DHYAN FOUNDATION

Navratras come twice a year, marking the transition of seasons. In Ayurveda, during this time, consume nourishing foods in minimal quantities to rid the body from toxins collected during the rains. The nine nights and ten days of Navratras hold the energy of ten forms of Shakti–Shailaputri, Brahmcharini, Chandrakanta, Kushmanda, Skandmata, Katyayani, Kaalratri, Mahagauri, Siddhidatri and Aparajitha. The weather changes, and various energies of creation move from imbalance towards a new normalcy, including in our body. Our body’s prana shakti undergoes realignment, from imbalance to a new balance for the new season. For this realignment, the body has to be kept light. Therefore, the ancients prescribed fasting or upvaas during these nine days. Upavaas has a  greater connotation than merely holding back from certain foods. At Dhyan Ashram, sadhaks observe upavaas in its authentic sense—giving up all pleasures to observe austerities during sadhna, through celibacy, consumi...

Our body is a poorna ansh or integral part of creation that is run by various shaktis or energies. Each day of the 365 days in a year is governed by a specific shakti; hence the  yogsutras  stress the importance of niyam. If you skip your practices for even a single day, then the shakti or energy of that day is left behind and the sadhna or practice of the entire year becomes compromised because if even a single thing is removed from Creation, it will impact everything around. So the niyam of your practices must not be broken. The days leading to Diwali are especially powerful and a sadhak should keep his mind focused for it is said the sadhna of this time is equivalent to the sadhna of many months put together. On the night of Diwali, there is a congregation of powerful energies and their access becomes much simpler than on normal days. While most are busy lighting lamps, eat...

Om tamso maa jyotirgamayo (take me from darkness to light). Diwali is the darkest night of the year and the night when it is easiest to access the power of light. Light here does not refer to lighting lamps but to the internal light of gyan, which illuminates the being. Most people spend the day lighting lamps in front of Goddess Lakshmi for “getting more and more wealth” but the essence of Diwali lies in “give me wealth and detach me from it” because all that is physical is nashvar (temporary)... it (wealth) will go and when it goes it will give you immense pain. The more you have, the more the pain. Think about it. The things that give you immense pleasure are also the greatest source of your pain. Those who love sweets are the ones who usually become diabetic. Those who deceive you or cause hurt to you are not strangers but the ones who are the closest to you. The wealthiest are the ones who are most tensed towards the end of their loves, unable to part with all they have colle...