Stephanie Spence's Blog, page 8

New to Yoga? 8 things you may not know.

It's not easy and its not just about stretching and being flexible. Yoga is not confusing by any stretch of the imagination - but, there are a lot of miss-understandings out there. Here are my top 8 It’s NOT easy There are many styles of yoga available, and while some are intended to be restorative, none of them are “just sit and breathe and feel the Earth.” If a pose feels easy, ask for a modification to make it more challenging. Physically & Mentally it could be “easy” in the sense that you show up and just “be”, but I have yet to see one of the pro athletes that I see in the hot yoga class I go to make it through the whole thing. You move, you grow – physically, emotionally & spiritually. It’s not just about stretching and being flexible Getting bendy is certainly one of the benefits of adapting a regular yoga practice, but a common misconception is that you have to be flexible just to show up, or to practice at all. Lies! You don’t haveto be anything to do yoga (except willing and open-minded). I still hear – a LOT, “I can’t even touch my toes.” Great! So come to yoga—it will help you get there. Using a block, strap or other prop doesn’t make you a D-list yogi I hear some teachers nevermodify my poses. There seems to be a lot of pressure to do the “advanced” moves. Using props—like putting your bottom hand on a block instead of straining to reach the floor during Triangle Pose or Half Moon—could help deepen the pose. And it feels way better, especially on those days when everything just feels extra tight. You can take breaks whenever you need to or want to In most yoga classes, you’ll be moving, flowing or in a pose from start to finish. Don’t wait for the teacher to tell you to drink water or come into Child’s Pose. No one is looking… Doing a handstand is not, in fact, impossible or just for yogis on Instagram But being willing to fall down is a hugepart of yoga. It means you really went for something—something daring and maybe outside of your comfort zone. Yoga is as much mental as it is physical, and there’s a constant element of play. Once you shift your vision—and give myself permission to fall, wiggle and shake—your entire practice will shift with it. Falling out of a pose in yoga, is not failing. It’s learning. The benefits extend beyond the mat Has anyone told you to relax? That you need to manage stress? Take it to heart, someone cares… Yoga has taught me to be more kind and patient, and to accept the world the way it shows up for me. Sometimes you have a bad day—that’s life. And that’s OK. Instead of wasting energy on things you can’t change or redo, I’ve learned to redirect my focus toward what’s possible. It’s called a “practice” for a reason There’s no end game in yoga; no big “race day,” nothing specific you’re training for. It’s a constant work in progress, and you can almost alwaystake a pose further or make it more challenging. No stress if you don’t do a pose like someone you are looking at (eyes on your mat) – there’s always tomorrow. You just might fall in love with it Yoga is an amazing, life-transforming tool that will help boost your performance, mood and health. It’s great as cross training and is amazing at clearing your mind. But, you might also fall OUT of love with yoga at times as well. That’s cool, too. Yoga is a growing, moving, changing practice. Namaste - Stephanie

Yoga Wisdom of the Day - HealthyAsana

Yoga wisdom of the Day is my ongoing excavation of truth, in any language. Do Small Things That Do Big Things,
Live My Dharma, Break Rules,
Empower Women, Travel,
Create Helpful Things,
Embrace The Moment
Be Authentic, Be Love Nourish your soul through movement and breath Namaste - Stephanie

YogaPhD Book Review

If building a well-rounded shelf (or bookcase) of books on yoga interests you, you’ll want to include Carol Horton’s “Yoga PhD” as a compliment to the posture focused and unique memoirs of other global yoga voices. Horton lays out her investigation as to why and how she went from a stretching only participant to loving yoga’s “ability to synthesize the everyday with the extraordinary, the practical with the visionary, the mundane with the sacred.”

Part memoir, part academic inquiry I initially felt like Horton was trying to understand and make sense of coming to love yoga, she writes as though outside of her experience. It’s not until she drops the somewhat forced-feeling (a seriousness) of her self-described academic lens, that I became her biggest champion. It was once she dropped the pretentiousness of this academic lens and dove into her own exploration of what the practice meant to her that the book become more interesting and worth recommending.

