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The Transformative Value of Fire Ceremony

The Transformative Value of Fire Ceremony

For centuries, fires have been used by ancient and native cultures around the world to create ceremonies. Fire, or Agni in Sanskrit, is a transformational force of purification and creation, and indigenous cultures have been infusing this sacred element with prayers, reverence, and intention as a means to connect with the Divine.  Specifically in the Peruvian tradition, fire ceremonies have been used throughout the ages as a means of ritual, celebration and connection with the Universe because of their potent form of prayer.

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The Vedic Fire Ceremony

The Vedic Fire Ceremony

Fire, or Agni in Sanskrit, is one of the five basic elements of creation. It dominates the Pitta dosha of Ayurveda. In its highest expression, Agni is the source of self-discipline, purification and transformation.

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Navrati: The Nine Nights of the Goddesses

October 9th - 18th, 2018 by Gwen Burdick Navratri, a nine night-long celebration of the Divine Feminine, occurs every year on the New Moon in the Vedic month of Ashwin (usually our September, but not always) near the autumnal equinox. Worship of the Goddesses Durga,...

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Shreem, Shreem, Shreem

The technology through which Spirit takes form as the manifest world commences with sound vibration traveling through the Akashic realm of space. The shortest possible sound in Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Vedas, is the mono-syllabic sound or Beej Mantra. The...

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The Vedic Trinity: Create, Sustain, Destroy

In the Vedic tradition, the ancient root of yogic philosophy, the concept of God or Supreme Reality is understood in a three-fold manner. The triple function of God, Trimurti in Sanskrit, is expressed as Brahma the creator, Vishnu the sustainer and Shiva the...

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Exploring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 3.7

Exploring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 3.7

  Our most recent exploration of the yoga sutras ends with sutra 3.7, which states, trayam antarangam purvebhyah: These three [dharana, dhyana, and samadhi] are more internal than the preceding limbs. Following last month’s sutra, also focused on the last three...

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Exploring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 3.4

Exploring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 3.4

  Yoga sutra 3.4 states: trayam ekatra samyama: The three [dharana, dhyana, and samadhi] as one is called samyama. The last three limbs of the eight limbs of yoga are considered those limbs that happen naturally, whereas the first five limbs are actively...

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Exploring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 2.46

Exploring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 2.46

  Yoga sutra 2.46 states, sthira sukham asanam: The posture for yoga meditation should be steady, stable, and comfortable. You may have heard this yoga sutra in class—at least in its English translation. The yoga postures are to be done with steadiness and ease....

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The Vedic World View

"It is quite possible that India is the real world, and that the white man lives in a madhouse of abstractions." Carl Jung (after a visit to India in 1938) As our study and practice of the Yogic sciences and philosophies deepen, it becomes increasingly important to...

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Exploring The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 2.29

Exploring The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 2.29

  Yoga sutra 2.29 states, Yama niyamasana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhi astau angani: The eight limbs of yoga are: yama (self-regulation), niyama (observances), asana (posture), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana...

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Exploring The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 1.14

Exploring The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 1.14

Skipping ahead a few sutras to yoga sutra 1.14, which states, sa tu dirghakala nairantarya satkarasevito drdhabhumih: Practice that is done for a long time, without break and with sincere devotion becomes a firmly rooted, stable, and solid foundation. This is an...

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The Three Gunas: Tamas, Rajas and Sattva

The word Guna means "that which binds" in Sanskrit. According to Vedic science, all matter and energy that make up the manifest world consists of the three gunas in different quantities. They describe the qualities of nature and states of awareness, and are likened to...

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Exploring The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 1.4

Exploring The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 1.4

Building on the first three sutras, yoga sutra 1.4 states, Vritti sarupyam itaratra: When one is not in Self-realization, the Seer takes on the identity of the fluctuations of mind (thought patterns). That is, when we are wrapped up in our thoughts, unable to stay...

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Exploring The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 1.3

Exploring The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 1.3

  Following up on yoga sutra 1.2 (essentially, yoga is the cessation of mind chatter), yoga sutra 1.3 states, Tada drashtuh svarupevasthanam: then the seer abides in itself, resting in its true nature, also known as self-realization. This sutra explains the...

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Exploring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 1.2

Exploring the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Sutra 1.2

In yoga sutra 1.2, the second sutra of book one, Patanjali lays out the definition and purpose of yoga. Yogas citta vrtti nirodhah: yoga is the cessation of the modifications, or fluctuations, of the mind. This sutra gets right to the heart of why we practice yoga.

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Play Tennis. Practice Yoga.

By Margit Bannon   If you play tennis it’s not such a stretch (pardon the pun) to say that you might enjoy the practice of yoga, and if you practice yoga that you might enjoy tennis. Let’s consider the parallels between these two disciplines. As yogis we often...

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Yoga for any Faith

One reason that yoga appeals to so many people is because, in addition to the great physical and mental benefits, its added spiritual/philosophical dimension can be integrated into a wide range of belief systems. When you hear the phrase, “Yoga is for all,” you may...

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DIWALI: FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Diwali, which means "row of lights" in Sanskrit, is a celebration in India and around the world to honor the inextinguishable Light within all of us.  It occurs in late October or early November every year on the New Moon when the two great luminaries of our solar...

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Yoga Philosophy—A Practice Far Beyond the Mat

Yoga practice as we know it in the modern world tends to be heavily focused on the physical aspect of yoga. Western practitioners are first intrigued by the asana (postures) and pranayama (breath control) that are taught in yoga studios far and wide, but when we view...

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Sadhana: The Practice of Living with Purpose

Sadhana: The Practice of Living with Purpose

The word Sadhana in Sanskrit means spiritual exertion towards an intended goal or the means of accomplishing something. According to Vedic teachings, that something is to live in a state of Self-realization, and any discipline or practice undertaken for ego-transcendence, freedom from suffering, or spiritual liberation is the final goal of life.

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