Yoga & Spirituality

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The power of invisible ink
Recently many people across the country celebrated Chaitra Navaratria festival in various ways. I happened to visit a friend who is a devotee of Goddess Durga. While taking darshana of the Goddess I noticed a pale brownish paper put into a small plastic bag and being worshipped in his pooja altar. The paper didn't have anything drawn or printed on it and apparently it had nothing written or inscribed either. Out of curiosity I asked what it is. And he told me the story behind that "plain paper".
Posted On : 13 Apr 2022
Take Ajapa breaks to enhance your meditative experience
A common complaint from the practitioners of meditation is that in spite of having a good meditation session they can't carry that meditative state throughout the day. The calmness and blissfulness fades away as the day proceeds and daily chores of life takes over. There are several ways to overcome this problem. One of them is - taking Ajapa breaks! Let's see how.
Posted On : 31 Mar 2022
Mudras and Mantras for Five Great Elements
Human body consists of the five great elements or Panchamahabhutas namely Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space. Before a practitioner attempts any higher practices that awaken the sleeping Kundalini, it is advisable that certain amount of purification and balance be established in these five great elements.
Posted On : 23 Mar 2022
Let Yoga postures become the stepping stone to your meditation practice
Rakesh, a friend-of-friend, approached me with a peculiar problem. He worked as a software developer in a reputed company and was suffering from work related stress for a few years. An year ago he and his family realized that the stress is affecting his health. And he decided to visit a doctor. As a part of the overall treatment his doctor also suggested him to include meditation, soothing music, and such relaxation techniques in his daily routine. Since this suggestion was coming from a doctor Rakesh decided to take it seriously and joined a nearby yoga institute.
Posted On : 14 Oct 2019
Ajapa Japa and Mysterious Fourth Pranayama
In my previous article I enumerated over a set of Pranayamas and their benefits. The previous article presented Hatha Yoga point of view of the subject matter. Hatha Yoga has always given great emphasis on Pranayama as a tool for cleansing and Kundalini awakening. It would be equally interesting to take a quick look at Pranayama from Raja Yoga point of view. To that end this article discusses what Patanjali Yoga Sutras (PYS) have to say about Pranayama and its utility in spiritual development of a yoga practitioner.
Posted On : 07 Oct 2019
Add These Ten Powerful Pranayamas To Your Happiness Routine
Pranayama is one of the most important and powerful practice of classical Hatha Yoga. Although Pranayama is commonly equated with breathing exercises, it's far more than that. Prana is the life energy and Ayama is its proper control. Just like any other form of energy Prana is also invisible and difficult to manipulate directly.
Posted On : 30 Sep 2019
Difference between Asanas and Mudras
Ancient texts on Kundalini Yoga describe various yoga practices such as Asana, Pranayama, Mudras, and Meditations. Note that in this context Mudras doesn't mean hand mudras. Mudras here means those that are specifically mentioned in Kundalini yoga literature. Beginners often get confused between Asanas and Mudras. A common confusion is this - Sarvangasana is considered as Asana whereas Viparitakarani is considered as a Mudra. From body posture point of view both look quite similar but still one is an Asana and the other is a Mudra. Even the other Mudras such as Maha Mudra and Maha Vedha are in a way physical postures. But they are called Mudras. Why so?
Posted On : 14 Aug 2017
International Yoga Day 2017
The world will be celebrating the International Yoga Day on 21 June 2017. This year Sant Nivruttinath Punyatithi and Pradosh also falls on the same day making it more special. I believe you all know why 21 June was picked to celebrate this day. It was not a coincidence or arbitrary selection. It has some yogic significance.
Posted On : 20 Jun 2017
Desires will always be there
Beginners are often worried about desires arising in their mind. Human mind is such that for most of the aspirants some or the other desire will always be there. So, that's not something to be worried about.
Posted On : 02 Jun 2017
Daughter of the Mountain
When you go to the Himalayas only for sightseeing, your senses become captive of the breathtaking beauty of the mountain. But when you go there for spiritual seclusion things are altogether different. You need to prepare yourself first for such an experience. Because along with beauty you also see unity. You will find a spiritual ecosystem flourishing everywhere.
Posted On : 27 May 2017
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