Month: September 2017

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VIJAYA DASHAMI and DASSEHRA

Today, we celebrate Dussehra, the day of victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishaur. It is celebrated as the victory of good over evil. For the spiritual seeker, misery in the mind is the true fight or conflict. We dedicate our life to spiritual practices, service, Satsang (being with like-minded people) and knowledge as the way to overcome this conflict. We become victorious and feel full in celebration of life.

These past nine nights we spent together in chanting, doing fast/whatever we can do to our body and be observing the mind. With the help of Goddess Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati, we moved from self-purification to self-transformation and finally to self-knowledge.
Wanting, Doing and knowing of the self-are all manifestations of the same energy that is YOU. At any given time one of these will dominate.

When the ‘Wanting’ dominates then we will be experiencing sorrow and sadness.
When ‘Doing’ dominates then we will experience the anxiety and attachment to results.
When ‘Knowing’ dominates we will experience the awareness and happiness.

Last but not least when our ‘Wanting’ and ‘Doing; are dedicated to the highest good of society and to serve humanity our consciousness automatically elevate and self-knowledge will dawn.

🌿 *Shantir Astu* let there be peace
🌿 *Tushtir Astu* let there be contentment & fulfillment
🌿 *Pushtir Astu* let there be abundance in your life
Wish you all a very Happy *VIJAYA DASHAMI and Dassehra *!!!

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Navratri-Day 9

Self

Today is the third and final day which honors Goddess Saraswati. She is often depicted as being seated on a rock. Knowledge, like a rock, is steadfast support. It stays with us at all times. She plays the veena, a musical instrument, which mellifluous notes bring harmony and peace to the mind. Similarly, spiritual knowledge brings relaxation and celebration to ones’ life.

Body

The nine days of Navratri gives us the opportunity to pause, reflect and reset our mind, body and Self. With the help of the traditions, masters and powerful goddess energies, we set clear intentions, put forth attention and receive the biggest gift of all: knowledge of the Self. The simplicity of knowing the appropriate foods and exercise for our body and the correct practices for our mind brings assurance and the confidence that no other type of knowledge provides. With renewed energy and knowledge, we are able to move ahead.

Mind

In these nine days we dissolved into the divine by dropping the discriminating ego, judging intellect that separates us from others and conquering the doubting monkey mind. Lets pray to the DIVINE MOTHER to keep us on this practice though out.

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Navratri-Day 8

 

Self

Today, we continue our worship for goddess Saraswati.  One cannot attain the divine knowledge without removing negative tendencies and having wealth of love, inner peace and calmness.We first have to purify ourselves to get to the path of wisdom. Goddess Saraswati bestows the shakti (energy) to devotees so that they can attain knowledge.

Body

Take a moment in the day or just before going to bed to check in with yourself of physical and mental/emotional symptoms as indicators of what is going on in the body and mind. Physical symptoms are bodily sensations– Imbalance: heaviness, sluggishness, weakness. Balance: energy, stamina, steady breathing. Mental/Emotional symptoms are feelings, thoughts– Imbalance: tense, restless, agitated. Balance: calm, relaxed, focused.

Mind

In order to merge in to our pure self we release our weak self that attracts violence and abuse in any form.

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Navratri-Day 7

Self

Today, this seventh day marks the final days of Navratri. We moved from self-purification to self-transformation and now we prepare ourselves to receive self-knowledge. Our prayer is devoted to Goddess Saraswati. She is the one who gives the essence (Saara) of the self (Swa), the one who gives the essence of self. She is the bestower of the true light of knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

Body

Keeping a gentle awareness of our body gives us the understanding of what foods best suit us, how much sleep gives us adequate rest, how much exercise or movement provides energy, and those activities that uplift our spirit. Take this knowledge of your self as a toolbox for well-being. This toolbox and all the knowledge in it is yours, and it’s the duty of self-knowledge to always be there for you.

Self

We surrender our doubting mind, judging intellect and Discriminating Ego to dissolve into recognizing and being whole and complete and balanced.

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Navratri-Day 6

Self
Today is the third and final day which honors the Mother Divine as Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. She bestows material and spiritual wealth in abundance. Lakshmi is the energy that manifests as the complete spiritual and material well-being of a person.

Body
In our diets, the more we eat from natural, whole food sources, the less we require in overall food intake. In our lives, the more we engage in activities of service and truth, the less we require in life. Keep food and life simple. Continue with yoga/ Exercise.