I believe you can have a serious conversation about important aspects of yoga, as with topics covered like the over commodification of yoga, while not taking yourself so seriously. I applaud Horton’s tenacity of attempting to cover so many aspects of yoga while yearning for one narrative about her own personal journey. She states that she has become ‘… disillusioned with much of the culture of American yoga itself…” while expressing many opinions and thoughts that support her deepening understanding and appreciation of yoga as it impacts herself. I couldn’t help but think if her intention was to illuminate someone to the problems she finds within the culture of yoga, she succeeded. If her intention was to investigate modern yoga and the paradox’s she sees, she overstepped her intention by revealing her own experience, which has been incredibly positive. This mixture of judgment (mostly negative) with her experiences (mostly positive) doesn’t come off as balanced reporting, but solely an exploration with personal considerations, much critical thinking but limited constructive conclusions.

I struggled with much of the cynical views matched with more upbeat insights and experiences because in striving to offer a point counter-point opinion based reporter style of prose the opposition seemed to water down one clear argument or perspective. Horton uses phrases like “…most practitioners” in describing an indifferent or hostile yoga community that I don’t believe should be lumped into one big statement. Once she shifts her focus to her own experience, though, synthesizing the psychological with the spiritual then it’s clear to the reader that yoga has had a powerful and transformative effect on her. Her writing voice shifts to reflect someone who has been deeply moved by yoga and is sharing her experience in the hopes that it will do the same for the reader. This is not stated directly, but reading between the lines you’ll see in three-fourths of the book her writing shines with respect and love for the history and impact of modern yoga on herself and society.Tweet

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Ganesha’s Secret Weapon?

 

My Ganesha sits over my shoulder ~ Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the Deva of intellect and wisdom. One tusk is broken – There are 3 stories as to why. This is my favorite: Ganesha is a writer! ..

The broken tusk coming from the myth of the Mahabharata goes as follows :

Maharshi Ved Vyasa was instructed to write the epic by the Gods. He wanted it to be written down by the most knowledgeable one in the universe. Lord Brahma asked Maharshi Ved Vyas to visit Lord Shiva and beg for his son SIDDHIDATA GANESHA to be allowed for the task. When approached, Lord Ganesha had a clause which said while reciting the verses, if Ved Vyas stopped for a while, and Ganesha would have to stop because of the same; he would terminate his writing of the epic and Maharshi Ved Vyas would have to search for another writer. That is, Maharshi Ved Vyas would have to recite the entire epic at one go, without pausing at all.

Maharshi Ved Vyas agreed to this and he himself put forth another condition. He told the Lord that he would have to understand every hymn, every verse before penning it down. He put this condition with the idea that he would be reciting something very tough; and while Ganesha would be pondering upon its meaning, he would get a scope to take a few moments of rest.

However, that was not the case with Lord Ganesha. He completed penning down the sacred hymns even before the sage had thought of the next. In the mean time, the pen He used for writing down the verses, began to wear away. Aware of His earlier condition, and not finding out any other alternative, the Lord pulled out his left tusk and used it to complete writing the great epic Mahabharata.

I’ve drawn inspiration from Ganesha while writing my book, Yoga Wisdom: Warrior Tales Inspiring You On And Off Your Mat (Skyhorse Publishing, October 23, 2018).

My book was inspired by my life-transforming 4,000 mile Yoga Road Trip where I rediscovered and redefined my life while interviewing over 100 of the world’s great yoga teachers who share in the book how yoga transformed their lives as well. We inspire the reader (everything from long-time practitioner to beginner to someone who has never tried yoga) to use yoga to life a life of pure potential. In addition to yoga we encourage people to practice meditation and mindful breathing awareness. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Namaste.

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World Chinese Medicine, Yoga & Mental Health Congress, San Diego, CA

 

Come Join Me Next Monday for the World Chinese Medicine, Yoga & Mental Health Congress here in San Diego.

I am delighted to announce I’m a keynote speaker at the “4th World Chines Medicine, Yoga & Mental Health Congress” which will take place on September 17-18, 2018 at San Diego, USA. Yoga practitioners, yoga therapists and yoga teachers presence at this conference will hear what the Chinese medicine practitioners, yoga teachers & mental health researchers have to share about the Chinese Medicine, Yoga & Mental Health management in the treatments and their impact on our daily lives.

