The seer of Gayatri mantra is Rishi Vishwamitra. His name means a friend to everyone, a friend of the universe. This is also the nature of Gayatri. She holds your hand during times of sadness, happiness, confusion, doubt, moral uncertainty, elation. The mantra will hold your hand through life because it awakens a light within that guides.
This light is an intelligence that illuminates your path. This is its reputation.
The mantra is named after its meter, a 24-syllable mantra with an eight-syllable rhythm, dedicated to that force that gives light to the sun. The mantra asks this force, this divinity, through its rhythm, to illuminate the mind and intelligence.
In the methodical and systematic study of mantra and meditation, Gayatri is imparted first because of this quality to illuminate. To illuminate is to shed light, which enables you to see things as they are.
Gayatri illuminates the path of a spiritual seeker by awakening inner intelligence , which in the vernacular is to awaken the inner teacher, the inner guru.
Learn, study and practice Gayatri mantra with Rajesh Rai which is offered over three stages by Poulstone Court Retreat and Meditation Centre.
· Stage 1: Learn to recite the Gayatri and chant the mantra 108 times in a group setting. This is done over 3 sessions of 1 hr each at Wellsprings House, Malvern WR14 4 PZ on 10 July, 17 July and 24 July 2026 at 6-7pm. Cost: Donation
· Stage 2: Learn to synchronise the mantra with the body, so the body becomes a temple for the practise of the mantra. This is done over 3 sessions of 1 hr each at Wellsprings House, Malvern WR14 4PZ. 10 July, 17 July and 24 July 2026 between 7-8pm. Cost: Donation
· Stage 3: Join us in a weekend retreat at Poulstone Retreat Centre, which brings stages 1 and 2 together in a systematic study of Gayatri, between 25-27 September 2026. Total cost, full board and teaching over 2 days £151 incl of VAT.
The Gayatri course is part of the “Illuminate the Mind and Shine Series” offered at Poulstone Court. Rajesh begun his systematic practice of the Mantra over 25 years ago and shares his experience in this series.
The Himalayan Institute (HI) in Pennsylvania, USA conducted a 6 month long Maha Sri Yaga in Khajuraho, India from September 2025 to March 2026.
Put simplistically, it was a time to combine human effort with the spirit of nature and access the sacred. Now. At this time of great need.
People had the opportunity to participate and contribute in person via a 15 day fire offering that occurred monthly.
What follows is a personal recollection of my visit. That, which is currently available to me. As with all life changing experiences, the experience continues.
Looking back on October 2025, by Divya Dhasmana
How does one describe an experience?
How does one describe an elevated feeling with mundane language?
It is impossible.
Poets perhaps succeed.
I am not a poet.
But I will try.
One word.
Sri.
As that was my whole world in the three weeks there. I shall return to Sri in due course.
First, allow me to set the scene.
The campus in central India is simplicity, beauty and elegance. In all its roles. From fulfilling a Maha Yaga practice, to providing gifts to the staff, or joyously celebrating Diwali or a birthday party for a five year old earth soul.
The grass is green and cared for, the borders neat. The expansive banyan tree at the entrance shares and spreads her majestic branches generously, allowing shelter and companionship to humans and cows of the campus. The smaller banyan tree of the 64 yoginis and Mother Matangi is distinctly conspicuous adjacent to the Shrine. An other worldly space. Very singular.
The cows hold their heads high. They look comfortable and own their space.
The coloured birds perch on display, or fly by, and sing their songs.
The flowers radiate their vibrance and life force. Orange marigolds. Lots and lots, rows and rows of marigolds. Magenta hibiscus, pink honeysuckle, yellow oleander. Nature standing tall, lining the footpaths. As it does our lives.
Overlooking all of us during the practice was Mother Divine, looking down, guarding, protecting, watching, loving.
For me, the day began early in the dark (my room partner was up an hour earlier still!) to exercise either on the roof of the building or when it rained, in the sheltered practice hall in front of the main house. I shared the space with a meditator or two, shrouded in silent prayer.
Just before 6, I would save a cup of chai in my room to drink later, then hastily make my way for 6 am prayers. Fortunately, I would just make it in time for the first bell. Others would be in the sadhana chamber already, preparing their breath for prayers. My practice then began, first in the sadhana chamber, then on the roof adjacent to the Havan Kund, in the sun facing Ma. The entrance of the Shrine, the Maha Mandapa contains the wisdom of Sri Vidya, the sadhana chamber the vibration of her unconditional love, and all through the campus is her breath.I felt genuinely nourished by the 15-day Maha Yaga practice. There was a force that motivated and moved one to participate. No inertia. Of course, the physical food was no different. Bright colours (esp the purple homegrown dragon fruit) on a plate satisfied all layers of senses. Meeraji’s nourishing hand was everywhere to be felt. The chatter over meals was explorative and friendly. Panditji’s late morning lecture would follow on most days. Sometimes a circuitous route (because how DO you convey an experience…) but always the transference of that something which lit the fire inside. To want more. To be more.
