The Lotus Symbol in Buhhdism

The lotus (Sanskrit and Tibetan padma) is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols and one of the most poignant representations of Buddhist teaching.
The roots of a lotus are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the heavily scented flower lies pristinely above the water, basking in the sunlight. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment.
Though there are other water plants that bloom above the water, it is only the lotus which, owing to the strength of its stem, regularly rises eight to twelve inches above the surface.
According to the Lalitavistara, "the spirit of the best of men is spotless, like the lotus in the muddy water which does not adhere to it."
According to another scholar, "in esoteric Buddhism, the heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus: when the virtues of the Buddha develop therein, the lotus blossoms; that is why the Buddha sits on a lotus bloom."
The lotus is one of Buddhism's best recognized motifs and appears in all kinds of Buddhist art across all Buddhist cultures. Scrolling lotuses often embellish Buddhist textiles, ceramics and architecture.
Every important Buddhist deity is associated in some manner with the lotus, either being seated upon a lotus in full bloom or holding one in their hands. In some images of standing Buddhas, each foot rests on a separate lotus.
The lotus does not grow in Tibet and so Tibetan art has only stylized versions of it, yet it appears frequently with Tibetan deities and among the Eight Auspicious Symbols.
The color of the lotus has an important bearing on the symbology associated with it:

• White Lotus (Skt. pundarika; Tib. pad ma dkar po): This represents the state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity (bodhi). It is associated with the White Tara and proclaims her perfect nature, a quality which is reinforced by the color of her body.
• Pink Lotus (Skt. padma; Tib. pad ma dmar po): This the supreme lotus, generally reserved for the highest deity. Thus naturally it is associated with the Great Buddha himself.
• Red Lotus (Skt. kamala; Tib: pad ma chu skyes): This signifies the original nature and purity of the heart (hrdya). It is the lotus of love, compassion, passion and all other qualities of the heart. It is the flower of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.
• Blue Lotus (Skt. utpala; Tib. ut pa la): This is a symbol of the victory of the spirit over the senses, and signifies the wisdom of knowledge. Not surprisingly, it is the preferred flower of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom.

Ballet ~

Today I did some online research about the ballet classes I'm planning on taking in May. It runs until the end of June and it's only about $120.00 I'm hoping to get the most out of it as possible. And to continue with it into a career. I know how difficult it can be to have a career as a dancer, I'm going to have to have side jobs that are flexible and pay well if I'm really going to keep up with it, at least in this case I was correct about being a Student for life. You never stop learning in Dance. Particularly Ballet. That way I can keep up with my Yoga as well, I will have corresponding interests that will compliment each other well.   

Detox

I'm starting a Green Tea Detox today and I'm pretty excited about it!
I'll be keeping it up for about a week, hopefully by the end of it I'll feel refreshed :)

Moving on.

I have been neglecting my inner Yogi since we have been caught up in moving. I'm still not totally settled in my new home, and I have a feeling it will still be a while before I'm completely used to this place. None of us are sleeping very well here, it's an adjustment, a good one! But it's going to take a bit to get used to.

Boxes are everywhere and I feel so unmotivated, I actually had a 4 hour nap with my daughter today.

I feel like once we're not so broke from moving we'll be able to really get comfortable here. In the meantime, I really need to buckle myself down and push myself to keep stretching :)

Morning;

I've always enjoyed exercising before breakfast. I seem to not need to eat so much afterward that way and then I'm completely energized for the day.

Even just in stretching in the morning, my body feels lighter, and ready for the next 12 hours. I have been feeling healthier, my stomach, legs and arms have been getting tighter, I'm more flexible, it's getting easier to carry my own body weight, I'm not running out of breath as easily, and I'm not so tired all the time. This is with only 20-60 min a day of Yoga. This is blowing my mind.

God;

I have been praying a lot lately.. I don't necessarily have one specific religion. I like to call whatever it is out there that connects us all "God" because giving a name to something is human nature I suppose, and God best suits that feeling I get. I may not believe in one specific God.. I certainly don't agree with what most religions follow, but I believe it's better to believe in something, rather than believing in nothing at all, so here I am. I used to call it the universe. But I feel like the universe is where we live, not really what connects us, if that makes any sense. Any how, I was going to say.. Lately when I've been praying.. (or maybe it's been all my life.. I'm not really too sure.) I get this really overwhelming feeling of empathy and happiness.. It makes me tear up, not to the point of crying, but it feels like some kind of divine intervention or connection, which is why I think I can't help but believe that SOMETHING is listening to us out there.

