I dedicate this page to the truth, the divine and the meaning of life

SADHANA, spiritual practice in traditional sense

“Act now. Live now. Know now. Realize now. Be happy now.

Every death is a reminder. Every bell that rings says, "The end is near". Every day robs off from you one part of your precious life. Therefore, you should be very earnest in plunging yourself in constant Sadhana. Never fall a victim to fruitless regret. Today is the best day. Today is the day of your new birth. Start Sadhana now. With folded palms, bid good-bye to past mistakes and faults. You have learnt your lessons. March forward now with new hope, determination, and vigilance. Waver not. Fear not. Doubt not. Do something substantial in the path of Sadhana instead of wasting your time in idle pursuits and lethargy. You have infinite strength within you. There is a vast reservoir of power within you. Therefore, do not lose heart. Obstacles are stepping stones to success. They will develop your will. Do not allow yourself to be crushed by them. Defects remind you of perfection. Sin reminds you of virtue. Chose the positive path…You will enjoy the everlasting peace of the Eternal.”

(Sri Swami Sivananda, “Bliss Divine”)

And now I want to introduce you to traditional SADHANAS

that mean a lot to me personally...

I would like to start with the most important sadhana: meditation. Osho, my beloved Guruji, always said that every true change begins with meditation. A person in meditation can not kill. He can not hurt anyone. He will always live in the sense of nature, the exitence.

meditation

“Meditation is a state of no-mind. Meditation is a state of pure consciousness with no content.” OSHO

In the nature. Rippling water, a slight breeze, surrounded by warmth. The eyes closed. First, I still feel my body, perceive the environment. After a while, I feel connected to everything that surrounds me. I feel light. And suddenly there is no "outside" anymore. My inner journey begins. I do not do anything, I do not think anymore, I do not feel anymore - that's the moment when the energy moves to my center. There, where I really am, but also where I no longer exist. The state of meditation is not easy to describe. You can only experience meditation. Every word does not speak the truth.

Meditation can happen anywhere. Even in the city, surrounded by noise. I find that rather difficult. I prefer the meditative mood at home in my sacred room or in nature.

And then in the style of ZEN:

“Just sitting silently,doing nothing,the spring comes and the grass grows by itself”

The important thing is: I have to be patient and expect nothing. Some days it's hard to let go of thoughts. But there are techniques that are used before the actual meditation. For example, I sing mantras or go first into the sphere of Likhita Japa. As a neo-sannyasin from the world of Osho, of course, I am also aware of the dynamic meditations. I myself prefer Kundalini meditation. First, I shake myself for 15 minutes, then I dance wildly for 15 minutes, followed by 15 minutes just sitting and then 15 minutes lying in the “savasana” asana. After that I am as liberated and ready for silence.

Meditation leads me to inner peace, harmony and self-love.

My beloved Guruji, Osho, describes the way to meditation so beautifully. I do not want to withhold it from you:

"Find time and space, and make it a point to meditate. In the beginning it is difficult, but remain patient. All that is needed is patience. And remain hopeful, optimistic, because it is only a question of time. It is just like when you sow seeds: you can`t expect the shoots the next day. They will take their time, they will come only in their own time. They don`t follow your expectations; they follow a certain law of their own. They have their intrinsic law, their own nature. They will wait for the right season, maybe for clouds to come, for rain, maybe for the spring …"

Mudras are more than just hand gestures. Mudra is Sanskrit and means not only gesture, but also posture, seal or sign. Hand mudras are the best known, but there are also mudras, where the whole body is used. Soon I'll write a full page about mudras. Now I'm going to describe you my favorite mudra: The GYAN. Gyan mudra often used while meditating, is one of the most important mudras that promote physical and mental health.

GYAN MUDRA

Mudras are finger poses. Great healing power is flowing in Mudras, which actually emanates from me and returns to me. I love mudras and they play a big role in my everyday life. That's why I'll dedicate a whole page to the mudras later. Here I introduce you to a very simple mudra, although this mudra is the most important ever!