Then followed the group Sri Sukta practice of 30 recitations. The first day I counted and lost track. The second I kept track but ended up exceeding the count. The third day I correctly counted. Vasanas. Then in the days following I stopped counting and tried to be.
The afternoons were generally free. Sometimes friendly yoga. Then chai and Indian snacks at teatime to break the day. I loved the chai and snacks! I would then return to a period of practice before the evening group Havan. Occasionally I would eat the evening meal if I felt hungry. For someone who is usually always hungry, it was a refreshing surprise not to crave food. Havan was a chance to offer the sacred into the fire of deities who transformed it and dispersed it as appropriate to replenish depleted mother nature. Offering. Giving. Listening. Grateful. (It strikes me that I am able to write the least about the most significant part of the 3 week practice. So much more to learn…) Panditji would also reach out to someone at the end of the practice and discuss something seemingly everyday. But actually he was touching those who needed it. He always knew when and how.
It really felt like an ashram. A place to practice, to connect with the divine without and within. Like a hive, there is a large team of people who work quietly with vigour, behind the scenes, to keep the physical aspects just so. They are respectful whilst performing their duties. Serenity pervades. The kind that results from powerful vibrations that only nature provides. This is a place where dimensions are experienced.
The vibration changed noticeably when the practice ended. The space closed. I yearned to stay and wept in front of the banyan tree. She told me my time there was complete. My job was out there in the world. Not here. I was to go.
And so, I did. Changed. Yes. Alive to my inner world. Yes. Ready for the outer world. Certainly not. But that was the job. To bridge the two. A whole lifetime spent not wanting to wear the badges of the world but feeling that I should. A turning away from the inner world, which was pulling, but not receiving. In limbo. A foot in either world and a heart in only one. A heart that I didn’t make time for. Stuck. It meant that things had to change going forward.
And so, life continues. I make myself sit down daily and breathe and practice. I search in nature for other ways to access consciousness. I try and remember.
Sri
Back to Sri.
Always back to Sri.
I see her smiling, resting, being.
She radiates fullness, ripeness, a dew-covered rosebud at dawn.
Gloriously confident in her being, beautiful, tingly, alive, vibrant, thrilling, quietly glowing. All is present simultaneously.
To me. For now.
Forever changed and forever changing.
I am indescribably (again) grateful to the Himalayan Tradition and its custodians for lighting my cobblestoned path. For adding glitter and glow, warmth and wisdom, curiosity and exploration and a reason to truly BE.
Please visit this sacred space. Click here to visit the HI Khajuraho website.
As is said by HI – on a T-shirt I have!
‘Join the practice
Change the world’
HI at Poulstone:
If you are already familiar with HI, come to an August gathering for a Sri Sukta practice weekend at Poulstone. Contact divya@poulstone for more information.
If you want to find out more, come to join a series of events that we are organising. Contact rajesh@poulstone for further information.
Join in at Poulstone
If you want visit or volunteer at Poulstone, do get in touch.
Mother Tree Mornings occur on Fridays, and involve gardening, coffee and cakes! Contact divya@poulstone to learn more.
Over the years I have been compiling a list of films to watch for spiritual inspiration. The following are my current top nine. They have religious themes, uplift the spirit and remind those on the search for truth, don’t give up. The road may be arduous but worth travelling. Hope they inspire.
1.Marcelino Pan y vino 1955 (Spanish, director Ladislao Vajda novel by Jose Silva) (available on U Tube)
A week old baby is abandoned outside a Franciscan monastery. The film is about a playful child who is cared for by some very patient monks. A tender movie with a great soundtrack and a story of how monks raising a child witness the miracle of innocence. It won the best film award at the Berlin International film festival in 1955. The film is simply told but surprisingly moving.
2. Shirdi ke Sai Baba 1977 (Written and directed Ashok V Bhushan, original language Hindi) (available Zee5, U tube)
Screenshot
A biographical film about the life of Sai Baba of Shirdi. This biopic gives Sai Baba a Bollywood musical makeover. The result, Sai Baba is now part of the popular imagination of India. The film’s devotional songs can be heard in many of India’s temples and the movie is a masala mix of jealousy, anger, poverty, love, compassion, miracles – the whole gambit. Sudhir Dalvi’s portrayal of Sai living a life of simplicity is iconic. The film retains throughout the essence of a giant in India’s spiritual legacy, but whose humility will not allow that to be said about him. Genius.
