Categories
REVIEWS

THE PATH OF PRACTICE BY BRI. MAYA TIWARI BOOK REVIEW – REVIEWS

Book Review

This book is an initiation, a revelation and a valuable companion for anyone who is interested in the Vedic approach to life.

It says on the cover that it is a book for women and yet much of the information in the book is as valuable for men as it is for women. So, I am not sure why the author has called it a book for women.

Maya tells her very powerful personal story of being a highly successful fashion designer in New York till she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. After receiving numerous surgeries and medical interventions she was told by doctors that there was nothing more they could do. She went into retreat in nature alone, believing these were her final days on earth. This is where her process of healing began.

She went through an unwinding process, letting go of negative and self-limiting programs and discovering her true nature. She embraced her Hindu and Vedic roots and discovered Ayurveda. Slowly, she came back to wholeness and health. She then began helping others to heal and to embrace a lifestyle which could best serve them for a vibrant and blissful life.

Maya’s book is packed with very valuable and even lifesaving information. It carries a very positive message and the techniques she teaches are simple and can be integrated slowly but surely into daily life.

Categories
Meditation Of The Month

SOUND AND SILENCE – MEDITATION OF THE MONTH

Meditation

The art of weaving together sound and silence is valuable to learn. When we sing mantras we are tuning ourselves to source. When we drop into deep silence we also are tuning to source.

When we sing mantra with full engagement and ecstasy and then drop into deep silence, the positive impact is doubled. Where sound and silence meet, we experience ultimate truth.

Music

To experience this, I recommend a few different musicians to sing with. You can find them online as well as in person:

Categories
Recipes & Nutrition

RECIPE OF THE MONTH SUSHI RICE – RECIPES & NUTRITION

Ingredients

  • Whole grain rice (2 cups)
  • Carrots (1 large or two small)
  • Hijiki seaweed (one handful)
  • Nori (a packet of 10)
  • Pickled ginger (4 tablespoons)
  • Ripe avocado (1 large or two medium)
  • Lemon or lime (1 tablespoon)
  • Soya sauce or shoyu or Bragg liquid aminos (to taste)

Soak Overnight:

  • 2 cups whole grain rice and 2 cups water in a pot with a lid
  • Handful of dried hijiki seaweed in a bowl

The Next Day

Rinse the rice and drain it. Then, add 4 cups of water to 2 cups of rice. Bring to a boil and then turn to simmer and allow to simmer gently for about 40 minutes, or till all the water has been absorbed into the rice. While the rice is simmering, add a couple of pinches of salt to the cooking pot.

Rinse the hijiki and put aside to drain.

  • Prepare the carrots.
  • Slice them long ways and from the long strips, make very thin, finger–length carrot sticks.
  • Peel, remove the seed and cut the avocado into bite size chunks. Add a squeeze of lime or lemon to the avocado so it retains its green colour and remains fresh.
  • In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the nori. Stir the carrots, hijiki seaweed and pickled ginger together with the rice. Add some dashes of shoyu or soya sauce or Bragg liquid aminos to the mixture and stir it in.
  • Cut the paper thin sheets of nori into 4 squares per sheet. Count about 8 squares per person who will be eating.
  • Have some wasabi in a separate small bowl which people can take as a complementary taste enhancer.
  • For eating the sushi rice, people can be served some of the rice mixture on their plate and then wrap some of it in a nori seaweed, dip it in soya sauce, add wasabi to taste and enjoy!

This dish is best served with miso soup

Categories
HAFIZ

POEM OF THE MONTH – HAFIZ

“Let us be like

Two falling stars in the day sky.

Let no one know of our sublime beauty

As we hold hands with God

And burn

Into a sacred existence that defies –

That surpasses

Every description of ecstasy

and love.”

~ Hafiz

Categories
OSHO'S QUOTE

GRANDEUR OF TANTRA: TRANSFORMING ORDINARY LOVERS INTO SOUL MATES – OSHO’S QUOTE

“In the East, we have developed a science: if you cannot find a soul mate, you can create one. And that science is Tantra. To find a soul mate means to find the person with whom all your seven centers meet naturally. That is impossible.
Once in a while, a Krishna and a Radha, a Shiva and a Shakti. And when it happens it is tremendously beautiful. But it is like lightning – you cannot depend on it. If you want to read your Bible, you can’t depend on it that when the lightning is there you will read. The lightning is a natural phenomenon, but not dependable.

