DHYAN FOUNDATION

Nature has its way of preserving balance in Creation. For every aspect, there exists an equal and opposite one. Darkness is nothing but the absence of light. Silence is nothing but the absence of sound. It is only the duality in nature, the coexistence of positive and negative that gives meaning to the existence of the whole. What if at any given time, there exists simultaneously the entire positive and negative? Then the two will balance each other out completely, the net result being shunya or zero. So, there would be everything yet nothing. The only form that could fit such a description is the formless—Nirakaar, Para Brahma. This is the swaroop of Lord Shiv. In the words of Adi Shankaracharya, ‘Na Punyam Na Paapam Na Saukhyam Na Dukham, Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham.’ What then is the dancing male form, the form of half-man and half-woman, or the sadhu clad in a loincloth with his body smeared in bhasma? Are Natraj, Ardhnareshwar and Neelkanth myths? Let us dwell up...

Yogi Ashwini Mudras, a set of certain posture combinations, are practiced to channelise a particular force to a specific area of the body. By way of certain permutations and combinations, they have an effect on both the physical and the etheric layers of a being. In a healthy body, the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether) are in a state of equilibrium. Any imbalance in these causes disease in the body. Such imbalances can be corrected simply by using our fingertips. The thumb represents fire element, the index finger represents air, middle finger, space or ether, ring finger, water and the little finger, earth. Thus, forming a particular mudra using your fingers will help control, guide and balance the flow of prana in your body. Any finger, when touched with the tip of the thumb, increases that element in the body, and touching a fingertip with the base of the thumb decreases that element. A mudra is a combination of different forces — it has the ability to c...

The entire creation is run on the Law of Karma. It is often said, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” When you sow seeds, they germinate, and the quality of the plant you will get depends on the fertility of the soil. Similarly, every act of ours, however insignificant it may be, has the potential to germinate and bounce back, depending on how and where this act has been performed. For instance, it is often said that one must never keep or express ill-feeling towards any spiritual person in thought, word or deed. This is not because all spiritual people are egoists, but because such a person’s energy, by way of yogic practices, is more subtle and stronger. Hence, the reaction of your action against this person will be directly proportional to the level of evolution of this person. It is said that we are all born in this world with empty hands, and one day we will all die empty-handed. Alexander the Great, when he was taking his last breath, had expressed the desire that when his...

YOGI ASHWINI Whenever we are angry, we feel a certain unstoppable rush within us. This rush, in yogic terms, is called an ‘imbalance’ in the body. To be able to manage anger, we need to balance our chakras system. Clairvoyantly, chakras are seen as whirling centres of energy which function like exhaust fans taking in fresh prana and throwing out used prana. There are seven major chakras in our body. ‘Mooladhar’, at the base of the spine; ‘Swadhishthan’, two inches above the Mooladhar; ‘Manipoorak’, at the navel; ‘Anahat’, at the centre of the chest cavity; ‘Vishuddhi’, at the Adam’s apple area of the throat; ‘Ajna’, the master chakra, at the point between the eyebrows; ‘Sahastrar’, above the head. Whenever you experience anger, it is the result of inadequate or excessive prana at any chakra. To control it, practice a simple kriya called ‘Chakra Santulan Pranayam’. It aids in redistribution of prana from one area of the body to another such that the body gets back into balan...

YOGI ASHWINI We are well aware of the 33 crore plus Gods that are a part of Vedic culture. Do they really exist or are they a figment of our imagination? A Dev is the energy responsible for a particular phenomenon of nature. As you progress in yogic practices (Sanatan Kriya), these energies are revealed to you. At Dhyan Ashram, people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds have reported encountering these energies in dhyan, which is proof enough that they exist. Not only do they exist but they actually interact with you and aid your evolution process. Evolution is moving to a dimension that is higher than your current state. In the etheric world, it is moving from a grosser to a subtler dimension. With relation to your etheric double, it is moving from your basic chakra upwards. This upward movement happens through the etheric reflection of your spinal cord called the sushumna nadi. We know that a strong and supple spine is a prerequisite for yog. Modern science tells us th...

