AUTHENTIC TRAINING TO STRENGTHEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF SANSKRIT, YOGA & LUMINOUS SOUL TEACHINGS
The often mis-quoted idea in Yoga is that Sanskrit is the oldest language in the world. When I ask students, “What is their understanding of Sanskrit?” Someone will often say confidently, “Sanskrit is the oldest language in the world.” Though Sanskrit is very old. It is not the oldest language. One of the oldest forms […]
The word Upanishad means to sit in proximity to. Upanishad is a Sanskrit word that derives from the elements upa + ni + sad. Upa + ni = proximity or nearness and sad = to sit. Sanskrit was an oral language for a long time and even today it is impossible to learn Sanskrit without […]
What is a healthy parent? I define it as a protective force, a guide, a support, a place of profound unconditional love and nurturance. Not all people have experienced this with their parents. What is a crazy parent? In this sense, a crazy parent doesn’t mean a clinically or mentally ill person. Nor is this […]
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 […]
Connection with love leads to seva. Seva is the seventh Pillar in the Luminous Soul Method. It is the pillar that follows after Bhakti, devotion. To engage Seva after Bhakti is a natural progression. The more you connect with your sense of love and devotion the more you will see those around you as part of your very […]
In part 1 of the Luminous Soul Seva Series, I spoke about how you can engage seva in a variety of short ways. I shared how you can work with this Luminous Soul Pillar of seva in your daily life through quick connects or medium connects. But what about when you feel called to perform seva in a more substantial […]
In the Luminous Soul Method, Seva is the seventh pillar and is a Sanskrit word which means selfless service. As a practice, seva nourishes and supports both the receiver, as well as the one making the offering. Seva creates a healing channel of energy. Here’s how to use your Luminous Soul Practice to make these connections every day: […]
My teacher, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati spoke often in his yogic lectures about what he called ‘the play between the point and the zero.’ He would draw a circle on the large chalk board to represent the zero and then he’d place in the very center of the circle, a point. In those early years, I […]
What is Śabda? Śabda means sound, word or vibration. Śabda is a tanmātra, a subtle element. Tanmātras are themselves the essence of potential. Śabda is the essential vibration that exists underneath manifested sound as well as the manifested sound itself. Śabda is said to be eternal. The eternal aspect of Śabda is called sphotam, which […]
Question: Dear Manorama, Recently, a student asked me the difference between an Invocation to Lord Patanjali and a mantra like the Gayatri Mantra. Can you explain this to me? Love, Śivā Manorama: What a lovely question. Ok let’s start with understanding a few pieces first: What is an invocation verse? An invocation verse is a […]
So, what is a tanmātra? A tanmātra is a subtle element, which is itself the essence of potential. There exist five sense perceptions. For example, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. There are five tanmātras (śabda, rasa, gandha, rūpa, sparśa), which connect with these five sense perceptions and sense organs. The tanmātras blend together to […]
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 considered to be channels for the intelligent spiritual light to pass through them from the Gods. When the Rishi focuses on a particular deity, that […]
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 a result or they connect more with their heart. The etymology of the word Sanskrit itself hints at its largess and these two ways of […]
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 Chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita that one wants to become a knower of the field. Firstly, what is the field in the Bhagavad Gita? […]
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 the yogi is awake to, the worldly minded beings experience that as the night. So what is the night, in yoga? The night signifies ignorance […]
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 level it is the struggle for greater self-knowledge that we all must walk through. Just like Arjuna, the student of yoga, must struggle to know […]
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 […]
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 children and I bucked the system every chance I got. I thought a lot about freedom and in those days I felt my freedom in […]
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 from: Sanskrit Prefix Sanskrit Root Pra √an Pra as a prefix to verbs means: forward, onward Pra as a prefix to nouns: intensifies the root, […]
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 is anything but simple. Prana is a mystical unseen force of intelligence that exists at the heart of the Yogic tradition. Modern References Harken Back […]