  • If you wait for your natural soul mate to meet with you, it will be just like waiting for lightning with which to read your Bible. And you will not be able to read much either. For a moment it is there, and by the time you have opened the Bible it is gone.
  • Hence, Tantra was created. Tantra is a scientific approach. Tantra is alchemy; it can transform your centers, it can transform the other’s centers, it can create a rhythm and harmony between you and your beloved. That is the beauty of Tantra. It is like bringing electricity into your house. Then you can turn it on and off whenever you want. And you can have a thousand and one uses of it; it can cool your room, it can heat your room. Then it is a miracle. These seven centers in you are nothing but centers of body electricity. So, when I am talking about lightning, don’t think of it only as a symbol – I mean it literally.

In your body, there exists a subtle current of electricity, very subtle. But the subtler it is, the deeper it goes. It is not very visible. Scientists say that all the electricity that is in your body, if put together, can be used to light a five-candle bulb. It is not much. Quantitatively it is not much, quantitatively the atom is not much, but qualitatively… If it explodes, it has tremendous energy in it.

These seven centers, these seven chakras Yoga and Tantra have talked about down the ages, are nothing but five knots in your body electric current. They can be changed; they can be rearranged. They can be given a new shape, form. Two lovers can be transformed so deeply that all their seven centers can start meeting.

Tantra is the science of transforming ordinary lovers into soul mates. And that is the grandeur of Tantra. It can transform the whole earth; it can transform each couple into soul mates. It is one of the greatest treasures that is lying there, unused. The day humanity uses it, the earth will become aglow with a new love.”

Osho, Philosophia Perennis, Vol 1

Categories
OSHO'S QUOTE

CD REVIEW GRATITUDE BY TARISHA – OSHO’S QUOTE

The crystal purity of Tarisha’s voice is soothing for the soul. She is a truly gifted songwriter and singer and this is highlighted beautifully in this album.

Her timeless reflections on life, love, nature and gratitude offer a sense of coming back home to simple truths for the highest good of all beings. Each instrument blends marvellously with her voice and there is a particularly vibrant presence of the shamanic path in the song ‘Mother Earth.’

Having been on a very powerful healing journey in her own life, Tarisha conveys through her music the spirit of healing for all beings. Listen, and surf the waves of Tarisha’s songs to peace and tranquillity within.

You can find her music here:
https://www.tarisha.co.uk/

Categories
OSHO'S QUOTE

MEDITATION OF THE MONTH – OSHO’S QUOTE

Meditation in Daily Life

In the morning remember it is a new day, a new beginning. Have a decision deep in your heart that,

“Today I am not going to waste this opportunity.

Enough is enough! Today I am going to be aware, today I am going to be alert, today I am going to devote as much energy as possible to the single cause, the cause of meditation. I will meditate in all my acts. I will do all the activities, the usual day-to-day activities, but with a new quality: I will bring the quality of awareness to them.”

Osho

Categories
OSHO'S QUOTE

THE GREATEST GIFT – OSHO’S QUOTE

“Love is the greatest gift of God.

But it is a raw phenomenon.

It has to be polished, refined, cut.

It is like a raw diamond:

much has to be done before people

can know its beauty and splendor.

And that’s my whole work here:

to help you refine your raw love

into a refined, polished, cultured phenomenon.

So that it can become a source of

upliftment for your soul.

So that it can become

a door to the divine.”

~ Osho

(from an unpublished Darshan Diary “Eighty-Four Thousand Poems” 13 April 1980)

Categories
SARITA'S BLOG

Four Pillars Of The Temple Of Life

First Pillar; Ayurveda, The Science of Wellness and Healing

My Personal Journey leading up to and into the new year mirrors the four pillars of the Temple of Life. These are  – Ayurveda, Yoga, Tantra and Sacred Mantra. Through these divine portals we experience ultimate truth as an embodied reality.

For the whole month of December, my Beloved Amitabha and I were going through an Ayurvedic Panchakarma Retreat in Bali. This took place in the Amrta Siddhi Ayurveda Center run by Dr. Sujata, who studied Ayurvedic Medicine in South India.

