“May the sweet smile of the Goddess Durga, which is the stainless Light that illumines the Cosmos drive far into the distance all our sorrow.” ~ Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni
The Higher Cosmic Order or Laws of Prakriti
Vedic wisdom is based on an alignment of the deeper Self with Rta, the higher cosmic order or laws of Prakriti, guiding every Seeker to celebrate their spiritual quest with a deeper awareness, experiencing life as a continual flow of divine grace and magic.
A Vedic Lifestyle draws its inspiration from the wisdom of the Vedic Rishi culture even during this very different day and age. It is experienced as the foundational connectivity between the human mind, heart, body and spirit and Maha Prakriti, the Great Mother Nature.
Connecting to the rhythms of the cosmic cycles requires being in sync with Mother Earth, Mother Nature, the Planets and Nakshatras. This deeper alignment with the natural world, its ground animals and flying birds allows us to dive into our deeper wisdom, inner strength and conviction which becomes our guiding force in all that we do and see.
The power of the Yoga Shakti emphasizes the right Svabhava or individual temperament and the right place for practice, which requires Bhakti, a devotional bhava, solitude and awareness sacred space. True yogic solitude guides us to become part of the experience of the Infinite beyond all divisions of person or ego, creating our own life space as sacred.
Yogic wisdom awakens the transformational times to tap into such as sunrise and sunset, new and full moons, solstices and equinoxes, and eclipses of the Sun and Moon. In these mystical transitional moments one can experience the creation of the entire universe drawing in the contemplative understanding of Brahman, the all-encompassing Universal Reality.
We must always remind ourselves the importance of revolving around the living Universe and moving according to its secret rhythms, as the universe will not revolve around us each one of us and our mere personal desires.
Vedic sciences guide us in transforming our life journeys through time, space, name and form. Life can reveal a deeper harmony as a flow of continuous grace and gratitude on many levels. The beauty of the spiritual path resides beyond the opinions of the human mind, its beliefs, concepts and dictates caught in the illusory world of Maya-based appearances and illusions of our own importance.
यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति।
सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते॥
“Those who see all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings never turn away from the truth.”
-Iṣa Upaṇiṣad 6
The Self-aware Universe is not apart from our individual existence. Vedic traditions weave every aspect of human life with the Universe itself as like a single Person, the cosmic Purusha of Yoga. The true seeker or sadhaka can never feel isolated from the Universe which pervades us from every side from the smallest to the largest.
We must realize that we are an integral part of all nature, which is woven into our environment, the soil, plants, animals, planets and stars as a manifestation of our own immortal life expression.
Ancient traditional cultures like the Vedic, extending to native cultures today, experience their lives woven into the boundless universe, as forms of worship and honoring the sacred. They had their own demanding practical lives to deal with – agriculture, seasonal changes, childbirth, stages of life, but they interpreted these in the context of the universe as sacred transformations, not as something to fear.
They experienced their life and breath as a part of nature, a kinship with their surrounding plants, animals and forces of life. This wasn’t primitive but awakened a transcendent vision in the boundless sky and layers of horizons.
They had a great sense of kinship with their surroundings and the Five Great elements.
They had cultural rituals, ceremonies, celebrations, through their music, dance, prayers and contemplations. Their lives were based upon revering the Sun, Moon planets, stars, directions, elements and the subtle vibrations these reveal.
They valued the sacred nature of the land and its secrets where they lived organically as part of nature’s expression.
Today we are disconnected from the transformational time cycles of nature, which disrupts the organic fabric of our society and even our own bodies. If there is strife, fear and anguish today it is because of this disconnect of the human being and its values from Mother Nature and her embrace in the transformational movement of time. Trials and tribulations have always shadowed our human lives, but there was an inner strength and conviction as the guiding force drawing people together even in times of great difficulties, which we in our isolation from the universe have lost.
My Experience as a Sadhaka
Living according to the rhythms of nature is for me is an experience of understanding time magically passing by and space enveloping my entire being. Life can be a beautiful learning experience in the movement of the seasons – spring, summer, autumn, winter where life scripts its story through a deepening seeking of the Divine. Autumn ushers in the whispers of silence. When we are silent, we can hear the rustle of leaves winding their way back to Mother Earth for a new birth in the spring.
Vedic traditions reflect an ecological and humane culture with its profound principles which keep us in the flow of divine grace. Seasonal rhythms mark the pages of our journal of our spiritual path. Every aspect of a season triggers a deepening awakening in our spiritual path when we become aware of our mystical relationship with the intrinsic cycles of Mother Nature.
