eclipse

Yoga of the Lunar Eclipse

Important: some dos and donts for lunar eclipse (To my students I will send you more detailed personalized ritual details)

Dos and Don’ts for Lunar Eclipse: Following the Ancient Rituals and Purifying the Self

During a lunar or solar eclipse, certain regions of the world are affected, and to honor this event, we must follow the prescribed rituals as laid out in the scriptures. Our esteemed gurus advocate for embracing the sanctity of the occasion and abiding by the following practices:

The Shikshãpatri, a revered text, commands us to stop all activities at the time of the eclipse and chant the name of God in a purified state. After the eclipse, householders must bathe with their clothes on and then donate according to their means.
The Purãnas tells the story of how the eclipse came into existence, narrating how during the churning of the ocean by the gods and demons, the nectar of immortality was produced, and a demon named Rãhu, disguising himself as a god, drank it. Thus, when God beheaded Rãhu, he became a planet, and during certain times of the year, he holds the sun and moon by his mouth (Grahan), causing solar and lunar eclipses.

The rules to follow before, during, and after an eclipse are as follows:
Before the eclipse, one must not eat for 12 hours before the solar eclipse begins and for 9 hours before the lunar eclipse begins. During this period, one must not offer meals to God, but one can perform arti, pray, and sing devotional songs. If the solar eclipse occurs before sunrise, one may see the eclipse only after the sun has risen, and in this case, one must not eat after sunset the previous night.

During the eclipse, one must sit in one place, chant the name of God, and sing devotional songs. One must also observe a waterless fast while the eclipse is in progress.

After the eclipse, one must bathe immediately with clothes on and preferably with cold water. The Satsangijivan recommends offering donations according to one’s income, as this expresses one’s joy at the release of the Sun and/or Moon god from Rãhu’s grasp. Sadhus rejoice by performing puja.

To remain pure during the eclipse, one must get rid of extra cooked food, and not touch anything such as clothes, food, personal items, etc. After the eclipse, one must not touch anyone, and if one has touched anything by mistake, it must be purified by washing or by sprinkling water over it.

It is crucial to take a bath after an eclipse as darkness during the eclipse symbolizes impurity. Once the eclipse is over, light returns to the earth, and to rejoice, one must cleanse the impurity that darkness brought, worship God, and offer donations to express happiness.

We must also remember that we are all engulfed by an eclipse in the form of mãy, and purifying ourselves on this occasion will enable us to transcend this illusory world and reach the ultimate goal of yoga. Let us embrace the sacredness of the lunar eclipse and follow these ancient rituals to purify ourselves and connect with the divine.

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The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra reads:
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात्

om tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam
urvārukamiva bandhanānmṛtyor mukṣīya maamṛtāt

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is a powerful chant that is believed to have originated from Rigveda. It is considered to be one of the most potent mantras for healing and is chanted to invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva, the three-eyed Lord who sees everything, both visible and invisible. The mantra seeks the Lord’s protection from disease, death, and all forms of suffering.
The mantra begins with the sacred syllable “Om,” which is a mystical symbol of the universe and the divine. The word “Tryambakam” refers to Lord Shiva, who is known as the three-eyed one. The next line, “Yajamahe,” is an expression of worship, adoration, and reverence.

“Sugandhim” means fragrant and is a reference to the Lord’s sweet-smelling nature. “Pushthivardhanam” refers to the Lord’s nourishing and life-giving qualities. The Lord is seen as a good gardener who takes care of all his creations, making them thrive and prosper.

The line “Urvārukamiva” compares the Lord’s protective powers to that of a cucumber, which is shielded by its strong vine. The Lord’s protection is believed to be as powerful as the vine that holds the cucumber. “Bandhanān” means bound down, and with “Mṛtyormukṣīya,” it means “liberate from the bounds of death.”


The last line, “Māmṛtāt,” can be interpreted in different ways. One interpretation is “Free me from death but not from immortality,” implying that the mantra seeks protection from death but not necessarily eternal life. Another interpretation is “Give me some life-rejuvenating nectar,” which implies that the mantra seeks the blessings of the Lord for a healthy and long life.

The origin of this secret mantra is steeped in mythology, with Rishi Markandeya being the only one in the world who knew it. Legend has it that the Moon was once in trouble and cursed by King Daksha. Rishi Markandeya gave the Mahamritryunjaya Mantra to Sati, Daksha’s daughter, for the Moon’s well-being.
The mantra is also known as the Rudra mantra, symbolizing the furious aspect of Lord Shiva. The Tryambakam mantra alludes to Shiva’s three eyes and is sometimes called the Mrita-Sanjivini mantra, as it forms a part of the life-restoring practice given to the primordial sage Sukracharya.

