While I was back home at my grandfather's ashram earlier this year I discovered Swami Shivananda Saraswati's beautiful little survey of the 64 nayanar saints of Tamil Shaivism. Since this is my central heritage, I have been a little hesitant to speak on it lest I do it a dis-service! But I was inspired during my visit home to start sharing some Shaiva Dualism (Siddhanta) alongside our more non-dual classes! May this be the first of many videos exploring the rich and diverse traditions of Shaivism from South to North, East to West and beyond! 

May all be an offering to Shiva. Siva! Siva!

PS: Here is our playlist on all things Shiva! 

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
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To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

In today's class as part of our Paramārthasāra series, we take a broad sweeping tour of some of the major categories of thought in the non-dual Tantrik world starting with the 5 Kalās which are mentioned in verse 4 (nivritta, Pratishta, vidyā, śānta & śantatīta) in which shine the 36 tattvas (which are mapped out for us in verses 10-23), in which the 118 bhuvanas (realms) have their being. Also, we make a small mention of the three malas (impurities) which are featured in verse 24 and we intimate the 6 layers of the embodied self which are sketched out in verse 32 of our text. 

Having done this survey, we now have some powerful tools for understanding Tantrik cosmology in a systematic and spiritually meaningful way, demonstrating yet again how appropriate the Paramārthasāra is as a text for both beginners and seasoned practitioners! 

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

In this next installment of our How To Do Tantrik Ritual series, we look at three very important moments in Tantrik ritual worship (namely, bhūta-śuddhi, nyāsa and gandhādi pūjā) that all serve to reinforce the idea of Advaita, non-duality in the context of worship. 

Over and over we affirm that the One being worshipped and the One worshipping as well as the very tools and items of the worship themselves are all One and the Same Reality: Consciousness-Bliss, Shiva. 

As such, we discuss how pūjā (ritual worship) and japa (mantra recitation) can act as powerful sādhanas (spiritual techniques) for truly realizing non-duality beyond mere intellectual concepts. 

We also talk a little bit about the importance of the sacred pilgrimage places known as śākta pīthas, and how these might be mapped unto the body in the process of nyāsa. Excitingly, we compare the rather similar mythological structures of the "Dismemberment of Osiris" episode in the Egyptian pantheon to the "Dismember of Sati" incident in the Purānas to make a point about sacred geography and the Immanence of God, following from last week's discussion on Nyāsa as a Sacred Pilgrimage Practice!

A truly exciting discussion! Thank you all for coming! 

Jai Mā!

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

On Tibetan New Year, the Friday just after Shiva Ratri, we spent some time practicing non-dual meditation (practice with us here) using the Nirvana Shatakam as a "guided meditation" tool. We sandwich some postural yoga practice to rest, recover and energize after our physical exertions over the course of the week in between two non-dual meditations, using the 6 verses of the text. 

Then, right after that, in honor of the great yogi Milarepa, and Tibetan Tantrik tradition, we launch into a discussion on Milarepa featuring Kavindraji who is a lineage holder of the Kagyu, the tradition Milarepa founded. By learning about Milarepa, we can learn about the Tantrik world of magic and liberation, guru and disciple and ultimate freedom. 

One day, we will double back to offer a more complete biography and commentary on this greatest of Yogis, Mila of the Cotton Cloth (repa) and about his householder Gurus, Marpa and Dakmema. For now, we offer this light introduction based on Lobsang P Lhalungpa's wonderful book: "The Life of Milarepa".

PS: Here is our playlist on all things Shiva! 

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

On the very auspicious day of Shiva Ratri this year, we got together on zoom in the morning to say a few things about the "art of tapasya", that is, the art of austerities in the name of spirituality. If done too excessively, the body and mind are weakened. But if not done at all, the body and mind are similarly weakened! Compassionate and artful tapasya is the doorway to strength and self-control, which is a pre-requisite in many cases for not only meditation, but devotion. After all, if the self doesn't even belong to you, how can you surrender it to God?

After our discussion of tapasya, we then take up the topic of "How To Perform Shiva Puja", along the lines of this video. We do a little walk-through of the puja together to prepare for the evening's festivities.

Jai Bhole!

PS: Here is our playlist on all things Shiva! 