 The Gyan Mudra is a very popular spiritual practice for me. I can almost always do it, in principle. Whether I am lying, sitting, standing or walking. The Mudra is always possible with one hand. Accordingly, I use them very often during the day. When I put the tips of my thumb and index finger together in a naturally way, I immediately feel a certain lightness. Immediately I will become attentive and aware again. That's why I like to use Gyan-Mudra in everyday life. It is, so to speak, my "Universal Mudra", to turn something mundane into something divine. For example, when writing, painting, running, brushing your teeth ... Sometimes I fall asleep with this mudra too. But then I do it with both hands. The Gyan is one of the mudras that you do not necessarily have to practice for a given time. You just make them as long as you feel comfortable doing. Or of course as long as you have time. For me, the Gyan is just the perfect everyday Mudra! Nevertheless, I do it with dedication and love. With the Gyan you can not only heal your spirit (it leads you from the chaotic world of thought to a unity)

, but also cure diseases. Personally, I have no experience. But I can imagine that very well. The Gyan-Mudra offers many possibilities to use. Gyan is the mother of many mudras. It can be used to create other mudra shapes by turning your hands connected with different postures. Gyan mudra symbolizes the union of Self with the universe, the unification of one's soul and the supreme Soul. The thumb symbolizes the supreme Soul, the index finger refers to the practitioner's soul.

Gyan really gives me a lot of joy and I hope that I could inspire you!

“Meditation is the only royal road to the attainment of Freedom.  It is a mysterious ladder which reaches from earth to heaven, from error to truth, from darkness to light, from pain to bliss, from restlessness to abiding peace, from ignorance to knowledge, from mortality to immortality.” ~ Swami Sivananda
 

Mantra

For me, MANTRAS are the sound energy that make me whole. I use the word "whole" rather than "heal" to show you what healing really means to me. By "healing" I mean that all the scattered energies in me are put together again. Singing, reciting, writing and listening to MANTRAS ... these are all processes that give me harmony again. I feel joy and love. MANTRAS are a great gift! It is said that MANTRA YOGA is one of the most powerful, simplest and fastest ways to self-fulfillment. Self-realization of my own nature. Connection with the infinite. Although I cannot say that I have completely self-realized, but I feel how everything grows in me. And when I sing the OM with devotion, then I really feel connected to the infinite existence. Each MANTRA does something different in me and I want to share that experience with you. Maybe you have similar experiences already, if you already deal with MANTRAS. Maybe I can still inspire you because I see something from a different perspective. Maybe I can learn something from you, too. I would be happy to hear from you. Above all, I also want to reach people for whom MANTRAS are still new. To lead a life in the world of MANTRAS is simply wonderful and valuable.

If you want to know more about mantras, I have dedicated a whole page to these sacred syllables!

Breath is life. Have you ever paid attention to how you breathe? You can make it a meditation! I'll explain that to you later, when I write extensively about pranayama. Now I'll show you a very simple breathing exercise that you can do even during a short break during the day. With it you can quickly come back into harmony with yourself.

Nadi Shodhana, the alternate nostril breathing

Sit down comfortably and straighten your spine. Personally, I like to sit on the ground to make contact with the earth. You can do this exercise just as well on a chair. Close your eyes and pause for a moment. Let your mind become quiet. Bend the index and middle fingers of your right hand into the palm of your hand. If you find it a bit difficult, hold the fingers steady with your thumb. Form the Gyan-Mudra with your left hand. The tips of forefinger and thumb touch, the other fingers are largely stretched. And put it on your left leg. By touching the two fingers, you connect with the Divine (see Gyan-Mudra). Now guide your right hand towards the nose and close your right nostril with your thumb. Breathe in with the left nostril. I do not think counting is so meditative, so I recite a mantra while silently. Short mantras such as "om namah shivaya" are particularly well suited. You can also do this with a longer mantra. Try the Gayatri. It will be a very special experience for you.  Recite it once and imagine that you inhale light and energy. Then close both nostrils with thumb and ring finger. Hold your breath and recite the mantra four times, if you use a short mantra (Gayatri twice). Feel the energy in you. Then open the right nostril and exhale with it. Recite the mantra twice (Gayatri once) and release. Be very relaxed. Keep the left nostril still closed with your ring finger and inhale now with the right nostril. Now you inhale the energy in your right half of the body. Recite the mantra once again. Then close both nostrils with thumb and ring finger and hold the air. Feel the energy in you again. Recite the mantra four times (Gayatri twice). Now open the left nostril and exhale with it. Recite the mantra twice (Gayatri once) and release all disturbing things in you. Conduct this spiritual practice (sadhana) for at least 5 minutes or more. Keep your eyes closed. Do not let the outside world influence you. Be completely with yourself. Feel the change of your body and your emotions with every cycle. Nadi Shodhana always creates a peaceful mood in me. I suspect that it will do the same with you. Maybe not the first time because everything is so new. But it will happen.

