Of Yogis & Deadheads (continued from page 19)
by primitive peoples to explain the frightening and mysterious said, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”
world in which they found themselves. This is solely a cultural Shiva’s mind is expansive, there are no boxes within which my
prejudice, revealing our own limited intuition and our collec- identity can fit.
tive addiction to rational thought. Our lack of appreciation of With the attitude of Shiva, I feel increasingly free to go
myths keeps us from seeing the sacred world that is before our wherever I like. If my yogi friends can’t appreciate the evocative
very eyes, as the sacred is dark to the mind while being light to power of the Grateful Dead and similar scenes, so be it. If they
the heart. ask, I can happily turn them on to some great music. Likewise,
Through myth and yoga texts, I became familiar with if my Deadhead friends don’t understand the transformative
the great god Shiva (pronounced “Sheeva”). Shiva is depicted power of sitting quietly with one’s spine straight, I am happy to
as the archetypal yogi, the primal guru and the inner guide of share with them yoga and meditation instructions. It’s not up
those on the spiritual path. Shiva can be translated as, “the to me to change anyone’s mind, I just want mine open enough
Consciousness of Infinite Compassion.” In this context, Shiva to handle all of my passions.
is any of us who access this level of consciousness and mani- Over the years, I have met many people who feel
fests the fullness of love and empathy. themselves pulled in different directions, similar to my earlier
Relevant to my contemplation on being a yogi and a experience with yoga and the Dead. I’d propose the world is too
Deadhead, Shiva is the master of meditation and the master immense and we are too mutli-dimensional to allow ourselves
of dance. He is depicted as perpetually alone, sitting absorbed to be constrained by limiting thoughts and identities. By open-
in meditation atop the snowy peaks of the Himalayan moun- ing to our deeper truths, through whatever skillful means work
tains. At the very same time, he is eternally dancing in bliss, for us, we enter into the reality of myth and spirit. Here, in the
lost in the rhythms of creation, preservation, and destruction. sacred world, everyone has note to sing in the celestial song,
He is forever transcendentally still, and forever imminently everyone is an integral part of a divine whole, and everybody’s
active. In him (at this level of consciousness) are contained all playing in the heart of gold band.
the seeming opposites of life -- the paradoxes, confusions, and
mysteries dark and vast. Shiva is not bummed out by opposites,
he plays with them. For him (and anyone in an enlightened
state), life is not a puzzle to be solved, it is a playground in
which to have fun. The world is not a burden, it is a dance
hall.
Shiva is also described as being the supreme ascetic
and the supreme erotic. In this level of being, sexuality and
spirituality are brought together in a yoga, or union. In ad-
dition, Shiva is the god of ganja (marijuana). The story goes
that at one time humanity had become lost in selfishness and
materiality. Shiva incarnated as ganja to help us regain our
intuition and compassion. This is why ganja can be a positive
force in someone’s life – it has a divine origin. It is also why
it can be destructive – being of spirit, it is more powerful than
the human being and needs to be treated with respect.
Shiva – god of meditation, dance, sex, and ganja – is
a perfect archetype for me. If I become a bit stodgy from too
much spiritual work, he reminds me to loosen up and keep
dancing. If I become too much of a slacker by hanging out, he
reminds me to keep it real and remember the importance of
Prem Prakash is the Director of the Green Mountain School of Yoga in
my meditation and yoga practices. In this balance of the two Middlebury, VT. He is the author of “The Yoga of Spiritual Devotion”,
poles of who I am, I find myself. This balance may not make
“Three Paths of Devotion: God Goddess and Guru”, “Yoga American
me consistent, but it keeps me inspired. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Style”, and “The Universal Yoga”. For more info head to www.gmsy.org.
www.healthyhippiemagazine.com 29
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