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Shiva Ratri is a night of ecstasy and joy. But what is the nature of Lord Shiva's intoxication and how can we get a toke?

Happy Shiva Ratri, fam. I love you more than can I say. May all be intoxicated!

PS: Here is our playlist on all things Shiva! 

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

It's that time of the year again! Many might be asking: 
1. what is Shiva Ratri? 
2. When is Shiva Ratri? And most importantly: 
3. What should I do to celebrate/ why would I even want to celebrate Shiva Ratri? 

To answer these questions, we plunge into a discussion of the five modes of Tantra: puja, japa, homa, yoga and vrata, making a case for why vrata is so important and for viewing it as an act of spontaneous freedom. 

The TLDR of all this is: you are already Shiva. There is nothing you need to do to be "More" Shiva and nothing you can do to be "Less" Shiva. As such, nobody can tell you what to do or what not to do on any night much less on Shiva Ratri! May all be absorbed in Shiva!

PS: Here is our playlist on all things Shiva! 

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Next week is Shiva Ratri, which is among the biggest (if not THE biggest) events in our community! This is a night when we really plunge into Shiva with the whole of our being, fasting all day, staying up all night, signing, dancing ecstatically, performing ritual worship and above all, meditating and opening up to the totality of all things! However, "one does not simply walk into Mordor." Just like climbing a mountain or wading into icy water, just like courting a lover or practicing Hatha Yoga, we must ease into Shiva Ratri, gradually and skillfully. As such, in this short little discourse, we say a few things about "how to Shiva Ratri" and how to use the week ahead to prepare yourself body, mind and spirit for this complete immersion into Shiva!

I cannot contain my excitement! Jai Bhole!

PS: Here is our playlist on all things Shiva! 

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Earlier this year on Swami Vivekananda's birthday we decided to do three back to back lectures focusing on different aspects of the Swami's teaching: the innate divinity of the soul, the oneness of all existence and the harmony of all religions. 

We start with the idea of one-ness, Advaita which is so wonderfully expressed in Shankara's song "The Six Stanzas on Nirvana" (which you can find the Sanskrit lyrics for here) which Swami Vivekananda himself was very fond of and which he himself translated into English.

As such, in this first of three lectures we sing and contemplate the Six Stanzas on Nirvana using Swamiji's translation (which you can read here) making a case for why music is such an important method for practicing and realizing Advaita, Non-Duality! 

For more detailed instructions for how to perform Kālī pūjā, watch this playlist: https://www.patreon.com/collection/233799

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

This might be the most closely guarded secret teaching in non-dual Tantra!

First, we discuss some of the non-dual, "left" leaning traditions within Tantrik Shaivism with an emphasis on the Kaula marga and its profound liturgy and philosophy. 
Then, we introduce the "formless Kali who is pure Void", the "point in Shiva which even Shiva cannot objectify" and the 12 Kalis that are the threefold expressions of the Four Goddess of the Trika! 

Lots of exciting Non-Dual Tantrik material! Let's have at it! 

Here are a list of the secret Kali's presented in the lecture:

aparā (prameya)

Sṛṣṭikālī = manifesting an object internally, she then
Raktakālī (bahirmkuhī) = becomes passionate towards that object
Sthitināśakālī = wishes to reabsorb it and starts to internalize it
Yamakālī = manifests and dissolves a "vighna" (obstacle) to re-absorption 

parāparā (pramāna)

Saṃhārakālī = reabsorbs the object 
Mṛtyukālī = and contemplates "svabhava": my very nature is to reabsorb! 
Rudrakālī = perceives a subtle impression left over from perception + also Pure Consciousness 
Mārtaṇḍakālī = reabsorbs the solar-mandala of 12 faculties into the "Lord of the Circle" (ego) 

parā (paramātr)

Paramārkakālī = reabsorbs the Lord of the Circle (ego) 
Kālāgnirudrakālī = reabsorbs the separation of one purusha (individual knowing subject) from another (mayīya-mala) 
Mahākālakālī = reabsorbs the Universal Subject (Shiva) into full expansion 
Mahābhairavacaṇḍograghorakālī = reabsorbs even that fully expanded ground into...what? void unspeakable!

For more detailed instructions for how to perform Kālī pūjā, watch this playlist: https://www.patreon.com/collection/233799

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Support the show

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM