The Day of the Indestructible

Akshay tritya: is the festival celebrating the “Indestructible”.  It falls on the third day of the brighter moon in Baisakh (April/ May). The literal meaning of Akshay is one that cannot be demolished, so most people in India purchase valuables such gold, properties, things that they percieve to last long and will give them success in the future.  But as yogis we should try looking beyond the material benefits of this day and draw ourself inwards and make a real change in our lives – FOREVER!

The predominant tattwa(element) of this day is akshaya tattwa the indestructible tattwa, it is said that astrologically, on this day there is a window of opportunity which opens and creates an avenue to allow you to realize your own potentials. As such it is most definitely the day when one should scratch the surface and scratch within as the vibration of this day will make whatever task to partake in much easier. It is the day to leave the destructible acts, negative and self defeating acts behind and perform only those that you will feel happy to record in your memory file when you look back, because the indestructible tattwa that pervades on this day penetrates into every domain of life. On account of the force of this day, all the words you speak, thoughts you think and acts you perform become part of your hard disc, like samskaras, and remain with you life after life

It is therefore easy to understand why this day above all other day’s one must make a sincere effort to perform good deeds in any form to create a positive and powerful blueprint or set a precedent within the self for the years ahead.

Akshaya Tritiya which falls on the 16th May this year is an auspicious occasion to start afresh. Take the time during the days proceeding to reflect on positive changes you would like to make within yourself, and make the effort to perform these acts on the day.  Try to incorporate good deeds such as helping those who are sick or hungry, those who you consider your enemies, remembering God or giving up a bad habit. It is a good omen and window of opportunity to venture onto something new as it will bring long lasting fortune.

Hari Om Tat Sat,

Sw. Manomurti Saraswati

 

Yoga Capsules: Happy Heart Space

hope all you mums out there had a wonderful Mothers Day.  In celebration of this we dedicated the yoga capsule to the wonderful quality of the Heart.  Here are some practices that help to open the heart space, inviting the qualities of love, joy, courage, and compassion.

As always asanas can be practised simply as a posture, or you can begin to incorporate the breath, the count,  the chakra, the lock, and the qualities that it induces within the self.  Try to feel the sensations as you perform the asanas and feel the transformation unfold!

Hastha Uttanasana Stand feet together Cross hands in front of body. Inhale and raise arms above head. Exhale and bring hands in front of body Repeat 5 times

Hridaya Mudra Sit in meditation asana. Place tip of index finger at the root of the thumb. Place middle and ring finger to tip of thumb. Little finger remains straight, hands on knees palms facing upwards. Watch the breath in the heart space and relax.

Ushtrasana Sit in Vajrasana. Stand on knees and slowly lean backwards. Touch right heel with right hand and left heel with left hand. Push abdomen forward, arch back and relax body. Release one hand and return to vajrasana.

Note: These practices should be learnt properly from an experienced teacher before attempting on your own. They may have contraindications that one should adhere to.

 

Happy Mothers Day

Guruji, Swami Satyananda has always told us that the qualities of Devi, the Mother Goddess can be seen here on earth in the form of Mother.  Only a mother has ability to create, the quality of unconditional love, the ability to sacrifice.

Here is an excerpt from a discussion between Narada, the celestial sage, and Narayana, Lord Vishnu, about the divine attributes of Devi, the Mother of the world, as described in the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam (Book IX).

The great Devi, the highest Prakriti, Who is this Prakriti? Why did She manifest Herself?

The word prakriti is comprised of two parts: the prefix pra denotes ‘intensity’, ‘excellence’, and the root kriti means ‘action’, ‘creation’. So the Goddess, the Devi, is most excellent in the work of creation.  Her 3 forms are:

Durga: This eternal, all auspicious Devi, when pleased, destroys all the sorrow, pain and troubles of those who take refuge in her. She bestows all the auspicious things upon them, including dharma, name and fame, bliss, happiness and even moksha, final liberation.

