  Thus, it is important to remember to breathe in this pose.  Not only are we getting an amazing inversion with blood flow to the head, but we are able to take this time between power poses to rest and restore.  We all know that the best way to do this is through the flow of Prana, or deep “ujjayi” breath.  As the wrists of the body represent movement and ease, the healing that occurs in padahastasana helps prepare the whole system for continuing the practice with fluid movement and ease.

In the Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga practice, Gorilla Pose comes at a very welcome time.  After the long and physically challenging warrior series, and in between the heart rate increasing prayer twists, it’s easy to enjoy putting our hands to our feet.  Thus, it represents somewhat of a surrender, and practicing “sukha” (grace) in this pose is beautiful.  For “type A” yogis, it is easy to overdo this pose and emphasize the pull, but for “type B” yogis, it is easy to relax too much as well.  The trick is finding the perfect balance of effort and grace, which a gorilla seems to exhibit in their calm ease with life yet their powerful stance of being. 

From a shamanic or animal totem point of view, this pose has even deeper meaning.  A gorilla is a very stable and grounded animal, representing that endeavors are stable and solid.  Family is important to gorillas, just as family is representative of a stable home structure.  A gorilla totem helps us find inner strength and stability to support and protect and care for ourselves and our family.  However, out of balance, a gorilla can be challenged into power and assertiveness.   When challenged or threatened, the gorilla becomes a terrifying menace that can overcome any force with sheer strength and intention. In its natural habitat, when not threatened, the gorilla appears to be one of the most peaceful beings on earth, gentle, loving, calm, and stable.