Her program is really in-depth. Some Ayurvedic retreat centres in the world cater to touristic desires and therefore dilute the Panchakarma process. However, Dr. Sujata offers authentic Ayurveda which can at times be quite challenging. But the results are simply amazing! We emerged from our retreat vibrant and shining with health.

The Medicine Buddha

During my retreat, the Medicine Buddha appeared in my dreams as a luminous presence radiating deepest compassion and wisdom. He gave me a download and transmission about medicine and wellness. His teaching entered through the top of my head and then flowed like golden nectar all down my spine till it became part of me. On waking, I felt his presence inside me and this presence remains with me day and night. I am in a state of wonder and loving acceptance. When such a miracle happens in life, it is God’s grace.

The Medicine Buddha explained to me that each being is unique, therefore, there is no one medicine which is good for all. What works for healing one person may be poison to another and vice versa. He revealed to me that the ancients had developed a science for understanding, diagnosis and treatment for each individual constitution and this science is known by the name ‘Ayurveda.’

He showed me that this science is based on four main pillars:

  • The 5 Elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether)
  • The unique constitution of each person
  • The naturally occurring processes of Accumulation, Absorption and Elimination
  • The harmonisation of Yin and Yang energies

In Ayurveda, the constitution of each person is made up of a unique combination of three different Doshas; Vata (air and wind), Pitta (fire and water) and Kapha (earth and water). Maintaining a dynamic balance of the elements within one’s system is a priority for an Ayurveda lifestyle.

Ayurveda works on diagnosis and treatment according to these principles.

The 8 Branches of Medicine in Ayurveda

I find it absolutely fascinating that such a refined science of healing was developed thousands of years ago and its wisdom and power of healing is as relevant in today’s world as it was in the past. One example is that the art of surgery and even plastic surgery was discovered and refined by Ayurvedic physicians in ancient times. In Ayurveda, there are 8 branches of healing, each one offering tremendous insight and methodology with myriad healing treatments and processes.

While going through the Panchakarma process Dr. Sujata gave regular teachings about Ayurveda which were absolutely fascinating. In one of her presentations she spoke about the 8 branches of Ayurveda:

Ayurvedic Healing works on body, mind, emotions and soul, aligning these and bringing about a dynamic state of harmonious alignment within.

The 5 Elements Mirrored In Hands and Feet

According to Ayurveda, both our hands and our feet carry the qualities of the 5 elements and these elements find their conduit of expression through fingers and toes.

Therefore, when we touch someone, this touch can become a blessing of the five elements. When we weave cloth, make pottery or create anything with our hands, we are allowing the 5 elements to be incarnated in the form we are creating. When we eat with our hands, we simultaneously bless the food with the energy of the 5 elements.

Five Elements Blessing While Eating

This is the deeper reason behind the Indian methodology of eating with hands. While many cultures remove themselves from a sensorial involvement with food through touch, in India, even today, the preferred method of eating is with the hands.

I was enchanted by this style of eating when I arrived in India. First, there is a ritual of hand washing before the meal with a hot damp towel. The food placed before the guests contains a wide array of different dishes, each with their own unique colour and scent. It is a sensuous experience to be in deep communion with the food one is eating by delicately drawing it into the hand then bringing this hand to the mouth and experiencing a burst of pleasing spices on the tongue.

The body recognises that this food is indeed medicine and each burst of aroma and taste brings profound gratification. After the meal, one is offered a silver bowl with warm lemon-scented water to wash the hands.

The act of squeezing the lemon slice into the water and feeling the softness of the hands after being thus cleansed, then drying them on a soft white napkin, these eating rituals or even the memory of these rituals brings a surge of joy to my whole body and psyche.

Food as Medicine

“According to the Vedic seers, food is the only medium that carries Ojas, Prana and Tejas  (the three primordial states of the universe) into our vital tissues. As such, food is the primary vehicle by which the universe transmits memory, energy and vibration to all species. Food is said to be the mother-essence of healing—it is Rasa, the taste of life.”

(From The Path of Practice by Bri. Maya Tiwari)

What is Included in a Panchakarma?

