It was in the mid 80’s when I began my studies in Yoga, Sanskrit and Meditation. During that time, I was introduced to Agni Hotra, an ancient vedic fire ceremony practice. The Agni Hotra practice consists of a set of specific elements that make up the fire and mantras that go into a pyramid shaped
Sanskrit & Mantra
Ahiṃsā The Law of Harmony
In the definitive yogic text, the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali shares several elements that an aspiring Yogini needs to become aware of and work with. Early on in the text, he offers the definition of yoga, what happens when the definition occurs and what happens when you don’t experience the union, as well as many other
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Sanskrit & Mantra
Ahiṃsā The Law of Harmony
In the definitive yogic text, the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali shares several elements that an aspiring Yogini needs to become aware of and work with. Early on in the text, he offers the definition of yoga, what happens when the definition occurs and what happens when you don’t experience the union, as well as many other
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Sanskrit & Mantra
Abhyāsa
The Power of Practice By Manorama A primary principle in expanding your yogic development is Abhyāsa. In Sanskrit, the word Abhyāsa means practice. Yoga teachers remind their students again and again “To stay with it,” “Get on the mat” or “Open the books” and spend time honing yogic discipline through practice. The teacher knows it
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Sanskrit & Mantra
The Mystery of Svāhā
The Mystery of Svāhā by Manorama Offer it up to the gods through the sacred fire. Where does svāhā come from and how is it used? Svāhā is used during vedik fire ceremonies. When you perform a vedik fire ceremony, nothing can enter that fire unless it has first been offered with the utterance,
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Sanskrit & Mantra
Align with Shri
In Yoga, you often see the Sanskrit word Śrī placed in front of a respected person’s name. For example, Śrī Brahmānanda Sarasvatī or Śrī Swāmī Satchidānanda. Śrī is pronounced ‘Shrī’ and is an honorific word meaning respected one or illustrious one. You can tack the word Śrī on to the front of a person’s name
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Inspiration
The Strength of the Goddess
In the Devi-Mahatmyam, the Devī, goddess, is called into being by the gods for the protection of the world. Her birth is unique, in that each god directs light from his core to single meeting place and at that point she manifests. She is said to be incredibly beautiful, kind, fierce, loving, generous, protective and
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Sanskrit & Mantra
Jīvanmukti
The State of Yogic Freedom
We often approach the concept of freedom from the perspective of a being oppressed. Let’s say you live in a country where the government doesn’t take proper care of its people; the people in that country, including you, will likely feel oppressed. You may recall William Wallace’s powerful desire to be free in the famous