Prana is a frequency of energy at which each individual vibrates. Prana is needed for one’s survival and to perform various day-to-day functions, it is obtained from our environment and everything we come in contact with, like the food we eat, the air we breathe, where we walk (foot contact), what we touch, what we wear, what we look at, and even of whom we think. The body of a being lives due to its ability to hold and utilise the same. It actually manifests in a being as the various essentials (dhatu), viz. asthi (bones), maas (flesh), meda (fat), rakta (blood), majja (marrow), rasa (lymph) and sukra (semen). These are the seven vitals that form a human body. Our soul lives in the body till the time the pranic frequency it is tuned to exists in the body. The day that pranic frequency leaves, the soul also leaves the body. All our actions, moods, aspirations, likes and dislikes, abilities, tastes, energy levels, success and failures, diseases and health are manifest...

Spirituality, as the word suggests, is a dimension, which dwells in the world of the spirit or in simpler words, the etheric world. To understand this, first of all we must understand what the world of the spirit is. As per the ancients, there exists not just our physical body but beyond it various bodies, which are composed of a force or energy which is not solid but exists as a subtle force made up of various colour combinations. These bodies interpenetrate the physical body and could be called the “ether”. The study of this force in its various layers, aspects and dimensions is spirituality. By understanding this force, we understand the A to Z of the human being, evolution and finally, God. In the modern day world, the study of this science has been confused with certain religions or sects that are prevalent. A major myth about spirituality is that it is actually a part of a religion. Religion is a code of conduct prescribed by certain highly evolved souls who have...

YOGI ASHWINI Soul is a unique pranic frequency. In unmanifested form it exists as part of Para Brahma just as salt exists in ocean. Only when it desires a certain experience or a set of experiences does it choose to go through the cycle of karmas, birth and death. The basic reason or the root cause of the soul separating from the source is ego that recognises one’s existence as an individual. The ancients called it “asmita”, or “I”. This was the first step we took when we separated ourselves from the Divine Consciousness, which is Sukshma-iti-Sukshma, subtlest of the subtle, the unmanifested. Ego led the soul to realise that it is an individual and so came into existence the jeevatma. The individual consciousness combined with chitta forms jeevatma. Chitta or chetna is all pervading and resides in each one of us as buddhi. Buddhi is unlimited mind. It has the potential to become once again unlimited from the limited but it remains shadowed by manas the sheath, which blurs its vi...

YOGI ASHWINI Nature has its way of providing for balance in this Creation. For every aspect there exists an equal and opposite. Darkness is nothing but absence of light. Similarly, silence is nothing but the absence of sound. It is only the duality in nature, the coexistence of positive and negative that gives meaning to the existence of the whole. What if at any given time, there exist the entire positive and negative? Then the two will balance each other out completely, the net result being shunya or zero. In other words, there would be everything yet nothing. The only form that could fit such a description is the formless – Nirakaar, Para Brahma. This is the swaroop of Shiv. In the words of Shankaracharya, ‘Na Punyam Na Paapam Na Saukhyam Na Dukham, Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham.’ What then is the dancing male form, or the half-man half-woman, or a sadhu clad in loincloth with body smeared in bhasma? Are Natraj, Ardhnareshwar and Neelkanth a myth? Let us dwell upon the in...

YOGI ASHWINI. Our civilisation is the lone civilisation that has the concept of Guru. It is important to understand here that Guru is not the physical. It is an energy that can flow through a person, a stone, a book or anything else, provided the shishya has the Guru bhaav. While the energy of Guru is limitless; it is upon the shishya how much he/she chooses to receive. You get a Guru as per your level of evolution. A Guru sees the capacity of the shishya and relates to him/her accordingly. The thoughts and desires of the shishya determine how he/she sees his/her Guru. Being in the sanidhya of the Guru, the thoughts of the shishya manifest, and the Guru has to respond the same way. In ancient times, Gurus used to exhibit phenomenal power - because there existed shishyas who respected the science and the energy. Likewise, the energy respected the shishyas and endowed them with phenomenal gyana. There was a reason why our ancients would denounce material pleasures and stay in ashram...

