Escalation of war and sectarian violence, religious strife, race riots, climate change, Ebola -
in 2014, humanity seemed to be coming apart at the seams and it was easy to lose sight of all the divine elements in the world as we were fed cable news hysteria of one crisis after another .
As the year comes to a close, I wanted to share some very good news that you may have missed.
“The wise see ‘inaction in action’ because they know that they are not the Doer. The wise act without desire or motive, and thus their karma – the accumulation of past actions done in attachment – is burned up in the Fires of Knowledge” (Bhagavat Gita (IV.18).Read More
A recent Yoga Journal article asked the question “Is Yoga a Religion”? During the closing ceremony of Yoga into the 21st century conference in NYC the renowned Yoga teacher T.K.V. Desikachar told the audience that Yoga is not a religion and should not affiliate with any religion.
While I agree that Yoga need not be associated with any religion, I am more curious to explore the premise of the question itself, which I think keeps Yoga from unleashing its full potential in our lives.
Read MoreThe Sanskrit word Prasad means a blessing, or gift that has been divinely invested. It is usually an edible sweet or fruit that is offered at all Hindu spiritual gatherings to represent the pure and divine state of the holy person or place, which has the potential to bless our life and fulfill our wishes. Indeed, anything that an enlightened master touches becomes Prasad, as the object is believed to be infused with divine vibrations.
Read MoreChakras are the most embraced aspects of yoga in the west but perhaps also the most misunderstood. Most people have acquired their understanding of chakras from an amalgam of traditions like Reiki, Tai chi, crystals, and New Age teachers. What I am presenting in this article is the classical Yoga interpretation of chakras, which are an integral aspect of Yoga theory and practice.
A central principle of Yoga and Vedic Astrology is the cycle of human birth, death and rebirth, as the soul’s journey towards the realization of its cosmic roots. With each successive birth the desires of the soul to experience all aspects of life evolve until all desires have been transmuted (not suppressed) and surrendered. The desire that propels the soul to take birth on the physical plane is Rahu (north node) and the completion of the desire is Ketu (south node). When all longings cease and everything is embraced as an aspect of the divine, the journey is complete, and the soul merges back into its source.
Read MoreIt’s that time of the year when we all make New Year resolutions and promise ourselves that there are some things we are going to do differently next year. However, year after year there are a few areas of our life that resist change and certain negative patterns keep repeating despite our best intentions. In Vedic Astrology we call these our karmic tendencies (samsaras), which are so strongly entrenched within us that as a result of our conscious or unconscious actions certain events are almost fated to occur.
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