Click here to save a turtle egg!
In honor of La Tortuga Verde's turtle sanctuary, the pose of the month for February is kurmasana. Traditionally, kurmasana translates as tortoise pose, but to send some love and awareness to endangered sea turtles everywhere, let's call it turtle pose this month.
I didn't know much about sea turtles before I went to El Salvador to finalize plans for our March retreat. Upon arrival, however, our host Tom was quick to introduce me to the latest hatchlings, which had just emerged from their protected beds. Every time turtles return to La Tortuga's beach, Tom and his staff collect their eggs, moving them to the resort's sheltered nursery, where they're safe from poaching (and scrambling, too) until they hatch.
Tom's dedication to the turtles is quite moving. Not only has he devoted a portion of the resort's beachfront property to the protected beds, he even buys stolen eggs from poachers to save them from the local market. Paying as much as $3 per dozen, Tom returns the eggs to the sanctuary's fenced nursery, where the baby turtles can grow and hatch in peace. Since all varieties of sea turtles are endangered, Tom's purchases are a direct investment in the survival of this sacred species.
Thanks to Tom's work, La Tortuga's sanctuary is a small island of safety in an ocean of manmade dangers that threaten these kindred creatures en masse. In the waters of Nicaragua and Mexico, which surround El Salvador, a black market trade in meat and shells kills an estimated 35,000 turtles each year. And the development of Central American coastlines is quickly destroying the delicate dunes that turtles need to shelter their eggs. Even at officially protected beaches, electric lights on land confuse hatchlings, which emerge at night and find the ocean by following the lighter sky above the sea.
While Tom's hatchlings face constant peril once they reach the waves, the turtles who return to La Tortuga's shore will have their eggs protected as long as the eco-resort's nurseries survive. Since the turtle holds a spiritual place in the human imagination, Tom's work keeps something sacred in us alive as well.
Translating the turtle's symbolism into movement, kurmasana is a reflection of this animal's serene solitude and strength. Wearing its home on its back, the turtle finds refuge within. Like its namesake, kurmasana directs our focus inward to explore the thoughts and creativity within our core. Rolling our backs up and over into a protective shell, the pose also celebrates our enduring strength. In Hindu mythology, the world rests on the shell of a divine cosmic turtle that, depending on the version, may or may not be supporting an elephant quartet as well. Imagine how strong and patient that cosmic turtle must be! As we move through our practice, its example encourages us to appreciate our own fortitude and endurance.
In a colorfully apocryphal tale, the philosopher Bertrand Russell was once heckled by an old woman who rejected his scientific explanation of the universe. After his astronomy lecture, the old lady declared, "What you told us is rubbish. The world is flat plate that sits on the back of giant tortoise." When Russell asked her what supported the tortoise, the old woman shook her head and said, "You're very clever young man, but it's turtles all the way down!" Whatever the configuration of the cosmos, it's turtles all the way in for us this month, as we explore the wonders of our inner space.
If you plan to enter turtle in your personal practice, place it at the end of a warm-up and strengthening series, when your back and leg muscles are warm and ready to lengthen. In class, we will move into the pose toward the end of our floor series, finding ourselves seated with our legs out in front of us. From here, we will widen the distance between our feet as far as possible as we bend our knees slightly. Our heels will rest on the floor as we lean forward from the hips, activating our quads to prevent a strain on the lower back. Moving into the forward bend, we will place our hands under our knees. If our muscles are limber enough, we will then lean forward and slide our arms outward, under our legs, until our elbows are nearly in line with the backs of our knees.
For yogis who can go further, we can deepen the pose by sliding the heels forward and straightening the legs. From here, the body can continue to bend forward until the forehead or chin rests on the floor. Very flexible yogis may then wrap the arms around the back, lacing the fingers of the hands together as they rest on the floor, under the glutes.
Yogis who encounter turtle for the first time this month may find it difficult initially. Turtle teaches us to feel for tightness in our hamstrings, our groin muscles, our erectors, and our hips. Even when our muscles are warm, we may find our range of motion is limited in the beginning. It's important not to force ourselves into the pose. Instead, draw your attention inward to sense the tightness in your muscles. Focus on using your breath to gradually relax the body into a gentle fold. Deep meditative breathing will encourage alpha wave activity in the brain, which increases the body's sense of relaxation and well-being. Wherever you find yourself in turtle, peaceful breathing will enhance the pose's calming, fortifying effect. As our practice evolves over the course of the month, you may eventually find your muscles lengthening, relaxing further with each voyage all the way in.