I've been praying for Japan mostly.. It's difficult to even conceive the thought of something like that happening here. I hope something is listening out there, because I think this is the beginning of 2012. And maybe we're the one's who are supposed to listen now, maybe that's what this is all really about. Being accountable for our actions, and changing for the better.

Yoga buzz article;

March 14, 2011
by Nora Isaacs
As yogis, we wish for all people to be happy, safe, and healthy. A touching story from Nashville Public Radio talks about how yoga helps wounded soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afganistan piece their bodies and their lives back together. For many veterans, yoga is a subtler and gentler approach toward health.
Beyond visible physical wounds, many soldiers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, which the stress relief, body awareness, and serenity of yoga can address:
"At first, I was skeptical because I liked running six or ten miles a day, just doing it the 101st way," says Spec. Michael Stefan. "But the positive thing is for me to focus on what I can do to overcome symptoms of PTSD, rather than getting stuck in a rut, self-centered, 'oh me' mentality, which I used to have."

We want to know: What aspects of yoga do you think could benefit veterans the most?

Vinyasa;

I have taken a small break for the past two days, I did manage to fit in a Sun Salutation today though, I feel like it's good to at least do a small flow once a day. Keep all my muscles flexible. It made me feel energized and full of warmth. It's really amazing how even the smallest amount can make you feel so revitalized.

I've also just started reading a Vinyasa book by Srivatsa Ramaswami.
I thought it would be intimidating, but it's really not. Everything seems to be coming very naturally.

tomorrow.

Yesterday was an interesting day, I started with a nice 2o min jog in the morning, and helped my friend move some boxes from the basement of his house outside to a giant metal box (which I count as strenuous exercise) It was fun! I didn't however have the time to get some yoga in, and intend to get a good hour and 3o min session in tonight. All's well that ends well!

bali beauty;

So far today I have only done my Sun Salutation. Planning on going further this evening.
I've been researching Yoga Retreats around the world, and I've decided once I have about a year or two's experience (real experience, seeing as I've been in and out of yoga for the past 6 years) I would like to go to Bali for a month to study.

I finished my yoga evening with a conditioning video (this is the instructional video I follow when I am lazy)
It's an hour long video meant for weight loss or maintenance. I find it to be kind of mild. But I did learn something new from it today, I have always had problems with my knees, it feels like a ligament shifts out of place on the outside under parts of my knee and I have to stretch my leg out straight until it pops back into place. (very painful)
I now have reason to believe that it's due to my muscles being weaker on the outside than on the inside, maybe I place more strain on the inside? In this video it teaches you to place you weight on the outside of the feet to better stretch and support the outside muscles of your legs. It's all about the posture. I have started doing that and since then my knees don't hurt when I cross my legs. Which is FANTASTIC.

Who needs corrective surgery when you have yoga?! ;)

humble oasis,

To be able to reach the goals I want to achieve I need to start right here, right now. Be persistent and brave. I cannot give up. This is something I can believe in. This is something I can trust. I am here to prove to myself I can really follow through on something, and be passionate about it. Breathless, and full of hope. I am home.

First transformation;

I just recently decided to make yoga a part of my everyday life.
I am VERY EXCITED about this :) And so I will be devoting at least 45 minutes a day (roughly) to practicing, researching, and gaining yoga experience.

My first day was Tuesday March 8th 2011.
134.5 lbs.
I started with my stretches, then went into a Sun salutation, cycling that about 4 times. Then I went on to a youtube instructional video for 15 minutes, followed by a Moon salutation to close. (2 cycles)

After my first day I felt very refreshed, cleansed, happy, healthy. I felt quite a bit stronger.

March 8th 2011
I again started with my Sun salutation flow, moving on to an Ashtanga flow, which proved to be very difficult about half way through when I realized it was a bit advanced for me at the moment, but I trucked on through anyways doing some of my own variations.
That day I was really able to keep my balance, I broke a healthy sweat, and I didn't feel like I needed to stop at all, I probably could have gone for another 2 hours.

Yesterday was a break day, I did get some good walking exercise in and I was able to focus on my more creative side by dancing in a music video I published.

Needless to say, it's been a very productive week, and I am feeling wonderful :)