Hatha Yoga : Tales From The Bottom Of The Sea

It started with a fish.  Or so the story goes.

The hatha yoga that we practice at Ku has a fascinating genesis.  Being so old there are numerous variations but there is a basic narrative.

Hatha yoga is generally believed to emanate from the Hindu god Shiva.  The Shiva Samhita, one of the fundamental hatha texts written roughly 400-500 years ago, is a compendium of yogic lore, effectively an address by Shiva to his wife Parvati.

This may be how the fish enters the story.  Legend has it that one day a man was out fishing on the shores of the Bay of Bengal in north-eastern India.  Suddenly he hooked a huge fish which dragged him under the waves and swallowed him whole, the man's good karma luckily keeping him alive and intact in the belly of the fish.

Around the same time, Shiva decided it was time to share the secrets of hatha yoga with Parvati.  To avoid being overheard he made a house at the bottom of the sea so they could talk undisturbed.  However after the lesson had begun Parvati dozed off un-noticed and while he talked and she slept, the fish containing the fisherman had swum up to the house and the man was furtively listening in.

Every time Shiva asked his wife if she understood what he was saying, the newly-enlightened fisherman replied truthfully "yes I do".  Shiva assumed it was Parvati and carried on to the end of his lesson.  Finally she awoke and when they realised that a stranger had been eavesdropping Shiva used his yogic vision to see the man inside the fish.  He accepted that the man now irreversibly held the secrets of hatha yoga and so ordered him as a new disciple to remain inside the fish for twelve years and practice what he had learnt.

Finally after years of solitary contemplation the fish he had been inhabiting was caught by some fishermen.  Thinking that such a heavy catch must contain gold and silver they quickly cut it open and the man jumped out.  Given the name Matsyendra or "lord of the fish" he came to be worshipped as a siddha, one who has achieved spiritual realization and possesses supernatural power.  He is also now recognised as the human progenitor of hatha yoga.

Ibiza : Land Of The Dwarf God

Just another Ibiza 'character' you think. That near-naked far-out looking man over in the corner with the beard and belly clutching a snake and waving what appears to be a sword over his head. Too much sun, sangria and herds of tourists tipping him over the edge. But appearances can often be misleading.  

He's been here longer than any of us, even those other near-naked far-out looking men who insist that they first came here as part of Hendrix's trippy entourage and never left.  His name is Bes, first worshipped by the ancient Egyptians as protector of households, mothers and children, snake-killer and general evil-spirit repellant.  He also came to symbolize the good things in life: music, dance and sexual pleasure. It has been said that tattoos of his image could be seen on the thighs of dancers and musicians in Egypt well over 3000 years ago. The Phoenicians then adopted him later as their own and with unintentional prescience brought these beliefs with them when they came to alight on the shores of the Balearics.  

Working the Mediterranean trade routes and building their fortune through, among other things, their monopoly of a highly-prized purple dye extracted from carnivorous sea snails ('Tyrian purple'), they are said to have settled here around the middle of the 7th century BC. They valued these islands for their strategic location and raw materials and seeing that this one was uninhabited chose to stay.

As legend has it, they quickly noticed a distinct absence here of any species of venomous snake.  To their Punic minds this meant only one thing. Not only had they clearly been eradicated by the hand of their beloved snake-botherer Bes but they believed this must in fact be his own home island.  

So in honour of this they named it Iboshim, the original etymology of 'Ibiza'.  The raves here today must be prosaic echoes of the wingdings held by those original Bes-besotted devotees. An island and a legend was born.  

Barley : Wonder Grain Of The Ancients

Consider the barley field.  First jostled by the winds that swept across the Fertile Crescent over ten thousand years ago.  It's cultivation was arguably one of the keys to the ascendancy of early Eurasian civilisation.  

Barley bread quickly became a staple across the pre-Roman world.  The Sumerians had a goddess of beer called Ninkasi, her hymn effectively a recipe for the brewing process itself an important daily ritual.  Homer refers to kykeon, a barley-water drink widely favoured by the man and woman out working the fields, a simple cooling refreshment often mixed with mint or thyme. Tisane, a word we use today to describe herbal infusions consumed for medicinal purposes derives from the Greek ptisanē, crushed barley.

Silver coin with ear of barley (symbol of wealth)

Southern Italy, 520-510 BC

We at Ku Retreats love it for it's therapeutic properties and there are many.  Whole cereal grains form the largest element of the modern macrobiotic diet, between 40-60% of daily consumption. Pearl barley is commonly used in cooking, while roasted barley tea or orzo (an Italian caffeine-free coffee-style barley drink) are a favourite for quenching the thirst.

Fourteen hundred years ago the Prophet Muhammad was prescribing barley for various diseases and it is still being championed for helping to counteract numerous physical ailments, some life-threatening:

• reduces risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer
• lowers blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• can neutralize many digestive and intestinal complaints including gallstones
• eases asthma and bronchitis

It is also rammed full of vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, fibre, fatty oils and antioxidants.

Not bad for a little dull-cloured grain.

Make your own barley water 

The simplest recipes are the ones that tend to last. There are many variations, adaptations etc. but this is the basis. 

Rinse approx. 150g (5oz) or pearl barley and add to a pan of approx. 1.5 litres of spring water.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Strain and refrigerate your fresh wholesome barley water.  Lemon or lime juice can be added for taste.  Can be kept for about three days.

Add cooked barley to salads, soups, stews, cakes, smoothies...

Helping You Cross The Great River

We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden 
~ Goethe

Even when memory fails, the past remains intact.  It exerts a kind of power over us.  We are partly formed by all those we're descended from, crowding out the shadows.  From the moment of our own conception we are subject to chance. The unreachable itches of our past can flare up unexpectedly and for no good reason.   

Sometimes we just need time to reflect and find new ways to journey on.

At Ku Retreats we believe that to evolve it is essential to focus on what it is that has happened to us. “Ku” is the 18^th hexagram of I Ching or Book of Changes. It represents ‘restoration’, ‘work on what has been decayed’, the review and reversal of processes.  Progress may be hindered when problems have not been dealt with properly.  They can be dismissed but linger.

It's important to identify and address sources of any pain and anger, known in I Ching as 'crossing the great river.'  It’s not an easy process but dry land awaits so that we are able to move forwards.

We provide seven days of respite and calm evaluation.  Our healing therapies will give you the strength to withstand any snags and traps and show that you're not alone. Now would be the time to confront what is holding you back, to test the current and plunge in.