3.Baba’ Aziz 2005 (Writer and director Nacer Khemir original language Tunisian Arabic)(Available U Tube -English subtitles)
A Tunisian film on themes of Islamic mysticism and Sufism set in, what must be, the Sahara Desert. It is a sublime film with a number of stories intertwined into a central story. The central story is of an old blind dervish, travelling with his young granddaughter to a dervish gathering in the desert. The desert provides an otherworldly framework to the storytelling, adding to the mystical quality of the film that asks its audience to see with their hearts. I assume, the reason the aged dervish is portrayed as blind. The script writing is crafted throughout with metaphors, singing, dervish dancing. Dialogue such as “ the people of this world are like three butterflies in front of a candle flame. The first one went closer and said: I know about love. The second one touched the flame lightly with his wing. I know how love’s fire can burn. The third one threw himself into heart of the flame and was consumed. He alone knows what true love is.” A must watch with a transcendental ending.
4. Spring Summer Autumn Winter and Spring (2003) (Korean)(director Kim Ki-Duk) (available on Amazon)
An elegant film set in a remote mountain lake where, like a swan, a tiny Buddhist monastery gracefully floats on a raft surrounded by breathtaking landscape. The master and his student are the central characters living in an idyllic setting but the student wants to experience more. Seasons march relentlessly with time but are more forgiving. An exceptional film with cinematography that inspires the spirit. Very little is said in the telling of the story, yet the story is told. Exceptional.
5. The Song of Bernadette 1943 (director Henry King, novel written by Franz Werfel (available on Amazon)
The film tells the true story of Bernadette and her miraculous visions of “Our lady in Lourdes” in 1858, now the religious shrine at Lourdes. Bernadette began having visions at the age of 14. The Virgin Mother, adorned with gold roses on both feet, asked Bernadette to visit her 15 times. Bernadette had 18 visions in total and was canonised by the church in 1876. The portrayal of St Bernadette by Jennifer Jones is mesmerising and won her an Oscar for best actress, The film has a stupendous cast, which includes Vincent Price and William J. Cob. The film in total won 4 Oscars. It is a thought provoking film, simply told, dealing with issues of spiritual dogma, suffering and faith, humility and a naive faith of a young girl that melts the scepticism of the orthdoxy and the elites. Definitely worth a watch. It has inspired me to visit Lourdes.
6. Bhagavan Ramakrishna Dev 1955 (director Prafulla Chakraborty, original language Bengali)( Available U Tube)
A biographical film on Sri Ramakrishna, arguably one of the greatest spiritual Indian adepts of the 20th century. He is the guru of the legendary Vivekanada. Kanu Bannejee’s acting, who plays the part of Sri Ramakrishna, is filled with such spiritual intensity, that the portrayal verges on insanity. It’s a spiritually intoxicating performance and film. This film depicts some of the spiritual paths Sri Ramakrishna mastered and the great teachers who were drawn to guide him on these paths. A film depicting a remarkable period of spiritual accomplishments by one of the greats.
7. The King of Kings 1961 (Directed by Nicholas Ray) (available on Apple TV, Prime)
A Hollywood epic on the life of Jesus of Nazareth with Orson Welles narrating the “greatest story ever told”. I chose this film because of the sermon on the mount scene. The sermon is given with such conviction by Jeffrey Hunter, who plays the part of Jesus, that I defy any searcher not to be moved by it. Its message remains universal. 700 extras were used filming this scene, as if angels were watching in awe and giving volume to a sermon that wrote history. The film was made at the tail end of the era of Hollywood’s epic cinema. A great film reminding, in the Hollywood way, of a message that is relevant now as it was 2000 years ago – peace and love.
8. Master of Zen 1994 (Hong Kong, director and writer Brandy Yuen, original language Chinese and dubbed into English)(available on U Tube)
The film is about the life and legend that is Bodi Dharma. Bodhi Dharma introduced Buddhism to China from India, he is the founder of Zen Buddhism and founder of Shaolin Temple. The genre of the film is 70’s Chinese martial art cinema with fantastical English dubbing (at times in east end accents). All said, the film, through the cartoon like exaggerations of the genre, explain the larger than life and legendary achievements of Bodhi Dharma. Bodhi Dharma made the unbelievable believable, such were his feats, for this reason, the film just works.
9. Satyam Shivam Sundaram (truth, divinity and beauty) 1978 (Indian, director Raj Kapoor, written by Jainendra Jain (Available Amazon UK)
This musical film is directed by one of the greatest entertainers of Indian cinema, Raj Kapoor. Its lead actors, Zeenat Aman and Shashi Kapoor are legends of Indian 60s, 70s and 80s cinema. The musical director is the great Lamixant – Pyrelal and the greatest singers of Indian cinema, Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh, are the film’s playback singers. Together, they use this art form to tell you that beauty is truth, it transcends form, it is divine, without blemish, it is eternal.
