Yogic Mystery School ™

Thanksgiving is a very special time of the year in America, and I want to share with you some perspectives on a practice that we can use—and probably should use—every day throughout the year. We can begin a 21-day practice this Thanksgiving to gauge the effects of this particular practice upon our lives or, at the very least, engage in some adaptation of it and gain a discovery as a result.

At the heart of the practice is gratitude, which is similar to giving thanks. Another word is "appreciation." The practice is really about learning to be thankful and appreciative no matter what the circumstances are, and this is something to be done every day.

Thanksgiving can be a time to place a particular emphasis on gratitude and appreciation for the many gifts of life, particularly family and human relationships, and it can also serve as an opportunity to consider how we approach our daily lives.

However, Holidays come and go. Whether Thanksgiving, Diwali,...

RUSSILL: On a day like this, we wanna wish everybody who identifies with Christianity a very blessed day, because this is a day that is so special for anybody who has grown up Christian or who has been born into a Christian family, or someone who is actively a Christian.  

ASHA: And we also like to wish people of all faith or no faith that this day, may this day be a day of resurrection for you and whatever that you feel needs new energy. We wanted to offer a simple message to everyone in the world, regardless of your faith.

TODAY, THE INFLUENCE OF EASTERN SPIRITUALITY IS STRONG IN OUR LIVES

RUSSILL: At the present time because of the deep influence of Eastern spirituality, for me personally, today is a day to meditate upon the light. We, in our yogic mystery school, we've been studying the Gayatri Upasana, which is such an incredible practice in which we meditate upon the light, we pay attention to the light.

In St. John's gospel, there is the strong influence of what is...

Maha Shivaratri is "The Great Night of Shiva." What does it mean? What should one do on this night? Who, or what, is Shiva? The auspicious time begins the evening of March 08 and continues until March 09 sunrise. There's more information below on fasting time, if that's a component you wish to add.

MENTAL PREPARATION

First, Shiva is a name for Ultimate Reality. For instance, we might use the word "God" to refer to this Ultimate Reality as the source of the universe. God, as a word, generally refers to the personal sense of this Ultimate Reality but is often anthropomorphic, described in human terms with human projections, which, for some, if not many, can be a turnoff.

In Shaivism, Shiva is both a personal God and the Ultimate Reality, which, in Hinduism, has a tremendous cosmic existential aspect, spread out throughout the entire universe, present behind the light of stars and the movement of galaxies. We seek to engage and encounter this extensive experience of consciousness on...

Are you ready to TAP the POWER of Maha Shiva Ratri on Feb 18? Then, prepare for this momentous event by understanding how to engage your spiritual practice on this auspicious night.

What is Maha Shiva Ratri?

The word “rātri” means night, so this is the night of Shiva. Technically, it occurs once a month on the day before the new moon, so there are twelve such nights each year. Maha means great! The Great Night Of Shiva, which often occurs in February or March, is exceptional. In a nod to Tolkien, it is a night to rule them all.

The night and the moon have a special place in spiritual practices associated with Lord Shiva. For those who have a solid connection to feminist spiritual traditions, like Wicca or Paganism, it would be refreshing that a male deity is associated so strongly with the full moon, usually with goddess worship.

Shiva has a strong feminine side to him. He is also ardhanari, the half-lord, who is half-woman, featured with one breast and posturing an...

The cusp between year-end and year-beginning is a time for reflection and resolution. Often, world events do not necessarily influence our formulations of what shapes our decisions for self-improvement in the coming year.

Here are three examples:

1) Acknowledging and engaging conflict within ourselves
2) Working for the upliftment of the feminine in all areas
3) Being responsible for emotional climatic conditions

WISHING YOU A BLESSED AND PURPOSEFUL 2023!

Asha & Russill

It is Diwali, among the most auspicious times for Hindus, a festival that celebrates the triumph of spiritual light over the darkness. So it is time for festivities and fireworks, a joyous occasion. We hope you can feel the blessing of this moment when the stars and deities configure to grant us prosperity and well-being.

