Why Yoga Nidra?

Yoga nidra is one of the deepest possible states of relaxation while still maintaining full consciousness.  In Mandukya Upanishad Yoga nidra is referred to as ‘Prajna’, which means conscious awareness of the deep sleep state. It is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, like the "going-to-sleep" stage. Here the body is completely relaxed, and the practitioner becomes systematically and increasingly aware of the inner world by following a set of verbal instructions. 

 

Meditation vs Yoga nidra

Yoga nidra is for systematically relaxing the body and mind while maintaining awareness. It's done on the floor on your back for the best effects. Meditation is for training the mind using a particular point. It is done sitting up, with erect spine to facilitate movement of prana.

In meditation, concentration on a single focus is required. It is essentially a practice of attaining awareness of your own thoughts. In order to achieve so, you need to sit, close your eyes and turn inward. You need to watch your thoughts.

In yoga nidra the practitioner remains in a state of light withdrawal of the 5 senses (pratyahara) with four of his or her senses internalised, or withdrawn, and only the hearing still connects to the instructions. Yoga nidra is a state of consciousness, in between sleep and wakefulness. It is complete relaxation of the body, while the mind stays awake.

Yoga nidra promotes deep rest and relaxation that isn't found in your average meditation practice. The stages of body scan and breath awareness alone can be practiced to calm the nervous system, leading to less stress and better health.

How does yoga nidra work?

During the sleep cycle, from alpha, you go into a deep alpha and high theta brain-wave state, the dream state, REM sleep. In theta, your thoughts slow down to 4 to 8 thoughts per second. Here, emotional integration and release happen, structures in the brain change, leading to super learning. Kids and artists experience a lot more theta activity in their brains. At this stage you begin to enter the gap of nothingness.

After theta, you are guided to delta, where your thoughts are only 1 to 3.9 thoughts per second. This is the most restorative state, when your organs regenerate and the stress hormone cortisol is removed from your system.

In the current time, very few people are going into the deep states of sleep like theta and delta on a regular basis. So the bodies are not powering down and getting the chance to restore themselves. Depressed people go to beta (beta waves are those associated with day to day wakefulness) and alpha states, but rarely go to theta and delta.

From delta, the guided yoga nidra experience takes you down into an even deeper brain-wave state—one that can’t be reached through conventional sleep. At this stage, your brain is thoughtless, like a complete loss of consciousness, but you are awake. Not everyone who practices yoga nidra touches this state, but the more you practice, the more you’ll receive glimpses of it.

As you are guided back to a waking state, you bring a bit of peace back to your waking, daily brain state. So, in your routine life, you begin to rest more in the space between emotions and thoughts, and this resting space gives you a sense of freedom. And you find you are not agitated so much by the incidences happening around you.

During yoga nidra, we bring our attention the third eye, behind which lies the pineal gland. This gets stimulated when you bring your attention there, releasing the hormone, melatonin. And it is widely known that melatonin is a powerful agent for reducing stress, inducing more restful sleep, and boosting the immune system, which helps prevent illness, promote healing, and slow premature aging.

Time to experience Yoga nidra now, are you ready?

In the following yoga nidra, you need to state an intent, which can be any desire you are having at this moment. Think of it in a small sentence, which you will have to repeat thrice when asked for. 

Be ready with it before starting to listen. Enjoy the session!
Click on the youtube link, or on the image below.

When you finish the session, if you are doing it just before sleep, you don't have to sit up as instructed. Otherwise, sit up and continue to be in a meditative state for at least ten minutes, or more if you are inclined. 

References:

-          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_nidra

-          https://www.yogajournal.com/meditation/your-brain-on-yoga-nidra

Memoirs of my 41 days Sadhana

I contacted a group of friends on September 29, 2018 to ask whether they were interested in joining me for a 41 days Sadhana that consisted of chanting a two line Devi mantra for ten minutes daily. Eleven of us decided to start from October 2^nd.

Snake’s visit, a prelude?

Same day evening while brooming the house, my maid called me to show a small writhing worm like thing. It was about 12 cms long and dark brown in color. My husband and the maid told it was a snake, it moved like a snake. But I didn’t consider it a snake as it was too small to be a snake. He took it on a paper and left among bushes.