The Mahamritryunjaya Mantra is a potent tool for seekers of yoga and spirituality. It has found its place in the Vedas and holds within it the essence of the divine. So let us invoke the blessings of the three-eyed Lord Shiva and elevate our consciousness to new heights.

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, a sacred and powerful invocation to Lord Shiva, is renowned for its benefits to mental, emotional, and physical health. This moksha mantra is believed to grant longevity and immortality, and to protect against untimely death.
When chanted, the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra imbues the practitioner with energy and guidance from the divine, while reconnecting the consciousness to its true nature. This transformative practice is known as Japa, which involves the repetition of the mantra and leads to greater concentration and awareness.

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra can be used in various ways, including during the smearing of Vibhuti over various parts of the body, as well as in Japa or Homa (havan) to manifest desired results. While the Gayatri Mantra serves to purify and guide spiritually, the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra provides healing, rejuvenation, and nurturance to the practitioner.

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Everyone says they do meditation, but what is this thing called meditation?

Meditation, it’s not sitting in a posture, it is actually trying to concentrate on a particular thing. It could be your guru who you love a lot. Meditation is a practice in which an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, for the mind to acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content.

The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity and forgiveness. Meditation often involves an internal effort to self-regulate the mind in some way. Meditation is often used to clear the mind and ease many health concerns, such as high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. It may be done sitting, or in an active way ; for instance, Buddhist monks involve awareness in their day-to-day activities as a form of mind-training.

Meditation has many benefits as it affects you physiologically, psychologically and also spiritually. It means a person who meditates, not only has a good sharp mind, with a great will power but the person is also physiologically sound with all the bodily functions working in harmony. By quoting spiritually, a person develops a knack of forgiving anyone for the mistakes, a person become enlightened. This level of enlightenment can only be achieved if a person meditates.

A person can do Breath awareness meditation, Mantra meditation. When you inhale breath, try to feel it, and then try to feel the way it exhales from the body. In the whole process of inhaling and exhaling, thoughts will come in the mind. Just acknowledge the thoughts and smile on it and then try to focus again on the breath. It will improve one’s concentration and patience.

Another simple technique is to close your eyes and try to see the image of guru or god. The whole purpose is to concentrate on the image. Random thoughts will definitely bother you but just smile on it. Meditation is something which can be done anytime and anywhere. It is not about closing eyes and sitting. It can be done by opening your eyes. But by closing eyes it becomes easier for the person to concentrate while cutting all the distractions. A relaxed peaceful mind can do wonders and this can only be achieved if we meditate!

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Self Discipline – the most important tool of success

Self-discipline is one of the most important and useful skills everyone should possess. This skill is essential in every area of life, and though most people acknowledge its importance, very few do something to strengthen it.

Self discipline does not mean being harsh with yourself, or living a limited, restrictive lifestyle. Building this skill means using common sense, making priorities, and thinking before acting.

Self discipline means self control, which is a sign of inner strength and control of yourself and your reactions. This skill gives you the power to stick to your decisions and follow them through, without changing your mind.

When you improve this ability it becomes easier to develop good habits and get rid of bad habits. It also becomes easier to overcome addictions, overeating, procrastination and laziness.

If you wish to possess more inner strength and stronger willpower, you need to start working on developing your discipline.

Self-discipline means self-control, the ability to avoid unhealthy excess of anything that could lead to negative consequences. It is the ability to reject instant gratification and pleasure, in favor of some greater gain, which requires spending effort and time to get it.

It means perseverance and not giving up. It is the strength not to give in to negative feelings.
It means overcoming one’s weaknesses. It is the ability to pursue one plans despite temptations to abandon them. A disciplined person is more likely to take control and responsibility for his or her life.

Self discipline means Perseverance. The ability not to give up, despite failure and setbacks.
The ability to resist distractions or temptations. Trying over and again, until you accomplish what you set out to do.

Life puts challenges and problems on the path to success and achievement, and in order to rise above them, you have to act with perseverance and persistence, and this of course, requires discipline. The possession of this skill leads to self esteem and confidence, and consequently, to happiness and satisfaction.

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Yoga For Horoscopes

Welcome to mantra and aasana series for horoscopes. In the Olden days yoga was not just practiced by itself but it was practiced under a guru in the ancient system of Gurukul. Here the sadhak or the shishya was not just taught yoga but also Ayurveda, Vedic astrology, vastu shastra along with various other important topics which were related to the human mind, the society, country the universe and such other matters.

We wanted to share the mysticism of mantra, asana, the main element of that horoscope along with the planet having a direct impact on it and the polarity the specific horoscope bends towards…