Artwork by JR Korpa via Unsplash.
spanda: the vibration of life
The word Spanda holds deep meaning in yoga philosophy. It is a Sanskrit term that can be distilled down to mean the vibration of existence, made up of creative flow and passive rest.
The poet Walt Whitman writes, “Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.”. This is the essence of Spanda: an interplay between two opposite yet complementary qualities that exist simultaneously in all of us at all times.
The passive and the creative duality. The Shakti and the Siva. Both must exist together in order to be whole. And with this dance of energies at play, there is continual movement. A pulsation. An ebb and flow. Always expanding and yet contracting.
This movement is the energy behind the body, the breath, the mind, our feelings and emotions, and our experiences. It is our essence.
About
Spanda Society was founded in January 2020 in response to the call to serve in an accessible, inclusive way. This need was underscored by the sudden Coronavirus pandemic followed by yet another police brutality that ended the life of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many more innocent victims.
The fear and anger and vulnerability of our communities invites us to rise up, come together, speak and act against injustices. We also need to stay grounded in awareness.
There is no simple resolve or overnight solution to racism, abuses of power, or lack of public health resources, however there is compassion and understanding and pure awareness. This is what we aim to practice in yoga.
Spanda is a key concept in Kashmir Saivism monistic philosophy, which holds the belief that the entire universe is conscious energy and it is reflected in every single being’s expression of it. It is each of our own responsibility to connect to that primordial creative pulse inside of us - call it presence, pure awareness, true nature - in order for us to truly feel connected to each other and our planet.
We can achieve this not by forgetting harms done to and by us, but through deep insight and connection to this vibrational pulse that guides our every action or inaction. By taking the time to centre and ground ourselves in awareness, we can show up in the moment not just for ourselves, but for our humanity.
Vision
Spanda Society serves as a space to collectively and independently participate, through movement, meditation, dialogue and self study, in the creative and restful states that free us from ego, from personality, from time and from limiting beliefs.
Image by Guillaume de Germain via unsplash.
“let’s begin...”