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, Lakshmi and Saraswati occur for three nights each. Prayers are performed, offerings are made and mantras are recited to honor and invoke the blessings of the Divine Mother.

The first three nights are devoted to Durga, which means “invincible” in Sanskrit. In Vedic energetics, Durga presides over the tamasic realm and annihilation. She is depicted fearlessly riding a lion and carrying weapons in her many hands. Her job is to destroy the darkness, ignorance and weakness that interferes with spiritual growth. She is responsible for the first step of the spiritual journey to remove fear, pain, suffering and confusion. The simplest mantra for Durga is: “Om Dum Durgayei Namaha.”

For the next three nights Goddess Lakshmi is honored. Lakshmi means “goal” in Sanskrit and she governs the rajasic realm which allows for the enjoyment of worldly life. Shown with coins representing abundance, she assists in understanding the niyama of Santosha. At this point along the spiritual path, we can experience gratitude and appreciation for all we have received. The mantra for Lakshmi is “Om Shreem Mahalakshmiyei Namaha.”

The final three nights are dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, which means “essence of Self” in Sanskrit, and her dominion is the sattvic realm. Saraswati carries a book, mala and lute. She oversees learning, knowledge, and the Arts for those who have been prepared. Only when we have passed through the first two stages can we be ready to access Saraswati’s blessings and, as a result, use acquired knowledge and higher consciousness for the welfare of all. Her mantra is “Om Shri Saraswatiya Namaha.”

On the following tenth auspicious day of revival of the feminine aspect of God, devotees recommit to their worldly duties and vocations and to their sadhana. As we enter the Fall season, might we notice how easy it is to see the qualities of the Goddesses in Mother Nature herself.

This year, Friday, April 22 is Earth Day. Around the world, communities come together on this day to promote environmental awareness. Trees are planted, roadsides and shorelines are cleaned up, companies are encouraged to make environmentally conscious changes, and individuals feel inspired to do their part to make the earth a better place for this and future generations.

In yoga philosophy, the first of the five yamas (the first limb of the eight limbs of yoga as set out by the sage Patanjali) is ahimsa. Ahimsa means, simply put, non-harming. To practice ahimsa means to do no harm—to others or to the earth itself. It is one of the most widely sited of the yamas and niyamas.

Yoga philosophy, although rooted in the present moment, takes a far-sighted viewpoint. The rule of karma states that, essentially, what goes around comes around. Treating the earth with respect, as the finite resource that it is, is the logical practice of one who is in tune with yoga practice and philosophy. In yoga, the earth can be celebrated every day.

Dedicating a special day to environmental awareness is a great way to spread the enthusiasm for practices that help make the world a better place. This year, why not take your yoga practice outside to reconnect to nature and remind yourself that this paradise we live in deserves our attention and utmost respect. Take some time to consider how you live your life and whether or not any changes could be made to make your life even more earth friendly. Being in the presence of nature—feet on the ground, breathing in fresh air and feeling the wind and sun on your skin—can help instill a renewed vigor that inspires you to recommit to environmental practices that may have fallen by the wayside.

NOTE: The Yoga Sanctuary will be celebrating Earth Day at the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center on Friday, April 22^nd at 5:30pm. Join us for an outdoor yoga class on the CHEC greens followed by a guided walk through some of CHEC’s trails. All donations collected at this event will go directly to CHEC to help support the work they do in our community! Find out more about CHEC at www.checflorida.org.

Rangoli with diyas

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 system are at their weakest influence.  Astrologically, Surya (the Sun) is in its position of debilitation in Libra every year at this time. This means our solar nature—vision, consistent power and clarity—is the most difficult to access individually and collectively on Diwali.  Chandra (the Moon) is also at its weakest as it joins Surya in the sky, for it is completely dark on this day of the lunation cycle.  Consequently, the light of consciousness is most difficult to feel on this day.

This may seem counter-intuitive at first, but although the energies of the Sun and Moon create life on Earth, it is our own Inner Light that ultimately dispels the darkness of doubt, confusion, fear and ignorance and allows us to evolve spiritually. The goal of all sadhana is to gain access to that Light within ourselves.  An important story of the Ramayana correlating to the ceremony of Diwali tells of the happy return of the King (Surya) and Queen (Chandra), after years spent in exile and suffering, along a path and row of lights lit by the villagers. Festivities on this day include sweets and fireworks, as lamps are lit in homes, offices and temples in worship and reverence to the Light that is not subject to time, space and causation. On Diwali we are reminded that Light is always victorious over darkness.

By Gwen Burdick

“Everything in the world has come out of one Divine Being, the sacred fire.  The sages are the direct manifestation of that fire.  No one understands them.  No one talks to them.  No one walks with them.  They live in their own world and yet, driven by intense compassion, they descend and walk among human beings.  They are kind and ever-engaged in guiding those who are in search of the Divine Experience.  When you have a real desire to see them, they come to you in the flesh.  Don’t waste your time running here and there: they are always with you; they are your real companions.” – Swami Rama as quoted by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait in At the Eleventh Hour

Guru Purnima, the highest holiday in the Vedic tradition, is celebrated yearly on the first full moon after the summer solstice in the month of Ashad, usually our July, and corresponds to the beginning of the rainy season.  The Sanskrit word Guru means remover of darkness and Purnima is the full moon day of the lunation cycle.  On this day scholars, academics and students from a variety of spiritual lineages gather in fellowship, known as satsang, to honor and express gratitude for the wisdom teachings and past and present teachers that have inspired, guided, and protected everyone.  All forms of worship are said to be a thousand times more powerful on Guru Purnima.

Yoga and its sister Vedic sciences have been taught to sincere seekers by authentic teachers for thousands of years, one-on-one, in an unbroken fashion as an oral tradition. Saints and sages have lived throughout history, coming to teach the same message to diverse people, speaking diverse languages, and teaching in diverse ways. Considered by many to be the most necessary part of life and the greatest gift, the Sat Guru, or Enlightened Master, is the embodiment of the three Gods of the Universe:  Lord Brahma the Creator, Lord Vishnu the Sustainer and Lord Shiva the Destroyer.  Further, the Guru principle is available to us through the written word of the sacred texts, as the ancient seers stored this wisdom in the language of various scriptures.  It is the hope that, through God’s grace, the lamp of knowledge is lit within each of us, the darkness of ignorance is removed, and that we may have a direct personal experience of our own Divinity.

Traditional ceremonies and festivities on Guru Purnima normally include kirtan (chanting), havan (a fire ceremony where prayers are offered) and prasad (a food offering, usually kheer, a sweet rice pudding).  On this important day, disciples not only recommit to their own spiritual path, but brother and sister-disciples recommit to each other as well in solidarity on their spiritual journeys.

Thankfully, the practice of yoga prepares us for the highs and lows of the season. For through yoga we are able to find our center, the calm within the storm, the eye of the hurricane. The holidays offer us a great opportunity to tune into the present moment because it’s a challenge. To be able to find calm amidst chaos takes practice—lots of practice. And so we practice this season.

When holiday shopping, for example, take a moment to step back and observe your surroundings. Notice the other people around you, notice the interactions between people, notice how you feel, and notice your breath. Oh yeah, the breath. The simple act of finding your breath—even in the middle of the shopping mall (especially in the middle of the shopping mall)—will help you to connect to that ever-present calm within. Use this. Everywhere.

Although your schedule may be filled to the max this month, please find time to relax. It’s essential for our self-preservation that we have some down time. Come to your mat—for a class, for a practice outdoors, or even for ten minutes to start your day. Use this time to find your center so that you may find it off the mat as well. Indeed, the yoga practice sets us up to be able to do just that.

This season, take notice: Notice those moments when you are able to practice the concepts of yoga off the mat. Knowing that you hold this potential within you, always, will help you sail through the season with ease. Happy holidays!

To understand mindful eating, we must first understand mindfulness. Luckily, as yoga practitioners, we are already primed for the practice. During yoga practice, when we bring our attention to the breath, essentially bring our attention back to the present moment, we are already practicing mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the act of paying attention to what is happening—physically, mentally, and emotionally—while it is happening without getting caught up in the story surrounding it. For example, during yoga practice we bring our attention to the breath, but inevitably thoughts arise, such as, “I must be off balance today because I didn’t sleep well last night,” or, “Why can I never get this pose right?” or even, “I am SO good at this pose.” In these moments, when we finally realize that our minds have become distracted, we bring our attention back to the breath. Over and over again. This is a mindfulness practice.

According to Jan Chozen Bays, MD, author of the book Mindful Eating, “Mindful eating involves paying full attention to the experience of eating and drinking, both inside and outside the body. We pay attention to the colors, smells, textures, flavors, temperatures, and even the sounds (crunch!) of our food. We pay attention to the experience of the body.”

Think about how you usually eat. Do you read while eating? Or watch TV? Do you talk through your meal so much that each bite gets chewed and swallowed at rapid speed? Or maybe you eat too rapidly even if you’re not talking. Do you often find yourself fuller than you anticipated? Most of us, if not all of us, can probably relate. Eating mindlessly—the opposite of eating mindfully—has many negative effects on our health. Obesity, diabetes, and digestive conditions can all arise when we eat mindlessly.

Mindful eating, on the other hand, not only helps put us in the right frame of mind, but it has beneficial effects on our physical health. A recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that diabetics who ate mindfully were able to reduce their blood sugar levels and lose as much weight as those who received the traditional diabetes self-management program Smart Choices, which involved education about the diabetes condition itself, proper blood sugar control, medical nutrition therapy, and encouragement of physical activity. Those results are rather impressive when you consider that those people who received mindfulness training only received very basic information on nutrition.

This holiday season, try to incorporate mindful eating when you can. Take time to tune into your true hunger sensations. Before eating, determine whether you are really hungry, or simply eating out of habit, boredom, or emotion. When eating, be sure to chew your food well, taking in the flavors, smells, and textures of your food. If you tend to read while eating, Jan Chozen Bays recommends that you alternate the activities: read one page and then eat mindfully a few bites. Pay attention to your body’s cues. Stop eating when you feel satiated. Start small, maybe one meal a week. Or the first five minutes of each dinner. Over time, the benefits of eating mindfully will become evident to you.

September commemorates The UN International Day of Peace and the anniversary of 9/11. It is a time to reflect upon the meaning of peace and how we can truly attain inner and outer peace.

Here are several excerpts from sages and ancient scriptures on the meaning of Peace.



Bhagavad Gita
4.39: Resolute, restraining his senses, the man of faith becomes wise; once he attains true wisdom, he soon attains perfect peace
5.12: the resolute in yoga surrender results, and gain perfect peace; the irresolute, attached to results, are bound by everything they do

The Yoga Sutras
To maintain a peaceful mind follow Yoga Sutra 1.33:
By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard for the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmess.

The Dalai Lama
As one brought up in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, I feel that love and compassion are the moral fabric of world peace.
Genuine compassion is based on the recognition that others have the right to happiness just like yourself, and therefore even your enemy is a human being with the same wish for happiness as you, and the same right to happiness as you. A sense of concern developed on this basis is what we call compassion; it extends to everyone, irrespective of whether the person’s attitude toward you is hostile or friendly.

MLK Jr
“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”

Mahatma Gandhi
“Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.”

Buddha
To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

AMMA
Shanti is chanted thrice not for emphasis but because disturbances are of three distinct categories. In Sanskrit, these are referred to as adhi-daivikam, adhi-bhautikam and adhyatmikam.
Adhi-daivikam literally means “mental disturbances that come from God”-i.e. things that are utterly beyond our control: hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tsunamis, etc. We have no control over these types of disturbances.
Adhi-bhautikam literally means “disturbances that come from the world.” That means anything stemming from the world around us-mosquitoes, noisy neighbors, barking dogs, the phone ringing, family arguments. As opposed to the first category, we have some control over this second category of disturbances.
The third type of disturbance is the most powerful and, at the same time, the only one over which we have total control. Adhyatmikam means “disturbances stemming from the self.” For one who is still identified with the ego, the people, places and things of this world stimulate one of two reactions in the mind-attachment or aversion.
In fact, Amma says that the ego is the only true obstacle to mental peace. This third shanti is therefore the most important one, because even if we are free from outside disturbances, if the inner realm is not calm we will never know peace. Conversely, once we have found inner peace, no external force can ever disturb us. So chanting this third shanti is akin to praying, “O God, please remove all the inner obstacles.”
There is one more element to the three-fold chanting of “shanti,” and that is the silence that follows each repetition. If chanted properly, this silence is the emphasis.This silence is representative of true peace, the peace of an Enlightened One like Amma. For the spiritual seeker, peace is the goal. For an Enlightened One peace has been realized as his very nature.

Join The Yoga Sanctuary on the International Day of Peace, Tuesday, September 21st , at 11:30am to chant for Peace