A father and daughter sing devotional songs in a temple but the girl suffers horrible disfigurement to one side of her face in a freak accident. She continues to sing songs in the temple but covers up the disfigured part of her face until someone falls in love with her. The songs in the film have become part of both the spiritual and popular fabric of Indian culture. This is the achievement of the film. It seems to have blurred many lines, including the boundary between what is a religious film and a film for popular culture. There was outrage when the film was first released because of the erotic and suggestive nature of the film. Under it all though, it is as if a female celestial nymph that was carved into a stone column of an Indian temple, came to life to teach through aesthetic beauty, drama and song – truth is divine, divine is beauty and beauty is truth. The title of the film.
A remarkable film that confronts many boundaries of 70s Indian culture and spirituality.
Mantra is a friend that will hold your hand through times of turmoil, through times of joy and to the other side of life itself. The sound of the universe and the sound of the individual is the same. Mantra reveals this connection. Learn meditation techniques and engage with philosophies and ancient writings that describe the relationship between sound, the individual, the universe and more.
Join us on a journey of friendship with sounds that transcends life itself.
“The Yoga of Connecting Mind and Sound” is part of the Illuminate the Mind and Shine series first shared in 2012.
Prana exists and mind is prana that knows it exists.
The connection between Mind and Breath and their relationship to Prana is at the heart of yoga. Learn meditation techniques and engage with philosophies and ancient writings that have been pondering and experiencing this relationship.
Join us and and experience the very nature of life.
“The Yoga of Connecting Mind and Breath” is part of the Illuminate the Mind and Shine series first shared in 2012.
Mind has formed the habit of being somewhere else to where it is. Learn meditation techniques and engage with philosophies and ancient writings, which have pondered the nature of the most mysterious of mysteries and bringing it home, back to its nature of pure joy and bliss.
“Bringing the Mind Home” is part of the Illuminate the Mind and Shine series first shared in 2012.
About 10 years ago, whilst visiting Varanasi, one of the main ancient sacred sites of India, I came upon a sadhu who was sitting at a ghat overlooking the river Ganges. He had taken refuge on a walkway on the ghat. He had set up a small stall with pictures of the heroes of the epic poem the Ramayana displayed on the walls behind him and in front of him.
This sadhu was reading out aloud to himself Valmiki’s epic poem, the Ramayan, which he had placed on a bureau in front of him. He was absorbed in his recitation. He was not performing to anyone. My only real recollection of him, save for the usual beard one would expect of a sadhu and age, was his plastic framed spectacles, repaired by sticky tape, which he kept adjusting as they were too big for him. He looked up and noticed me, he smiled. I took this as an invitation to begin a conversation with him. I asked how long he had been reciting the Ramayana. He said, he has been reciting the Ramayan for over 30 years. He explained, this is where he has been living for these years and he spends his time reciting the epic. He lives off donations which he regards as blessings coming from the epic regardless of who makes the donation, and if nothing is given, then that also is a blessing from the epic. He has been reciting the Ramayana, every day for over 30 years.
Ghat at Varanasi on the Ganges
I asked the obvious question, why? He responded, the whole meaning of life is contained within this epic, you don’t have to go anywhere because everywhere is in this epic. It has the capacity to liberate, it provides contentment, all emotions of life can be experienced within this epic and it explains how to live life with integrity and to place trust in the divinity that is life.
wedding of Rama and Sita. original painting by Dhiresh Kukreiti
The Ramayana is one of the foundational mythical text that articulates the culture of India. Originally written by Valmiki and made even more popular by Tulsidas in his version of the Ramayana called the Ramchitra Manas. Yuval Noah Harari in his book “Nexus”, explains these stories lay the foundation for all large scale human cooperation and many nations are conceived in the imagination of poets. The Ramayana is precisely that in India. Imagine, many thousands of years after the Ramayan was first written, it gripped the nation of India, when in 1987-1988, a seventy-eight episode of the Ramayan ran on tv. It was the most watched tv series in the world with more than 650 million viewers.
The story is about a king, his four sons the oldest of whom is Rama, who is exiled from his Kingdom for 14 years. The Ramayana is the story of Rama and his exploits during the fourteen year exile. It follows his life, that of his wife, Sita and brother Lakshman, during this exile and his eventual return to his kingdom. During this exile, they journey to many ashrams of legendary sages, provide protection to searchers of truth and then fight an epic war with Ravana, the King of Lanka, who kidnaps Sita.