When seasons change, there is a period of transition, so learn to tune into your body’s awareness and listen to the body’s cues of impending transformation. Taking the natural produce of the Farmers’ markets shows us the fruit of the seasons, as the farmer understands the land and its creativity. Cook with seasonal vegetables which are in harmony with nature and the seasons.
Living is about being creative, discerning and embracing, consciously beading together the garland of our experiences with each bead as an expression love, compassion, beauty, pain, struggle, hurt or desire. The bliss lies in strengthening the twine, which unites every bead with gratitude, healing and grace to adorn ourselves with memories of our spiritual journey well-travelled.
Introspection is a gentle way of redefining our life purpose, finding our strengths and reinforcing our cosmic destiny, cultivating an inner wisdom to guide us through life’s highs and lows, ebbs and tides.
Nature’s Seasons are great teachers, guiding us to be in sync with our own time cycles in wherever we choose to live. There are no grey zones in Mother Nature, so train your inner eye to be inspired by the winds of change and transformation.
Stepping out into Nature connects us to our deeper reality of the universal movements, the Himalayan wisdom, the native Indian lands, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the hues of trees, the wafting clouds, the flowing rivers, the migration of birds and comforting foods which nurture us.
I have always nurtured a “resting in our freedom of the spirit, being guided to your inner heart and not by your outer heart,” which always has deeper lessons in our sadhana.
वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् (Vasudhaiva kuTumbakam)
The Vedic Sages say that the entire universe is truly one family. The Earth, Nature and we ourselves have a common destiny. If we do not connect to the spirit energy of the Earth, we will not understand the cycles of renewal and evolution that can inspire us.
Cosmic time cycles of the stars, planets, sun and moon, play a pivotal role in our personal lives and our karmic journey on Earth. Our dharma is to nurture and protect the delicate ecosystems around us that keep nature in balance such as the birds chirping, the critical work of the bees to pollinate each flower, and our own cherishing of every miraculous fruit we relish during its harvest.
Bhumi Devi, Mother Earth, is honored in all sacred ancient cultures all over the world.
Each of the five elements has its unique Shakti energy we must learn to work with at both outer and inner levels in order to bring harmony and transformation to our own nature.
💫SPACE has the power to open, expand and pervade our lives, opening up a deeper sense of hearing.
💫AIR has the power to move, stimulate and direct our lives according to a cosmic Prana.
💫FIRE has the power to burn, purify and transform our minds and hearts.
💫WATER has the power to moisten, nurture and harmonize us to the cosmic flow of grace.
💫EARTH has the power to support, uphold and stabilize us connected to and supporting all.
We must learn to integrate ourselves with each element, so it reflects our personal manifestation in the cosmic structure.
We all have our desires, wishes and expectations which abound in our everyday lives enhancing the quality of our personal, work and social projects. The key to our physical, psychological and spiritual well-being rests in harmonizing our outer and inner needs with the auspiciousness of the cosmic universe that is rooted in peace and harmony.
We must remember the vision of Yogis and native Peoples everywhere that Mother Earth is the origin and support of all life. The proper role of every being is to protect and revere Nature, not to exploit and harm the Earth.
Spiritualizing our lives through understanding and cultivating the power of Sthira Shakti helps us create a peaceful, steadfast calm stillness within our being. In this inner stillness we can tap into the aura of divinity around us through observing, healing, rejuvenating, meditating, and celebrating our core existence.
Being in Nature allows us to transcend the human time and space of clocks and walls that have no lives of their own. Open space is always auspicious as it creates a timeless presence, expressing eternity in the waves of time. When we contemplate nature, our minds expand beyond the horizon of Maya and when we are fixated on time the mind is always chasing Maya, running after appearances and missing the essence. Time is spiritually transformational only if we move beyond its mere physicality and linear movement and recognize the importance of its eternal presence.
Mantra Yoga Shakti allows us to set in motion the inner vibrations of meditation, harmonising the mind (chitta) and moving into the higher consciousness of our true Self, the Atman or Purusha beyond body and mind.
May we respectfully draw from the wisdom of the ancient sages, who can give us the guidance necessary to reveal the Light of the Universe like a new Sunrise at every moment, diving deep within the philosophical and ethical precepts of Satya (Truth) and Dharma, the Vedic Way of Life of One Being, Consciousness and Bliss for all.
Yogini Shambhavi🌹
