The word Mahavakya means a great pronouncement or great statement, which expresses the message of the One Universal Truth. In ancient Vedic times, a teacher would sit with his or her students and expound on the great wis-dom teachings. The more advanced students were introduced to the knowledge of higher states of consciousness and enlightenment and many of these teachings are recorded in the texts of the Upanishads. At certain points in the teachings, when
The true meaning of Yoga is the union of body, mind, soul and spirit. According to Yoga, we suffer because of not knowing our true Self and because of the illusion of separation of our individual consciousness from Universal Consciousness or Brahman. The Yoga Sutras are a practical textbook to guide our spiritual journey of remembering. The Yoga Sutras were composed by someone called Patanjali. However, we know very little about him, except that he
The quick answer is “don’t”! During my years of teaching meditation, I’ve have heard a multitude of excuses for ending a meditation session early so let’s look at some of them and what to do when they occur. Make Yourself Comfortable One of the simplest reasons for feeling restless during meditation is because you’re sitting in an uncomfortable position. If you can sit for 20-30 minutes with legs crossed in full lotus and without back
Most of us live in a dualistic world. We see everything, including ourselves, as different from everything else, “I am here and the rest of the world is out there somewhere”. However, the Advaita Vedanta tradition, propounded by the seventh century sage Adi Shankara, tells us that all of the Universe is One Essential Reality, and that all facets and aspects of the Universe are ultimately an expression or appearance of that One Reality. According
There are several different schools of thought about the Chakras. Here we are giving the standard explanations adopted by the Chopra Center, which doesn’t mean other approaches, you may have heard, are incorrect. Chakras are Centers of Transformation within the physiology. The Vedantic Tradition states that Consciousness is primary matter is secondary, which means that Consciousness is constantly transforming into matter at every point in the Universe. If it stopped for a fraction of second,
Meditation is an effortless process which will enrich all aspects of your life. Anyone who can think a thought can meditate and everyone will benefit from it. If you or someone dear to you is still holding out, hopefully at least one of the following “reasons” will strike the necessary chord to get you started. Once the gifts start flowing, the only question will be, “Why did I wait so long to begin?”. Reduction of
In his illuminating text, The Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali introduces us to a systematic path to regain Higher Consciousness. This has since been called Raja Yoga or The Royal Path, a journey of techniques and lifestyle guidelines to awaken the mind to its true Self. Within the text, Patanjali gives us a concentrated set of instructions known as the Eight Limbs of Yoga, culminating in a state of freedom, liberation, ecstasy and enlightenment -
“What is that which, by being known, everything else becomes known”. This is the message of Vedanta. We often hear the word Vedanta in yoga classes, meditation groups and spiritual gatherings but what is Vedanta, where does it come from? ‘Veda’ means ‘complete knowledge’, ‘anta' means ‘end’ so simply put, Vedanta means the culmination of Vedic wisdom or the final step on our spiritual journey. We don’t know how old the Vedas are or who
People often ask me for advice about traveling to India, how to stay safe and healthy. Just like anywhere else, there are no guarantees but, by using common sense, most people can and do have a great time when visiting India. India is one of the most fascinating places on earth, where your senses are constantly being filled with every imaginable experience. While India moves forward to take its place in the modern world, much
The one thing that we can rely on in the relative world is that sooner or later, everything changes. Some change comes about by the choices we make but many happen due to natural laws beyond our control. Either way, change invariably causes some degree of disruption to our body-mind continuum. Recognizing these times of change and taking the necessary steps to maintain or re-store balance is an important part of our health, happiness and