Rama meets many heroes in his journey including the much-loved Hanuman, the mighty son of the wind God.
trail of Rama by Kaushik Rai
At the moment I am travelling to London Paddington station by train and writing this blog. It is the 31 October 2024. It is also the beginning of Diwali, the festival of lights which falls on the new moon night, the darkest night of the lunar cycle, in October/November.
Diwali celebrates the homecoming and coronation of Rama and Sita and their retinue. This always surprises me. I imagine such a popular festival should celebrate the defeat of Ravana by Rama which is regarded as the defeat of forces of evil by forces of good. To put in the vernacular, the defeat of the forces of adharma by forces of dharma.
It is instructive that Diwali celebrates the return of Rama, Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman and the warriors of the epic Ramayan back to their kingdom from which they were exhiled. It also celebrates the coronation of Rama, which takes place when he arrives. It is a celebration of the return of dharma, that which is aligned to truth. Rama’s return and coronation is described in the last chapter of Tulsidas’s Ramayana, titled “Uttarakand”.
Uttarakand describes how the whole kingdom celebrates Rama’s return. He arrives in Kubera’s aerial chariot. Kubera is the God of wealth. Tulsidas in his Ramayan, and forgive the translation I am following, describes “how citizens greeted Rama with gold plates containing curds, durva grass, yellow sacred pigment fruits and young leaves of sacred tulsi plant, the root of all blessings. The sky was obscured by showers of flowers and people placed at their doors, vases of gold and picturesly (sic) decorated articles. Everyone prepared and set festoons, flags, all to make a glad show. All the streets were sprinkled with perfume and scented water and squares were decorated. Kettledrums were sounded in the skies. Chariots, horses and elephants were readied for Rama. The city became a mine of beauty. The people were transported with joy at the sight of Rama. He appeared in countless forms and in this way miraculously met everybody in an appropriate manner.”
The benefits of reading this chapter are described by Tulsidas, which are dependent on the personality of the reader. Tulsidas praises Rama as the lord of the birds and states that reading this chapter, “purifies the heart and rids one of desire, anger and greed (the threefold afflictions) and also rids the fear of birth and death. The qualities of dispassion and discernment are acquired.”
“For those with some interested motive, it gives happiness and prosperity of every kind and for those passionate ones, they obtain devotion and ever-increasing prosperity.”
Even nature prostrates itself where there is Rama, who epitomises integrity and right living. “Mountains bring light to their mines revealing jewels of every description. Every river starts carrying excellent waters, oceans keep within their boundaries and scatter jewels on their shores for men to gather.”
The Ramayana is scripture and whether you read it metaphorically or literally, it is inspired by deep thought and as such taken to be revealed insight.
Diwali is also associated with inviting the goddess of prosperity Lakshmi into your home and driving away her counterpart, Alakasmi – poverty.
Candles are lit on the darkest night of the month, fireworks set alight to cast away negativity, bonfires lit, homes decluttered, the kitchen larder is filled with rice, flour, grains and homes are decorated, by colourful patterns known as Rangoli. These attract prosperity and drive away poverty in all its forms.
The central themes of Diwali centre on Rama and his return and on Goddess Lakshmi. There is a connection Tulsidas makes in his final chapter with Sita, the wife of Rama, and Goddess Lakshmi. They are one and the same. Goddess Lakshmi is Sita and Sita is Goddess Lakshmi.
Insight about Diwali and its meaning can be found in other festivals celebrated around the same time. Other festivals include Halloween, Mexico’s day of the dead, which celebrates ancestors and Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. In 2024, halloween, samhain, day of the dead are celebrated on Diwali day.
They all occur around the new moon, at the end of the summer months, end of harvest and beginning of the winter months. This is a significant inflection point in nature. One can either indulge in the coming darkness or be reminded of one’s own light during this period. Joining in the celebrations around Rama’s homecoming breath into one’s reality the myth of Rama and Sita.
It is a system of renewal done through celebration at a time when nature is going to sleep. Goddess Lakshmi is invited. Alakashmi is driven away. This is through, and putting it at its most elemental, improving flow, rejuvenation, illumination, colour, joy. These are some of the constituent elements of the archetype of the Goddess of prosperity.
Celebration drives away poverty in all its forms during this inflection point when hibernation settles in.
The Rig Veda, the most ancient of the worlds scriptures has in its concluding cluster of mantras known as the Khailakani Suktani, a sixteen mantric hymn dedicated to Sri, otherwise known as the goddess Lakshmi. The hymn is dedicated to prosperity and called Sri Sukta.
Mantra three of Sri Sukta describes the fanfare that attends Goddess Lakshmi’s arrival. The idea is similar to the arrival of Rama and Sita and their retinue into their kingdom described in the last chapter of the Ramayan.