I didn't know much about sea turtles before I went to El Salvador to finalize plans for our March retreat. Upon arrival, however, our host Tom was quick to introduce me to the latest hatchlings, which had just emerged from their protected beds. Every time turtles return to La Tortuga's beach, Tom and his staff collect their eggs, moving them to the resort's sheltered nursery, where they're safe from poaching (and scrambling, too) until they hatch.
Tom's dedication to the turtles is quite moving. Not only has he devoted a portion of the resort's beachfront property to the protected beds, he even buys stolen eggs from poachers to save them from the local market. Paying as much as $3 per dozen, Tom returns the eggs to the sanctuary's fenced nursery, where the baby turtles can grow and hatch in peace. Since all varieties of sea turtles are endangered, Tom's purchases are a direct investment in the survival of this sacred species.
Thanks to Tom's work, La Tortuga's sanctuary is a small island of safety in an ocean of manmade dangers that threaten these kindred creatures en masse. In the waters of Nicaragua and Mexico, which surround El Salvador, a black market trade in meat and shells kills an estimated 35,000 turtles each year. And the development of Central American coastlines is quickly destroying the delicate dunes that turtles need to shelter their eggs. Even at officially protected beaches, electric lights on land confuse hatchlings, which emerge at night and find the ocean by following the lighter sky above the sea.
While Tom's hatchlings face constant peril once they reach the waves, the turtles who return to La Tortuga's shore will have their eggs protected as long as the eco-resort's nurseries survive. Since the turtle holds a spiritual place in the human imagination, Tom's work keeps something sacred in us alive as well.
Translating the turtle's symbolism into movement, kurmasana is a reflection of this animal's serene solitude and strength. Wearing its home on its back, the turtle finds refuge within. Like its namesake, kurmasana directs our focus inward to explore the thoughts and creativity within our core. Rolling our backs up and over into a protective shell, the pose also celebrates our enduring strength. In Hindu mythology, the world rests on the shell of a divine cosmic turtle that, depending on the version, may or may not be supporting an elephant quartet as well. Imagine how strong and patient that cosmic turtle must be! As we move through our practice, its example encourages us to appreciate our own fortitude and endurance.
In a colorfully apocryphal tale, the philosopher Bertrand Russell was once heckled by an old woman who rejected his scientific explanation of the universe. After his astronomy lecture, the old lady declared, "What you told us is rubbish. The world is flat plate that sits on the back of giant tortoise." When Russell asked her what supported the tortoise, the old woman shook her head and said, "You're very clever young man, but it's turtles all the way down!" Whatever the configuration of the cosmos, it's turtles all the way in for us this month, as we explore the wonders of our inner space.
If you plan to enter turtle in your personal practice, place it at the end of a warm-up and strengthening series, when your back and leg muscles are warm and ready to lengthen. In class, we will move into the pose toward the end of our floor series, finding ourselves seated with our legs out in front of us. From here, we will widen the distance between our feet as far as possible as we bend our knees slightly. Our heels will rest on the floor as we lean forward from the hips, activating our quads to prevent a strain on the lower back. Moving into the forward bend, we will place our hands under our knees. If our muscles are limber enough, we will then lean forward and slide our arms outward, under our legs, until our elbows are nearly in line with the backs of our knees.
For yogis who can go further, we can deepen the pose by sliding the heels forward and straightening the legs. From here, the body can continue to bend forward until the forehead or chin rests on the floor. Very flexible yogis may then wrap the arms around the back, lacing the fingers of the hands together as they rest on the floor, under the glutes.
Yogis who encounter turtle for the first time this month may find it difficult initially. Turtle teaches us to feel for tightness in our hamstrings, our groin muscles, our erectors, and our hips. Even when our muscles are warm, we may find our range of motion is limited in the beginning. It's important not to force ourselves into the pose. Instead, draw your attention inward to sense the tightness in your muscles. Focus on using your breath to gradually relax the body into a gentle fold. Deep meditative breathing will encourage alpha wave activity in the brain, which increases the body's sense of relaxation and well-being. Wherever you find yourself in turtle, peaceful breathing will enhance the pose's calming, fortifying effect. As our practice evolves over the course of the month, you may eventually find your muscles lengthening, relaxing further with each voyage all the way in.