Self:  We surrender my doubting mind, judging intellect and Discriminating Ego to dissolve into Divine Knowledge that makes us hollow and empty to come into awareness of Who Am I.
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Navratri-Day 5

Self

We continue our worship to Goddess Lakshmi, the prosperity bestowing aspect of the Mother Divine. Goddess Lakshmi does not merely bestow material prosperity, but also grants qualities which we as spiritual seekers require, namely calmness, peace, equanimity, compassion, and love.

Body
Today we take the opportunity to practice eating with awareness. So often we stuff food into our mouths while distracted, agitated or hurried. This diminishes the pleasure that food gives us and the nutrition it provides for the body. Take notice of the scent, texture, taste of your food while taking slow, gentle breaths. Place your fork down between bites. Eating with awareness is a form of love and compassion towards your body.

Self

We surrender our doubting mind, judging intellect and Discriminating Ego to dissolve into the Cosmic Egg of this Universe that bursts open with Universal Inspiration to create newness with every breath.

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Navratri-Day 4

Self

The next three days, we move from self-purification to self- transformation. Our worship is now devoted to Goddess Lakshmi, the prosperity-bestowing form. With her energy, positive qualities replace negative ones. Devotees pray for removing obstacles and bringing success in their paths.

Body

Successfully changing bad habits to good ones come from putting attention on what is already working for you than trying to fix what is not.

Mind

Observe the transition of thoughts. Your every breath, thought and action affects your cosmos out there. The cosmos around you is what makes your world within you.

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Navratri -Day 3

Self

Today is the third and final day which is devoted to the energy and power of Goddess Durga. We renew our commitment to acquire triumph over all of our negative tendencies and imperfections, and purify them enough to become a receptacle of her divine energy.

Body

What works for one does not always work for another. Tapping into the wisdom of our own body gives us the guidance to know what works for us. Take note of the foods you eat, and how it makes you feel: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Take note of sleep habits and your daily energy levels. This simple understanding of our body allows us to function optimally; we feel light and energized.

           Mind : Surrender the doubting mind, judging intellect and Discriminating Ego to dissolve cowardice and weakness. Thereby  protect courageously the Inner Child and attract prosperity and abundance to enjoy the journey in this body.
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Navaratri-Day 2

 


Self
We continue the initial days of Navarati in worship to the Goddess Durga, the powerful and destructive aspect of the Mother Divine. It is with her power that we pray to destroy the negative tendencies of selfishness, jealousy, prejudice, hatred, anger, and ego we hold in our heart and mind.
Body
Eating foods that suit our constitution and are gentle to our system along with movement/exercise help to keep the whole body in balance. Proper digestion, and elimination are an important indicator of overall health and well-being.
Mind
Meditation, and journal writing are all effective ways of letting go of thoughts and emotions that do not serve us. See what you can incorporate into your day to help you let go. Practice surrendering the events, thoughts and emotions to the divine which are not in your circle of influence, will help to see the shift in you.

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Navratri

Divine Mother

We will spend the next nine divine days of Navaratri honoring the victory of positivity over negativity, good over evil. The actual fight is not really between good and evil, but rather the victory is of the absolute reality over the apparent duality of self and consciousness.
Navaratri is the beginning of the fall harvest, the change of seasons. When we align our system to Nature, we rest in balance. We feel energized, light in our body, and ease in our movements.
Whether in silence or active in the world, spend just a few moments to honor your self and body during these precious nine days.

In this time, we will spend the next nine days attending to our body, mind and Spirit and also by detoxing all there, taking some disciplinary actions ( at least 9 days in an year). Next nine days, we will be doing some yoga and any kind of fast or detox ( like Juice detox, Kichid Detox, on Fruit diet …anything that you think you can do …BUT TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME)
for the body. Every day chantings of divine mother ( Eg; Lalita Sahastra namam, kadgamala, Devi kavacham, etc) , meditate and stay in tune with the inner self for mind and spirit. (This is how it used to be when I was growing up. Planning to do the same again during these nine days).

{If the above actions are too tough then you can follow the below 😀, which I will be posting every day}

First Day

Self
Today is among the first three days of self-purification in which goddess Durga is worshiped in her terrifying, destructive and powerful aspect. We pray to the goddess to destroy our imperfections. We pray to make them pure, to receive the divine energy.

Body
These nine days give us the opportunity to slow down, reflect and make subtle changes in our habits. See where you can make shifts in your lifestyle habits that allow for your system to rest. Small changes make bigger results. See if you can eat lighter, increase fruits and vegetables, increase water intake, sleep earlier or reduce time in front of the computer or TV. Rest to your digestive, and nervous system, or even to your eyes away from gadgets, can go a long way. Set an intention for these nine days.