Lakshmi: The second shakti, is of the nature of pure and is a complete master of the senses, and is free from greed, lust, delusion, anger, vanity and egoism.  Her speech is very sweet and she is always in service of those dear to her. She is the beauty that is seen in all living beings and things; the glory and fame of those who have done good works, and the power and valour of great kings

Saraswati: The third shakti presides over knowledge, speech, intelligence and learning.  She is memory, wit, light, splendour and creative genius. She is the e light of understanding that gives real meaning difficult passages so that we can understand them and removes all confusion and doubt.

Durga Maa

Saraswati Maa

Lakshmi Maa

Balance Yoga Team wishes all you beautiful and divine Devi Maa’s out there a very Happy Mothers Day

 

Kumbh Mela Pt 2 The Sadhus and Saints

As we made our way through the crowds along the ghats, Everywhere you turned there were Sadhus smeared with ash on their forehead, sometimes all over there body too, which symbolizes the ultimate form of truth that they carry, everything returns from whence it came –  earth, ashes.

Some of them apply a red dot also in the middle of their eyebrow centre which symbolizes the point of Ajna chakra, the Guru chakra, the point of the third eye. The Ajna chakra is very important for spiritual sadhana as it is that intuitive power that guides the aspirants towards the goal of spiritual path.

The sadhus gather together and set up camps along the banks of the river, burning their Dhuni (the holy burning pit) which symbolizes the Eternal atman (sole).  The Dhuni is kept burning throughout as a part of their sadhana.  From the outside these dhuni’s look like a pile of ash but the fire resides deep within just as the atman is residing deep within our body.  Sitting in front of the fire they contemplate constantly on that Atman which is the goal of life. This is the true nature the sat chitta ananda.

 

Maha Kumbh Mela Pt 1. Bathing in Ganga

Now here I am at the ghats all prepared for a dip, it felt like a dream, as I heard from my Guru that to be able to dip during  Maha kumbha is one of the  great privilege of your entire life , even the Devtas who  reside up in the heavens  step down to bathe in the Holy Ganges during the mahakumbha . This act provides all the boons of success, a healthy life and most importantly purifies your entire being. The water of Ganges is so charged and has such a strong flow of current that it keeps on vibrating though all the realms of your being.

This purification is very esoteric, it means much more than just the body purification. The stories goes far back in the pages of history when a group of Demons and Gods were churning the ocean to discover the soma (the nectar, or ambrosia of eternal life)to provide them a longer healthier life, and after churning a long, long time they found it. It is said that a few of the sacred drops of soma had fallen into some specific places only on earth, and during certain periods of the year according to the lunar calander, they get charged again. Therefore the kumbha mela happens every four years and the maha kumbha mela every twelve.  In order to attain the higher benefits of spiritual life, huge gathering of sadhus, renunciates and saints gather and become a part of this great event

Hari Om Tat Sat

Sw. Manomurti Saraswati

 

Back from an amazing trip to bathe in the Holy Ganga, Haridwar.  We will definitely organise one for you all again in 12 years! We visited Delhi, Haridwar and made a surprise visit to Rishikesh, that brought with it a few welcoming surprise.  Swami Manomurti will post some of his reflections of the trip soon!

 

Balance Yoga Closed from 8th – 12th April

As you know we are setting off to dip in the holy Ganga on these last days of the Kumbh Mela.

please note that there will be NO classes from the 8th – 12th April.. please reschedule your classes with your teachers  and practice while we are away!

Hari Om tat sat

 

April Newsletter

April is the easter issue.  The Joy of Suffering is featured this month as well as some tips on beating the heat!

As usual, lots to reflect on and learn.  Click here Balance Yoga April Newsletter

wishing you all a very Happy Easter

 

The Joy of Suffering

Last Sunday I went to the famous temple Babulnath.  As I meandered uphill along the long narrow steps leading to the temple I saw a group gathered, fervently worshiping a deity under a banyan tree. Two big black eyes beamed fiercely at me.  They could be no others than Shani Devata.

