Yoga to Overcome Obstacles

Hi everyone! This week we’re continuing our series on the benefits of yoga with the story of Ganesha, the beloved and powerful elephant-headed Hindu god known as the conqueror of obstacles. After discussing Ganesha’s mythological origin and attributes, I’ll share three different yoga practices to call on Ganesha for inspiration and courage to help you when you’re facing your own obstacles. 

Ganesha’s Origin Story

Ganesha, also known as Ganesh or Ganapati, is the son of Parvati, wife of the powerful god Shiva. Shiva was often away for long periods of time, and Parvati got lonely, so she created Ganesha out of clay (or turmeric paste in some versions of the story) to keep her company. Shiva eventually returned home, and Parvati happened to be in the bath when he tried to enter the house. This was back in the day before we had phones or texting, so Shiva was not aware of his son. Young Ganesha, who was standing guard while his mother was bathing, did not recognize Shiva as his father. The two of them fought, and while Ganesha put up a fierce fight, Shiva eventually defeated him by cutting his head off.

Needless to say, when she discovered what had happened, Parvati was heartbroken and informed Shiva that Ganesha was his son. To make up for what he had done, Shiva went into the forest, returned with an elephant head, and affixed it on the body of Ganesha, bringing him back to life and declaring him the most powerful of all gods, Lord of the ganas (all beings).

Ganesha’s Attributes

In addition to having an elephant head on a human body, Ganesha is often represented with four arms. One of his hands holds an axe to cut down the tree of ignorance, another holds a rope to climb the tree of knowledge, one is held up with the palm facing out (abhaya mudra, the gesture of fearlessness), and the fourth holds a lotus. Ganesha also has small eyes to represent focus, large ears to listen carefully, and a big pot belly that symbolizes his ability to digest troubles with calmness (pratyahara).

Ganesha can be called upon to remove self-imposed obstacles by dispelling predisposed beliefs, like negative self-talk and feelings of self-doubt. He is also the patron deity of writing and scholarship, and can help to put your mind at ease and inspire creativity. Also known as the lord of new beginnings, Ganesha helps you to overcome fears.

Yoga Practice with Ganesha

Ganesha Mantra

A mantra is a sound, word, or phrase used to direct energy or keep the mind focused. A simple version of the Ganesha mantra is

Om gam ganapataye namaha  (ohm gahm gah-nah-pah-tah-YAY na-ma-HA).

Repeat this mantra several times.

• Related: Listen to Ganesha Sharanam by Jai Uttal and (kind of cool, kind of corny) Ganesh is Fresh by MC Yogi

Ganesha Mudra

Mudra means seal, and in the context of yoga, a mudra is a symbolic shape made with the hands and fingers and used to channel energy, or prana.

Practice Ganesha mudra to lift your spirits and help you to overcome your obstacles: Hold your hands in front of your heart, palms touching in prayer position (anjali mudra). Rotate the hands so the left palm faces forward and the right palm faces toward you, elbows out to the sides. Curl the fingers of both hands and slide the elbows out so the fingers are locked together, and energetically pull the hands apart. Hold this for a few deep breaths with your eyes closed, relaxing slightly on the exhales and pulling on the inhales. Switch sides and repeat. You can also perform Ganesha mudra while chanting the Ganesha mantra.

Asana: Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana B)

Ganesha is associated with the root chakra (muladhara) and square symbol. In the physical practice of yoga, or asana, you can embody Ganesha with powerful poses like Warrior II.

Start by standing in a wide stance with your feet 3-4 feet apart. Turn your left toes to the left and bend the knee in the same direction. Raise your arms to a T shape. Gaze past the fingers of your left hand, as if to take aim at a target with laser focus. Take 3-5 deep breaths in this position. On an inhale, straighten your left leg, turn the toes inward and rotate the right toes to the right. Bend the right knee as you exhale and gaze past your right fingertips. Hold for 3-5 breaths.

While Ganesha is an important deity in Hinduism, this yoga practice is not meant to be religious. I don’t see these mudra, mantras, or asana as holding magical powers, but rather, are symbolic of the wisdom, intuition, creativity, fearlessness, power, and pratyahara embodied by Ganesha. Calling on Ganesha in yoga practice can be a helpful tool to shift your energy and mindset so that you can remove obstacles and maintain focus to achieve your goals.