In an Ayurvedic Panchakarma, the recipient goes through various stages of cleansing and balancing:

Drinking of ghee: This is the medium to draw into itself, all toxic waste from brain and body. This process is helped by specialised massage using medicinal oil.

Purging of physical and mental toxins: This process may involve vomiting and or shitting / including medicated enemas.

Balancing psyche: This is achieved through shirodhara, the rhythmic pouring of warm medicated oil on the forehead, which releases stored karma in a very pleasing way. Another balancing treatment involves the pouring of warm medicated liquid all over the body for approximately 40 minutes. This releases anxiety and brings about a profound state of inner peace, similar to floating in the womb. It also improves the skin and circulation.

Eye healing: This is a surprising and powerful treatment whereby the eyes are filled with ghee and the recipient slowly allows his or her eyes to drink the ghee. After a treatment of ½ hour, the receiver remains in darkness to support the healing process. The treatment may continue every day for between 3 – 7 days. During the process deep trauma and memories are purged from the inner brain and not only vision improves but clairvoyance and clairaudience are activated.

Rejuvenation therapies: These include not only regular massage but also the application of warm herbal bundles all over the body and other specialised treatments such as facials.

This whole process of Panchakarma is complemented by delicious and nourishing food prepared especially to balance each person’s doshas and bring the whole body into right balance according to their body type.

Second Pillar; A Love Affair with Yoga

Our Panchakarma process included daily yoga with experienced teachers. My love affair with yoga got a new boost of energy as I experienced the profoundly beneficial effects. Beginning with the New Year, Amitabha and I decided to have yoga classes 5 days a week with our friend, Sadhana.

Oh my God, what a revelation!! Sadhana is a true lineage holder, offering more than just yoga poses—she gives a powerful transmission of the depth and breadth of yoga, infused with sacredness and meditation. I experience a quality of levitation while doing yoga with her. I feel every cell of my body filled with something that feels like effervescent champagne bubbles! Sadhana calls this ‘prana.’

I asked her about this phenomenon and she said because we work deeply on ‘apana’ grounding and being in tune with the body, this in turn activates ‘prana’ (the subtle breath of life) all over the body leading to a feeling of levitation. She said sometimes she has to work for years with people in order for them to access this state but because of my Tantra practice and meditation practice this quality (which is the true essence of yoga) is happening.

A Precise Methodology

Sadhana is super precise with minute details which gives an effortless feeling while engaged in Yoga. She gives individual guidance, meaning not everyone has the same body and she makes adjustments for that. I feel so blessed to be working with her as I sense a profound transmission of thousands of years of wisdom coming through her. During our classes, she recites Sanskrit mantras which are exactly tuned to our breath and positions we are taking. Mysteriously, when she does that, I am suffused by inner ecstasy and this flow of ecstasy continues throughout the day.

Transmission of the Lineage

Sadhana was born and raised in India and has apprenticed with some of the world’s best Yoga gurus there, staying in an ashram or residing close to her guru for years as she continued to deepen her depth and breadth of experience. She told me it is really unbelievable to her that people do a one month yoga training and then think they have become a yoga teacher. She said this is not the traditional approach as yoga is something that has to be imbibed slowly, body, mind and soul. It is not just a series of techniques. It is a transmission of embodied wisdom, from guru to disciple that has continued for thousands of years.

You can find her on Instagram 
Or Write an email to her at yogwithsadhana@gmail.com

Third Pillar; Tantra, For A Harmonious World

Continuing my journey into this New Year, it is my joy to teach Tantra, whether that be in groups or online. One of my favourite offerings is the Tantra Soul Mate series of groups for couples. I have been teaching this 7 level series of groups since 1998. I call it the ‘journey of a lifetime.’ During the 3 ½ years it takes to complete all seven levels, couples explore an entire rainbow of transformation together.

It is awesome to experience couples ‘rising in love’ as they journey into various series of Tantric Love Appointments. After level 1, there is a series of 21 love appointments to do as homework. If the couple manages to complete the whole series then they will be welcomed into the level 2, otherwise not. In this way, we ensure that each couple engaged in the process continues to evolve in love and meditation and as a group, we levitate our consciousness to undreamed of dimensions of inner ecstasy.