Here the Gayatri:

OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAH
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI
DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT

Next, I am describing to you a SADHANA deeply rooted in my heart:

Likhita Japa

Have you ever tried to sing, hear, see, feel, paint and write a mantra? I mean, all together in a moment? It is always a wonderful time for me, an oneness with the Divine. And do you know how to realize this moment? With the help of Likhita Japa. Likhita means as much as writing down. And Japa is the name for reciting mantras, the mantra repeating. Generally this is done with the help of a Mala, a chain that has 108 beats in Buddhism or Hinduism. (more on the MANTRA page) I recite only a few times a week with the help of a Mala. But symbolically I have a mala around my neck day and night. Because: I recite the mantra constantly mentally, if I just do not have my concentration at work. In the evening, or at night, I always float in the sphere of Japa Likhita and write down my personal mantra infinite times. Usually 1-2 hours before I go to bed. The mantra starts to vibrate in my body and finds an exit in my hands. My fingers then bring it to the paper. In most cases, a mandala is created from this. It is not ME who paints this mandala, I only serve as a medium of higher energy. The sheet is full. Silent meditation.
For me, Likhita Japa is a great gift.

Find your personal mantra and start writing it down. Seek a quiet space that is sacred to you. Do not be disturbed by noise or anyone. That's the reason why I do it at night! You can write the mantra with the beautiful Sanskrit script, but also in our ordinary script. Actually, a pen and a piece of paper or a notebook are enough. I myself have many different pens, brushes, colors, types of paper in my sacred room. And it is always an experience, what then arises on paper. Pastel, watercolor, ink, in silver, in gold, graphite ... Guided by the divine ...Preserve your Likhita Japa scriptures in a place that is sacred to you. Enjoy your first, very personal experience of the mantra-writing!

Now I introduce you to another pranayama sadhana and two variants:

So-Ham meditation

SO - HAM is our natural mantra. It's the sound of your own breath. With every breath you inhale, you unconsciously repeat SO and exhale HAM. Try it! Hear the sound of your breath without affecting it. SO - HAM translated means "I am that." SO - HAM means, I am not the body, I am not the psyche, I am not my emotions, I am not the thoughts, I am not the one that others see in me. I am not what I do professionally or privately. The body changes, my thoughts change, emotions change ... but not my true soul. I can watch my body, I can watch my mind. What I can observe myself I may be impossible. SO - HAM, the cosmic consciousness is the individual consciousness. In this mantra, therefore, it is about the fact that man becomes one with the divine with every single breath. As you listen to your breath, you realize with your true nature the blessed, immortal Self. The best time for this meditation is early in the morning and / or late in the evening when your mental vibration is at its quietest. But you can also meditate at any time, which fits into your daily routine.

Make this daily SO-HAM meditation an indispensable part of your life. Just a few minutes each day can help you relax and find your inner peace, mental strength and balance.

Now to the Sadhana:
Sit in a comfortable position with a straight back. A position with crossed legs is particularly suitable for meditating, as the energy flows in a triangle, for example: Sukhasana, Siddhasana or Padmasana
Do not rest your back anywhere else you will pull the energy away from the spine. Put your hands on your thigh. Form the Gyan-Mudra with your hands (the tips of your thumb and index finger touch each other). Relax body and mind. Watch your breath. And listen carefully to your breath. You'll find that inhaling creates the natural sound of SO and exhaling HAM. Now repeat this mantra consciously. Inhale SO, exhale HAM. SO, the immortal, the infinite, pure consciousness HAM, me. Let the breath flow as it wants to flow by itself, do not influence it. The breath may deepen, it may flatten, it may become faster, it may slow down. Maybe there will be breathing pauses. Do not influence anything, just listen to the breath. When inhaling SO, while exhaling HAM. Feel the gap between SO and HAM. In the breathing space between inhalation and exhalation, the mind becomes completely calm and you actually feel peace and harmony in you.

