AUTHENTIC TRAINING TO STRENGTHEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF SANSKRIT, YOGA & LUMINOUS SOUL TEACHINGS
“Kalidasa is the Shakespeare of Sanskrit poetry.” This is the quote often repeated about the great kavi, Kalidasa. He is the author of numerous Sanskrit works including two epic poems: The Raghuvamśa and Kumarasambhava. The Raghuvamśa chronicles the kings of the Raghu dynasty, while the Kumarasambhava offers the story of Parvati’s birth, early years and […]
Question: Dear Manorama, Can you help me with the word mala? How it is used, as well as what does it mean when I hear the three malas, impurities? Thank you always for your wisdom and graciousness. Love, Vanessa Manorama: Dear Vanessa, Thanks for your question. The first word, mala, is a Sanskrit word written […]
Sound is powerful – it has effect. Listen to a harsh tone and watch your body recoil, hear the upbeat sounds of African music and notice how you feel enlivened and joyful, listen to the steady sounds of the ocean waves and find your heart and breathing becoming steady and soothed. Sanskrit mantras profoundly affect […]
Yoga Sutra Series Adhmimatra Powerful Effort in Yoga Practice with Manorama In the context of reviewing what is needed for the yogic practice to have full fruition. We were looking at Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras 1.21 and 1.22. PYS 1.21 Tīvra-Samvegānām Āsannah The full fruition of Samadhi in the yogic practice is nearest to those whose […]
Discipline as a Structure for Freedom As I mentioned in my previous blog Freedom Found in Yogic Rituals, as a child, I had an intense thirst for soul understanding. As destiny would have it, at 13 years of age, I was to meet a great Yogi named Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, who was at that time […]
Soul Inquiry When I was young I was introduced to the concept of the soul. I was told, “The soul is the most sacred part of you. It is the essence of the Self within.” When I naturally became curious to learn more about the topic, I was often met with confusion on the part […]
In classical Sanskrit, the word “kavi” generally translates as poet. However, during the Vedik period, kavi held a more mystical significance. In the Vedas, a kavi is referred to as the seer of vibration and light. Seeing Vibration What does it mean to see vibration? Students interested in learning about yoga begin their journey hearing this […]
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 […]
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 with the Luminous Soul Daily Statement and in what ways they found it comforting, which I describe as ‘relief points’. In the assignment, I also […]
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 […]
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 means to learn about the mystical sound of silence that resides within you. “Stay engaged and do something.” ~ Manorama This first principle from the […]
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 yoga center. The problem was that when I actually practiced and sat still it scared me. I noticed a thought emerge… maybe enlightenment was synonymous […]
Part 2 In last month’a blog, I spoke about the vital need for the yogi-in-training to understand his/her prana, which means breath, energy, life force and soul. In the Luminous Soul Method, awareness of your prana is a foundational aspect of your practice. The more you consciously work with your prana the more you connect with […]
Honesty First: The best-kept secret in Yoga is that no one likes meditation. I know it sounds shocking, but it’s the truth. If as you read this you are saying to your self ‘But Manorama, I love meditation’ then you are not a beginner. But if you feel uncomfortable when you sit for meditation welcome […]
How does regular mantrik practice quiet your mind and how does working with mantras connect you with the principle of vidya? I was recently considering how regular practice with mantras gives one the opportunity to become more familiar with their sounds, vibration and feeling. The fact is, the more you feel connected with these elements […]
You’re born you live, you die, not really. Western society avoids the topic of death. I find this odd since we all at some point are affected by the passing of loved ones and ultimately we ourselves will pass beyond our forms. When someone close to us passes, we become curious and through our suffering […]
Language is symbolic. We use words to suggest meaning about the thoughts we want to convey. Your inner dialog also moves in a similar and powerful way. What your inner language tells you, will affect how you live. In Yoga, we look at the gods not as deities apart from us rather as representations of […]