"AUM" the universal sound

"AUM "MEDITATION

Sit in a comfortable undisturbed place. Take a deep breath. Now chant "aum". Make each breath last as long as possible. Again take a deep breath and chant Oooooooo~~~~~hhhhhhhhhh~~~~~ Mmmmmmm~~~~~. Then again repeat this chanting of AUM. Do this for 3-7 times. If it's available to you, u may close your eyes to maximise the effects of the chanting. After this, stop chanting and sit for a moment of silence. You will be amazed by the inner peace you'll get in such a short chanting of äum.

Do this in the morning preferably when u wake up or anytime of the day.This will help relax your mind, give you the strength to go on......

The Sound of Om -From the teachings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Om is a sacred mono-syllable. Om is the mystic letter. In Om the world rests. Om is the symbol of Brahman. Om is the word of power. Om is the soul of all souls. Om is infinity. Om is eternity. Om is immortality. Om is the source of everything. Om is the womb of all Vedas. Om is the basis of all languages. From Om proceed all sounds. In Om exist all objects. Om is the highest mantra. Om is Soham. Om is Om Tat Sat. Om is a lamp for your feet and a light on your path.
Om is Nada Brahman. Nada is sound. Sound is vibration. Om is the first vibration of sound. Sound is the first manifestation of the Absolute. We know nothing about the nature of the Absolute except that It is. The scriptures have tried to tell us all about creation, how it proceeded from the Absolute. They say: "Brahman was one and non-dual. It thought, 'Let me become many.' That caused a vibration, eventually bringing in sound, and that sound was Om, from whence arise all other manifestations." Thus sound is virtually the comprehensible basis for all creation. Brahman is incomprehensible in Its transcendent aspect. The nearest approach to It is only sound.

All objects are denoted by sounds, and all sounds merge in Omkara. All speech or words terminate in one sound -'Om'. The humming of bees, the sweet melody of the nightingale, the seven tunes in music, the sound of the mridanga and kettledrum, the lute and the flute, the roaring of the lion, the singing of the lover, the neighing of horses, the hissing of the cobra, the 'hu, hu' sound of invalids, the crying of the baby, the clapping of the audience - all are emanations from Omkara only.

The sound produced in the flowing Ganga, the sound heard in the distance from the bustle of the market, the sound produced when the flywheel of an engine is set in motion, the sound caused when it rains - it is all 'Om' only. If you split any word, you will find 'Om' there. Om is all-pervading like akasha, like Brahman.
Om is the basis of all sounds. Om consists of three letters, A, U, and M. A, U, M cover the whole range of sound-vibrations. The larynx and the palate are the sounding-boards. When you pronounce A, no part of the tongue or palate is touched. When you pronounce U, the sound rolls from the very root to the end of the sounding-board of the mouth. M is the last sound which is produced by closing the two lips. Therefore, all sounds are centred in Om.

All languages originate from Om. The essence of the four Vedas is Om only. One who chants or repeats Om really repeats the sacred books of the whole world. Om is the source or womb for all religions and scriptures. Om, Amen and Ahamin are all one. They present the truth or Brahman, the One Existence. There is no worship without Om. The world exists in Om and dissolves in Om.

Live in Om. Inhale and exhale in Om. Rest peacefully in Om. Take shelter in Om. Sing Om rhythmically. Chant Om loudly. Roar Om forcefully. Repeat Om mentally. Draw strength from Om. Get inspiration from Om. Imbibe bliss from Om. Rely on Om. Reflect on Om. Meditate on Om.

Samadhi yoga @ newtown, what a wonderful studio!

