Positive Psychology

Lecture on positive Psychology

This is a long lecture, but worth listening. How to develop Happiness.

Message of Hope

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_YOG3jMlV4

Powerful Message of Hope in this period of Great Change.

Choose to LOVE, Meditate every day. We create our world with our thoughts.

United we Stand, Divided we Perish.

Youtube channel, Sivananda Yoga Center, Toronto

 Check out this new youtube channel, clips of satsangs from the Sivananda Yoga Center in Toronto, Canada

http://www.youtube.com/user/SivanandaYogaToronto

Shanti Mantra ( Peaceful )

petition for nuclear free energy

http://www.foe.co.uk/_any/java/LettersHttpServlet

***Official*** Message from the Hopi Nation about Japan, Amazing and His...

The Dhammaraja Project: Teaching Yoga in Vietnam

This is a beautiful blog/project carried out by a Sivananda Yogi friend from California.

The Dhammaraja Project: Teaching Yoga in Vietnam: "Salutations to the Guru! Blessings and Peace to All! Enjoy these images from my 6 week experience teaching and serving with the Intern..."

Shivaratri in London, March 2011

SHIVARATRI celebration at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, London, UK

We were extremely blessed in that we had a lovely priest to conduct the first 2 pujas/abhishekham of the night. I ended up translating from tamil, as best as I could!
The first abhishekham involved bathing the Lingam with Ganga water and milk.
The second was with yoghurt and ganga water.
Third, ghee and hot ganga water.
Fourth, honey and hot ganga water.
Final abhishekham is with panchamritam, made with ghee, honey and fruit, normally mango, jack fruit and banana.
The yoga centre are blessed in that they do actually have a bottle of Ganga water, so we add some to each pot of water.



After each abhishekham, the Lingam is lovingly wiped dry, dressed and garlanded with flowers and rudrakshya mala beads. Prayers are offered, reciting the names of Lord Shiva and chanting the Lingashtakam.(youtube video)
 This prayer was sung by lord Rama, when he worshipped the Shivalingam at Rameswaram before departing for Lanka. In all the Sivananda Vedanta Yoga Ashrams & Centres, this is sung on sundays along with other Ram prayers.
 For the lyrics and meaning, see lingashtakam

We offered rice and flowers to the Lingam.
Prasad, cooked sweets, fruit and rice was offered up to Shiva, and then shared out to all devotees.
We started at 8pm and finished at 5am the following morning with cooked breakfast.

Shiva is known as the destroyer-he removes our negative qualities and impurities in the mind, he is powerfully transforming, enabling us to be receptive to sublime truth. As Pasupati, he is the lord and lover of all animals, nothing is beneath him. He is easy to please and worship to receive his Grace and Punya, blessings. He wipes out our karmic debt, thereby freeing us from bondage. It is said that anyone who keeps vigil on Shivaratri and worships the Linga, will be liberated.
Throughout the night we chanted the mantra of Shiva, Om Namah Sivaya.  
This is a powerful practice, uplifting and transforming. We were free to get ourselves a herbal tea or water, I did a little washing up in the kitchen, which is a good way to stay alert in the early hours.
We had a good crowd throughout the night though some people had to leave after the second abhishekham. The Sweet priest told them they had the blessings of Shiva because they made it to at least those 2 pujas, even if they couldn't stay up the whole night.

The Lingam is a symbol of Shiva, and for the night we had 5 Lingams, each one made from a different medium. Sadly, the Linga has been misconstrued over the years. Those of you who are interested in learning more about the Linga, see www.truthlingo.co.uk

Looking at the big Shivalingam being bathed in milk and yogurt, it really made me think of Mount Kailash, the snow capped mountain which is the abode of Lord Shiva. When the Lingam is bathed in the Ganga water, and you see the water swirling around the base of the Lingam, I cast my mind back to the possible original representation, the Rock in the Himalayas, giving rise to the great River Saraswati. When this great river dried up due to tectonic shifts in the Himalayas (around 2000-1900 BC) and the people had moved into the Ganges Basin, over the years they would have naturally supplanted the River Ganges in place of the Saraswati. Lord Shiva is portrayed with the river sprouting from his coils. In the final arathi prayer from the Rig Veda, the great river Saraswati is still remembered, and since the River Saraswati gave rise to the Vedic Civilzation, it seems befitting that she is worshipped as the Goddess of wisdom and learning.

Word Press Blog on Shivaratri

Om Namah Sivaya
 
http://umayogini.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/shivaratri-the-night-of-shiva/

Shivalinga As We Know It – Part 4 of the Om, Swastika and Shivalinga Mini Series

Shivalinga As We Know It – Part 4 of the Om, Swastika and Shivalinga Mini Series

This gives the best explanation of the Shivalinga, symbol of Lord Shiva from ancient times.