Why the Frog?
To the indigenous peoples of Costa Rica, the frog was the upmost sacred symbol. At the time we chose the frog we knew it was a recurring image in the ancestry of Costa Rica and we wanted to show our respect to the people of this beautiful country. But when we did further research we discovered how much the symbolism of the frog is a universally recurring icon that is rich with insight into our collective human ancestry.
Sages of far distant times grounded their spirituality in the wonders of nature, proclaiming the frog as a sacred symbol, They observed the enormous number of eggs laid by a single frog and came to regard the creature as the symbol of abundance and health. From some traditions, the frog appears as a symbol of nurturing love, attracting friendship, and for inspiration to hasten recovery from injury and disease.
They observed the metamorphosis with which the floating masses of jelly- like eggs eventually awoke to life and hatched out as legless, gill-breathing tadpoles. Then came the transformation from gills to lung breathing, the development of legs and the eventuality of complete conversion from water-born to land-dwelling beings who could walk on earth.
How is the frog able to live for such a remarkably long lifespan—up to 40 years in some species? Through careful observation, our pre-Columbian, Egyptian and Roman predecessors observed that the frog has the power to remain dormant for long periods of time, frequently buried away from light and air. As if the frog had the power to miraculously rise from the dead, the frog awakens and reappears without any visible signs of aging or being harmed in any way.
In the mythology of Yoga, yogis see the symbol of creation—from our ability to attain full growth in one life on earth. And then, as if rising from the tomb we enter into a new cycle, ever growing into new levels of conscious awareness.
For all these reasons Brahmanand & Amba proudly honor the Pre- Colombian image of the frog to reflect the transformation that occurs through a life long inquiry of yoga. Once inhabited by Pre-Colombian indigenous peoples of the Americas we have chosen the frog as our way of showing respect and gratitude for the land they have entrusted to us.