Next day again the maid told me that she found another one below the table, but this time it was a dead one. She said to me, ‘You can take a closer look at it to see the head, it resembles the hood of a snake.’ I checked and saw they were right. It was indeed a snake, it was as if the Universe wanted me to know this fact.

On doing an internet check, I came to know that it is the smallest snake and is called Brahminy blind snake, flowerpot snake, or Brahminy worm snake.  

It is a nonvenomous blind snake species found mostly in Africa and Asia, but has been introduced in many other parts of the world. They are completely fossorial (i.e., burrowing) animals, with habits and appearance similar to earthworms, for which they are often mistaken.

The message?

A snake could appear when you are stepping into the unknown and need support to move forward. It can symbolize spiritual guidance. This animal is typically close to the ground and can remind you of staying grounded as you move through changes.

In ancient traditions as well as modern times, snakes are symbols of healing powers and opportunities. A snake is a symbol of rebirth, patience, intellect, longevity, vigilance, eternity, protection, rejuvenation, intuition, enigma, and splendor. When a snake appears in one’s life, it likely means that healing opportunities, change, important transitions, and increased energy are manifesting. The presence of the snake in your life often means that you are in a period of transition and it points to ways that promote your personal growth.

It was likely that I was being prepared for the changes that this sadhana would bring into my life.

Shoe flowers galore

I use hibiscus flowers to worship Kali Devi for whom I do Havans on Tuesdays and Fridays. On 1^st October, I saw that there were four flowers in one of my plants (the flowers stay for a few days on the plant). I left two on the plant since I needed them for 2^nd, when I would do Havan and start my chanting  Sadhana. But on 2^nd morning, I was surprised to see many flowers on the plant.

There is another hibiscus plant in my green house. It gives flowers intermittently; usually a lone flower will bloom. We attribute the reason to the limited sunlight the plant gets indoors. But once I started the chanting, suddenly several buds appeared and many times I was getting two flowers a day.

I use Nerium Oleander flowers also for my daily puja. When I started my sadhana, the tree gave different colored flowers to show its appreciation! 

I haven’t seen it happening ever before.

An unusual seed

On October 3^rd, my husband went to the empty plot behind our clinic and brought a peculiar seed to show me. He told he had seen it in Jaipur during his childhood and never seen it in South India. The moment I saw the seed and held it in my hands, I felt some connection of the seed and spiritual pursuit, and told him to get me more seeds. He didn’t remember its name correctly. He tried to search on the net, even by uploading its picture, but didn’t succeed.

On 4^th he brought me more seeds and I put the photograph of the seed on the Facebook and asked for any information about it. One friend responded and told it was Tiger’s claw, and ‘Hath Jodi’ in Hindi, as it resembles two hands. 

These seeds can help humans to channel the Divine power(s) of the Universe by activation through some preparatory stages and worship. The plant is considered a form of Goddess Chamundi. As the fierce aspect of Devi closely associated with Kali, She is also associated with Mother Parvati and Durga. While Mother Kali manifests the power of time, death and destruction, Mother Chamunda holds infinity and eternity.

I thought it appropriate to activate the seed during the sadhana period and started doing it in earnest. During the initial Havan, I got to see the silhouette of Kamakhya Devi. 

                                                                   During the Havan 

                                                            Puja to activate the seeds

Three days fasting

Navaratri celebrations came during the period of our sadhana, to me it was not a coincidence at all. I got the message to do three days fasting (with fruits and milk). It was the first time in my life and I was pleased with the result – amazing energy with a light feeling and very deep meditation experience!

And on the 4^th day during meditation I felt the presence of a huge snake hood above my head like it is seen above Lord Parshwanatha’s head.  

                                                                    Lord Parshwanatha

Along with Mahavira, Rishabhanatha and Neminatha, Parshvanatha is one of the four Tirthankaras who attracts the most devotional worship among the Jains. His iconography is notable for the serpent hood over his head. Parshvanatha is said in Jain texts to have been born in Benares (Varanasi, India), renounced the worldly life and founded an ascetic community.

My husband joked that Parshwanatha had blessed me for fasting, as fasting is very prevalent among the Jains.

Sprouting in the current state

While plucking the ground nuts from the plant roots, one of them caught my attention, it had germinated while it was still attached to the root.

Again, when I was cleaning the coconut in the kitchen, I noticed that it had started germinating. A clear indication that new growth is possible in whatever stage one is in. Effort and perseverance are all that are needed.  

