My baby has woken up to feed every two hours for the last two nights. Today, Mama is simplifying and honouring ancestry and mindbody needs. When I don’t have an article in me, I share something else with my subscribers. I don’t AI, I don’t force myself to write, I pay attention to my needs and I seek to meet the responsibility of my newsletter in a different way.
Today I want to share more of my yogic side with you. I am a trained Yoga Teacher, and part of how I endeavour to show up in that role is to share what yoga is beyond, or I should say before, the white-washed colonial version that gets presented to us a lot of the time. Yoga means ‘to unite’, and this refers to the joining of our individual consciousness with the consciousness of the Universe. It is so much more than Asana (poses/movement), and should never be reduced to stretching or exercise. It is fundamentally spiritual and sacred, and is at once a practice, a philosophy and way of life.
One element of this gift from the ancestors is Mantra. ‘A Mantra’ is not the same as an affirmation. It does not describe any phrases of encouragement or personal mottos. Mantra describes the utterance and repetition of sacred sounds, in Sanskrit or other South/West Asian languages. It’s literal meaning is ‘tool of the mind’ and it is a channel through which one can connect with the divine.
One of my favourites is the Gayatri Mantra, a chant for Savitr - the Sun God. It is perfect for welcoming the longer days of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and honouring the source of life on Earth. Below I’ve shared the Mantra in Devanagari script, the transliteration to English, an English translation of each word, and a descriptive translation in English.
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ।
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥
Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Suvaha
Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt
Om: The sound of the original vibration of the universe
Bhur: the physical body/realm
Bhuvah: the life force/the mental realm
Suvaha: the soul/spiritual realm
Tat: That
Savitur: the Sun, Creator
Vareñyam: adore/worship
Bhargo: Divine light
Devasya: Divine Being
Dheemahi: we meditate upon
Dhiyo: the intellect or understanding
Yo: May this light;
Nah: our
Prachodayāt: illuminate/inspire/guide.
General meaning: We meditate on that most adored Divine Being, the creator, whose divinity touches all realms (physical, mental and spiritual). May this divine light illuminate and guide our understanding.
I enjoy chanting along with the version of this Mantra set to music, by Anuradha and Kavita Paudwal. If you are not fluent in any Sanskritic language then I encourage you to listen to this closely and practice making the correct and specific sounds, as the resonance and vibration of each utterance is central to the practice of Mantra.
Rishikesh Yogkulam has a blog with a deep explanation of the Gayatri Mantra including it’s spiritual and philosophical meaning, it’s benefits, the science within it and ideas about how and when to engage with it.
May your days be long and sun-filled and may this offering bring you connection and clarity.
— AJ
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