Shani is the embodiment of the planet Saturn. It is said that when Shani first opened his eyes as a baby, the sun went into eclipse; this shows the impact he has.  Astrologically Shani or Saturn  is the planet that lays obstacles in your path. He could therefore be considered as the greatest of all teachers.

However on this warm Sunday morning the worshippers looked to be praying for the obstacles to be removed.  Desperately trying to pass off the buck to someone, or buy up a contract to make life easy.

I wonder why people ask for such things. Why don’t they ask for inner strength, or ability to face the difficulties and rise above them? Because when difficulties do arise we tend to become afraid and tremble.   I remember one of the famous prayers of Sw. Vivekananda which he always use to sing “ I do not pray to protect me from the difficulties, but I pray you my Lord, not to be afraid in the worse of any difficulties”. It is the difficulties, the struggle, the hardship that shapes a man not the easy life.  We all know that every great men had to face them in some form.

In actual fact, passing of the buck or buying up a contract for an easy life is rejecting God’s gift to us.  My Guru Sw.Satyananda said “Bear insult, bear injury, adapt, adjust and accommodate – this is the greatest sadhana.  Sadhana doesn’t mean to sit quietly for days not moving, not eating or drinking, it is the ability to endure the difficulties that have been placed before us.

Always remember if God loves us and wants the best for us, then surely these obstacles are for our own benefit and growth. Embrace the challenges and discover your greater self.

As a final note I thought I’d add this wonderful “Easter “reference of Jesus’ response to suffering and obstacles in life with an exerpt from “The way of the Cross” by Anthony E. Sketch. MMB 1991

In life, we cannot avoid suffering and death, it may be possible to escape suffering for a time or to ignore it, to ease it or delay its coming.  But it is not possible to say there is no suffering or to run away from it entirely.

Our response to suffering cannot be one of passive acceptance: it has to be one of active acceptance of the Fathers will.  Jesus encounters suffering at the deepest level and in all its forms; his sufferings are gathered together by the manner of his death; the cross.  So we turn to jesus to teach us how to lead our lives, how to bear suffering and how to die.  We seek in the life and death of Jesus an understanding of life, suffering and death; an explanation and a hope that life itself cannot give.

HARI OM TAT SAT

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter

Sw Manomurti Saraswati

 

MAHA KUMBH MELA April 2010

The Maha Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years and will be held in Haridwar this year.  Saints, sadhus, priests and Yogi’s from all corners of India gather to participate in the Kumbh.  Haridwar is considered very holy, due to the fact that the Ganga leaves the foothills and enters the plains from here.

The 14th of April 2010 is the very last day to participate in the marvelous Maha Kumbh Mela for the next 12 years!

The Group will be led by Swami Manomurti Saraswati, a yoga master.  At the age of only 31, he brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of this event having lived 14 years in his Guru ashram

Come along and experience this exhilarating journey to the divine.

DELHI – HARIDWAR – DELHI   Rs7000 twin share

8^th April depart

New Delhi via A/C coach to Haridwar          10pm

9^th April arrive            DAY 1-Haridwar,        9am

Morning & evening visit to the Kumbh Mela

Meditation, Orientation & Evening Satsang (discussion)

Visit to Mansa Devi Temple by cable car

Evening Aarti by the Ganga

10^th April                     DAY 2 – Haridwar,

Ekadashi is considered to be an auspicious day on which you may want to fast

We have chosen this date for bathing in the Ganga.

Morning Yoga class & chanting

Bathe in Ganga with Pooja (prayer & offerings)

Free time for wandering around the mela, or shopping for malas!!

Evening chanting of healing mantras with havan ( fire ceremony)

Depart  Haridwar via A/C coach to Delhi      9pm

11^th April                     Arrive Delhi                                                    9am

Fares include A/C coach Delhi – Haridwar return, Accomodation twin share (basic A/C room neat & clean), breakfast, lunch, dinner and chai (veg), Mansa Devi temple, Pooja, Aarti, Havan and Guides.

Please confirm with 50% non-refundable deposit by 27^th March 2010 as it’s the last days and the kumbh is very heavily booked at this time. Late confirmations may result in increase tariffs.