Mantra three of Sri Sukta is translated as “I invoke Sri, along with her retinue, with horses in the front and a chariot in the centre; her arrival is announced by the trumpeting of elephants. May Devi, the shining being, engage me in her service as she pleases”. This translation is taken from the subliminal exposition of the hymn by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait (Phd) in his book “Sri Sukta”.
Mantra eight of the Sri Sukta, espouses illumination, light and colour as destroying inner and outer poverty. Celebration in light, in glory, in joy removes inner and outer poverty.
The sadhu sitting on the ghats of the Ganges in Varanasi, who has dedicated his life to reciting the Ramayana, lives in the universe of the Ramayana. It is his living reality and an explanation of life. He views the world through the lens of the Ramayana. His spectacles may be repaired by sticky tape but they allow him to see a reality which explains life to him.
Diwali day, and for this day, dedicated to staying in one’s light and celebrating the arrival of Rama and Goddess Lakshmi into one’s life, that is where I will be.
I am greeted by an army brass band as I arrive into London Paddington. The brass band are raising funds in remembrance of the end of the First World War, but in my mind and viewing the world through my diwali spectacles, I have fanfare greeting my arrival by carriage. Then at Paddington, I am met by a Mexican troup of guitar players celebrating the day of the dead. I am celebrating with fanfare, bringing the myth of Diwali and Lakshmi alive today.
Happy Diwali – may it bring even more light, love and prosperity.
The practice of Traataka – candle gazing, is a centering practice for the Mind in times of external and internal turmoil. It is a practice that helps a distracted mind and practically speaking and in my view, it is great practice for those lost in social media and the blue light of their computer.
Traataka is a reputed to be a helpful practice for emotional disturbance, giving focus and working out what really is going on. It is a simple practice but at is the case with many simple practices, it is a profound practice.
Traataka described simply is gazing at a candle flame without blinking.
Don’t go beyond your capacity. Sitting about three feet away from the flame, you may wish to start with 3 minutes and then after about 5 days increase this to 6 minutes then 5 days later 9 minutes until you can stare at the candle flame without blinking for 15 minutes.
There is one caveat to not blinking and that if tears begin to flow from the eye/s, gently close the eye lids, wipe the tears and imagine the candle flame deep in the forehead space, in the “minds eye”. When the image begins to disappear, open your eyes and continue staring at the candle flame.
It is an excellent practice for focus, determination. and dealing with a distracted mind, its gives great peace to a disturbed mind and literally “lightens” the mind.
The essence of the practice is people do not see what is in front of them. What they see is coloured by their viewpoints and thoughts that come and go. When people first start this practice they do not really see the candle flame although that is what they are staring at – in other words they are not present to the flame. They are only present to the movie clips of the mind. This practice allows you to pierce through the movie of the mind and introduces you to your own light.
This practice brings peace and light to the mind reminding it of its intrinsic nature, “Jyotishaam jyotirekam”, the light of all lights. This idea is taken from the Siva Sankalpa Sukta from the Yajurveda (translation from the Himalayan Institute)
“ the Mind wonders far and wide when it is awake and returns to itself in sleep. May My mind, that is the one light of all lights be filled with suspicious thoughts”
Traataka is a foundational practice for many advanced practices. You can add to the practice by adding a mantra such as So Hum or combining this mantra with breath or do japa of Gayatri mantra.
This practice is contra indicated if you have cataracts, myopia glaucoma, astigmatism or epilepsy. If in doubt please consult with your yoga teacher.
Navraatri, 9 nights dedicated to the divine mother
In 2023 Navraatri celebrations start 15 October 2023 and end 24 October 2023
I was asked the question what can we do to acclimatise to the changing season? It inspired me to share what I do during a special period called Navrātri, which starts in autumn.
Navrātri means nine nights and is a period which occurs at least twice in a year; when winter turns to summer (Spring Navrātri) and when summer turns to winter (Autumn Navrātri). Navrātri is based on the lunar cycle, so start and end dates vary from year to year.
The Spring Navrātri is called the Vasanta Navarātra and occurs in the lunar month of Caitra (March-April). It starts on the 1st day of the bright fortnight and ends on or after the 9th night.
The autumn Navrātri , called Sarannavarātra, occurs in the lunar month of Aasvina (Sept-Oct). It starts on the 1st day of the bright fortnight and ends on or after the 9th night. In fact the day after Navrātri, the 10th day is called Vijayadasami (day of victory).
The Navraatri period and Vijayadasami is celebrated throughout the Indian sub-continent and amongst its diaspora.
This is a spiritually charged period. It is a great time to replenish, to deepen and recommit to meditative practices and give attention to the body, mind, spirit matrix.