Samadhi Yoga is a yoga and natural therapies centre in the heart of Newtown, Sydney, Australia. I did my Level I Teacher Training from Samadhi. It has changed my life, given me a new sense of direction. What makes Samadhi so "Special" is the Spiritual Approach it has to yoga. When u step inside the studio you feel the positive vibe. A beautiful Altar set in the centre of both studios make the experience even more calm & spiritual. The warm attitude of the lovely teachers make you feel welcomed & comfortable. Their genuine effort to remember your name is just admirable!. The inspring worshops, guest speakers & the monthly "Sadhana" provide you a whole new approach to yoga

During our wonderful training we had some very Knowledgeable speakers sharing their experiences and abundance of knowledge wih us. Samadhi also organised a beautiful 4 day retreat for us. A highly comprehensive training followed by some challenging exams, concluded by a stunning Graduation Ceremony!

A heart felt THANKS to all the teachers at Samadhi Yoga, especially the course teachers Katie Manitsas, Idit Tamir & Sarah Trestrail.


"Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bahavantu"
http://www.samadhiyoga.com.au/

Ayurveda- Beautiful herbs & their significance

What is Tulsi (Holy Basil)?

"The Queen of Herbs" - is the most sacred herb of India. Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), although also known as Holy Basil, is a different plant from the pesto variety of Basil (Ocimum basilicum). Tulsi has been revered in India for over five thousand years, as a healing balm for body, mind and spirit, and is known to bestow an amazing number of health benefits.

Teacher training Graduation @ Samadhi on 9th Nov'09

"NAMASTE" What does it mean?

"NAMASTE" used commonly by all indians and across the world in yoga classes, what does this beautiful sanskrit word mean. It means
"the divinity in me bows to the divinity in you"
or simply is
"i bow down to the divine in you"

Beautiful is n't it?

UPANISHADS- The truth about life, god & death!

Om bhadram no apivaataya manah.Om shantih, shantih, shantih" Meaning: Salutations! May my mind and all these (the body, senses, breath etc.) be good and well! Om peace, peace. peace! UPANISHADS What it means ? Lets break down this word. It derives from upa- (near), ni- (down) and sad (to sit), i.e. referring to the "sitting down near" a spiritual teacher (guru) in order to receive instruction in the Guru-shishya tradition. According to native authorities upanishad means 'setting at rest ignorance by revealing the knowledge of the supreme spirit..." What are Upanishads? •The Upanishads are chronologically the latest portions of the Vedas, the sacred texts of Hinduism. Because they are the final portions of the Vedas, they are also known as Vedanta, the end of the Vedas. Also the essence of Vedas. Vedas: The foundation scriptures of Hindus. Eternal truth revealed to great sages. Classification of Vedas- • Rig - General knowledge • Yajur – Knowledge of action • Saam – Knowledge of worship • Atharva – knowledge of science How old are they: •The earliest Upanishads, probably dating from 900 to 600 BC, later works have also been accepted from time to time as Upanishads. The essential teaching of Upanishads is the revelation of Highest Truth, i.e. there is one Reality as Absolute Consciousness, which is separate from our body-mind complex. This is called as God, Brahman, Self, Consciousness, or “Atman”. They teach the identity of the individual soul (atman) with the universal essence soul (Brahman). Upanishads deal with fundamental questions about existence, life, Creation, death, Post death life?, Spiritual meditation practices, etc. In the Chaandogya Upanishad it is said : In the beginning the world was just Being, one only, without a second.Then it thought to itself : "Would that I were many. Let me procreate myself". All this is verily Brahman. Brahman is that from which everything proceeds, that in which everything breathes and that in which everything is finally dissolved. Major Upanishads Ishaa – Philosophy of God and God realization Mandukya – Niraakaar(without form) aspect of god Prashna – Questions like root cause of universe, functioning of vital force of life Aitareya – Atman and births of atman are described Kaushitaki – Course for souls after death, doctrine of prana and moksha Katha – Q&A between Yama and Nachiketa Taittariya – Tells more about the creation of god Brhadaranyaka – Negation of all conceptions of self Chhandogya – Sacrifices and other forms of worship Kena – Sacrifices and other forms of worship Interesting Facts! •The essence of Vedas and upansihads is condensed into 700 concise shlokas. These provide a guidance to the science of self- realization. •The Upanishads have their own unique Style. Their description is in four different ways: Dialogue with questions and answers. Narration and episodes, stories. Metaphors and illustrations. Symbolism. Shanti Mantras are prayers for peace, in the Hindu Mythology. Shanti Mantras are also known as "Peace Mantras". Shanti Mantras form the part of Upanishads. From Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and Ishavasya Upanishad: "Om Poornamadah Poornamidam Poornat Poornamudachyate, Poornasya Poornamaadaya Poornamevavashishyate, Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih" Meaning: The literal meaning of this mantra is: "That is Absolute, This is Absolute, Absolute arises out of Absolute, If Absolute is taken away from Absolute, Absolute remains OM Peace, Peace, Peace". "Om Asato Maa Sadgamaya, Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya, Mrityor Maa Amritam Gamaya, Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih" Meaning: The accurate sense of this mantra is: "OM lead me from unreal to real, lead me from darkness to light, lead me from death to immortality OM Peace, Peace, Peace". From Taittiriya Upanishad: "Om Sham No Mitra Sham Varunah Sham No Bhavatvaryamaa, Sham Na Indro Brihaspatih Sham No Vishnururukramah, Namo Brahmane Namaste Vaayo Tvameva Pratyaksham, Brahmaasi Tvaameva Pratyaksham Brahma Vadishyaami, Rtam Vadishyaami Satyam Vadishyaami, Tanmaamavatu Tadvaktaaramavatu Avatu Maam Avatu Vaktaaram, Om Shantih Shantih Shantih" Meaning: This Mantra implies: "OM. May Mitra do good to us, may Varuna do good to us, may Aryama do good to us, may Indra do good to us, may Brihaspati do good to us, and may Vishnu who has vast coverage do good to us. We Salute Lord Brahma and Lord Vayu, the only visible Brahman. We say right, we say truth, may it protect us and may it protect teacher. OM Peace, Peace and Peace" References for Upanishads translations/study: Max Müller, Jayaram. V,Robert Ernest Hume, Shree Purohit Swami and W.B. Yeats, S .Radhakrishnan, Sri Aurobindo.

