The Yoga of Shakti Mantra (Vedic) Meditation by Avril Bastiansz

What if I told you that simply sitting in a chair with your eyes closed for twenty minutes twice a day is all that is required for optimum mental health, holistic wellbeing and happiness ?

I am a Vedic mantra meditation teacher and practitioner. This technique of meditation sometimes  known as Transcendental Meditation was first introduced to the West by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

In this article I hope to illustrate why this technique is the most simplest, natural and effortless form of meditation, making it the best yoga practice we can do with the most profound benefits during these increasingly busy and stressful times we live in. We are currently experiencing a state of mental health crisis with one in every five people having experienced a mental health illness in the past 12 months (Tober, L. 2021. Mental Health Aware Yoga Manual).

Anyone over the age of 10 years can learn how to meditate with this versatile practice that can be done anywhere at any time. You don’t need any props or preparation all you need is yourself. It has proven benefits for all aspects of mind, body and soul. The aim of life, is to be happy according to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (The Science of Being and Art of Living, His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 2001). Why else are you here ?

It is not possible to explain what Yoga is in this short article, suffice to say that it is a system of knowledge and practices, a scientific process of self-actualization techniques. Sri Aurobindo said that “Yoga is nothing but practical psychology”. You may have heard that ‘the goal of Yoga is Yoga’ – yoga is both a set of practices and also a way of being, an outcome or product of the process, which we will call the ‘state of yoga’ for the purpose of this article.

This ‘state of yoga’ can be achieved through the process of meditation which is described in the eight limbed path known as Ashtanga Yoga by the Sage Patanjali who codified the science of modern yoga. This process of meditation encompasses the last three limbs known as Samyama the internal practices and includes 1. Dharana (single pointed focus), 2. Dhyana (letting go, surrender) and 3. Samadhi (transcendence or the absorption of the individual with the absolute state of consciousness) (Translated by Alistair Shearer, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 1982).

The Bhagavad Gita states that ‘Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self’. This ‘Self’ with the capital S can be known through the experience of this process of meditation and is sometimes referred to as the higher self, larger self, big mind or universal mind. It is also known as the Brahman or Cosmic Self.  Carl Jung described this Collective Consciousness as the expansion of the ID or the objective Psyche” which the whole of humanity share together (Roesler C, 2020). In this state of yoga the individual merges with this Collective (Cosmic) Consciousness.

This process and state of yoga is experiential and individual. Making it unique to each individual. Every person has their own individual, subjective experience of this process of awakening making it difficult to support with scientific research and evidence. It is also not an intellectual process and so it must be experienced by the practitioner alone. In Vedic understanding, One needs to transcend  (go beyond) the intellect, the thinking mind in order to experience this state of yoga. The Intellect is a grosser state of consciousness than the state of bliss known as Samadhi or Sat-Chit-Ananada.

This leads me to why this technique works best as most other forms of meditation are less likely to help us achieve this state of yoga because they keep us stuck in our intellect or thinking minds. If we are listening to a recording or sound of a voice guiding us and trying to meditate what we are doing is perhaps the first step in this process and trying to focus the mind where our senses are engaged. Perhaps our attention is drawn outward through the act of listening whilst we are trying to concentrate. We may feel a sense of calmness and we may even at times randomly transcend and experience this space momentarily unaware of what is happening or what we are doing. The difference with using the mantra technique is that it is a technique, a tried and tested method which enables us to transcend every time we sit to meditate. When you learn how to do it and given the instructions on how to practice, it becomes a skill that enables you to experience (transcend) this state of yoga every time you practice.

This technique uses a mantra as a tool or instrument for the mind. There is greater profundity to the science of mantra which we are unable to explore here. In this process the practitioner is given a beeja or seed mantra (sound) to help focus the mind allowing it to turn inward and gradually transcend. This mantra is given to the student practitioner in sacred ceremony by a teacher of the lineage and tradition of yoga from where it originated. This process is called ínitiation’ -  a transmission of consciousness from teacher to pupil,  a form of germination or passing on of the light. This technique cannot be learned from a book or online.

In her 2014 report on Transcendental Meditation Explained, Clinical Psychologist, Dr, Gemma Beckley reported on several Meta Analysis and scientific research that have found that meditation using  a mantra technique such as Vedic and Transcendental Meditation is more effective than other types of meditation for stress, anxiety, and all forms of mental health conditions including: anxiety and depression, autism, ADHD, improving cognitive functioning; memory and intelligence, PTSD, Helping with grief to list some. (Buckley, G. 2014)

Mantra Meditation is taught in person in a comprehensive structured program containing four sessions of approximately 2- hours over 3-4 days to help you learn the technique and gain the knowledge and understanding of this life changing process.

