Samasthiti

The title of the post, also a question, is actually a larger debate in the yoga community about religion. Whether yoga is linked to any religion, whether it promotes a certain religion, who does it include and more importantly who does it exclude? The question was actually posed to me by my teacher in a Bhagawad Gita study i am undertaking currently. All my previous yoga trainings and my practice has always had me believe that any scripture that has something to teach can not be contained within the rules of a specific society or culture and all of it's teaching can not be shackled to prevent it from benefitting the supposed "others". At the core of it, all religions even though they were meant to classify people into segments, teach love, patience, compassion and kindness. It has how we as humans have chosen to interpret these ancient texts that causes all this "us & them" sentiment in the world. Of course these words simplify the rifts we see around ...

A Balinese Offering I've always wondered what the big deal with names are. Whether you call me a yogi or a yogini, i remain the same person. My essence does not change, neither does my sense of self. It doesn't add anything to me, neither does it take away anything from the person I am. Then why the need to label me a yogini, I was happy being called a yogi. Until now. Here's a story - I promise it fits the post & isn't a rambling! When I was working at a corporate, a couple of years back, there was a movement to change the title of my job role to make it sound more fancier. It went from what the role has always been called in the market for many many years - in no way disrespectful or rude or harsh or demeaning - to a fancy three word "title". Before this change happened, there were emails sent to global HR, petitions, panel discussions on how to approach the "problem" and what could help achieve this goal. It would irritate me to n...

अहं निर्विकल्पॊ निराकार रूपॊ विभुत्वाच् सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् न चासंगत नैव मुक्तिर् न मेय: चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवॊऽहम् ॥ Literal Translation I am without any variation ( निर्विकल्पॊ)  or any form (   निराकार ) I am present everywhere , I am the underlying essence of everything ( विभुत्वाच् सर्वत्र) and behind all sense organs ( सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम्) I am not unrelated ( न च असंगत) , neither am I free nor limited ( नैव मुक्तिर् न मेय:)   I am Pure Bliss and Consciousness  In the last five verses, Adi Shankaracharya took us through all the things that the Atman is not. And in this last one he finally tells us how to understand the Atman - what the characteristics and qualities are.  The first line, translates to mean that the Atman, is ever changeless and does not have variations or modifications or can not be broken into parts. I read this beautiful blog, that describes how everything in the Universe has 6 variations or changes that it unde...

न मे मृत्युर्शंका न मे जातिभेद: पिता नैव माता नैव न जन्म: न बन्धुर् न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्य: चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवॊऽहम् Literal Translation I am not bound by Death, nor by restrictions of caste and it's ensuing distinctions, I do not have a Father neither do I have a Mother, I do not have relations or friends, neither a teacher nor a student, I am pure bliss and consciousness.  This verse continues to explain the state of an Atman. The Atman, has gone beyond death and attained salvation ~  freedom from the cycle of samsara. There is no reason, in such a state, to fear Death - either the approach of it or what lies beyond. similarly, the distinctions that Caste raises do not adhere to the state of the Atman - these are all societal obligations and restrictions that are of no use anymore, these are boundaries, the one does not have to be enclosed or respect once enlightened. In this state of being, the Atman is alone, it does not have the need to attach hi...

न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दु:खम् न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदा: न यज्ञ अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवॊऽहम् Literal Translation Merits and Sins both do not define me, I am not bound by sacred mantras/hymns nor pilgrimages Neither by scriptures or rituals I am neither an experience, nor an object to be experienced not even the one who experiences, I am Shiva, Pure Consciousness, Knowledge and Bliss. I need to do a good job explaining this one - because it is my personal favourite of all the six verses. I personally relate to it because my philosophy about religion, spirituality and the Divine Supreme is captured in this one verse. I do not identify with sins and merits, and my faith does not depend on the reading of scriptures or visiting holy places, and I want to attain the state of mind and soul that the second line of the verse embodies.  Adi Shankracharya continues to expound on the non-qualities of the Atman. The concept of mer...

न मे द्वेष रागौ न मे लोभ मोहौ मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभा- व: न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो ना मोक्ष: चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवॊऽहम् Literal Translation: Neither have I desire ( raago ) or hatred ( dvesha ) for anything Neither greed ( lobha ) nor delusion ( moha ) Nor pride ( mada ) nor feelings of jealousy ( matsarya ) Neither am i bound by the path of righteousness ( dharma ) Nor am i attracted to the pursuit of material wellness ( artha ), Neither am I drawn to desire fulfilment ( kamo ) nor liberation from birth & death  ( moksha ) I am Consciousness, Knowledge and Bliss. In Hindu philosophy there are six passions ( Arishadvargas)   or enemies ( Shad Ripus ) of the mind , they are called the : kama krodha lobha moha mada matsarya After describing how the Atman can not be restricted to a gross or a subtle body, Adi Shankracharya goes on to explain the feelings, passions, and goals of a Jiva and how the Divine does not i...

(picture courtesy Pallavi Tallavajhala) In my previous post, I spoke about the five kinds of vayus or winds. Each of these five Vayus are related to a particular quality of movement that are responsible for various functions within the body. It is not visible or felt, but they flow through all our internal organs and the mind as well. How they affect these organs in turn affects on how we are feeling in our mind as well. Where they are located in the body, or rather where they are concentrated, affect those particular regions. However, they are powerful enough to bring about change all over. Below I try to explain each of these vayus from everything I've learnt from my teachers and through my own reading, you can find a variety of explanations which differs depending on which school or teacher you are connected to.  At the end of the day, you really have to rely on your own practice and experience to feel and understand these very subtle sources of energy. Prana Vayu ...