OM Namo Bhagawate Sivanandaya!      
OM Namo Bhagawate Chidanandaya!
OM Namo Narayanaya!
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Worship of Lord Shiva on auspicious Mahashivratri  Utsav ( Feb 13, 2018 ) by Sri Swami  Sivananda

"The formal worship consists of bathing the Lord. Lord Shiva is considered to be the Form of Light (which the Shiva Lingam represents). He is burning with the fire of austerity. He is therefore best propitiated with cool bathing. While bathing the Lingam the devotee prays: “O Lord! I will bathe Thee with water, milk, etc. Do Thou kindly bathe me with the milk of wisdom. Do Thou kindly wash me of all my sins, so that the fire of worldliness which is scorching me may be put out once for all, so that I may be one with Thee—the One alone without a second.”

"Offer this inner worship to Lord Shiva daily: “I worship the jewel of my Self, the Shiva residing in the Lotus of my heart. I bathe Him with the water of my pure mind brought from the river of faith and devotion. I worship Him with the fragrant flowers of Samadhi—all this so that I may not be born again in this world.”  Swami Sivananda << Read More>>

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Early Morning Meditation Talk from " Ponder These truths" by Swami Chidananda

Brahma Satyam Jagan -Mithya
The highest ultimate declaration, the quintessential truth, declared by people of the supreme absolute experience is brahma satyam jagan-mithya jivo-brahmaiva naparah (Brahman alone is real, the world is unreal. Jiva is not other than Brahman).
I shall tell you within the compass of half a verse the quintessence, the heart, the very essence of the teachings expounded in innumerable scriptures and that is: Brahman alone is real. This phenomenal appearance before us is only a relative reality, ever-changing, unstable, unreliable, never dependable, limited, subject to time and space, subject to decay and dissolution, having a beginning and an end. Characterized by these defects and shortcomings, everything here seen, perceived by the human individual consciousness, is but a mere temporary relative reality. And the individual soul that thinks of itself as the knower of this, or the seer of this, or the experiencer of this ever-changing phenomenal flux, which is called samsara or the universe, is a non-entity, for Brahman alone is real and the jivatman, the individual, is Brahman plus upadhis (limiting adjuncts or additions).- Swami Chidananda << Read More>>

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Learning of  "Jeevan Yog" from a Yoga Acharya Swami Adhyatmananda
Through TV episodes of "Jeevan Yoga" Series by Doordarshan Girnar

Prana - "The true meaning of Prana is not only breath. The Prana is energy. It is universal power, brightness, light and intelligence. All these cosmic energies are named as Prana."Yatkinchit Jagat Sarvam Drishyate Shruyatepiva..This Prana is filled in all that we see and hear, the inside and outside of all things, all movement etc. in this world.

The Prana is the source of all capabilities and the power in the universe. Prana is the only power behind the normal functioning of the system of respiration (inhalation and exhalation), blood circulation, digestion, excretion of urine and stool, system producing semen, structure of our bones and also the nervous system.The working abilities of sensory organs and motor organs improve as each cell  gets extra nutrition. The secret of beauty of skin, shining of the face, brightness of the eyes, intelligence power and development of mental power is the result of the practice of Pranayama. The practice of Pranayama means oneness with cosmic energy. Pranayama Sadhana opens the doors of subtle life from the gross life "-  Swami Adhyatmananda. << Read More>>  

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Highlighting the news and upcoming events

Please join with is in Mahashivratri Utsav ( February 13, 2018) - Continuous twenty four hours Worship services at Lord Vishvanath Temple. Satsang and Bhajans starting from evening and continuous through the night. You are invited to join the celebration of holy Shivaratri & worship services at Sivananda Ashram. Mahaprasad will be served on February 14, 2018. Devotees, who would like to stay at the ashram during the Shivaratri Utsav, please visit the Guest Information page for the details of your visit and help us make proper arrangements.

News & Activity Report for the Month of  January 2018
News through events Photos
Divya Jivan / February 2018 

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Q & A on Spiritual Life and Sadhana from “May I Answer That?”- by Holy Master Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj.

Does purity of food lead to purity of mind? Is non-vegetarian food not Sattvic? We have in the Mahabharata instances of people taking the meat of goats sacrificed to the Lord.

Yes, purity of food leads to purity of mind. Aharasuddhau Satvasuddhih. Take a dose of champagne and sit for meditation. Take a dose of orange-juice and sit for meditation. You will know the difference. Different foods exercise different influences on different compartments in the brain. By taking champagne, meat and garlic, the mind will be confused and will become restless when you sit for meditation. By taking milk and fruits, you will get good concentration. Our Rishis lived on fruits and milk. The Chhandogya Upanishad says, "Pure food leads to purity of mind and then one attains Moksha". You should have dietetic discipline.

Non-vegetarian food is not Sattvic. It is not good for a seeker. Live for a month on milk and fruits and see. Give up meat for one month and see. Let us be practical. Practical experience will tell you that meat-eating is bad for the mind.
 

Worship of Lord Shiva