Jaya Ganesha Jaya Ganesha Jaya Ganesha Pahi Mam Sri Ganesha Sri Ganesha Sri Ganesha Raksha Mam Saravanabava Saravanabava Saravanabava Pahi Mam Kartikeya Kartikeya Kartikeya Raksha Mam Jaya Sarasvati Jaya Sarasvati Jaya Sarasvati Pahi Mam Sri Sarasvati Sri Sarasvati Sri Sarasvati Raksha Mam Jaya Guru Siva Guru Hari Guru Ram Jagad Guru Param Guru Sad Guru Shyam Om Adi Guru Advaita Guru Ananta Guru Om Chit Guru Chidghana Guru Chinmaya Guru Om Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Namah Shivaya Namah Shivaya Nama Shivaya Namah Shivaya Namah Shivaya Nama Shivaya Om Namo Narayanaya Om Namo Narayanaya Om Namo Narayanaya Om Namo Narayanaya Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Om Namo Bhagavate Ramchandraya Anjaneya Anjaneya Anjaneya Pahi Mam Hanumanta Hanumanta Hanumanta Raksha Mam Dattatreya Dattatreya Dattatreya Pahi Mam Dattaguru Dattaguru Dattaguru Raksha Mam Gangamaiya Gangamaiya Gangamaiya Pahi Mam Bhagirathi Bhagirathi Bhagirathi Raksha Mam Om Shakti Om Shakti Om Shakti Pahi MamBrahma Shakti Vishnu Shakti Shiva Shakti Raksha Mam Om Adi Shakti Maha Shakti Para Shakti Pahi Mam Iccha Shakti Kriya Shakti Jnan Shakti Raksha Mam Rajarajeswari Rajarajeswari Rajarajeswari Pahi Mam Tripursandari Tripursandari Tripursandari Raksha Mam Aum Asato mā sad gamaya Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya Mtyormā amtam gamaya Om poornamadah Poornamidam Poornat Poornamudachyate Poornasya Poornamadaya Poornamevavasishyate Om Shantih Shantih Shantih That (Brahman) is complete That this creation is complete That the completeness of creation has come from the completeness of Brahman And yet Brahman remains complete Hari Om Sri guru bhyo namah Hari Om Heartfelt gratitude to all our teachers OM tryam baka yajā mahe sugand hi pui-vard hanam urvā rukam iva band hanān mtyor mukya māmtāt OM. We worship and adore you, O three-eyed one, O Shiva. You are sweet gladness, the fragrance of life, who nourishes us, restores our health, and causes us to thrive. As, in due time, the stem of the cucumber weakens, and the gourd is freed from the vine, so free us from attachment and death, and do not withhold immortality. Shri Ram, Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram. Om Aim Saraswati. Shri guru charana saroja raja Nija manu mukuru sudhari Varanaon Raghubara vimala jasu Jo dayaku phala chariBudhi hina tanu Janike Sumirau pavana kumara Bala budhi vidya dehu mohin Harahu kalesa vikara Siya vara Ramachandra pada jai sharanaam Jaya Hanumana gyana guna sagara Jaya Kapisha tihun loka ujagara...Hey Prabho Ananddata Hey Prabho Ananddata jnan hamko dijiye Shighrah sare durguno ko dur hamse kijiye Lijiye hamko sharan me ham sadachari bane Brahmachari Dharma Rakshak vir vrat dhari bane Hey Prabho Ananddata Prem se ham gurujano ki nitya hi seva kare Satya bole, jutha tyage mel aapas me kare Ninda kisiki ham kisi se bhul kar bhi na kare Divya jivan ho hamara tere yash gaya kare Hey prabho Sivananda Sivananda Sivananda Pahi Mam Chidananda Chidananda Chidananda Raksha Mam Om Tat Sat Om Tat Sat Om Tat Sat Om Om Shanti Om Shanti Om Shanti Om. The seven lokas, may be briefly described as: bhûhû - earth, the physical world, bhuvaha - astral/desire/breath, the world of becoming, suvaha - mental, the world of thinking, mahaha - causal, silent mind, the world of emotion, janaha - world of creative generation, tapaha - world of intuition, and satyaM - world of Absolute Truth GAYATRI MANTRA om bhur bhuva svaha tat savitur vareNyaM bhargo devasya dhîmahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayât -We meditate on the glory of the Creator; Who has created the Universe; Who is worthy of Worship; Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light; Who is the remover of all Sin and Ignorance; May He enlighten our Intellect. A succinct and delightful translation by S. Krishnamurthy is: We meditate upon the radiant Divine Light of that adorable Sun of Spiritual Consciousness; May it awaken our intuitional consciousness. MAHAMYRITUNYAYA om tryambaka yajāmahe sugandhi pui-vardhanam urvārukam iva bandhanān mtyor mukya māmtāt The great mantra dedicated to Shiva as Mrityunjaya is found in the Rig Veda. It is called the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, the Great Death-Conquering mantra. It is a mantra that has many names and forms. It is called the Rudra mantra, referring to the furious aspect of Shiva; the Tryambakam mantra, alluding to Shiva's three eyes; and its is sometimes known as the Mrita-Sanjivini mantra because it is a component of the "life-restoring" practice given to the primordial sage Shukra after he had completed an exhausting period of austerity. The Maha Mrityunjaya mantra is hailed by the sages as the heart of the Veda. Along with the Gayatri mantra it holds the highest place among the many mantras used for contemplation and meditation Word to Word Meaning of Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra Tryambakam = Yajamahe = We worship, adore, honor, revere Sugandhim = sweet fragrance (accusative case) Pushti = A well-nourished condition, thriving, prosperous, full, and complete Vardhanam = One who nourishes, strengthens, causes to increase (in health, wealth, well-being); who gladdens, exhilarates, and restores health; a good gardener Urvarukam = disease, attachment, obstacles in life, and resulting depression (accusative case) Iva = like, just as Bandhanan = stem (of the gourd); but more generally, unhealthy attachment Mrityor = From death Mukshiya = Free us, liberate us Ma = now Amritat = Immortality, emancipation Om Namah Shivaya Gurave I offer myself to the true teacher, the auspicious one, who is the true teacher within and without Satchidananda Murtaye Who assumes the forms of consciousness, reality, and bliss Nichprapanchaya Shantaya Who is never absent and is full of peaceNiralambaya Tejase Independent in essence, the vital light of illumination. The history of yoga is complicated to say the least. Yoga originated in India and while there is consistency across the region in many ways there is also manifest diversity. Each region in India has distinct stories, distinct traditions, and distinct sets of ritual spiritual practices. No one knows the exact age of the practices associated with yoga. Some speculate the practice of meditation may be as old as 5000 years and some associate it more closely to the existence of the sage Patanjali around 200BCE. The earliest archaeological evidence of yoga comes from stone seals. The seals had relief of what could be interpreted as yoga postures. The seals have been dated to about 3000 B.C. The lesson to learn here is that yoga has been around for a good long time and that it has not been a stagnant or rigid practice. It has changed and adapted over time to suit more appropriately the needs of the populations practicing it. For example, meditation may be thousands of years old but the earliest indications for Hatha yoga suggest it manifested as recently as the 15th century and has continued to transform and adapt through to the modern day. Additionally, there are different schools of philosophical thought in yoga and the history of Yoga is often divided into four periods: the Vedic Period, Pre-Classical Period, Classical Period, and Post-Classical Period. The Vedic Period is characterized by the Vedas, a sacred scripture, which provides the foundation of modern-day Hinduism. The Vedas are hymns and contain the oldest known Yogic teachings. These teachings are called Vedic Yoga. Vedic Yoga focuses on ceremonial ritual to increase the power of the mind. The Pre-Classical Yoga Period is characterized by Upanishads. The Upanishads focus on devotion to Brahman, the self (atman), and the relationship between the two. The Upanishads are an extension, or continuation of the Vedic scriptures. The Classical Period is characterized by the writing of Patanjali and a dualistic philosophy, adhering to the belief that the Divine is outside the self, a separate entity, and the purpose of our practice is to literally reunite ourselves with the One. Who was the sage Patanjali? Some suggest he was an individual person others say it was the name Patanjali that was carried forth by a series of individuals who became responsible to transliterate the yogic practices leading to Samadhi. Many refer to him as the Father of Yoga and credit him with codifying the form of yoga called Raja Yoga. If you are influenced by Patanjalis Yoga Sutra, you are practicing Raja Yoga. Yoga began as a primarily male practice. The early practice was oriented toward meditation and isolation. Patanjali wrote these forms down and titled the text The Yoga Sutra. A sutra is a thread, or an incomplete statement. In all, Patanjali wrote 196 of these statements and divided them into 4 chapters (pada) as follows: I. Samadhi Pada - There are 51 sutra in the Samadhi Pada. Samadhi is defined as the state of bliss or as absorption into the One. In this pada, Patanjali describes for the reader what yoga is, the nature of Samadhi, and the means to attaining Samadhi. II. Sadhana Pada There are 55 sutra in the Sadhana Pada. Sadhana means to act with discipline and is often defined as to practice. In this pada Patanjali discusses two types of Yoga: The Yoga of Action, known commonly as Karma Yoga or what Patanjali refers to as Kriya yoga; and Ashtanga Yoga, which is more commonly referred to as Patanjalis Eight Limbed Path (Raja Yoga) and not to be confused with the modern style of practice fathered by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. The eight limbs of Patanjali consist o YAMA the five avoidances NIYAMA the five observances ASANA bodily discipline/patience PRANAYAMA breath control PRATYAHARA withdrawal DHARANA concentration DHYANA meditation SAMADHI One-ness III. Vibhuti Pada There are 56 sutra in the Vibhuti Pada. The Sanskrit term vibhuti is defined as the manifestation of supernatural powers. Such powers are also called Siddhi. In yoga practice Patanjali states that we should not affix our intetnion on acquiring these powers but only on attaining liberation (moksha). IV. Kaivalya Pada There are 34 sutra in the Kaivalya Pada. The Sanskrit word kaivalya is defined as isolation, but according to Patanjali it is only through isolation, or separation from distraction, that we achieve liberation. The Kaivalya Pada describes liberation.Patanjali is credited with having put the process of yoga into writing but yoga was referenced much earlier in ancient Sanskrit texts including the Mahabharata. In addition to Raja yoga, Patanjali discussed several other forms (branches) of yoga Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Hatha, and Tantra. These are typically divided into emotional, physical and intellectual practices. Karma is the yoga of action and involves taking right action, living by your beliefs, acting consciously, and living intentionally. Bhakti is the yoga of love or devotion and involves seeing all you have and do as a form of offering to the Divine, every aspect of life becomes an offering. Jnana