498 – Power over your mind?

Might is right. Who is mighty? Mighty is a person who is more powerful and stronger than us. They are people who can go unchallenged even if their action is in fact unjustified. Woe betides anyone who questioned them. I have observed this in the confrontations which happen in my balcony. I love cats; however, I stopped keeping cats as my cats became like dogs. Since we always had a dog, our cats came later, and they would follow us on our walks. Outcome was our cats were killed by strays. They became fearless. Now we have cats visiting us on our balcony and they are wild. Continue reading

363 – How can I achieve mental stability, quickly?

According to my Guru, keep aside ten minutes for meditation every morning. Decide where you want to fix your mind. Do you want to fix it on a candle flame, or a Yantra? Be only aware of that and nothing else. When the mind is concentrated and one pointed even for a second, then one undergoes a wonderful experience. Continue reading

349 – Our dormant potential

How do we awaken our potential? One of the major tools is Yoga, which unfolds our different levels of awareness, which are buried deep in our unconscious. Each one of us is blessed with it. We have to learn to awaken it and harness it. It then turns into prana and from there into power and vidya (knowledge). Continue reading

291 – Our Guru’s golden words

“You may go to temples and discharge all religious obligations as taught by your tradition, but that alone will not help you to unlock the secret chambers. However much you may sit for puja, please note that lack of concentration will render all your efforts futile. It is always best to aim first and then shoot. There is practically no use of shooting in the air.” – Swami Satyananda Saraswati Continue reading

289 – Who was Swami Sivananda’s Guru?

Thursday is the day of the Guru? I asked myself this question, as must so many of you, “Who was Swami Sivananda’s Guru?” Swami Sivananda received mantra diksha from Parmahamsa Viswananda Saraswati, on the banks of the Ganga on 1st June 1924. Swami Sivananda was in quest of a Guru. Continue reading

189 – Who was Swami Sivananda’s Guru

Thursday is the day of the Guru. I asked myself this question, as must so many of you, “Who was Swami Sivananda’s Guru?” Swami Sivananda received mantra diksha from Paramahamsa Viswanananda Saraswati, on the banks of the Ganga on 1st June,1924. Swami Sivananda was in quest of a Guru. Continue reading

187 – The thousand names of Devi

Lalita Sahasranama means the thousand names of the Goddess Lalita. The thousand names of Devi are chanted in adoration and salutation to the goddess. How would we describe the nature of the Shakti of Lalita. The word Shakti comes from the root shak, which means the divine power by which the universe is created, maintained and destroyed. Shakti and Shaktiman both mean the ruler and controller of the power. Continue reading

186 – Why the head of the elephant for Ganesha

Did Shiva know that Shakti had created a beautiful boy to be her protector? Shakti was very upset as she had nobody to take care of her. Whomsoever, she created, Shiva took them away and they became Shiva’s followers. Does this not happen in many marriages and Shakti and Shiva are the ultimate power couple. Continue reading

151 – Grasp your will and not straws

What are we looking for? Are we tending our mind and body? Do we see an unruly, unkempt garden or do we see beauty, bird song, buzzing of bees, colours and fragrances? Are we pulling the weeds out, and leaving the roots in? Are we disgusted with our lives and are we exaggerating what are we encountering? We have to grasp firmly what we are seeking? Continue reading

085 – What is Prana

The Upanishads describe prana as the breath contained within the breath. A person is dead when this breath leaves the body. It is called Mahaprana and is the instrument of consciousness. It nurtures and nourishes us. It is the energy which is gross and subtle, and which is present in all life form. It is present in the universe from the blade of grass to the most microscopic sign of life. It exists where there is life and this includes physical, mental, Intellectual, psychic and emotional health. To fully understand this life force, we have to be aware of the flow of prana. Prana is present everywhere in our bodies, it is inside the oxygen, which is in our blood, inside the bones, inside our veins, our arteries and is the subtle breath within our breath. Continue reading