For Henny (and others) Asana and Chandi Path

[Guest guest]

Henny,

Can you share more about 1)how you are learning the Chandi Path, and 2)

about how you conditioned your body (hips/legs) to hold a proper asana

for extended periods? I have been impressed with your progress and

would like to know your steps to getting there.

Thanks.

Om, Sadhu Maa

[Guest guest]

Dear Sadhu Maa,

 

I'll be happy to tell you more about my Chandi chanting, but I'm

afraid I am really not the one to ask about the Chandi. First, about

learning: I am not really 'learning the Chandi Path' in the sense of

having a structured programme or even keeping up a sustained effort

(the last time before this one I chanted the entire Chandi was last

October). I just happened to have some time on my hands and thought it

might be a good idea to try and get familiar with the story again. So

I took the book, started at page one and kept going somehow till it

was finished. The difference with last year was that through

participating in our group sankalpas and performing puja every day, I

was now much more familiar with parts of the text and with the sound

and meaning of Sanskrit words. So that made things a little easier.

But I am certainly not proficient in chanting and several parts I

don't understand even in translation.

second, about the asana: I don't think I pretended to have sat in the

proper asana for the entire time, at least I hope I didn't, because

that is not so. I have made some progress in that department: I have

taken yoga classes and learnt some exercises to open up the hips, but

what helped me most was to practice the asana every morning sitting

for Shiva Puja, every day a bit longer. Which means that my limit for

sitting in the proper asana (although one knee is still five

centimeters or so above the floor and I do stand up an dance a little

for the arati) now is about an hour. Last year's experience (when I

sat for three hours in what I thought was the proper asan) has taught

me to be careful with the knees. So for this Chandi recitation where

my intention was to concentrate on the text, I sat on a wooden chair

instead, in what in other circles is called 'the Egyptian

pose'(meaning just keeping your back away from the back of the chair

and erect, feet planted firmly on the floor)

Initially, after having read the entire Chandi, I had no desire to do

it again, but then a day later, I found myself chanting a Seedha Path.

And I noticed that there was less anxiety about not being able to keep

the sankalpa and thus more concentration on the text. Which means I

noticed more details and understood more, and afterwards remembered

more. I think I'll be doing that on a regular basis, and I hope to be

able to extend the proper-asana-sitting time as I go along. But I'm

nowhere near sitting the entire time in siddhasana and I'm sorry if I

gave you or anyone else that impression.

 

hoping that perhaps someone more experienced (I seem to remember a

series of daily reports of Chandi practice written by our Nandaji some

years ago?)can help you more,

 

with love,

Henny

 

 

, "sadumaa" <sadumaa wrote:

>

> Henny,

> Can you share more about 1)how you are learning the Chandi Path, and

2)

> about how you conditioned your body (hips/legs) to hold a proper

asana

> for extended periods? I have been impressed with your progress and

> would like to know your steps to getting there.

> Thanks.

> Om, Sadhu Maa

>

[Guest guest]

Oh, but this sharing is perfect. You did not miss-lead anything. I

love the Chandi story but have been overwhelmed with the doing, and

sanskrit, and meaning....and my left need is at least 4 inches off the

ground! There is so much to learn. Thank you....progress is so good to

hear. The changes in your feeling about it from one time to the next

is also inspiring. Thanks for sharing. OM