Buddha coming in..

A couple who came to learn Reiki from me was raving so much about the serial ‘Buddha’ they were watching, that we also started watching some time back. There were 55 episodes and we watched the last episode on October 21^st. When I realised how compassionate he was to every living being, it struck me that even though I behave compassionately to other human beings, my compassion comes from a logical reasoning, it doesn’t spring straightway from the heart.

I realised that Buddha must have some insight into the past or future of a person that his heart is filled with compassion. For example, when we enter a room full of people and everybody except one person stand up in respect, we can feel irritated. But if we are aware that he had an accident on the way and his knees were hurting so much that he couldn’t stand up, we will only feel compassion for him.

So I started praying to Buddha to bless me with such compassion. Then on He was communicating with me during daily meditations. He made me aware that I was not compassionate to myself. Being a perfectionist, I cannot forgive myself for any mistake. ‘You can be compassionate to others only if you are compassionate to yourself’, he told me. And I consciously started being compassionate to myself.

Rice kheer for the full moon.

I got the message from Buddha to have kheer on full moon. A video popped up on the you tube section on my husband’s mobile, extolling the benefits of keeping the kheer under moon light on Sharad purnima and consuming it . He remembered that his mother used to do it. So I kept the kheer under moonlight and it was so delicious. I had it at 4 am before meditation practice and the meditation that followed was unique.

I have been to Bodh Gaya in Bihar and visited the Bodhi tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. I imagined myself sitting under the same tree and meditating. First I could feel the chakras from heart chakra to the brow chakra as separate chakras and gradually they all merged into one. Then I saw a bright full moon in between my eye brows, I could feel the whole inside of my head being lit with bright light.

A physical proof?

I felt that something has definitely happened, but I requested the Universe to give me a physical proof. We went for yoga practice at 5.30 am; we stood on the balcony and tried to see the magnificent full moon, as we always do on full moons. But there was no moon to be seen, though the sky was clear and the stars were visible. My husband was surprised; I laughed and said, ‘This is the physical proof for me. The moon is not seen outside, it is inside my head.’

Towards conclusion

We had gone to Bangalore for Diwali, which fell on 7^th November. Since there is an active spiritual group in Bangalore, I decided to come back to Belgaum only after finishing my Sadhana (which fell on 11^th) in Bangalore. And what an experience it was!

On 7^th morning, we had a Havan and Tripura rahasya chanting, and group meditation for three hours.   Sixteen of us joined for a day long meditation on 10^th, with lunch break in between. On the last day, the 11^th, there was a Reiki I class with an amazing group of participants and we had the Havan and chanting at 7 pm. I asked Devi to give me a proof that the Sadhana has been accepted. A small twig jumped out of the Havan kund and fell in front of me!

                                                      

Habits and soul groups through life times

We do a lot of travelling and I am amazed at how we meet strangers in different states and countries and they become close friends. It is interesting to see that they share our views on life and are spiritual like we are. I believe and often say that we come to this earth plane in groups. Sometimes we have to wait for eons for all members to come together.  

I was elated to get proof for this fact recently. When we had two outstation friends and they learned that I am a past life regression facilitator, they showed keen interest to experience a past life. Since we were hard pressed for time, I decided to do a short session for both together. It was a powerful experience for both of them, and, me too.

Getting inside the box

I took them into a deeply relaxed state and let them imagine a box, large enough to accommodate a person inside. I had to specify that the box was open from the top, without a lid,as one of them was claustrophobic. Each one was guided to get into the box, which was taking them to the life time that held answers to the core issue in this life time. From the same instructions, they went through different experiences.

Vinita’s experience

The moment I asked them to sit down inside the box, Vinita (name changed) sat down in padmasana (Lotus pose). She saw herself as a man sitting in front of a group of people, to whom he was imparting spiritual knowledge. He was then going through the villages on foot, helping people with advice, and distributing  things like rice, dal, clothes  etc., to those in need.

Lasika in Europe

Lasika (name changed) sat on a chair inside the box. In the past life, she was a model in Europe. The significant moment in that life time was when she was busy getting things arranged for a show. She was stressed out and running around to see that all arrangements were made perfect.

Meanwhile a man (lover?) came to her and asked her to leave everything and go with him. They had an argument and she made it clear that she loved the life as a model and the man left her in anger. She felt being left alone, then composed herself and got on with the task at hand.

Parallels to the current life

Vinita is married and living in a joint family. When the husband comes back home hungry in the evening and asks her to cook something for him, she would cook for everybody at home. This irritates her husband, who can’t understand why she can’t cook just for him. He thinks she is doing this to please others. But for her, it is her inherent nature, and is at a loss to grasp why there is a problem at all.

Other members of the family are surprised at her habit of giving something to anybody who visits them. Like giving drinking water to the post man, some fruit to the person who comes to clean their car etc.,

Lasika’s feeling of loneliness is apparent in this life. She never lets herself to be alone in the house. When other members of the family leave for different destinations, whoever is the last one to leave, irrespective of where she/he is going, she will go with them.

Souls from previous lives

Vinita saw herself as an ascetic, and her sixteen months old baby in current life enjoys listening to bhajans. When he is irritated or crying, she puts on bhajans and he becomes calm and happy in no time.

After she gives him bath in the morning, he would straightaway go to the puja room, without any prompting.  I told her that her son is definitely one of her disciples from the previous life.

Lasika has a daughter who is just 3 years old. Once while travelling when she was younger and had just started talking, she was fascinated by a building on the way. She pointed to it and told, ‘Papa, Eiffel tower’. They were surprised from where she came to know of Eiffel tower.

When they were discussing about having a vacation and asked her where she wanted to go, she was ready with her answer, ‘London, Paris’.

Now that she is three years old, they were considering different school options to enrol her, she had her opinion, ‘Papa, put me in London school’.

From the time she started talking, she has a European accent while talking in her mother tongue, and now when she talks in English. Friends and relatives make fun of Lasika, saying, ‘Your daughter is a foreigner or what?’ And she is desperately trying to change her daughter’s accent.

Definitely the daughter is another soul from her European life. On meeting Lasika the first time, my husband, who is an Orthodontist, had remarked, ‘ Your facial profile is like that of a European’. So, even the facial characteristic she has brought from her European life!

Shoe flower magic

There is a shoe flower plant in my green house that gives multilayered orange flowers.

I planted another shoe flower plant that gives single layered red flowers, in a pot and kept it near the other plant. 

Both of them used to give flowers. On 8^th May 2018 I noticed a orange colored buds in the potted plant as well as the plant on the ground. 

I was shocked, and waited eagerly to see whether it would bloom into a single layered or multilayered flower on the potted plant. On 10^th, I was wonderstruck to see a multilayered orange flower on the plant that had given single layered red flower so far!

Is it gene transfer happening?  If so, what was message it was giving to me? If a plant can imbibe a quality that it likes from another adjacent plant, can’t a human being imbibe higher qualities from another person that he/she comes in contact with? If that is not being done, in my mind, that is wastage of this precious life.

A step to go “Beyond”

We are not human beings with souls, but souls with human bodies. We have chosen the current body to perform a particular role, let us do it to our best, remembering that every little thing that comes our way was designed by us.

We can experience this finite world through our five senses, but we need to keep in touch with our real world and our real identity, the soul. This is not possible through the five senses, but through the sixth sense, which we were all born with, but never bothered to develop. We can develop it and also get in touch with our soul through meditation.

Meditation

 It is a long journey. Ultimately everybody has to undertake it. We can do it in this life, or in the next life, or after four lives. There is no hurry. After all, time is only in the mind!

Several questions arise in the mind, as, Why have we chosen these bodies? What is the explanation in our philosophy for this phenomenon?

In this Universe, there is only one energy, the Paramatman or we can call God for the sake of understanding (Remember ‘Tat Twam Asi?). It wanted to experience itself. When we want to see ourselves, we look at the mirror. Similarly, the Paramatman created his/her own images to experience itself - as jeevatman.  

Who designs our lives?

When we take birth as a human, we decide a life plan for ourselves, choose our parents, birthplace etc.,  As we start our lives, we are fascinated by things and beings around us and instead of sticking to the original plan, we deviate our path and create new karmas, which will create further bondage.

For example, we look at the ramp walking of the models on TV and wish deeply to become a model. Then we have to take birth with a body fit to be a model. Now as the model spends life, she craves for a peaceful family life, which leads to another life as a home maker. It keeps on happening and after experiencing a variety of roles, slowly, ‘Virakti’ (disenchantment) sets in and the mind is ready for long meditative periods to understand the Self and the purpose of life.

For many people, it is difficult to see the exact role that they have to play. What are the roles you are playing? A daughter/son, sister/brother, wife/husband, mother/father, doctor/engineer? What are the duties prescribed for all these roles? Life is that simple, we have to just perform these duties without expecting results. That is where the catch lies. We do expect results.  When we get expected results, our ego rises, and attachment to the associated money and fame increases. If we don’t get the expected results, we experience anger and restlessness. In both these situations, we are creating karmic bonds which will keep on creating more incarnations.

Burning desires through ‘Sadhana’

Whatever happens in our life, we are solely responsible for them. Our desires are like seeds, they will germinate or manifest under suitable conditions. Just like roasted seeds can't germinate, we can burn our desires so that they cannot manifest. This can be done only by genuine 'sadhana'(disciplined and dedicated practice), which one has to decide and be at it for as long as it takes. There is no short cut available. It takes different time period for different persons depending upon accumulated desires over incarnations, and on sadhana done in previous lives.

Reborn- to be liberated

It was more than two decades back that I read ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ by Paramahansa Yogananda. His guru Sri Yukteshwar was the disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya. Babaji was the guru of Lahiri Mahasaya. When I saw the picture of Babaji, I couldn’t look into his eyes for long time; they were so powerful and penetrating. I read somewhere that Babaji still appears to those who call him sincerely, and was fascinated by that statement.

Ananda Kriya Ashram

In May 2018, we were looking for a place to go for 3 days just to meditate. We chanced upon Ananda Kriya Ashram and booked for June 8^th to 10^th.

We reached the Ashram by 11. 30 am on 8^th. I loved the energy and vibration of the place. To my joy, I found a photo of Babaji in our room. I kept the small Shivling and Nandi that I carry during travels  in front of the photo, brought a flowers and kept them too. 

After  browsing through their library and with some guidance from Dharanaji (the meditation teacher), I picked up some books to read.

Introduction to meditation

At 3.30 we assembled in the meditation hall where Dharanaji gave us an introduction to meditation. It is important to keep the physical body still and relaxed, with the spine erect to have good meditation experience. He showed us different props that can be used to achieve that objective and encouraged us to experiment with them. I liked the brick and another small foldable stool, which helps to keep the spine erect, keeping away any pressure on the knees and ankles.

Meditation hall all to myself

The meditation timings of the ashram were 7 to 8.30 am and 6 to 7 pm. Dharanaji would start with some chants, lead us onto deep meditation and then end the meditation with a prayer.

On 9^th evening, he couldn’t be there for 6 to 7 pm meditation but he kept the mediation hall open for whoever wanted to meditate. Inside the hall there were photos of Lahiri Mahasaya, Babaji, Jesus, Krishna, Yukteshwar and Paramahansa Yogananda.

As I entered the hall at 5.45 and looked at Babaji’s photo, I perceived tears flowing from his eyes, and  was sort of confused. I started my meditation at 6 pm, and I was all alone in the hall.

You have taken too long to come back

As I closed my eyes for meditation, I had a spontaneous recall of a past life. I saw myself as a teenage boy. Babaji was walking ahead, and I was tagging along reluctantly. He saw great potential in me but I was pulled by the worldly pleasures and ran off from there.

Now  when I got connected with Babaji during meditation, he remarked, ‘ So you have come back at last.’ Then I realised that I had perceived tears of happiness on his photograph.

A deep meditation

 I went into a deep meditation, practising the ‘Hong Sau’ technique that Dharanaji had explained earlier. Suddenly I felt that my head was cut off from the back, below the medulla oblongata, which is the seat of ego. The head was hanging onto the chest, still attached to the body in the front area.

Old sanskaras being burnt

With every exhalation, blood, representing the accumulated old sanskaras, was flowing out, into a violet flame that was consuming it.

Meanwhile I saw Babaji sitting in a small temple, which had a golden dome. There was an idol of black Shivling, with a live snake around it. The temple was on the top of a hill and I could sense the presence of adivasis in the valley below. Babaji was performing Havan in front of the idol and the door was closed.

Losing the head finally

The blood was flowing out of my body for some time, and when it finished, my head which was attached to the front of the body was severed and thrown into the violet flame.