YOGI ASHWINI Every microcosm in this creation exists in layers. Cut across a bark or peel a fruit and you will see the layers. A human being too exists in layers, the panchkoshas — five layers of being. At a basic level you may relate to things around as substance, but at the subtler level they all possess energy. Every being, every object, every event, every day corresponds to a specific charge of energy. In yoga, you access this creation from the realm of energy. It is from the level of energy that you effect a change on the physical plane. When you start relating to the dimension of energy, you free yourself from the ties of rituals and customs, men and material, and that’s when the underlying patterns of this creation are revealed to you. You are then able to tune yourself to those patterns and pave your way for union with the Supreme. Look at the lives of great men from the past — Krishna, Rama, Christ, Guru Nanak... Today we celebrate their birth, marriage, victory and sa...

Yogi Ashwini  What prompted me to write this article was an interview published by one of the newspapers on a yoga teacher. In one of the lines he was quoted as “my Guru requested me to……” This sadly shows the level of knowledge one has of the Guru and the level of reverence for the Guru today. The Guru never requests you but instructs you and guides you to do a particular act. It is so unfortunate that the people have forgotten the meaning and importance of a Guru. It is very important to understand what a Guru is. Om Dhyan moolam, Guru murti Puja moolam, Guru padam Mantra moolam, Guru vakyam Moksha moolam, Guru kripa,  Om shri guruve namah Om The foundation of Dhyan is your Guru’s image, the foundation of your puja is your Guru’s feet, Guru’s words are like the mantra that cannot be defied and moksha or nirvana is possible only by your Guru’s grace. It is so interesting to know that the concept of Guru is prevalent only in India. There is no ...

Yogi Ashwini We like to be with some people and prefer to stay away from some. This is because people who are at peace or are shaant create a serenity around and one feels good in their presence where as people who are ashaant or disturbed create disturbance wherever they go and send signals to people to stay away. This is due to the difference in positive and negative vibrations. Birds of feather do flock together, people with similar vibrations like each others’ company. This is why some people love chaos while some prefer stillness. If there is a coin at the bottom of a river bed, it can only be seen if the water is clear and still. Slight ripples and waves affect the clear view. Similarly, if a person is disturbed, he or she will not be able to take any concrete decision and will remain in a state of conflict and turmoil while creating more disturbance within and all around. The key to shaanti is stilling the brain, taking it to a state of no thought. Our thoughts are link...

YOGI ASHWINI The Vedic culture was conceived thousands of years back by the vedic masters who had a direct connection with the creator. This gyan was documented by Rishi Vyas at the beginning of kalyug, approximately 5000 years back. Respect for creation and everything within it and beyond it, is characteristic of Indian culture. Our Vedic ancestors were descendents of Herculean beings who not only gave the world the knowledge of the material world but also the etheric world. Any serious practitioner of the subject of spiritual sciences would clearly see the devolution of mankind, which was anticipated by the Vedic Rishis hence they gave to the world tools as per the anticipated capacity of the beings who would inhabit this planet at different points of time - poetry, art, romance, economics, medicine, physics, chemistry, dance, music..........peace; you name it and they gave it. Creation began from stillness, in the opening yug, In Satyug, the beings were highly evolved and had c...

In the age of (mis)information, a Yogi becomes an author to change the mass mindset about Yoga . A self-realized soul or Yogi does not have to be an author but under exceptional circumstances. Yogi Ashwini is one such author.  A rare blend of the real and ethereal, of the modern and the ancient and a personification of Vedic knowledge, He has been driven to writing by the sheer concern over the popular myths about yoga.  As He looks at it, popular interpretation and misunderstanding of the subject are bad enough. But He is even more pained at the exploitation-- both commercial and sexual-- in the name of Yoga and the other ancient spiritual sciences of India. That this is happening in the age of information makes it rather ironical. For example, you just have to type the word, “Tantra”, on the net to get scores of thousands of websites that link this great Indian system of knowledge to sex. In reality, it is the ultimate formula for liberation from the limiting five s...