Without throwing a dampener on this blessed time of the year, new developments in the world reminiscent of two world wars cast a shadow that is impossible to ignore, especially as civilians and utilities come under direct fire. So pray for the resolution of conflict in Ukraine, peace in our world, and prosperity and well-being for all.

Here is an appropriate mantra to chant:

oṁ sarveṣāṁ svastir-bhavatu
sarveṣāṁ śāntir-bhavatu
sarveṣāṁ pūrnaṁ bhavatu
sarveṣāṁ maṇgalaṁ bhavatu
oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

May all be blessed with well-being.
May peace prevail in our world.
May all beings be deeply fulfilled.
May prosperity be bestowed on all.
Om Peace Peace Peace

ॐ सरवेषां सवस...

For the Tantric practitioner, every night is Shiva Ratri. Each night, as we go to sleep, we can consciously surrender our minds and bodies to sacredness. Shiva is a way into pure consciousness.

Once a year, in the holy month of Phalguna, occurring between late winter and the advent of summer, at this very time of year, we celebrate "Maha Shiva Ratri," the Great Night Of Shiva.

There are many stories about the symbolic significance of this festival, chief among them being Shiva's celestial dance, also known as the Tandava. This dance embraces creation, sustenance, and destruction.

It is awful that this Maha Shiva Ratri, the people of Ukraine, are undergoing a devasting experience of death and destruction. Shiva, however, does not mean "destruction" but blessing.

IF YOU CHANT MANTRAS,
CHANT FOR THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE!

The dance of life includes birth and death. Amid this process is the soul's liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. Therefore, we can pray for the people of...

Christmas is here, and it is no ordinary Christmas. News about covid continues to dominate our world. In several regions, there is deep concern around the threat of war breaking out. In other parts, like Afghanistan, war has ended, but a humanitarian crisis has emerged in its place. Children, innocent, and without a clue, suffer from a lack of food and medical care.

Coming into proximity with divinity can offer us deep healing. So this Christmas, we invite you to find your way to come into proximity with the holy mystery that we celebrate as the entry of God into human consciousness through the incarnation of Jesus. We can observe this child's energy at this time of the year and connect our inner child to this spiritual birthing.

On Hindu holy days, like Diwali or Navaratri, we remind all our students that these are powerful opportunities to connect with the divine because of the devotions of millions at that particular time. So, too, this Christmas, we want to invite you to find...

Navaratri means nine nights, an auspicious time of the year to invoke Durga. Durga is a form of the Ultimate Shakti, which is the feminine Godhead. All women (and especially disempowered women) should tap into this identification with Ultimate Reality and the formidable sense of power Shakti conveys.

Shakti is the ultimate principle of life that is both feminine and powerful. Durga represents the formidable power of this Ultimate Shakti, coalesced into symbolic form with multiple arms and weapons and riding a tiger (or lion). She is a warrior goddess whose very name translates as a fortress unto herself.

What's a good mantra practice at this time?

There are three Durga mantras in varying levels of complexity I would like to suggest. These are not necessarily Navaratri mantras; however, they can and will help you tap the power of Durga and the significance of this Shakti at this time.

om duṁ durgāya namaḥ (Tantric Japa Mantra)

That's a good starting point. This mantra develops the...

Amid this pandemic comes a bright flash of color. Holi is a festival that celebrates divine love. Although it originates in India, Holi spread to other parts of the world.

There are three main themes to this festival:

A Celebration of Spring
Love of Radha and Krishna
Triumph of Good over Evil

Holi marks the beginning of spring. Although many states are still in winter here in the US, Texas is celebrating some sense of spring. It has been a rough winter for many Texans unprepared for snow combined with sub-zero temperatures. Matthew McConaughey is doing much to keep the damage, most inside homes, in people's minds.

The Holi story that touches my heart is that of Prahalad. This young boy has a deep connection to God despite his father's efforts to remove all divine reminders in the palace. King Hiranyakashipu, the boy's father, is powerful beyond measure and has no humility. At the end of the story, Lord Vishnu, Prahalad's God, destroy's the king. Prahalad's story is about the...