930 – Karma and Divinity

We do not exist independently….
Whenever I walk, sit, eat or practice calligraphy,
I do so with the awareness,
That all my ancestors are within me at that moment.
I am their continuation.
Whatever I am doing,
the energy of mindfulness
enables me to do it as ‘us,’
‘Through interbeing, not as me.’

Ancestors and me – Thich Nhat Hanh Continue reading

902 – Sivananda Yoga

Sivananda Yoga is the best way to understand and express bhakti. The first step in Sivananda yoga is to serve. The second step is to love. Service and love are concepts of bhakti. When service and love become predominant in life, the mind is drawn to contemplation and remembrance of God. The devotee begins to see God and experience God’s glory within her/himself. That is why the definition of bhakti is serve and love. – Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati

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791 – Handling of fears

Which arise in the mind during puja and meditation.

A saying of the Paramhamsa Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

Explanation by the Master

All of us when we meditate find that we encounter our latent fears. What are these fears? They range from passion, lust, anger, desire, envy and of course unexplained fear. One feels completely blocked as they are churning in the mind. It is a self-defeating battle to suppress them and they keep regenerating and multiplying. Fear is an essential part of Puja with bhava, it pussyfoots in and in dhyana also it comes in. Continue reading

592 – Words with D and E

The effect of words beginning with D and E on us, is extraordinary. I will discuss D words first and then E words.

D words

Despair, desperation, depression, despondency, disgrace, distress, dumps, disconsolation, dispirited, devilish, dolefulness distraught, dismay, discouragement, demoralization, defeatism, disheartenment, dejection. Continue reading

586 – Loss

What is loss? It is a very powerful word which encompasses many subjects. It has a great many meanings. How do we understand and perceive it? Loss relates to when we identify with our anxieties and insecurities. We lose our sense of clarity and we are faced with disillusionment and uncertainty. When we relate to this, we kill our self. Continue reading

580 – Ether and the power of speech

The Latin root of Ether is aether, which means, “the upper, pure, bright air.” Ether was described as a substance that was said to fill all space and make up all bodies. Ether is the fifth and highest element after air, fire, water and earth. It is believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies. Continue reading

538 – Rejuvenate yourselves during Chaitra Navratri

Chaitra Navratri is a popular festival. It falls in the month of March or April. The first day of the Hindu Lunar calendar is known as Chaitra and therefore this time is known as Chaitra Navratri.

The Goddess Durga and her different incarnations are adored during this festival for eight days. The birthday of Rama falls on the ninth day and this day is known as Ram Navami. It celebrates Rama’s birth, the avatar of Vishnu. Rama was born to King Dasharatha and his wife, Queen Kaushalya. This festival is a part of Chaitra Navratri. Continue reading

535 – Taming our heart

Belong means accord, fit, be a part of, to be akin, to have a relationship. We all want to belong to someone. I am going to share excerpts from ‘The Little Prince’ with you:

One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes… it’s the time that you spent on your rose that makes the rose so important… You become responsible for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose. Continue reading

534 – Allow Prana to make you free of your needs

I wrote earlier about being needy and how much I detested the word. I also described the practice of Anuloma Viloma, which is visualizing one’s breath while inhaling and exhaling. What is remarkable is that this sadhana unblocks the nostrils and allows the breath to flow freely. Please read the preceding blog. Continue reading