The Durga Devi Puja was my teacher, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati’s, favorite festival. He often ate very light during the festival and would remain absorbed in deep contemplation. Each morning he, and we, would chant mantras to the cosmic mother in all of her many aspects. Culminating in over 700 verses being chanted by the end […]
Confidence
Discovering The Infinite Brahman
Two months after I met my guru, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, I heard the Ātmabodha by Shankarācarya. I was in a car, with one of my teacher’s oldest students, George B. As he drove, George popped a cassette into the stereo and off we zoomed down the highway. I remember how somber we were, as we […]
Shanta Claus & 5 Sanskrit Gift Ideas for Yogis-in-Training
I’ll never forget the time I taught a visiting Sanskrit scholar from India about Christmas. He visited for a month, which happened to be December. Since the festivities were beginning, I decided to explain what all the holiday hype was about. I explained the religious significance, as well as the secular way in which we […]
The Unifying Nature of Sanskrit
There is a term that gets used when you learn Sanskrit it’s called ‘The Sanskrit Tradition.’ When I first heard it, it caught my ears and I thought “Hmmm ‘The Sanskrit Tradition,’ what does that mean?” Those immersed in The Tradition will refer to it as such. The term ‘The Sanskrit Tradition’ refers to the […]
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 I talk about mudras and mantras. I have two people who were afraid to chant mantra because they were told it is dangerous if you […]
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 & Spirituality. “Every beauty, which is seen here by persons of perception, resembles more than anything else that celestial source from which we all are […]
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 the benefit of a mantra even if I don’t pronounce it properly?” In the beginning, the most important thing is to follow your desire to […]
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 light discovered by the rishis in a state of thoughtless reality. Think of it like this, rishis and rishikas are beings, who purified their consciousness through yogic […]
Wax On Wax Off: Practical steps to understand your Prana
Part I Nowadays with the rise in technology, urban living and global travel, we are more aware than ever of the outer energy that powers our devices. This shows us the need for sustainable sources of energy that can support modern life. Yet how often do you think about your own energy, the energy of […]
The Importance of Agni & Tejas
‘Agnim Ide Purohitam’ Rg Veda Agni literally means fire and is the first word laid down in the Rg Veda, the oldest extant of ancient Sanskrit writings. The fire practice is said to support the practitioner by cultivating connection with spiritual light. The Rishis say that Agni is the best representation of light on earth, […]
Learn to Value Your Best Qualities
“You’re getting very good with those movements, your lines are fluid, you should start performing soon,” she said.” “Nah…I just like the way dancing makes me feel,” I replied, “I have no plans to perform.” “Oh, I know you…” She said emphatically that rainy afternoon. “Whatever you focus your attention on, you do completely.” I […]
11 Simple Steps to Manage Your Stress and Anxiety
In our modern times, everyone feels demanded upon. The truth is, what is being asked of us is to give a multitude of things our attention, all at the same moment. This and much more can create stress for us on an internal level. The good news, as I have discovered in my own life, […]
Devi Puja
Each of us work with rituals that sustain and nourish us. This month I am suggesting that students work with this simple Devi Puja, as a new ritual for immersing in and supporting your practice. Rituals do not exist to make us more neurotic and rigid. They exist to help us see and experience beyond […]