When: Monday, September 17, 2018, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where:

Hilton San Diego Mission Valley

901 Camino del Rio South, San Diego, 92108

o   Cost: $149 | Get tickets

 

 

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Yoga Book Preorder Contest

 

My book (coming out Oct 23rd) is based on my life transforming 4,000 mile Yoga Road Trip where I rediscovered and redefined my life while interviewing 115 of the world’s best yoga teachers to understand how they transformed their lives through yoga. We inspire the reader on how too they can transform their life with yoga. I just know you’re going to love it.

Preorder now on Amazon.com for $13.51 (instead of $19.99) – For the next three days if you Subscribe to my blog and shoot me a message showing your order confirmation you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to be chosen as #WisestYogiOfTheWeek and have your awesome self (in a yoga pose or not) all over the socialsphere. (Extra bonus points for creativity and sense of humor). Include the hashtag #WisestYogiOfTheWeek ~ Sending Love & YoginiHugs – Thank you a zillion sweet friends

When you subscribe to my blog (because I’m redesigning my site right now) you’ll be in my exclusive club that will get excerpts, perks of upcoming contests like free books, sneak-peaks, behind-the-scene looks, upcoming events, tips, and inspiring excerpts. I don’t sell email addresses. We’re friends.

I’m excited and nervous at the same time. Getting a book published is a huge achievement and it’s stressful as a 1st time author. I’m wild with insecurities over knowing that things like “preorder triggers” on Amazon make or break a book. Yikes. And I’ve heard buzz can convince a publisher’s marketing team to take a new book more seriously.

So, help a first time author out by getting in on this lower price for a hardback book I know you’re going to love.

“Stephanie has contributed a book to the collective consciousness of the modern-day yoga movement in a time when strong, compassionate voices need to be heard. We know that whomever holds this book will be uplifted by its content and inspired to share with loved ones in their life” – Claudine Lafond @yogabeyondTweet

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The Best 15 Yoga Podcasts

One of my BLOG subscribers sent me a letter asking what my favorite yoga podcasts were. With no commute to work and writing to a book deadline, I’ve been (a little) out of the loop when it comes to podcasts. That said, I love when people comment on my blog and ask me questions, so I jumped at the chance to weigh in on this growing source of information and inspiration.

Where to start? I asked myself pretty simple reporter style questions, thinking this would be a quick post. I asked myself: Are yoga podcasts relevant? Influential? Popular?

Initially, I struggled online to find rich data on just how meaningful podcasts are in the yoga world. So, rather than resorting to magazine articles about yoga podcasts, I decided to use the tools I had available to me right in my own home to find out first-hand what the yoga podcast realm had to offer. I gathered up my smartphone, my computer and my Apple TV and  fell down the Podcast rabbit hole – and boy did I fall.

Below is my process, followed by my list of favorites.

Apple TV. I simply went to “Search” and typed in Yoga. Also there is a free built in App on my iPhone. I also discovered Google Play Music, if you’re an Android user, can do the same – also free.

Questions quickly entered my mind that no amount of google searching could answer, like “Do podcast authors pay to list on AppleTV or does AppleTV pick authors based on listeners, frequency of posting, rankings of any kind?” No information via Apple Help desk, so I went back to the old fashioned “my picks” mentality.

I scrolled to the bottom of my picks list. First entry hadn’t uploaded a podcast in years. Surprised, I jumped around on the other 99 (yes, 99) podcasts. Some slick and well produced, others sounded more like a hobby than a business.

Spotify:My top pick, The Yogahealer Podcast | Ayurveda | Yoga | Healthy Foods | Yoga teacherswith Cate Stillman. Cate appears to have started in April, 2017 and posts a lot. They’re informative but also short for us time crunched people.

My phone rings, I pause Cate’s voice…

My world traveling, global citizen friend on the other line, I ask, “Do you listen to podcasts?” and he replied with a lecture that left me feeling like I was living on a distant planet. So back to the drawing board I went. Holy cow, podcasts are the new radio. Listening to the downloadable shows requires some effort, but this (mainly) free source of a subject you’re interested in isn’t any further away than your smart phone. He directs me to iTunes.

iTunes: If you don’t use iTunes, there are still lots of other ways of listening to podcasts. Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, AudioBoom, Mixcloud, and Acast are all viable source options.