Tremendous change occurs in nature during the transition periods from winter to summer and from summer to winter. From summer to winter, it gets colder, evenings and mornings are darker, the earth and nature begins a period of conservation. A period of abundance, growth gives way to a period of hibernation and restoration.
The peak period of this transitioning in nature is said to occur during these 9 days called Navrātri.
If there is no change in habits to accommodate for the new season then colds and illnesses tend to follow. Our inherent intelligence knows of the change occurring in the fabric of nature but our senses hold onto habits of the last season. We need to attune spiritually, mentally and physically to this change.
I was introduced to Navrātri in or around 1997 by my partner’s family. Although my family celebrated the day after Navrātri called Vijaydasaami (also known as Dussehra), the celebrations around Navrārti were new to me. Many people in India commit to a Vrat, a fast and eat one sattvic meal a day and recite an esoteric hymn called the “Durga Saptashati otherwise called the Devi Mahātmyam”. This can be translated as 700 verses to the divine female force in the form of Durga – a hymn to the divine feminine. This practice is common in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas.
Other parts of India celebrate this period in their own unique way. For example, in Bengal elaborate rituals are invoked to different facets of the feminine and in Gujarat, it is celebrated by dressing up and dancing throughout the night. This dance is known as Navrātri Gharba which is filled with colour, activity, music and dances with small sticks.
For whatever reason, I started to discipline my diet for these 9 days. I allowed myself one meal a day, usually a vegetarian khichari (see below for the recipe). My Navrātri practice has evolved since 1997. In this time I have experimented with the practice and in the process have had a glimpse into the spiritual relevance of this period, which is filled with the energy of transformation.
The Navrātri period is infused with change. The attribute of this change, the latency of the change, the causal connection through which change occurs is an energetic force known as Shakti. Shakti, simply translated is power, force or energy. It has many forms, it can be vibrant, nurturing, beautiful, compassionate, peaceful, intelligent, intense. By attuning into this change in the season, we can have a glimpse into the nature of the force, to its latent power and to its energy.
Nature is singing a hymn giving praise to this energy, which restores and then nourishes the period in preparation for the next Navrātri. It is a hymn whose rhythm is captured in the Durga Saptasati. The Durga Saptashati is an esoteric text multi layered with meaning with the potential to spiritually transform the deepest layers of the psyche. Rather like letting go of habits of the last season, and prepare for the new season, we are reminded to let go of habits that no longer serve our growth.
Navrātri is a great time to give the body a break, and allow body, mind and spirit to align and rejuvenate.
Commit to a meditative practice during this period and become aware of what is happening; the changing colours of nature, how plants cease their external growth, to the changing habits of animals, to the skies, the wind and to your own energies and give it some space to breath.
Following a practice during this period gives insight into the practical applications of Ayurveda, Tantra, Yoga and develops intuition. It allows one to be in touch with the forces of nature.
Below is very small part of an abridged translated verse from my favourite portion of the Durga Saptashati.
To that divine feminine force that manifests itself as wisdom, I welcome and give homage and respect,
To that divine feminine force that manifests itself as abundance, I welcome and give homage and respect,
To that divine feminine force that manifests itself as strength, I welcome and give homage and respect,
To that divine feminine force that manifests itself as faith, I welcome and give homage and respect,
To that divine feminine force that manifests itself as compassion, I welcome and give homage and respect,
To that divine feminine force that manifests itself as peace, I welcome and give homage and respect,
Peace, Peace Peace
Kichadi recipe for Navrātri
My staple dish throughout the Navrātri period is Kitchadi/Kichari. It forms the core of Ayurvedic nutritional healing as the food is easily digested and also draws out impurities from the body.
As a child, I recall my grandmother would always make either a dish called sondh (a sabzi made up of ginger) or what I now know to be Kichadi. The sondh recipe I use is a panacea for cold or flu but Kichadi is an all-round gentle dish ideal for promoting healing and to help with any detoxification programme.
Rice and Daal slowly cooked together with gentle spices forms the basic kitchadi dish. The range of spices used differs depending on what you wish to achieve. You can have kichadis, for example, that improves digestion, lung function, liver function, those that cool and so on. This Kichadi recipe is designed to aid digestion.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds 2 teaspoons ghee or Oil (sunflower or cold pressed organic rapeseed)
Gobekli Tepe means “pot belly” and it was, until recently, the name of a hill located in the South-Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It is now the name of an extraordinary discovery buried in the belly of the hill.
About 30 years ago, excavations began at Gobekli Tepe revealing a megalithic settlement dating back 12,000 years. The whole site covers an area of about 12 football pitches and the structures are so old and monumental, they are changing our understanding of civilization.