About Avril

Avril holds a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition, an advanced diploma in Yoga Teaching, a 12-month training in Himalayan Kundalini Kriya. She is a qualified Shakti Mantra Vedic Meditation Teacher.  Currently undertaking further studies in Mental Health Aware Yoga & A Graduate Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy. Avril is the creator of Become YOU - a wellbeing program for women seeking inner fulfilment & Self- Actualization. She runs a Women's Circle helping bring young & wise women together, creating community & connection through yoga & meditation retreats.

www.avrilbastiansz.com

Instagram - AvrilbstianszBecomeYOU

References:

Buckley, G. (2014). Transcendental Meditation Explained. Meditation Trust

Shearer. A. (1982) The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1963) The Science of Being and the Art of Living - Transcendental Meditation

Christian, R. (2020) Jungian Theory of Dreaming ang Contemporary Research – findings from the research project ‘Structural Dream Analysis’, Journal of Analytical Psychology

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Why I Practice Yoga

The reason I practice yoga is encapsulated in this saying from the Bhagavad Gita :

'Yoga, is this journey of the self, through the self, to the Self'.

I can break this down into the following three phases: The Journey,

1. of the self,

2. through the self,

3. to the S elf. (with a capital S)

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1. of the self……

Yoga is a journey of self-discovery.

In hindsight, it seems that I began practicing yoga to become whole. By whole, I mean the unification of the self; of mind, body & soul - this is the beginning of the journey.

My understanding and practices of yoga is based on the integration of the three aspects or centres of the human being; mind, body and soul. For me, this journey about ‘’yoga”, means to join or unite and begins with uniting these three aspects of our being - Individual Consciousness.

All of us have experienced the fragmented nature of our psyche and independent nature of mind-body function. The person that wishes not to eat that piece of cake is not the hand that reaches for it. The person that sets the alarm to wake up and 6 am to practice is not the one that presses the snooze button repeatedly and rolls over falling back to sleep at 6 am the next day unable to wake up ..etc.,

As Carl Jung said, we are “fragmented beings”, incohesive, separate instruments. What the mind wants the body doesn’t and vis-à-vis. More often than not we find that even when we can get our mind and body to agree the soul interjects.

So here is where I began with the search to unite the different aspects of me. The only place I found answers to my questions was through my practice of yoga and it wasn’t by reading the books or the texts, for this alone is insufficient to bring about changes or to know the Self. Yoga is mostly an oral tradition in which, one who is searching for oneself, must find a teacher already established in the Self. This is the tradition of this sacred knowledge which has been passed down from generation to generation since time began. Yoga has to be experienced and every single person experiences it uniquely. The self begins to unfold like the petals of a flower, just as the bud of the lotus blossoms out of the mud.

2. through the self……

In the middle of this blossoming we must go ‘’through the self’, this is the muddy bit out of which the lotus emerges. If you ask me, this is where the real work begins. This is the stage of self-exploration. This is where the ‘’effort’’ is needed to strip away all that is not the self the conditioning. Your practice (sadhana) becomes the catalyst for personal transformation. Your whole life becomes your Guru, not just what you do on your mat. This is the shedding of the other or ego self and the becoming of YOU. Your path to blossoming is as unique as YOU. A teacher may show you where to look but not what to see, this is your view, your life and yours alone.

The three main avenues to approach the practice are: 1. Karma Yoga (the path of Action), 2. Jnana Yoga (the path of Knowledge, and 3. Raja Yoga (the path of Bhakti or Devotion). And of course our modern day Hatha Yoga…

Start with the one that appeals to you most. We each have a predisposition to one of these, but they are not mutually exclusive and are all needed at some point in our lives to find what we are seeking.

A lot of us begin with the practices of Asana and Hatha Yoga, this is great for purification and alignment of the gross instruments, starting with the physical body and as we grow in our practice, we find the other elements of this eight-limbed (Ashtanga) yoga path exactly when we are ready (when the student is ready the teacher emerges) including practices of pranayama and meditation. This occurs as the more subtle aspects of our being begin to awaken (described as the Koshas or energetic layers of the being) we don’t grow in one direction, we grow somewhat like an embryo in all directions. Once on this path, we become Seekers wanting answers to the bigger questions of life, like ‘who am I’ and ‘why am I here’ - Cosmic Consciousness

3. ... to the Self.

