Dasroots

In this podcast I talk with an old friend and Guru Bai Vimala. We chat a little about her first encounters on the spiritual path, Christianity, Amma and other fun stuff. Enjoy!

In this third episode with Ryan we read and discuss some slelections from the Tao Te Ching which is on of the most profound ancient spiritual texts. Enjoy!

Solocast on staying present and spiritual practice.

I met Jacob at a Buddhist recovery group called Refuge Recovery. We talk about addiction some, but mostly about how what we think, or "don't think" as the case may be, can transform suffering into a bearable and often blissful experience.

Ryan and I talk about religion's and finding a way to trust our intuition and not our minds. 

In this new episode Dasroots goes deep with Darin Somma. We talk of Non-duality, devotion, yoga, Gurus, humility, Christ and the prison of the intellect. A brief biography (taken from www.sriyoga.com) about Darin is read in this podcast for the listener. Upon listening to some of Darins experience it is applicable to say Darin has some true insight, especially for the western mind, in ways we can reconcile religion, science and the concept of self-realization. Enjoy the Satsang! 

These are some of my personal practices that I have learned throughout the years. I combine the chanting of mantras and invoking the vibrations of benevolent Deities from the Sanantan Dharma religion.

I am not a sanskrit scholar and I also make some mistakes, but these mantras hold great healing and transformational power even  just by listening to them. I offer these sacred prayers for all of humanity in these difficult times. I also sing  a Hanuman Chalisa (40 prasies of Hanuman). I just started playing guitar again after many years and am currently practicing this new version of the Hanuman Chalisa I am working on, so there're mistakes. Regardless, this is a very powerful prayer for courage, strength and devotion.  It is always through the practicioners intention, devotion and most importantly through the sacred lineage's and divine masters that these mantra's carry there power.  Once again, I humbly offer these prayers and my devotion for the upliftment of all humanity and the earth. One can do Puja for various reasons, called a sankalpa (or resolve) but to do these practices for selfish reasons would defeat the purpose of healing the collective. I hope that you can feel the subtle vibrations in these chants and that they propogate some grace and peace for you. It is important to know that even without understanding the meaning of Sanskrit (I do some english interpretation) these mantras have the ability to bestow shanti (peace). Sanskrit is an (Asian) Indian language that was given to humanity by the Seer's (called Rishis) of ancient India, and just like the other ancient sciences of the India i.e., Aryuveda (anceint Indian medical science) and Yoga (Science of Union with the supreme), the practice of chanting mantras and doing Puja (Worship) is healing in inexplicable ways. These mantras and invocations awaken God within the heart of the individual. They are like special keys that open doors to deep emotional and spiritual healing. The word mantra comes from two Sanskrit words: man meaning mind; and tra meaning vehicle or instrument – a tool to transport the mind from a state of activity to one of stillness and silence. Ultimatley, it is a mystery how this anceint languange heals on so many different levels. If we examine the mantras from the context that we are all vibrational beings, one could say that mantra's lead you back to the source of this vibration and bring harmony and concentration of the mind ).  Kirtan (Estatic call in response chanting) and chanting mantra or Japa (repeating Gods name) is said by many masters, present and future, to be the easiest way to commune with the divine in this Kali Yuga (Dark age of humanity) that we live in. Mantras like the ones I do in this solocast can vary in length and difficulty, but anyone can repeat these mantras to themselves in time of panic or confusion.  Anyone can start with simple mantras, such as Ram (pronounced Rah-mm) or Om Namah Shivaya (Oh-mn Na-mah She-vai-yah) and they can be used at anytime.  Blessings!

In this podcast I talk to a friend on the path of Divine union. This was a great coversation of the spiritual life of Darin Soma.

Following biography has been taken from Darin's SriYoga.com website:

Darin Somma (Yogeshwar) has been teaching meditation and yoga for two decades in the Nation’s Capitol of Washington D.C.  He is a certified yoga therapist by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), and is an advisor on the board of Taksha University’s Institue of Yoga Therapy and Meditation (IYTM).  He is also a yoga therapist and member of the teaching faculty for Vedic Health, Inc., based out of Rockville, MD.

He was blessed in 2010 by HH Bhagavati Sri Karunamayi Amma to teach a unique and profound yoga asana practice for accelerating one’s spiritual evolution suitable for all levels, and has taught this sequence in seminars around the country.

He is the author of Yoga is Union, a guide to viewing the full landscape of Yoga for the Western practitioner which has sold over ten thousand copies worldwide and received praise as a profound and holistic exposition on Yoga.

Darin has a background in science, holding degrees in Math, Physics, Philosophy, and Psychology. While he loved the analytical tools of science, he found the common worldview of scientists and the assumptions made severely lacking. He concluded, particularly from his study of Physics, that consciousness is at the heart of the universe, and this conclusion eventually led him to the teachings of Yoga and the vast sciences of consciousness which are recorded in the Vedic scriptures and are still living in the traditions of Sanatana Dharma.

Darin is passionate about the power of the authentic knowledge of the rishis to bring transformation to our world. He believes the science of Self-Realization can bring healing to our lives and to our world home.  He has a special gift for crossing the East-West cultural divide, and seeks to make each class an offering of spirit that allows for a safe and intimate encounter with one’s own highest self.

I guest host here on Baba Here Loves Under The Blanket podcast. We read from Ram Dass's Miricle of Love book and give commentary.