Saturday, March 01, 2008

Marching With My Yogi Cow

Yogamum has just announced that the WoYoPracMo theme for March is "Grounding." I need to think a little bit more on this theme.

I love March. It is when we move from Pisces into Aries. The Aries is a fire sign, one defined by action and intensity. Their lives are often whirlwind of activities. They would benefit from meditation -- the art of action in stillness.

Aries are admirable for their drive and ambition. They are perfectionists -- and they can be impatient with those who do not live up to their high standards. For Aries is the lesson of forgiveness and letting go -- and standing still.

Yes, March is my birthday month (in case you haven't figured that out) Since the dharma and yoga entered my life, I have come to look forward to March with optimism. March is the month where I begin my life, and so it is a useful marker for some spiritual accounting. For the past few years, March is the time that I reflect on how I have lived the past year, and I set an intention for the rest of the year.

For the past few years, when I reflect on my life, I am able to say, "I am happy."

I am glad for being able to finally say that about myself.

I leave you with an image of a cow doing a firefly pose.

This picture, by the way, is currently the wallpaper on my computer at work.

Yes, it's that kind of day. Again.

PS: Anyone notice how this cow has both horns AND udders? Is it a hermaphrodite cow? I thought only bulls have horns. Anyone knows?

20 comments:

Chris said...

OK -- finally a post of yours I can answer instead of just lurking like usual. Thank god I'm a country boy ;-)

Almost all cows naturally have horns. It's not a gender thing. Mommas were made to fight off predators, too. A few breeds have had them bred out, but most have horns. On the farm, the little "horn buds" are frequently removed from calves to make them a safer to handle when they grow up.

So sorry, your cow is perfectly normal ... except for maybe the yoga part.

woyo "yee-haw" chris

darkorpheus said...

WoYo Chris Hah. I will try to make my future posts more relevant, rather than self-absorbed ramblings. ;p

Thanks for clarifying that. I didn't know momma cows have horns. A little ashamed to admit that the cows I usually see are cartoon renditions on milk cartons. Hee.

I feel like such a clueless city-girl. But that's okay. One of my friend is a high-school teacher and she had a student who couldn't recognise a real-life chicken on a school-trip (because the chicken wasn't frozen or deep-fried. And it had feathers)

Chris said...

Oh no -- don't change anything!!!! That's not what I meant at all.

And actually, cows don't have horns in lots of photos you see, but usually it's because they were removed, not because they are girls.

I can't believe I'm still going on about cows. Somebody please stop me ... please.

woyo chris

Anonymous said...

My birthday is in March too. The 17th. :)

darkorpheus said...

WoYo Chris Nothing wrong with cows. Cows are funny. Especially if they are doing yoga.

Ailuros A March Piscean. Like my brother. :)

Ana S. said...

Being able to say "I'm happy" is a very good thing indeed :)

I was excited with the idea of a hermaphrodite cow. I had the impression that only bulls had horns, too.

darkorpheus said...

Nymeth I'm glad to be able to say I'm happy too. Ironically, I have to first learn that life will be full of disappointments, heartaches, pain and grief before I could realise I am happy. Silly me.

Our image of the cow has been "neutered" by the media, I guess. But I would have preferred the hermaphrodite cow.

Say, anyone knows if it hurts the cow to remove the horns?

Bybee said...

Love the firefly pose. Your post made me chuckle because I was listening to The Arrogant Worms today singing "I Am Cow", a lovely bovine anthem. It's at youtube.com

darkorpheus said...

Bybee I swear: besides chickens, cows are just the funniest animals. Hee. :)

Anonymous said...

proud to be an Aries. usually think alot and even more reflection about life and other stuff before the birthday. hopefully things will get better. ; ) Quietletters

Chris said...

Cows, again. Heck yes, it hurts to be dehorned!

Caution: This may be more than you want to know about dehorning calves.

Now I'm done. Really.

woyo chris

darkorpheus said...

WoYo Chris I thought so! NOw it makes me sad, and a little relief I'm vegetarian. It's like debeaking chicken.

darkorpheus said...

Quietletters Ha. Another Aries.

You know the irony? Aries are supposed to be the fire sign - loud, brash, intense. I don't think people expect Aries to be a contemplative sun sign.

purplefugue said...

If a cow can do a firefly pose, dammit so can I! :-P If only I can commit more thoroughly to my practise.

charlotte said...

hahaha! i love the way you've just disregarded pisces for march! :D that is just so aries, isn't it?! so us.

but then, i think with march 21st being such a significant date for our earth its understandable. its the beginning of everything...

i'm really glad that you're happy when march comes around. i also get a little gleam about me as it gets closer to march 21st...

here's to hoping you have a wonderful march!!

Anonymous said...

arg! that wasn't charlotte - that was me, jean pierre. sorry. she was signed in...

Anonymous said...

oh, and absolutely LOVE the cow! love it.

i don't know why it makes me so happy to see a cow doing yoga, but it does. ... :)

darkorpheus said...

Kisane You definitely can. Just keep practicing. Oh, and be prepared to fall on your bum many times.

Jean Pierre Well, say hi to Charlotte for me anyway. :)

Say, you should blog a little more about your wifey. Your mother's cats get more blog attention somehow.

Uhmm... Oh yes, March is partly Piscean, yes, but they already have February, so I'm claiming March for myself as the start of Aries. My brother is a March Piscean (March 8th is his birthday), but I tend to overlook March as Piscean too. Hee.

March is a good month for both Piscean and Aries. Yes, just that as an Aries I lay claim to March as MY MONTH! MINE! ALL MINE!

Okay, I'll stop now.

Isn't fun to have cows doing yoga? Maybe it's an Aries thing, but my colleagues were a little alarmed when they saw the cow as my wallpaper.

So it's a nice wallpaper to come to work to. :)

Anonymous said...

hahaha! well, march is now officially yours!

you're right, i should blog more about charlotte...

and maybe yoga cows is an aries thing... it certainly makes me happy. i can't quite say why, but it does...

Carl V. Anderson said...

Hmmm....not too up to date on cow vs. bull anatomy, but that is one hilarious picture.