I sincerely hope that couples everywhere will come to know the fullest potential offered through relationship, for blending sexuality, love and spirituality. Walking the path of Tantra as a couple is the fastest path to enlightenment, and yet it is like walking on a razor’s edge. The emotional storms which arise in relationship can be difficult to navigate. And yet, with the methodology of Tantra, we can learn to weather our storms and learn valuable lessons in the process.

As more and more couples come to know the joy of Tantra, our world can at last find peace and harmony. The phenomenon of the couple is the base of family, tribe and society as a whole. When male and female melt into a harmony of opposites, we can then achieve harmony in society. Without the harmony of male and female energies, our society remains split, fragmented and at war. One of the best things we can do for the betterment of this world is to learn and practice Tantra, discovering both inner and outer union of masculine and feminine principles.

The Fourth Pillar; Sacred Mantra Singing Offers Body / Mind/ Spirit Integration

The 4th pillar of the Temple of Life contains sacred sound and mantra as an integration of body, mind and spirit. I find myself immersed in this unexpectedly because of an apparent coincidence.My social media manager suggested that I offer a Live Streaming Satsang.

(Usually I offer my weekly Satsangs as pre-recorded offerings, You can Sign Up Here if this interests you.)

As she loves to attend Bhakti Kirtan with her musician friends, she asked me if I would be open to combining Bhakti Kirtan with my live Satsang and, of course, I said ‘Yes’. She introduced me to a wonderful singer named Jeremy who is the lead in a Bhakti Kirtan band. I began attending his events and this brought me much joy. From there it was easy and natural to begin offering live Satsang together with Mantra Singing. This format is loved by all who attend. And we have the added benefit of people being able to attend from wherever they are in the world, through Live streaming – you can Watch Here 

Traditionally, mantra is practiced as an integral part of Tantra. The sacred sounds of the mantras tap into universal wisdom and help us align to our true essence and power of manifestation. In a certain sense, mantras activate positive affirmation and through the power of sound this begins circulating inside body and mind to the deepest levels of being.

Mantras have been created by Enlightened beings to help us live in tune with source. Through a certain number of repetitions of the mantra we are benefitted beyond measure. The usual number of repetitions for saying mantras is 108 times.

When we do Bhakti Kirtan in a group, we have the added benefit of singing mantras and devotional songs supported by music and the group energy. This is one reason why such an event brings a sense of wellbeing on all levels.

To understand the depth of mantra transmission, it is helpful to understand the meaning. For example: ‘Sat Chit Anand’ is a mantra which means Truth, Consciousness, Bliss. This offers a template for living these qualities. Anything which is out of tune with these qualities can be brought into alignment by repeating this mantra. This is certainly powerful magic!

If you are wondering which is the right mantra for you, you can look on Google and find lists of mantras and just tune to what is resonating for you at this time. It may be that you will repeat one mantra each day 108 times for 21 days, or for 3 months until it has merged deeply within.

To complement this practice, you may be drawn to attending Bhakti Kirtan or being part of an online group that practices devotional mantra singing.

Aligning with these 4 pillars of the temple of life, Ayurveda, Yoga, Tantra and Mantra, we find our way into our inner sanctum where divinity resides. The bliss of this is available to all human beings.

Love & Blessings,
Sarita

Categories
SARITA'S BLOG

Ecstatic Union

Liu I-ming (Taoist Master)

Men and women are designed by nature to help each other on the path, whether that be the path of passionate sexuality or the path of spirituality. Let us explore why and how this is so.

The Magic of Being a Woman

The body of woman is the greatest treasure, containing an innate capacity for ecstasy and love. We are indeed similar to a very refined musical instrument.

To create exquisite music, the artist of love tunes the instrument and subsequently, heavenly music emerges. If the instrument of a woman’s body is tuned rightly, her body becomes the abode of bliss and her lover is blessed beyond measure.

On several occasions, my lovers have told me, “You are like a Stradivarius violin!” Perhaps they said this because when I am rightly tuned, I sing, laugh, cry and pray while engaged in sexual union. For me, sexual union is a holy actand my bed is a temple. Being a devotee of the Tantra path, I have found that all the secrets of creation reside in love’s embrace.

Some biological facts which support my poetic description of female sexuality are:

The clitoris and clitoral network have 5 – 8 thousand nerve endings devoted only to pleasure. These nerves form a highly sophisticated network all over a woman’s body. This gives woman the potential for her whole body to feel like one giant clitoris.