Pressed for time, I skipped back to my laptop and AppleTV, deciding that more research was needed. After more time than I care to admit, I found a bounty of yoga podcasts including my friends J. Brown, and Tamal Dodge. Yogalicious, who I know, seems to have given up awhile ago, but I still enjoyed what was still online. I think you will too. I spent the whole weekend listening to podcasts, so I knew I had to narrow down the list.

So with that, I limited my podcast selections to personal preference based on teacher certifications, reputation in the yoga community and eliminated asana instruction podcasts for this article (although Yoga Physics Radio with Alexandria Crow was amazing).

Some of the more unique offerings had not posted in years (I noticed CorePower Yoga gave up in 2012), so I’ve left them off the list. The exceptions were Yoga Peeps, Yoga Uncensored, and some of the foreign language offerings I could not translate.

Yes, yoga is a timeless subject, but I was also factoring in how often and how recent the podcasts were in addition to the content. So with that, here are my favorites:

Brown – Just like my blog, he clearly loves other yoga teachers
Yoga Salt – Tamal Dodge
Namaslay with YogaByCandace – Candace More
The Yogahealer Podcast – Cate Stillman
The Yoga Talk Show Podcast – Lucas Rockwood
Yoga Revealed – Andrew Sealy, Alec Rouben, and Dean Zeller
Rock Your Bliss Podcast – Mary Beth LaRue and Jacki Carr co-host
Yoga & Beyond | The Yoga and Movement Science Podcast – Ariana Rabinovitch
Yoga Talk Podcast – Yoga International
YogaHacks – Using Yoga to Make Your Real Life More Awesome – Brett Larkin
Yoga Wisdom with Swami Satchidananda
The Inner Shift with Emily Perry
Yoga by Nature Podcast with Morven Hamilton
Vedanta and Yoga – Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, Boston
Yogalicious

https://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts...

 

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Yoga Author Exciting News

Sometimes you just have to stop and count your blessings! I’m ecstatic, honored and humbled to have my article, “Strength Vs. Flexibility” be chosen as a Cover Story in the June, 2018 issue of OM Yoga & Lifestyle Magazine. Check it out and let me know what you think!

As a writer, you dream of seeing this. With my book, Yoga Wisdom: Warrior Tales Inspiring You On And Off The Mat (Skyhorse Publishing Oct. 2, 2018) coming out soon, this amazing exposure will help people find my book. I can’t wait to share the real, raw, authentic yoga teachers I found and gathered for you. Their stories, along with mine, hopefully will inspire people to get to a yoga class, roll out their mat at home and/or bring a friend to a yoga class. My dharma is to inspire people to practice yoga. From beginner to advanced, there is something for everyone in the book.

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10 dharma books everyone should have

Buddhism A-Z ~

selected by the editors of  Shambhala Sun  (which is now Lion’s Roar) 

1. After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

by Jack Kornfield

(Bantam, 2000)

According to Jack Kornfield, enlightenment does exist and is even pretty common. The rub is that after achieving it, day-to-day tasks and troubles still await you. This is a guide to translating our spiritual awakenings into our imperfect lives.

2. A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation

by Rod Meade Sperry and the editors of the Shambhala Sun

(Shambhala, 2014)

Advice and inspiration from Buddhism’s most renowned teachers, including many Shambhala Sun readers’ favorites like Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, Norman Fischer, Judy Lief, and many more.

3. Being-Peace

by Thich Nhat Hanh

(Parallax, 1987)

Addresses both personal awakening and engaging compassionately in the world. Using anecdotes from his own life, as well as poems and fables, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches his key practices for dwelling in the present moment.

4. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism

by Chögyam Trungpa

(Shambhala, 1973)

Based on the highest view of the Vajrayana school, it defines basic principles not only of Buddhism but of spiritual practice altogether. Always contemporary and relevant, a profound influence on how Buddhism is understood today.

5. Happiness Is an Inside Job

by Sylvia Boorstein

(Ballantine, 2007)

With her characteristic warmth, Sylvia Boorstein teaches how practicing right mindfulness, concentration, and effort leads us away from anger, anxiety, and confusion and into calmness, clarity, and joy.

6. Mindfulness in Plain English

by Bhante Gunaratana

(Wisdom, 1992)

Perfect for anyone interested in mindfulness, Buddhist or not. This classic of the Theravada tradition explains what mindfulness is and isn’t, how to practice it, and how to work with distractions and other obstacles.

