The mixed crowd of old and young, male and female, Indian and Western spread their yoga mats on the bare floor of the auditorium at the Indian High Commission in Wellington on February 17.
They were attending the special yoga workshop on an auspicious date on the Hindu calendar: Mahashivratri.
Ankita Sood, yoga expert attached to the Indian High Commission, who led the workshop, invited the participants to transition from the “ professional space to the divine space” by sitting cross-legged with their backs erect, palms open, eyes closed and attention focused on breathing in and out.
“Let us connect ourselves to the most powerful tool which we have within ourselves, and that is our own breath,” Sood told the assembled yoga enthusiasts.
The mood in the hall was relaxed as Sood urged the class to “inhale that divine power within us and exhale the negativities from our mind and body.”
Palms joined together in the “namaste mudra,” the participants prepared to chant the “very first sound that manifested in the Universe --- OM.”
“It should be a group energy, so we are going to chant together,” Sood told the assembly.
The collective chorus of OM echoed in the hall as the participants chanted in unison.
They rubbed their palms together before placing them gently on their eyelids.
The relaxation routine was followed by a formal greeting by Sood who welcomed the gathering on behalf of the Indian High Commission.
She explained the significance of Mahashivratri and the “connection of Lord Shiva with Yoga.”
“Shiva was the first to propound yoga, the Adi Yogi. He was the first guru for the seven Rishis, or Sapta Rishis, who spread the message of yoga to the corners of the world,” Sood said.
She enlightened the audience on Hatha Yoga, the school of yoga that focused on postures or asanas.
“‘Ha’ denotes the sun, and ‘tha’ the moon. The union of the energy of the sun and cooling effect of the moon is Hatha Yoga.” she explained.
Sood described Mahashivratri as a Hindu festival celebrated annually to honour Lord Shiva. “Shivratri is celebrated every month of the lunar/solar calendar, while Mahashivratri is celebrated once a year in late winter to mark the coming of summer.”
Legend has it that Shiva performed his heavenly dance or Tandava on Shivratri, Sood observed.
This Tandava or dance of Siva represents creation, preservation and destruction, Sood added.
Shivratri also marks the wedlock of Shiva and Parvathy, with Shiva representing Purusha and Parvathy signifying Sakti or Prakriti, she said.
The workshop highlighted the importance of “mantra chanting” to achieve communion with the Universe.
“Mantra chanting is an integral part of Indian culture,” Sood told the audience.
“It gives us energy, helps us heal within. It promotes breathing or Pranayama. Every word in a mantra has a meaning.”
The workshop concluded with each participant engaging in the bathing ritual of pouring water mixed with honey and milk over a stone ‘Shiva lingam’ (phallic symbol).
Ankita Sood, deputed by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to the Indian High Commission in Wellington, is tasked with “spreading health and wellness through yoga and introducing Indian culture to New Zealand.” Her outreach activities have included conducting yoga sessions for the NZ Police, the Bank of New Zealand, Victoria University and Queen Margaret College in Wellington, among other institutions.
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