This is the final stage of the journey and there is no turning back once a chain of actions are set in motion nature takes over. Who you are will find a way. The experience of your yoga practice begins to grow and you transform both from the inside out and the outside in, you begin to seek clarity and purpose until you realise that what you are seeking is seeking YOU !

Realising this, the eternal, immortal Self, the Atman, we realise the Divine being in us, the God, Brahman in all - I am that (Tat Tvam Asi), You are that, We are all that – One and All - Yoga - God Consciousness

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Why I practice yoga ~ written by Avril Bastiansz for International Yoga Day 2021.

Happy International Yoga Day and peace to all on Earth.

#whyipraticeyoga

#yoga

#internationalyogaday

#2021

#practice

#holistic

#thejourneyoftheself

#self #atman

#selfdiscovery

#bhagavadgita

#tattvamasi

#spirituality

#meditation

#BecomeYOU

@avrilbastianszBecomeYOU

2020 The Year that's been & Christmas is coming

We are all Seekers and what we are seeking is an end to this Seeking!!

According to Vedanta, the sacred texts of yogic wisdom and knowledge, we humans see ourselves as deficient. Our constant compulsive pursuits to improve ourselves and our lives is evidence of this. We ‘seek' to escape from this …we 'Seek’ to become whole, complete and content. In Vedanta, this is known as the ‘'fundamental problem’'.

Latest News

Tribute to Miss Peiris

On Easter Sunday, the 12th of April 2020, my teacher, fondly known as ‘’Mees” passed away.

She was known to most at school as Miss Pieris and later, Mrs Iris Samarasekera after she was married.

She was 97 years old and died in Colombo, Sri Lanka. According to the news I received, she died as peacefully as she lived - what an accomplishment !

It was sad that we didn’t get the opportunity to say farewell and honour her life at her funeral service due to the current state of curfew and lockdown conditions.

From the moment I heard the news, I’ve had this tightness in my chest and lump in my throat.  I feel the need to let it out. This is my cry, my tribute to the best teacher I had during my school years.

I was about 9 years old, when I first met Miss Peiris when I came to All Saint’s College in Borella, a Catholic, girls only school, run by Carmelite nuns. This is my tribute to her:

To Mees with Love,

I thank you for protecting and shielding me during those vulnerable years of early childhood. Showing me kindness and compassion and helping me work through my feelings of inadequacy, humiliation and embarrassment in being a part of a disadvantaged group of society, because of economic circumstances. For how could  a young girl of 9 have known how to navigate the difficult social environment at school or understand discrimination and the barriers this posed at such an early age. If it wasn’t for your strong sense of fairness, equality, generosity and inclusiveness, there would have been many of us, poor kids who would not have reached our potential during our school years.

You dedicated your life to teaching, it was your vocation and you lived up to its highest standards. As I understand you began and finished your teaching tenure of some 50 +years at All Saints College in Borella.  An incredible accomplishment, teaching 4 or 5 generations & some from the same family.

You were involved in every part of school life, all of the arts, music - you ran the school Western music band, played piano at every school celebration and function, taught music & choir, encouraging us to participate in many singing competitions. You were a leader in the performing arts & drama, directing and executing many school plays, elocution and English literature, home economics classes, but mostly your dedication and commitment in establishing and running the 27th Colombo Girl Guide Company is what you will be remembered for most by many of us and this is where I came to know you and your kind nature and HUGE heart best.

At the 27th Colombo Girl Guides Company, you were the Chief and we were your troops. You were a wise, strong and gentle leader. Your big heart had room for all of us, equally. You made everyone feel welcome. You created and held the space for all. Your spirit was infectious, cheeky and kind. You didn’t fuss or punish the little indiscretions or mistakes, gently nudging us back on track. You taught us the stuff about real life, more than the academic stuff, about values!

I recall you teaching me about integrity, a simple lesson in keeping my word. You fostered and encouraged fellowship amongst us all. You never took things too seriously, just letting go and letting be! Complaints were never encouraged nor was gossip.
Your time you gave so willingly, serving freely. Teaching us how to cook, about the outdoors, about nature, how to live frugally, singing, hiking, camping appreciating life. You took us places we would never have known or been able to go, showing us things ….opening our minds.

I hope you know what a legacy you leave behind in the many children whose lives crossed your path……in reflection, I am not sure this tribute does justice to you!

To Mees with Love

Life in the days of the Corona Virus

Hello my friends,

How our lives have changed these past few weeks!