Vegetarianism- Respect all being " äll beings"!!!!

• 
  Essential Statistics To Know:
  More than 25 billion animals are killed each year for food in the United States. That statistic is staggering considering the fact that there are 6 billion human beings in the entire world. Eating meat takes an environmental toll that generations to come will be forced to pay. Take a look at these facts:
  
  -Raising animals for food causes m! ore water pollution in the U.S. than any other industry because animals raised for food produce 130 times the excrement of the entire human population---87,000 pounds per second! Much of the waste from factory farms and slaughterhouses flows into streams and rivers, contaminating water sources.
  
  -Each vegetarian saves an acre of trees every year! More than 260 million acres of U.S. forest have been cleared to grow crops to feed animals raised for meat, and another acre of trees disappears every eight seconds. The tropical rain forests are also being destroyed to create grazing land for cattle. Fifty-five square feet of rain forest may be razed to produce just one quarter-pound burger.
  
  -Of all raw materials and fossil fuels used in the U.S., more than one-third is used to raise animals for food. Producing a single hamburger patty uses enough fossil fuel to drive a small car twenty miles and enough water for seventeen showers.
  Of all agricultural land in the U.S., 87 percent is used to raise animals for food---that's 45 percent of the total landmass in the U.S.
  
  -More than half the water consumed in the U.S. is used to raise animals for food. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat, but only 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat. A totally vegetarian diet requires 300 gallons of water per day, while a meat-eating diet requires more than 4,000 gallons of water per day.
  
  -In the U.S., animals raised for food are fed more than 80 percent of the corn we grow and more than 95 percent of the oats. The world's cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people---more than the Earth's entire human population.
  
  
  "Nothing will benefit health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
  - ALBERT EINSTEIN
  
  
  "Animals suffer as much as we do...
  It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it".- DR. ALBERT SCHWEITZER