What is the Meaning of Namaskar?

What is the Meaning of Namaskar?.

When my Guruji the Late Shri Radha Kant Jha was in residence at our Omlink Studio he shared his interpretation of Namaskar:

“... When we bow our heads we lower our ego, when we join our hands we limit our physical might, (any disagreement/violence) to another, and with the hand gesture placed at our hearts we let our heart energy guide us as we let our Divine Spirit Rise in union with All.  Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti OM.”

Do click the link below the picture to read Sadhguru’s explanation for Namaskar, a powerful mudra and more….please do share with all of your Yogini, Yogi friends, OM Namaskaram

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Simple Green Smoothies – Drink your veggies and feel incredible!

Simple Green Smoothies – Drink your veggies and feel incredible!.

 

Thanks to Student Yogini Ashley Sabino for sharing her favorite Blog for Smoothie Recipes, just click the link above to see the Site.  It is a good idea especially for busy on the go folks like college students to quickly make a drink they can ingest and take along to drink later in the day.  It takes a simple blender that is not so expensive along with shopping ahead to stock up with ingredients.  Chain stores like Bed Bath & Beyond sell blenders at inexpensive prices (there is also a $5 coupon on the website).  Some yard sales and Good will stores also sell blenders which can be cleaned with baking soda and boiling water a few times before safe home use.  One can stock up on the paper cartons of almond milk, rice milk, hemp milk, soy milk, coconut water or milk, aloe vera, juice or other liquid choice for the base.  Then make regular stops at your favorite green market for veggies and fruits.  I keep basil , mint, tulsi, lemongrass and other herbs growing to add herb benefits.  I use dates and agave for sweeteners.  I add flax and chia seeds, these can be stored and last a while inexpensively thanks to shops like Trader Joes.  For college students that make a collective they may share veggies and fruits so that they don’t spoil easily.   The picture below shows a mason jar to hold the smoothie and that is a good idea for carrying along for later and inexpensive and come in different sizes, it is glass and not harmful plastic.  Thanks for stopping by here and please do share with others….Here’s to your good health! Namaste

An Explanation about the Celebration of Navaratri by Sadhguru….Om Jai Bhairavi Devi OM….

In the United States we celebrate Mother’s Day one day a year.  When we commemorate, we remember something and by doing so to honor it, (as per the dictionary).  Some people question following certain practices fearing perhaps idolatry, going against society, being judged as different.  Perhaps by engaging in a practice it may wash us anew with awareness of what is valuable and natural.  Some just like to attend festivals and celebrations just because of the gaiety and fun.  The pantheon of global festivals helps us to appreciate the diversity of what is means to being human in this dimension.  Often we learn a little more about ourselves when we allow immersion.  From hatha yoga we know we all have both masculine and feminine energies.   In the yoga we seek to yoke together, to balance both energies regardless of our gender.  It’s strange to think now that this is such a popular celebration that begins the most popular season leading to Diwali in India, and now more than ever there is so much violence against women in villages and cities across India.  (As well, globally,violence against women continues) Maybe  changes would happen if more time was spent to explain the meaning behind the celebration instead of just attending temple for a few minutes and attending family homes to feast.   Then men who commit crimes against women may see themselves harming their own feminine vibrations.  Perhaps if all of us took some time to celebrate the sun/male and moon/female energies in a regular part of ritual/celebration we might be more respectful towards one another, our differences and our connections to the larger natural order.  We can choose to follow a certain ritual or even better take the initiative to create our own.  We can simply light a candle and reflect on the significance of what is important and those ideas we want to develop a better understanding and keep close.  Thanks Sadhguru for sharing your wisdom and knowledge with us,  there is nothing better than having a living teacher to help us navigate on this often dark and confusing conscious path.  OM Jai Bhairavi Devi OM

The following is from the Isha Blog and if you want to read more please do check out: http://www.ishafoundation.org

Navaratri, the nine nights that celebrate the Divine Feminine are a time of great festivity in India. At the Isha Yoga Center, several colorful and exuberant events will be taking place throughout these nine days, and on Vijayadashami, the day after Navaratri.

On the second day of Navaratri, Sadhguru explains about tamas – the nature of the first three days of Navaratri. Accompanying the text is Sounds of Isha’s rendition of Adi Shankaracharya’s Soundarya Lahari, written in praise of Devi.