One thing is for certain we are living in a different world to what we once knew. Uncertainty is the norm. We can choose to evolve & accept the changes or become stagnant & remain stuck in our old ways and mindset - what will you choose?

I know what I am choosing. I choose to be an Agent for Change.

Agents for Change

‘Be that change you want to see in the World’ - Mahatma Ghandi

Just beneath this fear and grief and stress and anxiety ….there’s a tiny bit of excitement I feel at the prospect of learning new ways of doing things, a better way of living and the prospect of a new world emerging, a more conscious world.

I see this as a wake-up call, an ‘‘Awakening”. A time of incredible transformation both personally and globally.

From a teaching perspective I have taken my offering online using Zoom and want to continue to refine it.

1. Sunday Soul Day Yoga & Meditation on 29/3/2020 will be shorter but will start at the same time from 9-10:15 AM via Zoom

2. Those in the Women’s Circle Group and anyone interested in joining this group are invited to a virtual BYO cuppa and chat after this session.

3.Yoga & Meditation classes will run each Tuesday & Thursday nights from 8-9:15pm These links will be available on the EVENTS page of my website and I will also be posting it on Facebook.

Those who already joined my 2 virtual classes this week, I would greatly appreciate your feedback on the format, timing and quality of the sound etc…all this is new to me and it is very different to teaching face-to-face. It is difficult to gauge how you are individually receiving the teachings.

At this stage, I am offering my teachings as a community service, free of charge.

In the future, I would love to explore how I can exchange my gifts with others for value. In Yogic philosophy this is called ‘‘Guru Dakshina’. In line with this, I am currently looking for someone to teach me how to play the guitar in exchange for 1-1 yoga, meditation & well being sessions. Other things I was thinking of ..website maintenance, graphic design, photography, fresh produce, basket of lemons…..eggs…baked goods ?

This idea which isn’t new, I came across in the book by Charles Eisenstein, “‘Sacred Economy” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEZkQv25uEs) who is also the author of “The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible”.

My Anti Virus Formula

The threat of this disease is real. People have died and are dying from it.. There is no denying it. We have to ACCEPT this truth.

We are all feeling the fear and the grief. Even if a single member of our global community dies, we feel it.

Our bodies and minds have gone into ‘fight/flight/freeze’' mode. If this is sustained over a long period of time, it can have serious consequences on all the major bodily functions such as Immune, endocrine and digestion.

It’s time to Self Soothe and Self Protect. Remember you need to put your own Oxygen mask on first :

1. SUNSHINE & NATURE - get a minimum of 20-30 minutes of direct sunlight each day, even during winter when the sun is out. Go for a walk in the open air, in nature if you have access to this. My understanding is that this virus does not like full spectrum lighting.

2. BREATHE - practice deep diaphragmatic breathing. I teach Pranayama (yogic breath work) in all of my classes. It works like magic to shift you from stress mode to relax mode. 10-20 minutes is all you need. Keeping your respiratory tract healthy is vital during these times.

3. MOVE your body - the mind benefits from stillness, the body from movement. Walk, exercise or dance at home. Try 30 min x 2 per day.

4. MEDITATE or find a hobby that captivates you. Something you are deeply passionate about something to lose your mind to, something that you love doing. Yoga and Meditation is my choice. However, when I am feeling particularly restless and find it difficult to sit in meditation, I listen to Sanskrit Mantra Chanting - I love learning and meditating to these. I listen at bedtime and first thing on waking daily. This is a link to my teacher Ananda Vidovic’s mantra chanting: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiK1XcpjIlI).

5. DIET & WATER - drink plenty of water. Be MINDFUL about your diet and eat MINDFULLY. When we are in ‘flight/fight/freeze’ mode, our digestive function is compromised. Choose easy to digest & absorb foods like fresh fruit, juices, smoothies, soft boiled vegetables, soup. Eat less processed carbs and refined sugars such as cakes, biscuits, pasta, rice & pastry.

6. CONNECT - physical distancing does not mean disconnection from your family, friends and community. It is easy to connect virtually. Despite your beliefs and fears about social media, it is a highly beneficial technology and useful forum - just different. Tune into your own needs and see how you can offer your services to others. On a physical level, walk up-to your neighbours doorstep and leave a note checking in on them or leave some food or a roll of toilet paper!

7. LIVE FOR TODAY - I’ve been using my special cutlery, linen, lighting candles at meal times, decorating the table, cooking special meals, getting the family together at meal times dragging them out of their caves and off Netflix. Planning picnics in the sun, walking the dog together truly enjoying the G i f t of this time together.