Meanwhile, from the Havan kund where Babaji was performing havan, my new head came out of the sacred fire and travelling through the air, came and got attached to my body.

Sensing my husband’s aura

Suddenly I felt my husband’s aura beside me. He had gone with Dharanaji and they were supposed to return by the end of meditation time, at 7 pm. So I thought some other inmate of the ashram must have entered the hall quietly and sat down for meditation. I was curious to see the person who was having the same aura as that of my husband. I contained my curiosity and continued with meditation.

At 7 pm, I heard Dharanaji starting the prayer and later I noticed that it was indeed my husband who was sitting near me for meditation. Contrary to their expectation, they had returned earlier and then they came and joined for the meditation.

I am eagerly waiting to see the changes in my life that this meditation experience must have brought to manifest.

                                                     Sri. Paramahansa Yogananda

Dattatreya and Navnaths- Completion of a sadhana

About five years back we had gone to Gulbarga to celebrate Holi with our cousin. During dinner time a friend told that there is a famous Dattatreya temple and he would arrange for us to visit. I didn't know much about Dattatreya then, so learned about the story of how he was born as the son of sage Atri and Anasuya with the blessings of Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He has three heads representing the Tri-murtis.

Dattatreya temple in Ganagapura

Ganagapura is a village in Afzalpur taluk of Gulbarga district on Karnataka. The village is noted for its temple of Lord Dattatreya, who is said to have attained realization on the confluence (sangam) of the banks of the rivers Bhima-Amarja.

The Shri Dattatreya temple of Ganagapura is a ‘kshetra’(pilgrim place) for second incarnation of Dattatreya, Shri Narashimha Swami. 

It was a very divine temple and I got a large picture of Lord Dattatreya from there, which I kept on top of our book shelf. When I do dusting of the house, I would dust this picture and pay obeisance to him.

Ek-mukhi Dattatreya

In March 2018, a friend told us that he visited a new Dattatreya temple in Belgaum and he felt nice. Same day we went to this temple and came to know that the person who built the temple used to dream of Dattatreya with one instead of the usual three heads, and the idol in the temple is therefore Ek-mukhi (with one face) Dattatreya. The temple was finished only a few days back.

When I looked at the idol, my whole being was filled with bhakti. I sat there, kept looking at the divine face, which was so graceful and the eyes were overflowing with compassion:

 I could have sat there for hours together!

Navnath mantra

Two days after visiting the temple in Belgaum, a friend who propagates Agnihotra mentioned the benefits of chanting Navnath mantra during agnihotra. I was convinced and learned the mantra. In April we went for a road trip for a month and I was chanting this mantra continuously during the travel time.

Navnaths

The Navnaths are the nine saints, Masters or Naths on whom the Navnath Sampradaya, the lineage of nine gurus is based. Some members of the Nath Sampradaya believe Rishi Dattatreya was its first teacher. These nine saints are actually nine super-super human beings, who, with their honesty, selflessness, austerity, devotion for their teacher, Lord Dattatreya, and the mantra power, defeated deities like Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Hanuman, Virbhadra, Indra, Goddess Chamunda, Vetal (King of ghosts), ashtabhairava and others according to the book ‘Navnath Bhaktisar’. They had a weapon called ‘Vatakarshan Astra’, which was invincible even for Gods.

The coming of the Navnath - or nine prophets - is mentioned in the Mahabharata. Krishna called a meeting of all demi-gods, angels and saints to give his message of how he would continue his message of spreading good after his mission was over on earth. Krishna said he would send his own light in the form of nine saints or prophets, who will go to different parts of earth and throughout the universe where life exists. Lord Krishna also mentions that these prophets or saints will spread the message of Love, overcoming obstacles in order to unite with Mahavishnu or Shiva or Shakti. 

The culminatíon

During our drive back, on 29th evening, suddenly I saw the picture of Dattatreya and Navnaths on the back side glass of the bus in front of us. I took a photograph, but didn't get it clear:

I searched the net for a similar picture and this was the one:

The Navnath mantra was going on in my mind even at that time. I got goose flesh all over my body. This was an indication for me that I have finished chanting the mantra for the critical number of time!

It is not common to see this picture, like that of Hanumanji, Lord Shiva, or others on vehicle. In fact, I have never seen one before.