"Asanas" are a kind of gesture and have certain effects. Thus "asanas" can affect the structure of the body, the mind, the nerves, organs and senses. Asanas can affect and change the body on an energetic level. According to the scriptures, there are as many "asanas" or body positions as there are living beings in this universe. When "asanas" are performed with mindfulness, they can become a form of meditation. This is especially true if you practice it long and quiet or do it in nature.

the tree (Vrikshasana)

Rooted deep in the ground, the tree grows high in the sky. Often hundreds of years old and yet it looks year by year even more stable and strong. A tree is flexible, agile, in short grown to all storms. But a tree also stands for change, renewal, blossoming and letting go. Maybe that's why I love this asana. It's my favorite asana.

The Yoga Tree supports your rooting and connection with the three worlds or levels of creation (Vedas): Bhur (Earth), Bhuvah (Airspace) and Svaha (Heaven). Related to the tree are the roots in the earth and the tree trunk with the branches and leaves that grows through the space to the sky.

Before you start the asana, the tree, take a deep breath and letting go for three times. Open yourself for your highest consciousness. If you want, recite a mantra or just stay empty. In nature, I prefer not to recite or sing a mantra. I want to be empty to make room for the divine in nature. Listen to yourself. Feel a tree. Connect with a tree. Become a tree. When I'm at home or in a closed space, I like to recite a mantra. In this case, I choose mantra, but then I also use it for all asanas ...

You've probably seen people who fold their hands together in front of their hearts and bow slightly. This gesture is part of everyday life in India and Southeast Asia, but it is also increasingly practiced in the West. Often silent. This gesture is called Anjali-Mudra. The gesture is better known under Namaste or Namaskar. These are also the words with which the gesture is strengthened and what you want to express with it: "I greet the divine in you!"

Anjali-Mudra (Atmanjali-Mudra)

The divine flows through everything that exists. The source of creation works in every cell and atom. Whether in nature, in animals, plants, stones, water, air, earth, planets, stars, the universe or in us humans. Have you ever thought about it? There is neither good nor bad for the divine, neither higher nor lower. There is no ranking because everything is part of the divine. Everything contributes to the whole. If you are aware of this fact, it goes without saying that everything around you is valuable. So why not express this with a gesture? Namaskar (Namaste) is a very easy word to learn and it's so easy to fold your palms together. And yet it has so much effect. And don't forget: The gesture also reminds you that the source of creation is in you too! In the beginning, it may just be fun to practice Namaskar/Namaste. But the more you become this gesture yourself, the closer you get to your own nature.

Your hands are full of energy. This is because there are so many nerve endings. If you consciously put your palms together, you will feel this energy. Basically, opposites combine at this moment. Your female side (left) with the male side (right). The energy of the moon with the energy of the sun. Yin and yang. The Anjali Mudra is therefore a mudra of harmony.

My own everyday world is permeated with "Namaskar/Namaste". For me, the Anjali Mudra is an important part of living impartially in the here and now. I greet the divine not only in living beings, but also in my food and in objects. At this moment I am also aware of how many people have given me their strength that I now have this object. Or how many people contributed to my food. And above all: nature, which is nothing but the divine, gives me every new day that I can experience. I am grateful and express this through Namaskar/Namaste!
Give it a try! Namaskar!

I am currently in the process of creating this website. Please excuse that this page does not have that many posts yet. I work on it every day.

from heart to heart, Nisarga

My website has no claim to be scientific. It should only serve as inspiration.

HARI OM and Namaste!

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I am happy to answer any questions or give you information. I am open to spiritual exchange. Please use the following contact form.

With love, Ma Prarthana Nisarga

(Hari OM means: May our hearts be interconnected and aware that we are part of a cosmic whole. May we contribute something together to the Cosmic Whole!)

OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI OM