Gobekli Tepe is now described as humanity’s first temple. It consists of limestone T shaped pillars arranged in a a number of circular enclosures built over a period of a 1000 years. The pillars have mysterious symbols of wild animals carved on them. At the centre of each enclosure are two large megaliths, about 6 metres in height with human like figures engraved on them.
A visitor centre constructed a 2-minute drive from the site, whose modernity juxtaposes the ancient structure showing how far civilization has developed in its art and craft, plays a 2 minute video about the site explaining
“.. A new theory begins to emerge, opening a unique window into our very early spiritual world. The carved human like pillars may represent gods. Animals may be totems or protectors. And a vulture like bird, lifting what could be a disembodied head into the air may hint at ritualised sky burials. The evidence points to Gobekli Tepe as the world’s first known sanctuary. Multiple temples were built over the course of 1000 years, forming an ancient cult centre, bringing people from across the region together for worship”
In 2018 Gobleki was granted UNESCO world heritage status because “The communities that built the monumental megalithic structures of Göbekli Tepe lived during one of the most momentous transitions in human history, one which took us from hunter-gatherer lifeways to the first farming communities. The monumental buildings at Göbekli Tepe demonstrate the creative human genius of these early (Pre-Pottery Neolithic) societies.”
The region around Gobekli Tepe is also seeped with ancient myth and includes the city of Harran, designed in the shape of a crescent moon and regarded as the sacred city of the moon god “Sin”. Other ancient cities including Mardin, Batman, Dyabakir are within 100 km of Gobekli Tepe, all containing memories of ancient pagan belief systems.
The nearest city to Gobekli is Urfa aka Sanlurfia and fabled as the city of prophets. It is reputed to be the birthplace of Abraham, father of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions. You can visit the cave where Abraham was born and listen to the gentle and mesmerising dhikr recited daily at the site.
Similar sites to Gobleki have also been found within 100km of Gobleki and include Hamzen Tepe, Sefer Tepe, Tasli Tepe, Sefere Tepe, Tasli Tepe, Kurt Tepe. They are collectively known as Turkey’s pyramids but built 7000 years before the Egyptian pyramids and 6000 years before Stonehenge. The Turkey pyramids are opening a window into an era and belief systems where even the memory of civilization had been lost.
Gobekli Tepe was discovered because of a mulberry tree that stands silently on top of “the pot belly” hill. It was known as the wish tree and people have been going there to make wishes since, it is claimed, ancient times. Locals would travel to the top of Gobekli Tepe and tie a ribbon around branches of this tree or make sacrifices under the tree. The locals believed this tree granted wishes, especially to those who could not have children. It was a tree of fertility. It was on one of these visits that a worshipper uncovered some sculptures in the buried site.
Nature’s ability to hold memory is astounding. This tree held the remnants of a memory many, many, many, thousands of years old of a magnificent place of worship, buried by time.
Locals would go to pay respect to this wish tree, not knowing that this tree stood on an ancient place of worship. They did not know why this tree, and no doubt trees that stood in the same place before this tree, were regarded as fertility/wish tree.
I travelled to Gobekli Tepe recently with Divya to fulfil a long-held wish to visit the oldest temple in the world, which I first read about in an article in National Geographic titled The Birth of Religion in 2011. I also wished to visit the surrounding heritage and to pay respect to this remarkable tree, which kept, in its own way, the memory of Gobekli alive.
Whilst sitting under this tree I was struck by the capacity of nature to hold information in its very fabric. Under this tree, whilst looking out across the plain, my eyes ran along to the horizon. They were met by the sky and experiencing the silence filling the space between the sky and plains, I was reminded of a peace mantra that pays homage to peace in the very fabric of the elements of nature.
The peace mantra is to be found in the Yajur Veda, one of the four books of the Vedas written many thousands of years ago.
The peace mantra is an ode acknowledging peace in the elements of nature. These elements hold humanity. The voices of conflict have the capacity to drown out peace, rather like Gobleki being covered for many thousands of years. This mantra is a reminder, rather like the mulberry wish tree, that peace is omnipresent. Nature is pervaded by it. It’s in the vastness of the sky, in the stillness and flow of water, in the capacity of space to be everywhere and be filled, in the earth’s ability to digest and give life to plants and in turn, their ability to nourish.
The mantra is a reminder of peace, and if you do not see it, where to find it.
shanti, shanti, shantih
If you would like to know how to recite this mantra in sanskrit, follow this link (The Peace Mantra at Gobekli Teppe wish fulfilling tree)
They all occur around the new moon, at the end of the summer months, end of harvest and beginning of the winter months. This is a significant inflection point in nature. One can either indulge in the coming darkness or be reminded of one’s own light during this period. Joining in the celebrations around Rama’s homecoming breath into one’s reality the myth of Rama and Sita.