Reaching the pinnacle after all the grounding

How high a building can be built depends on how deep the foundation is. This principle is very relevant in one's spiritual growth too. When the limbs of Ashtanga yoga are followed in succession, by the time one comes to the seventh step or dhyana (meditation), he/she is well stabilized and can go to higher planes easily.

In the present times, everyone is directly into meditation and it is really messing up many lives. From childhood I have been doing rigorous spiritual practice, with timely guidance from the Universe in every step of my journey. In spite of this, I was surprised at the amount of grounding I needed to have. An acceleration in the grounding process started during our visit to Sri Lanka in 2017 September.  When we visited the Dambana Veddha village, it started happening in a more intensive way.

Starting from Dambana

Dambana is a remote jungle village of indigenous people renowned for its eco-tourism prospects, situated about 300km from Colombo, Sri Lanka. We were fascinated by the huge trees and their roots which were spreading far. 

I could become one with the roots and experienced a very strong grounding. In the same way the roots hold on to the soil and stabilise it, I could feel the essence of my practices over decades settling into my body and Being to facilitate further growth.

Angkor Wat temple takes it to the next level

Angkor Wat is one of the largest religious monuments ever constructed. It was built between roughly A.D. 1113 and 1150, encompassing an area of about 500 acres (200 hectars). Originally built as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu, it was converted into a Buddhist temple in the 14th century, and statues of Buddha were added to its already rich artwork.

When Angkor was rediscovered in the early 20th century by French archaeologists, all of the temples had become overgrown–but none so spectacularly as Ta Prohm. While Ta Prohm lay forgotten and neglected by men, the Cambodian jungle wasted no time in devouring it. Silk-cotton and strangler fig trees took root in the loosened stones of the temple, which was built entirely without mortar. Their roots wound through the structure, creating an astonishing merger of nature and architecture.

As I stood there mesmerized by this Nature's marvel, the lesson sunk in me, 'You can take the meaning of 'grounding' to a new level. Stay rooted around your values, encompassing and protecting them.' 

Thus the next level of understanding reached me in 2018 February.

Living Root Bridge near Mawlynnong village in Shillong

On 20th April 2018 when I stood near the Living Root Bridge, I felt the finality of my lessons. 

While walking (one is not supposed to stand) through the bridge, which was made by intertwining the roots of trees on either side, my whole body was sensing something from beyond. 

Travelling through incarnations, with so many connecting roots, the importance of bridging filling my Being! It was a powerful experience.

Message at Basistha ashram

On 24th April we visited Basistha ashram and temple which is located in Beltola, at the outskirts of the Guwahati city. It has a Shiv mandir constructed by Ahom king Rajeswar Singhian in 1764. Basistha ( Vashishta) muni meditated here and got merged with Shiva. Lord Shiva's energy has been guiding me in my spiritual pursuits for many decades. 

As soon as I entered the area where sage Basistha meditated, I could feel my whole upper body (from hip upwards) vibrating. I was confused - why only the upper body?

Then the message dawned on me, 'I am allowed to do only this much, remaining you will get at the Kamakhya temple'. Now I was in high anticipation to reach Kamakhya temple.

Just a few feet away there was a huge rock inside of which Arundhati, wife of Basistha, had meditated: 

As I stood there with closed eyes, imbibing the tremendous energy, I was imparted the lesson of total surrender.

Dashamahavidyas and Kamakhya Devi

The Kamakhya temple, dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya, and one of the oldest of 51 Shakti Pithas, is situated on the Nilachal Hill in western part of Guwahati. It is the main temple in a complex of individual temples dedicated to the ten Mahavidyas : Kali, Tara, Tripurasundari, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamalatmika. Among these, Tripurasundari, Matangi and Kamala reside inside the main temple whereas the other seven reside in individual temples.

Since many years I have been doing Havan on Tuesdays and Fridays chanting the Dashamahavidya mantras. Just on the previous day of visiting Kamakhya temple, I got the mantra for Kamakhya Devi. We reached the temple at 6 am and had to wait till 9.15 for darshan and all of that time I was chanting the mantra. As we reached the sanctum sanctorum, I felt what cannot be described. It is a very personal experience and each one has to go through it to understand the full impact.

It was a very important turning point in my life. Along with all the divine forces that have been guiding me, I am also thankful to all living and non-living beings from whom I have received valuable messages at every step of my journey.