is the yoga of study. It involves an intellectual practice that includes in-depth knowledge of spiritual scriptures. Hatha in the West is considered simply the physical asana but it is actually the study of the relationship of balance and energy to the body and to life in this embodiment. In Hatha yoga balance is studied primarily through the asana. Tantra is the study of the ritual relationship between the body, energy and the overall universe. The Post Classical Period is characterized by a significant expansion of previous yogic practices. Additionally, the Post Classical Period focuses on the present moment and our attention to it rather than the diminishment of physical presence. Advaita Vedanta and Tantra are considered non-dualist Post-Classical perspectives. Each believes, to varying degrees, that we hold a spark of the Divine within us or that we are each actually manifestations of the divine. There are innumerable yogic philosophies past and present. Your texts coverig varying aspects of the history of yoga. If you would like a more in-depth read on the complex nature of this subject see Feuersteins The Tradition of Yoga. Yama The Yama are the first limb of Patanjalis yoga. In Jain philosophy they are called the Five Great Vows. They are ethical precepts to managing our relationships in the external world to act otherwise would diminish our Divine light. Ahimsa. Ahimsa is defined as non-harming or non-violence. Ahimsa means we should work to avoid behaviors that cause others or ourselves harm or that are violent. What exactly does that mean? How do we define harm? How do we define violent? How do we define others? How do we define ourselves? To what parts of our life and relationships should we extend this ethic? The most obvious definition for ahimsa is that we should not kill. But there are other less obvious ways we may cause harm to others, and to ourselves. Violent acts are initiated with our body, through our words or in our minds. For example, physical violence and killing, when we say harsh things to others, when we avoid others, when we condemn ourselves, when we objectify another, when we give in to feelings of guilt, when we force ourselves to act in a way that is in disagreement with our principles, when we speak out of envy or fear in a way that undermines anothers achievements, when we take anothers achievement as our own, when we downplay or exaggerate or brag about our accomplishments, when we tread heavily upon the earth, when we pollute, when we take more than we need, when we cut another car off on the highway, the list goes on. Whether we realize it or not, practicing ahimsa is the basis for our overall wellness, our release from suffering, and it is the foundation upon which all other Yama (truthfulness, non-stealing, abstention, and non-grasping)and the Niyama (cleanliness, contentment, austerity, self-study, and surrender) rest. We follow the guidelines set out in the Yama and Niyama because they are natural extensions of the concept of non-harming. We engage in non-harming by embracing all the Yama and Niyama, the characteristics of a yogic lifestyle. When we stop harming we stop hurting. We realize that if we no longer steal, lie, or act greedily we lessen our suffering and the suffering of others. This truth builds upon itself. Each act we take reinforces the message that to cease behaviors based in harmful or violent acts is to end our human suffering. Om is the primordial mantra to walking a path of ahimsa. Jnana Hatha Karma Raja Tantra Bhakti Nada Chanting Prayer GOD Peace on Earth May no Beings Suffer Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu May we allbe liberated May we all find happiness kula-kamala-yoga jjiva sutra patanjali meditation vizualization imagery Let love flow so that it cleanses the world. Then man can live in peace, instead of the state of turmoil he has created through his past ways of life, with all those material interests and earthly ambitions. Sai baba; You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose. Indira Ghandi; Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong. Ayn Rand; In the worldly, selfish life people live for themselves, using their scientific knowledge for themselves, while in the religious life that same scientific knowledge is utilized for others. Even in the religious field, if people are selfish they are really living a worldly lif Swami Satchitananda; We can see the same spirit in everybody only when we know we are that spirit, Atman or Self. Only a person who has understood his own Self can see that Self in everybody Swami Satchitananda; Always do good to others. Be selfless. Mentally remove everything and be free. This is divine life. This is the direct way to Moksha or salvation Swami Sivananda; You cannot do yoga. Yoga is your natural state. What you can do are yoga exercises, which may reveal to you where you are resisting your natural state Sharon Gannon Jiva Mukti; Never regard study as a duty but as an enviable opportunity to learn to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later works belong Albert Einstein; Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing Mother Teresa; All beings are from the very beginning Buddhas. It is like water and ice: Apart from water, no ice, outside living beings, no Buddhas. Not knowing it is near they seek it afar, what a pity! Osha; Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life Thich Nhat Hanh; If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion Dalai Lama