   Stay well my friends. I’m ‘‘virtually” available if you would like to chat with me about your health and well being, talk about anything yoga and meditation, borrow a book from, ask for a recipe, or even borrow a cup of sugar …

   I hope to see you in my virtual yoga space soon,

From the ❤️,

Avril

Become Y O U 1st Milestone Anniversary

It has been 1 year since I launched the Become Y O U program as a pathway for women to discover who they are and design the life they are here to live. This program is based on the book ‘the four faces of women’ by Caroline Ward. I was inspired by its teachings, the message of the divine feminine power (Shakthi) and the universal need to recognise this in our current climate. By harnessing this Shakthi energy/power, we break through the conditioned beliefs we hold, the old paradigms of gender roles and are able to strip away the labels. Through this program women are empowered to live authentically, to reconnect with their community, to become agents for change and to fulfil their own potential. The four faces of women takes you on a journey of Self discovery. 12 months on, the program continues to evolve.

It begins with knowing the ‘'Self’. I see this as the key missing piece in most peoples’ lives. How can we know what is right for us when we do not know who we truly are? When you are asked ‘‘who are you’’ how do you respond?

Our response is often using our name, gender, age and other labels and roles we use to identify ourselves. These are mostly external to us, interchangeable, variable parameters or “conditioned” responses. You only have to take your age and consider how this measure affects you throughout your life! When you strip all of these away .…who are you?

This has been my lifelong work - as the Philosopher, Socrates put it ‘‘ Know thySelf” !
The framework for my broader teachings are about this - Self realisation.

Become Y O U is a program for Self discovery. I use the sacred teachings of Yoga, with its vast knowledge base & methods, including asana, pranayama, kriya, mantra & meditation, as well as Ayurvedic lifestyle supported with evidence based nutritional principles. Along with experience and learning taken from my own personal journey as well as from those who have travelled this path before us to create this program and practice methodology to support your transformation.

The best analogy I can think of to describe this program is one of baking a cake - you have the I n g r e d i e n t s , Y O U are it. The M e t h o d is what we learn in the workshops, practice daily and during the immersive retreats and the P r o c e s s of transformation unfolds - and you Become Y O U.

These are my teaching offerings :

1. Sacred Self Sessions ( Next Session, Sunday 13 October 2019)

2. Become Y O U - 8 week Workshop Series (Beginning, January 2020 )

3. Retreat to Sri Lanka (November 21 - December 3, 2019)

4. Weekly, Sunday, Sadhana Practice (every Sunday 9-10:30am)
   

You can learn more about these individual offerings and sign up by visiting the website. They are small, group sessions, make sure to book your spot.

With gratitude to all those who have contributed and supported me on this journey.

From the ❤️,

Avril

IN SEARCH OF YOGA

Whenever I tell people I teach yoga, they always ask me, what type of yoga I teach?

This question always stumps me…I hesitate and my response always varies - leaving me feeling in-congruent, like I’ve confused both the person asking the question as well as myself.

The truth is, I don’t have a clear and concise answer. I sense some inner conflict and contradiction within me.  I feel I know the answer, yet I am unable to access it or am afraid to articulate it.

Before I answer, I feel myself mentally qualifying and filtering my response.  Who is asking & why ?  How should I answer this?   Are they really interested?  What are my motives ?  Do I want to impress them with my knowledge about yoga or will I scare them and confuse them ?  How much time do I want to give this question ?  Should I give them a short answer, just so we can move on, or a philosophical response ?  

My response is also often coloured by the many notions and branding of yoga out in the ‘marketplace’, as well as my own ideas and perceptions about how people understand these.  I think you are getting the picture by now that I don’t know how to answer this question.

To keep it simple,  I tell them, I am a qualified, Hatha yoga teacher and often have to explain what Hatha yoga is and then sometimes what asana is and then about the eight limbs of yoga - etc…

My personal yoga journey has taken me on many different yogic trails. I have an in- exhaustive passion and enthusiasm for all things yoga. I have spent the last decade learning, practicing and more recently teaching yoga. It is what I love most and is my purpose, my dharma!

The purpose of this blog is to answer this question for myself.  If I am to be the best yoga teacher I can be, I need to have a clear answer that is authentic and congruent to me.

Sri Aurobindo, the Indian philosopher and yogi, said that “all life is yoga” – this is the best explanation.  We are eternally seeking union, completeness, wholeness.

