On January 30th, Jews celebrated the harvest festival called Tu B’Shevat. Set on the 15th of the month of Shevat in the Jewish calendar, Tu B’Shevat marks the “New Year for Trees”, when the earliest blooming trees in Israel begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. Traditionally, we commemorate the day and season by eating some of the fruit mentioned in the torah: pomegranates, figs, dates, grapes and olives. But we can look beyond the joy of literally bearing fruit to lessons learned through the grandiosity and longevity of the trees themselves.
The principles of Anusara yoga abound with tree-imagery. In fact, vrksasana (tree pose) and its components are so inspiring that we utilize the metaphor and asana in almost every class. Each time we are instructed to ‘root down’ into the earth beneath us or ‘grow our branches’ toward the sun, we are nourished. The tree, in its depth, height, beauty and resilience gives us pause and insight into our lives. Within the first principle of opening to grace, we establish our roots through the foundation. Here our roots hold our intention. The roots are our faith in the Universal, consciousness, Divine, grace….whatever name you give for that which connects us to something bigger than ourselves. Roots, though unseen, are critical to the sustenance of the tree. A beautiful tree with shallow roots will eventually collapse. A person with an amazing intellect and expensive wardrobe, but with little grace is shallow and may more easily falter under durress. And then there’s my grandmother. She had little money and very little formal education. Yet she was wise and possessed an open, optimistic heart. She connected with others from an authentic, internal place. It was her faith in goodness that nurtured her and helped her persevere even the most challenging periods.
The trunk, branches and leaves are our intellect and emotions. We strive to nurture them in such a way that they not only are sustainable, but grow, give forth and give back. The fruit is a gift, yes. But it’s more than that. The seed inside, like our attitude, is the fuel that drives our intention. And for it to be received well, it should be sweet and nourishing, like the meat of the fruit.
Each component of a tree is necessary to its survival and its reproduction. For us, we look beyond mere survival. As gregarious beings, we utilize our incredible composition to thrive in a world of connection. On this Tu B’Shevat, may we all take time to find shelter beneath a tree, recognize and nourish our gifts and talents; and give forth from a skilled, internal place. In that way, we will connect to something bigger than ourselves and help bring peace and joy to this world.
Aviva Black teaches a mixed level class on Thursdays from 12 – 1pm at YogaKula Berkeley.
Click here to register for Aviva’s class
