Tag Archives: Pratyahara

Become Response-able and Spiritually Proactive

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I will explain the meaning of Response-able at the end, dear ones.

Swami Sivananda advocated for spiritual victory over the self as solution to outer conflicts. He viewed war as the “highest barbarism”, a crowning stupidity of humanity and a disgrace to civilization. He said that the root cause of wars are caused by materialism, forgetfulness of our divine nature and the egotistic actions of leaders. He stated that true peace is not just the absence of war, but a state of inner harmony, insisting that world peace can only be achieved by eradicating individual selfishness, greed and hatred. Continue reading →

The ITIES of Swami Sivananda

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What are ITIES? ITIES are words which end in ity. Each one of these words can change our life and lead to becoming a Jiwan Mukta. They are interconnected and they are all virtues.

Swami Sivananda summed the ITIES in a song. When one sings it, they end in rhyme. Continue reading →

Transform yourself through Brahmari Sadhana

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Brahmari Sadhana is the practice of Brahmari pranayama, with the mantra Soham. In Sanskrit Brahmari is bee, and the pranayama is akin to a bee humming. It comes from the humming sound made while exhaling. Brahmari pranayama is the life-force that vibrates the whole brain by control of the pituitary gland. Continue reading →

Am I spiritual or am I religious?

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How do we define ourselves? Are we spiritual? Are we religious? Spirituality is defined as one’s search for the sacred meaning of life. It means one is seeking to understand one’s inner being. Religious indicates to have a strong belief in religion. It also means being devout and pious.

Can we combine spiritual and religious? Continue reading →

Penance

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The Hindu path of penance is a way of self-improvement and spiritual growth involving self-discipline, atonement and a sincere effort to connect with the divine.

Several internal flames have to be lit for the sadhana of penance.

First flame to be kindled is for not being restless. Restless means distracted and constantly pursuing desires and trivialities in life. This flame then continues to burn and the impurities of this life vanish. Continue reading →

Live in the present moment

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My Guru, Swami Satyananda stated that freedom was living in the present moment. He said that it was important to be present without being influenced or entrapped in the past or future.

It happens in little steps by being conscious of one’s actions and not being swept away by the fluctuations of the mind. Continue reading →

Creation of Ganesha

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Parvati longed for a person, who would be her guard like Nandi, who was always at Shiva’s side. One day when she was preparing for her bath on Mount Kailash’s, she told Nandi to sit outside. Nandi took his post, intending to carry out Parvati’s wishes. Shiva arrived suddenly as was his habit and he wished to enter. Continue reading →

The mirror of our mind

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Many of you are familiar with the German word, Innenwelt, which refers to the ‘inner world’. The inner world is the mental experience of the inner self which accompanies I. It can also be described as a mirror of oneself. It is a complicated and complex meaning and it manifests itself in one’s dreams. Continue reading →