Wade in the Water

This week in the shala we are working on hip openers which heal and balance the second chakra.  The tattva, or element, which rules the second chakra is water.  Sometimes water forges a path straight through stone and yet water can adapt itself to fit any container.  Water teaches us to be strong and supple at the same time and to know when the situation calls for us to be strong or when it might be best to yield.  Water teaches us about going with the flow- to embrace what life brings our way even when we want to change it because when we first embrace what is we are in a much better position to change it.
Kali is the archetypal deity who embodies the energy of the second chakra and water.  She is considered one of the Dasa Maha Vidyas- the 10 great goddesses of Tantra.  The word vidya means science.  The 10 great goddesses are scientific concepts rather than religious concepts in that with Tantra we have equations where we perform A and B and then C is created.  And the equations are able to be replicated consistently just like in any good scientific experiment.
When we use techniques like mantra we are able to align ourselves with the energy of Kali and therefore water.  Kali is often depicted with her tongue out- she teaches us to taste all the flavors that life has to offer- sometimes what we first consider bad may turn out to be good.
Bob Marley said some people feel the rain and others just get wet.  Kali urges us to stick our tongues out and taste, savor and feel the rain of life- all the ever changing weather patterns of emotions and life circumstance.
To quote my friend Sydney (who just became a big sister!)
Sometimes you get what you get and you don't pitch a fit.