When a woman is sufficiently aroused and in her orgasmic flow, her orgasms link to the higher brain center, giving rise to a DMT experience during which she feels herself dissolving into God.

Women are capable of many types of orgasmic experiences, such as clitoral orgasmic joy / chain orgasms / multiple orgasms / full body orgasm / cosmic orgasm and Amrita

The Portal of Spirituality for Women is Pleasure

The fact that women are sensually oriented has been demonised by patriarchy for at least 2000 years. Tertullian, one of the founding fathers of Christianity writes of women as follows: “You are the gateway of the devil.”

As we all know, men in general have only one orgasm and immediately afterwards have to rest and recharge. A man’s orgasmic pleasure remains localised in his genitals and it can also link to the instinctual, reptile part of his brain. In order for his orgasmic experience to reach to higher brain centers he needs to work on refining his ability to be attuned to subtle energy through the practice of Tantra.

This may be the reason that the patriarchy has suppressed woman and condemned her so harshly. Perhaps the suppression of the feminine by the masculine is linked to jealousy. He cannot attain to her level of communion with God so easily as she does through sexual union. He has to work at what comes easily and naturally to her.

Woman as Initiatress

Tantra has very wisely recognised woman as the initiatress for man. Through her, he can learn to open his chakra system to the ascent of kundalini, allowing his sexual energy to link to superconscious states.

I have heard Osho say that the spiritual path has only two steps. The first step is very challenging for men and very easy for women. This is why women are the initiatress for men for the first step. The first step is surrender, a heart centred state of being.

Man as Initiator

The second step is very easy for men and very challenging for women. Therefore, men are the initiator for women for the second step on the spiritual path. The second step is meditation, witnessing, aloneness and the void.

Tuning a Woman

Learning Tantric sexuality practices is an art and a science. For a woman to become ready to function as initiatress, she needs to be tuned properly.

Her tuning may include:

Soft lighting, sensorial awakening through eye gazing, caress, compliments, gift giving, pleasing scents and tastes. As her senses are activated, the nerves all over her body which link to the clitoral network are switched on and through this, she surrenders herself, body and soul to her lover. As her surrender deepens, her erogenous zones open like a flower and her musk is released. This in turn drives her lover crazy with desire.

Tuning a Man

For the masculine to be rightly tuned, erotic play before sexual union will include honouring and worshipping of the lingam, offering flowers to the lingam, caressing it, praising, chanting mantras, praying and other devotional acts. As this is happening, a man will very naturally enter into resonance with his manhood and from there, his whole being will light up like a radiant sun.

In order for the sexual union to progress in a way that will be fulfilling for both male and female, it is best if the man has been prepared ahead of time in regards to conservation of semen practice. In this way, he will be able to last longer and while engaged in coitus, he will be able to channel his energy in and up through his central channel. When male and female allow energy to rise through the central channel during sexual union, their orgasmic joy will expand to all of the chakras and they will be able to experience cosmic orgasm together.

Following the woman’s lead, the male partner can learn to surf her orgasmic waves, which will take him progressively higher in his consciousness. As he masters this art, his sexual energy will at last merge with his crown chakra and he will discover his own portal into Godliness.

Love is the Greatest School

Love is the greatest school offered by life. When we learn to master the art of pleasure and love we have indeed attained a great jewel which no outer riches can compare to. The art of love should be taught in school, progressively refining what is learned, preparing students for the real challenge of life, namely, how to be successful in relationship. Human happiness depends on this.

By diving into what I am indicating, all the secrets of heaven and earth will be revealed. Our spirituality is simply a mirror of our sexuality just as our body, the microcosm is a mirror of the macrocosm. In Tantra, there is a saying, “Sex and samadhi are one.” When we explore sexuality as a sacred act, knowing that it is a mirror of universal energy, we will find God residing in our sexual union. We will discover that the feminine is a portal into the masculine and the masculine is a portal into the feminine. Through this meeting and merging of opposites, we discover the infinite in the finite. This is the true lesson we have come to this earth to learn.

Art by very unique Artist : Tina Maria Elena : https://tinamariaelena.com/