7. Real Happiness

by Sharon Salzberg

(Workman, 2010)

Using almost no Buddhist-specific terms, this helpful little book nonetheless hits all the right notes when it comes to how to do basic meditation and related practices that can help us cultivate more kindness, connection, and contentment in our everyday lives.

8. What Makes You Not a Buddhist

by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse

(Shambhala, 2008)

A precise delineation of the key tenets that define Buddhism, versus what is superfluous, merely cultural, or not Buddhist at all. A good book to read if you’re deciding whether or not you’re a Buddhist, or just want to know what Buddhism really is.

9. When Things Fall Apart

by Pema Chödrön

(Shambhala, 1997)

If you’re facing a challenging time in life, this is the book you want. It shows how to develop loving-kindness toward yourself and then cultivate a fearlessly compassionate attitude toward your own pain and that of others.

10. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

by Shunryu Suzuki

(Weatherhill, 1973; fortieth anniversary edition, 2013, Shambhala)

Though covering Zen basics like zazen posture, bowing, intention, and so on, Suzuki Roshi’s masterwork is hardly just for Zen people—or just for beginners, for that matter. It skillfully introduces important Buddhist concepts like non-attachment, emptiness, and enlightenment.Tweet

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Gayatri Mantra – Yoga Mantra explained

 

 

The Gayatri Mantra consists of twenty-four syllables – three lines of eight syllables each. The first line (Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah) is considered an invocation, and is not technically a part of the original Gayatri Mantra as it appears in the Upanishads. Gayatri is also referred to as a Vedic poetic meter of 24 syllables or any hymn composed in this meter. Hence, there exists a whole family of Gayatri Mantras, which serve as meditative aids to pray for the blessings of a particular personal God.

 

 

Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah, Tat Savitur Varenyam

Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat

A basic translation can be given as…

Oh God, the Protector, the basis of all life, Who is self-existent, Who is free from all pains and Whose contact frees the soul from all troubles, Who pervades the Universe and sustains all, the Creator and Energizer of the whole Universe, the Giver of happiness, Who is worthy of acceptance, the most excellent, Who is Pure and the Purifier of all, let us embrace that very God, so that He may direct our mental faculties in the right direction.

 

The Four Parts of the Gayatri Mantra

Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah 

AUM, the Supreme name of God.

BHUR BHUVAH SWAH. These three words collectively are known as the “Mahavyahriti”. They express the nature of God, and demonstrate his inherent qualities.

BHUR 

Firstly, the word Bhur implies existence. God is self-existent and independent of all. He is eternal and unchanging. Without beginning and without end, God exists as a continuous, permanent, constant entity. Secondly, the word Bhur can also mean the Earth, on which we are born and sustained. God is the provider of all, and it is through His divine will that we our blessed with all that we require to maintain us through our lives. Finally, Bhur signifies Prana, or life (literally, breath). God is That which gives life to all. Whilst He is independent of all, all are dependent on Him. It is God who has given us life, God who maintains us throughout our lives, and God alone who has the ability to take away our life, when He so chooses. The only permanent entity, all others are subject to His own will

BHUVAH 

Bhuvah describes the absolute Consciousness of God. God is self-Conscious as well as being Conscious of all else, and thus is able to control and govern the Universe. Also, the word Bhuvah relates to God’s relationship with the celestial world. It denotes God’s greatness – greater than the sky and space, He is boundless and unlimited. Finally, Bhuvah is also indicative of God’s role as the remover of all pain and sufferings (Apaana). We see pain and sorrow all around us. However, through supplication to God, we can be freed from that pain and hardship. God Himself is devoid of any pain. Though He is Conscious of all, and is thus aware of pain, it does not affect Him. It is our own ignorance that makes us susceptible to the effects of Maya, or illusion, which causes us to feel pain. Through true devotion to God, we can be freed from the clutches of Maya, and thus be rid of pain and sorrow.

SWAH 

Swah indicates the all-pervading nature of God. He is omnipresent and pervades the entire multi-formed Universe. Without Form Himself, He is able to manifest Himself through the medium of the physical world, and is thus present in each and every physical entity. In this way, God is able to interact with the Universe created by Him, and thus sustain and control it, ensuring its smooth and proper running and function.

