A Many-Layered Thing: Snoga Day

Sarah and Colin at Bodhi Tree sponsored the first Snoga Event in Victoria Park this afternoon.

As Colin explained to the interviewer from the community radio station, Snoga is an ancient form of yoga first practised by yogis in the Himalayas.  It was there, in the snow and ice of those mountains, that devoted followers of Himavat developed the special techniques required to keep them from falling off the side of the mountain as they stood in Vriksasana or to warm them as they did the traditional 108 cycles of Snow Salutations. (Okay, Colin may have made up some of that and I may have further embellished things.  Maybe.)

Whatever its history, about 25 to 30 of us took our practice to the park, as a fund raiser for Transition to Trades.  Our donations went directly to this cause; in return, Colin and Sarah led us through a variety of poses.

In case you are wondering, here is how one dresses for Snoga:

We began by preparing our space:

The practice started with Snow Salutations, in which snow may or may not have been thrown at others:

We moved into Virabhadrasana I  (with Loa leading):

Sarah and Colin doing Douglas Fir Tree Pose:

Shavasana was brief (okay, non-existent), but I did it anyway (because I could actually do this pose):

And then we were done:

Eat your heart out, my darling daughter-you may be doing yoga on a Costa Rican beach, but I will always have Snoga!


Namaste.