Soundarya Lahari

The Soundarya Lahari, composed by Adi Shankaracharya, is considered one of the most exquisite compositions in Sanskrit, which extols the beauty, power and grace of Devi. Soundarya Lahari literally means Wave of Beauty, and consists of two parts – Ananda Lahari or Wave of Bliss, which consists of the first 41 shlokas, and Soundarya Lahari, which consists of the remaining shlokas.

According to legend, the composition was bestowed to Adi Shankara by Devi, and was then destroyed by Nandi, leaving Adi Shankara to rewrite the divine gift again. Here is Sounds of Isha’s rendition of this powerful composition.

The Nature of Tamas

Sadhguru explains the quality of tamas, which is the nature of the first three days of Navaratri.

Sadhguru: In yoga, all the qualities of the world have been identified as three basic gunas: tamas, rajas, and sattva. Tamas literally means inertia. Rajas means activity. Sattva is the breaking of boundaries. The first three days of Navaratri are tamas, where the goddess is fierce, like Durga and Kali. Tamas is the nature of the Earth, and she is the one who gives birth. The gestation period that we spend in the womb is tamas. It is a state which is almost like hibernation, but we are growing. So tamas is the nature of the Earth and of your birth. You are sitting on the earth. You must just learn to simply be one with her. You are anyway a part of her. When she wishes she throws you out, when she wishes she sucks you back.

It is very important that you are constantly reminded of the nature of your body. Right now, you are a mound of earth prancing around. When the earth decides to suck you in, you just become a small mound.

In the ashram I always tell people, no matter what work you are doing,every day you must stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour. Do something with the garden. This will build a natural bodily memory in you that you are mortal. Your body will know that it is not permanent. That realization in the body is extremely important for one to keep his focus on his spiritual pursuit. The more urgent the realization becomes, the stronger the spiritual sense becomes.

The seven chakras and their significance | The Isha Blog

The seven chakras and their significance | The Isha Blog.

I guess it’s because of the Yoga media hype that so many have heard the word chakras.  This media has given a heightened mystical twist about the chakras and so many students, especially those new to the practice are so fast to ask about how they can know and experience their chakras.   These are the same students who do not regularly show up for classes, are easily distracted and make excuses, fall ill over and over again.  It is so amazing that the media can trick us into believing that we can “own” and master a phenomenon, which does not exist on the physical plane.  Why would someone think they can access such an advanced stage of awareness when they have not yet decided to engage themselves regularly on the physical plane?  To access experiences that grow cumulatively we must invest and dedicate ourselves on a regular basis.  Just like the steam from boiling water evaporates leaving cooler temperatures when the fire dies down, our energies lose their vibration in a similar way.   Only when we seek an authentic hatha yoga with the support and guidance of an experienced teacher will we be able to access the more subtle aspects of awareness.  But hey, with so many distractions that we can easily become engaged in and possibly addicted to…who needs awareness…especially at the cost of having to divide our time or worse divert our time away from our distractions.   Mediocrity is the norm nowadays and with it comes lower vitality until it ebbs away and morphs into illnesses from anxiety, nervous disorders, disease in various forms.  The easy solution for many becomes medication that may give acceptable results along with toxic buildup.  Why is it so hard to choose to make time to create ease, wellness and pleasantness for ourselves? Why is it so easy to ask the hard questions rather than sit and apply the easy practices that create Joy?  Witness the silly monkey brain, jumping all around, never staying still for long.  Witness the carrot and stick behavior we take part in: we can follow our job description in  a routine fashion for days, months, years because it brings the pay check and benefits.  In other areas of our lives we cannot easily follow regimes, why?  Bottom line….doing the Isha Kriya is easy….practicing hatha yoga is easy…..knowing your chakras is hard….but the only way to get there is to make a commitment to staying on the path with your daily practices.   Let’s start where it is easy and possible to gain mastery.  Maybe you may experience the powers from the chakras, maybe not, but you will surely know pleasantness if you stay with your practices.  When we choose to become conscious we choose reality and I choose to keep on the path with my practices.  I wish that you too may choose to stay on your path with your practices daily….OM