Yoga is the sum totality, the oneness, the ultimate union of all existence. The one in all and the all in one – nothing escapes yoga. The individual, the collective, this cosmos is evolving toward a state of yoga, whether you practice yoga or not!  The design is intrinsic in our conscious existence. It is in everything from plants, to animals and humans and the cosmos itself, unaware to most, we are all marching along this evolutionary path, returning back to the ‘source’ to wholeness – to YOGA, whence we came.

The yoga I teach is this.  That we are all connected and part of this grand design. That all life is precious.

Since we are all units of this totality, we all have the memory of this whole and a longing to return to this ‘‘oneness’’.  We also posses the same essence and qualities of it along with an in-built purpose which is part of this grand design. We are here to figure this out.

It begins with asking the question, ‘who am I?’.

Our first aim is to realise this. This is the awakening that starts you on the journey to understand and know the Self and towards Self realisation. Once established in the Self, we can move onto the next question of why am I here and what is this all about?

Yoga is this journey of the Self, through the Self, to the Self - The Yoga of the Bhaghavad Gita!

For me, this search for Yoga is ongoing……..

The journey of the heart through Shakti meditation

As a Seeker of Yoga, I have learned through my own journey and practice to trust my intuition. If instinct is the domain of the gut, then intuition, I believe is buried deep in our hearts and hold the secrets to our Soul and our Soul’s path.

Devi Ananda and Avril Bastiansz, Rab, Croatia 2019.

Following my intuition has become easier over time, the more you practice and trust it, the better you get at hearing and noticing what its’ telling you. It has been said that intuition does not come to an unprepared mind…it is something we must cultivate …I call this ‘the journey of the heart’.  

The most significant question which I have contemplated on this journey is about my purpose here on earth. The question of ‘‘why am I here” & what is my Dharma?  It was paradoxical..whilst I felt a restlessness within me to find the answer to this at the same time I had a sense I already knew the answer resided deep within my heart. 

A few years ago, after many years of seeking …….I had an experience, what one might call a moment of ‘awakening' during a yoga retreat and the answer became clear to me in quite a visceral way and with unshakeable clarity and certainty.

From then on, I was ready to begin my work as a teacher on the path of Self-realisation. I feel humbled to be a teacher of Yoga.

Fast forward to now and my journey of the heart continues…..

My interest in ‘Shakti’ the Divine Feminine Energy of the universe emerged soon after …which led me to follow my heart to Croatia to meet the One whom I now call my spiritual teacher or Guru, Ananda Vdovic and to study Shakti meditation under her guidance.

Shakti meditation is a mantra based meditation technique based on the Vedic tradition, which when practiced allows the mind to transcend into deep states of consciousness and to experience states of Samadhi.

Having been introduced to meditation practice through Transcendental Meditation ™ a few years back, I have experienced a greater sense of awareness, increased energy, contentment and personal transformation in my own life. I believe this to be one of the easiest meditation techniques which requires the least effort in our busy modern lives. 

Shakti is the feminine energy that creates and transforms everything. It is the creative force that gives birth to everything that is manifest in this universe – She is Mother Nature!  

Our world, this universe, is at a point in its’ evolutionary journey where it is seeking to heal and to bring balance after a long era of masculine dominance…..and she is doing this through awakening the Divine Feminine Spirit (Shakti) within us all.

I’m no expert, and in my humble understanding in Vedic philosophy, it is believed that everything in creation is made up of two forces. The Shiva/Shakti or the Purusha/Prakriti - these are the Masculine Principle, which is the (Purusha) - believed to be pure undifferentiated energy and the Feminine Agent – (Prakriti) - the creative force and together they form what we call ‘consciousness’ - Awareness.

In Indian mythology, the Divine Feminine energy takes the many forms as portrayed in the pantheon of Hindu Goddesses and their archetypes with which we are more familiar with; such as Maheshwari, Durga, Parvati, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Kali..to name a few. Each religious tradition have their own deities: Mother Mary, the Bodhisattva Kuan Yin and so forth and each of these Goddesses possess their own unique powers which are needed for this healing process. 

You can learn more about Devi Ananda’s Shakti Meditation in this video (approx. 10 minutes) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ua0PjxOtfE

I am humbled to be on this path and to be able to share my personal journey with you in the hope that it inspires you and helps to heal out hearts and our world.

Jai Devi Ma! (Blessings from the Divine Mother)

Avril

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Advanced Shakti Meditation Retreat with Devi Ananda Vdovic and blissful yogi friends. Rab, Croatia 2019.