Also, Swah symbolizes God’s bliss. All but God experience pain, suffering and sorrow. Devoid of all such things, God alone is able to experience supreme bliss. Happiness as experienced by humans is temporary, a transient state of mental satisfaction, which soon dissolves back into the mire of worldly troubles. Perfect, and without any form of deficiency, God alone experiences true bliss, permanent and unaffected by worldly pains and woes. One who realizes God is able to join in this bliss, and thus God is able to impart true happiness to those who establish oneness with that Supreme Divinity.

The Mahavyahriti can be summed up by comparison to the word AUM itself, and through this comparison to the tripartite structure, can be compared to the essential nature of God, which differentiates Him from the other two entities recognized in that structure (namely, matter and soul), in the same way as the comparison between the three parts of the word Satchidananda, another name also used to describe God…

TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM 

TAT 

Literally, this word means “that”, being used in Sanskrit to denote the third person. It is also mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita by Sri Krishna Himself, where He implies the selfless nature of the word. Being used in the third person, the word has implicit in it an idea of selflessness. Sri Krishna uses it to imply the selfless nature of charity (charity, or a gift, being used as an analogy for worship, in the form of action, implying that action should be preformed without regard to its fruits, but simply out of devotion and sense of duty, or Dharma). Tat then is used here in the Gayatri Mantra to indicate that the worshipper is referring to [that] God, and that the praise being offered to God in the prayer is purely directed towards Him, without thought of gaining any personal benefit from that praise.

SA-VI-TUR 

Savita, from which Savitur is derived, is another name of God, this being the reason that the Gayatri Mantra is often known as the Savitri Mantra. The implication of Savita is of God’s status as the fountain, the source of all things. It is through His Divine Grace that the Universe exists, and so this word sums up the Mahavyahriti, by describing God’s ability to create the Universe and sustain it, as well as, at the right time, bring about its dissolution.

Savita is also indicative of God’s gift to mankind. Humans also have, in limited amount, the power, or shakti, of Savita. This shakti acts as an impetus in humans, and brings about the requirement for them to do something. They cannot sit idle, and are constantly searching for something to do. This is what is commonly known as the “creative urge”. It is through this shakti that mankind has created art, and it is through this shakti also that scientific advances are made. The gift of Savita also gives creatures the ability of procreation. Hence, Savita can be thought of as meaning Father (or Mother) also.

Finally, it is the power of Savita that enables mankind to distinguish right from wrong, and vice from virtue. Through this ability, we are able to in some part direct our own selves, and thus, Savita imparts to us a certain self-guiding ability. Thus, by using this word in the mantra, we demonstrate that we are making efforts ourselves also, since God will not help us unless we are willing to help ourselves.

VA-RE-NY-AM 

Varenyam signifies our acceptance of God, and can be translated as meaning “Who is worthy”. Ever ready to obtain all the material riches of the world, more often than not, they are a disappointment once they have been achieved. God however is the one who, once realized and achieved, has the ability to truly satisfy. We therefore accept Him as the Highest reality, and it is to Him that we dedicate our efforts.

Varenyam can also be interpreted as signifying one who is eligible. We have chosen Him to be our Leader and our Guide. We place our all into His hands, and accept Him regardless of anything else. We place no conditions on this acceptance, as it is all out of sheer devotion.

BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI 

This triplet is a further description of the attributes and qualities of God – His functional and instrumental qualities, rather than intrinsic qualities – and through those qualities, His relationship to us.

BHAR-GO 

Bhargo is taken to signify the Glorious Light that is God’s love and power. It indicates His complete purity – being absolutely pure Himself, God also has the ability to purify those that come into contact with Him. Thus, Bhargo is indicative of God’s power to purify, and to destroy all sins and afflictions. In the same way as a metal ore placed into a fire will yield the pure metal, by merging with God, by realizing His Divine Form and establishing unity and oneness with Him, we can cleanse ourselves and be made pure by His Grace.

Though the soul, being itself Divine in nature, possesses that Light, it lacks luster, having been made impure by the sins and vices, which are a result of the darkness of Maya. By removing the veil of Maya, and cleansing our soul, God can enable the soul to realize its true, Divine self, and thus purify it.

DE-VAS-YA 

The word Deva, from which this word is derived, has been translated by different people in many different ways. It is generally thought of as meaning simply “God”. However, its meaning is more complex than that.

