Blog Posts - Sanskrit Studies

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Reflections on Rishi

Let’s clarify and understand what the word and concept of Rishi means rather than just settling for the gist. We’ve all heard it said: Rishi means Seer. But if...

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Re-Mystifying Rishi: The Seer of Light

The word “Rishi” means seer or sage. Rishis are those beings who have perfected their understanding and vision of all things spiritual through intense tapas, or yogic practice. Rishis are…

Manorama: What Almonds and Sanskrit Have in Common

As a young kid, I knew nothing about almonds except, of course, that I liked eating them. My grandma always had a dish laid out on her coffee table with…

Sanskrit: Elite Language or Language of the Heart?

The Largess Over the past 20 years of teaching Sanskrit, I have discovered two distinct ways that people engage the language. Either people study Sanskrit and become more arrogant as…

Manorama: Knowledge in the Bhagavad Gita

Yoganonymous chatted with Manorama about what it means to be a “knower of the field,” a phrase that appears in Chapter 8 of Bhagavad Gita. Q: It is mentioned in…

Manorama: The Universe Beyond the Mind

In the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 69, Shri Krishna instructs Arjuna by telling him: What is the night for ordinary beings, the yogi is awake to and conversely what…

Manorama: Feel the Luminous Inner Self

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches Arjuna to stand in his dharma as the greatest warrior. Arjuna’s fight is our fight. It is an inner battle, and on a yogic…

Good Sanskrit Pronunciation vs. Chanting from Your Heart

Good Sanskrit Pronunciation vs Chanting from Your Heart Questioner: Dear Manorama, We met in January 2015, for a Sanskrit workshop. I am teaching an “introduction to yoga” class in which…

Manorama: Awaken the Rebel Within

My Rebellion When I was a teenager, I’m sure my parents would tell you that I took rebellious to a whole new level. I was the classic youngest of three…

Bhagavad Gita Illuminated: Understanding Yogic Theory

I recently looked over some homework assignments from a class. The work that came in was lovely. In nearly all of the homework submissions, students talked about how they worked…

Manorama: So What Actually Is Prana?

Prana means breath, life force, energy, and soul. But to truly understand prana requires that we make some clear distinctions. Prana: Sanskrit & Its Yogic Origins The word prana derives…

How Star Wars Helps Us Understand Prana

In the Luminous Soul Method, we begin by asking the student to get curious about What is prana? Simply put prana means breath, life force and energy. But understanding prana…

Where is Your Energy?

You are beautiful. You are powerful. You are free. You are a Luminous Soul. ~ Manorama Once when I was working with a private student in NYC I noticed that she…

The Conversation: Art & Spirituality

The Conversation is a quaterly blog series devoted to the dialog between Yogis & Artists By Manorama An interview with my brother, Artist, Carl D’Alvia, acclaimed sculptor, & Rome prize winner on Art…

The Vibrational World of Sanskrit

There are many amazing things about Sanskrit. One beautiful aspect of the language is how many of her sounds are what is called soft. Hard and soft refer to how…

Learn How to Fight the Good Fight

Many students ask me, “How can I work with Mantra Yoga and Nadam in my practice?” Mantra Yoga and Nadam is such a vast, huge, rich subject. It is the…

Going Out of My Mind

When I first heard about meditation, I liked the idea of it. “Feel at peace through all of your experiences” was the promise echoed on almost every flier in every…

The Secret Code of the Yoga Sutra

We live in this fast world with demands on us all the time. The Yoga Sutra by Lord Patanjali teaches us how to awaken our connection to our own reverent core….

Chant Mantras & Work with the Obstacles

According to Lord Patanjali the obstacles to experiencing yoga are: Confusion, egoism, depression, physical pain, lethargy, exhaustion, skepticism, a lack of interest, over attachment to sensuality, delusional perception, failure to…

The Most Asked Question About Sanskrit Is….

Do I Derive the Benefit of a Mantra Even if I don’t Pronounce it Properly? I’ve been asked this question many times over the past 25 years: “Do I derive…

So What’s So Healing About Sanskrit?

Sanskrit and the Jivanmuktas: Is there a language where spiritual light reflects through sound, grammar and communication? Yes, it’s called Sanskrit. How cool is that? Mantras are realized sounds of…

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