Kabir said,
Look for bliss within, not elsewhere.
Kabir invented the word ‘Avadhoo’, which means infinite, vast, expansive, boundary-less, unfathomable as ether. Avadhoo is also his name for the guru, when we pray to him. Avdhoota means one who does not wear any garments but in reality, is an individual who has stripped her/him/self-off all the layers of her/his mind—layers of delusions, ignorance, attachment, aversion and therefore one emerges as her/his true self. Continue reading
Visualization in this meditation step by step.
Become aware of your mooladhara chakra. Concentrate upon it. It is at the tip of the cervix for females and between the anus and the scrotum for males. Gaze at the nose tip and practice nose tip gazing (Nasikgrah Drishti), which stimulates the mooladhara chakra. The mooladhara chakra restores your stability and balance. It grounds you. Stay with the sadhana for five minutes. Continue reading
Hinduism is the world’s oldest faith in the world. Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continues cycle of life, death and reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect). In Hinduism, the soul or Atman is the crux of it. Continue reading
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
Be your own light.
Heraclitus’s famous analogy of life to a river: “Upon those who step into the same rivers, different and ever different waters flow down.” Heraclitus was an ancient Greek philosopher. The central idea of his philosophy was the unity of opposites and the concept of change. He observed the world as being in a state of constant flux. Nothing remains the same and the world is impermanent. It is changing continuously. Our ignorance is responsible for this false perception. Adi Shankara calls this ignorance avidya and to remove this we need that light, which is from within. Continue reading
The practices of Ajapa Japa were given by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1963 in Cama Hall, Bombay.
In his talk, he has given six practices for the followers of Yoga. They are simple and easy to follow. What is essential is that the Ajapa Japa sadhana has to be practiced for a month. I have written the sadhana as he gave it and it is simply said by the Guru for all to follow. Continue reading
Nyasa is derived from a tantric practice. Anga means main limbs or organs of the body like the toes, hips, knees, back, chest, shoulder blades and the head. Anga Nyasa is the installation of the Lord in the devotees own physical form. Continue reading
1. Anuloma Viloma
Become aware of the breath and visualize the prana flowing in and out of the left nostril to the count of 27. Repeat with the right nostril. Now practice with the breath and visualize the prana flowing in and out of both nostrils, to the count of 54. You have unblocked both nostrils and restored the balance between Ida (mental activities) and Pingala (vital activities) nadis. Continue reading
Ajapa Japa Sadhana as explained by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
When we chant, we are uttering from the mouth, when we chant from the heart, it is called Ajapa. Ajapa Japa is a complete sadhana and through it one can have direct experience of samadhi. Continue reading
Transform yourself
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. The pituitary gland is the master of all glands at the bottom of the brain that controls the entire nervous system. Continue reading
Yes, we all are troubled. Our headspace is congested. What are these dilemmas, which are attached to us? Emotional concerns, misunderstood and under-appreciated, mental crises and self-doubts. It is like being in a very crowded space and this area happens to be within us. Continue reading
During the 9 days of worship of the Mother Goddess, the triumph of the divine feminine trinity of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi occurs. In the course of this festival of Mother worship, respect is shown to young girls, married women, young learned boys, elephants and cows. Navratri represents the internal conquest of negativity. Continue reading
Ananthasayana is the lord of the creative energy. One glance from him grants material energy, the prana to give birth to all organic and inorganic matter. He is Vishnu, the sustainer and he is often portrayed as sleeping on the cosmic serpent that coils itself into a bed, positioning its many heads as a canopy. The Sesa Naga is identical to Vishnu, who is also known as Naga Sayana. Continue reading
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
Give your full attention to whatever you are doing and recognize the constant renewal of life all around you. Appreciate the beauty and spiritual radiance in people. Open your heart with compassion and accept people as they are. Lastly leave the past to God’s mercy, the future to his discretion. Live in the present with awareness and empathy. In your heart resides your soul. Let us make this our life long celebration of Easter. Continue reading