Deva, which forms the root of the words “Devata” and “Devi”, means “quality” or “attribute”, and can be thought of as another word for “Guna”. Thus, the various forms of God are given this name, as each of those forms is related to a specific quality and function (for example, Brahma has the quality of Creation, Kamadeva has the quality of love, etc.). Also, Deva is thus used to describe anyone who is considered to possess a special quality.

Since Deva is symbolic of the individual qualities of God, the word demonstrates the inherent oneness of those different Forms, and thus the use of this word can be taken as describing the fundamental unity of God. Thus we see that here, we reaffirm that central belief in the Hindu Dharma that “Ekam sat viprah bahudah vadanti” (Truth, or God, is one, but wise men call Him/It by different names).

Thus, Deva is indicative of the various multifaceted entity that is the absolute Personality of God. It describes in one word all the functions, roles and different attributes of God, and symbolizes therefore his absolutely essential nature – without God, nothing can exist.

DHI-MA-HI 

Meaning to meditate and focus our mind on God. Meditation on God implies that we remove all other thoughts from our mind, since thoughts of the world render our mind impure, and thus we are unable to conceptualize the absolute purity of God. We must be able to concentrate, and direct our mental energies towards the task in hand – which is communion with God.

Prayer is carried out for four main reasons:

to praise and glorify God;
to thank God;
to ask forgiveness from God;
or to make a request from God.

Having carried out the other three parts (praise of His greatness, thanks for His generosity in Creation and maintaining us through our lives, and forgiveness by demonstrating our awareness of our own impurity, which we have realized is present and must be cleansed through contact with God), this part is now our request from God. Since our soul is the Light of Life within us, and that acts on our body via the medium of the brain, we ask God to make this contact pure and righteous. The soul is of course inherently pure, being itself Divine in nature. The body is under the complete control of the mind. The link is the mind, which is affected not only by the soul, but also the outside world. We ask in these four words that God help us to improve our intellect, and guide it towards what is right.

DHI-YO 

Sanskrit for “intellect”, this is the essence of this part of the Gayatri Mantra. Having firmly set God in our hearts, we now must try to emphasize His presence and influence on our mind and intellect.

Material prosperity holds no true meaning for the person who is truly devoted to God. Pain and suffering are of no consequence to him as, touched by God, he is imbued with God’s own Divine Bliss, and all worldly sorrows pale to nothingness in comparison. However, still the individual must live in the world. Thus, it is important that the person’s intellect remains focussed on serving God, and that it is able, through the medium of the body, to serve God to the best of its ability.

Physical objects can be obtained very easily, if one is intelligent enough to know how to go about it. Intellect however cannot be obtained, but must be there from the very first. It is by use of this intellect, in fact, that one is able to cultivate all other qualities (building of wealth, “success” in life (in material terms), physical fitness, etc.) Thus, intellect is the key to all else in life, and as such, it is the most important possession. We ask God in the Gayatri Mantra to gift us with the highest intellect, and to help us by showing us the way to use that intellect.

YO 

Meaning “Who” or “That”, Yo signifies yet again that it is not to anyone else that we direct these prayers, but to God alone. Only God is worthy of the highest adoration, only God is perfect and free from all defects. It is That God to Whom we offer these prayers.

NAH 

Nah means “Ours”, and signifies the selflessness of the request we make of God in this part of the Gayatri Mantra. We offer this prayer, and make the request of God, not simply for ourselves, but for the whole of humanity. We seek the uplift of the whole of society. Hindu philosophy has since the beginning recognized the concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – “The whole world is one big family”. Thus, we pray not only for ourselves, but for each and every member of that great family, that we may all benefit from the greatness and generosity of the All-loving God.

PRA-CHO-DA-YAT 

Prachodayat, the final word of the Gayatri Mantra, rounds off the whole mantra, and completes the request we make of God in this final part. This word is a request from God, in which we ask Him for Guidance, and Inspiration. We ask that, by showing us His Divine and Glorious Light (cf. BHARGO), He removes the darkness of Maya from our paths, that we are able to see the way, and in this manner, we ask Him to direct our energies in the right way, guiding us through the chaos of this world, to find sanctuary in the tranquility and peace of God Himself, the root of all Happiness, and the source of true Bliss

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