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Navaratri Course

with Shiva Rea

Overview

Namaskaram

Navaratri—Nine Nights for the Mother

Ya Devi aarva bhuteshu shanthi roopaena samsthitha
Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namah

(I bow to the Great Mother who manifests in all beings in the form of peace.)

Navaratri is a nine-night (nava meaning “nine,” ratri meaning “night”) period dedicated to the triple form of the Shakti that helps us to transform the shadow world during the changing of the season (Ma Durga), to celebrate the sublime creative flow (Ma Saraswati), to realize abundance of love, beauty, and generosity (Sri Lakshmi), and to celebrate the victory of consciousness as the culminating point of the sadhana period (Vijaya Dashami). While this celebration is additionally honored in the spring season, the autumn festivities often come with more grandeur.

The first three nights are dedicated to Ma Durga. She is often on a tiger or a lion; she is resplendent in a red sari. She has ten different weapons of consciousness, and her primary text is the Devi Mahatmyam. Ma Durga is the invincible force of consciousness. She can overcome any forces of regression, negativity, or obstacles that do arise, particularly in adult life. Often these are psychological forces, although sometimes they may literally be physical obstacles. It is important during the Durga puja phase to reclaim one’s personal energetic magnetic field.

Over the next three nights, a connection is made with Ma Lakshmi, who is the abundant flow of creation in all forms that sustains both our own life and the lives of others—this includes all forms of sustenance food, money, and vitality. She is often seen seated on a lotus flower, and her primary text is the Sri Lakshmi Sahasranama Sthothra.

The final three nights are spent worshipping the Mother as Saraswati, the Goddess of wisdom, creation, and intelligence. She is primarily seen with a peacock or swan, and her foremost text is the Saraswati Veda. This final phase of Navaratri is an auspicious time for transformation, manifesting prosperity, creating shifts toward more balance, and feeling supported in academic and literary pursuits.

Honoring Navaratri may include ritual fasting, large or householder-style pujas, daily ritual offering of mantra japa, and deeper study of the different aspects of the Great Mother. Fasts can vary in intensity, from eating just fruit, to fasting with milk, to a kitchari fast. Other ways of fasting include eating vegetarian or vegan, or eating just once a day.

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Vishnumaayeti Shabdita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namah

Salutations to Divine Mother—Shakti Devi

The power of Lord Vishnu, who abides in all beings

Who abides as the eternal consciousness in all beings.

Who manifests as power in all beings.

Who abides in all beings in the form of forgiveness.

Who manifests in all beings in the form of peace.

Who manifests in all beings in the form of faith.

Who abides in all beings in the form of beauty.

Who abides in the form of compassion in all beings.

Who abides in all beings in the form of delusion.

The ruler of all senses and sensation

The ruler of all elements

The ruler of all creation and beings

To This Divine Mother, My Heartfelt Salutations

Shakti Devi pervades this entire universe and abides in

all beings in the form of consciousness.

Salutations to Her again and again


—Devi Mahatmyam



Navaratri Preparations

Prepare your house and altar space by cleaning as best as possible with love and enjoyment. You are inviting Goddess into your heart and home.

Begin to gather ritual items with peace and care:

These are general altar items needed:

* Images of the Great Mother through form – pictures or murtis (statues) and/or

* Formless Symbols of the Goddess such as one or two womb shaped pots:

* Brass pots for Kalasha (to be filled with blessed or purified water) and-or

* Ceramic pot, soil and barley seeds to plant on the first night of Navaratri.

* Sadhana seat, blanket and optional shawl to cover yourself during meditation for grounding and keeping energy contained

* chant sheets, sacred texts

Items that change:

* Altar Cloth in red, orange, white, gold colors

* Coconut, fruit, flowers for altar

* Flowers : Lotus flower or yellow roses for Ma Saraswati and red flowers or roses for Ma Lakshmi. Jasmine or white flowers for Ma Durga.


Puja altar items:

* small bowl and spoon (for achamanam – purification practice)

* ghee lamp or non-polluting candle

* aarati lamp (if you cannot get one then just use ghee lamp or candle) and camphor (for aarati lamp)


Optional: kumkum (red tumeric), sandle powder, vibhuti (sacred ash) – all available at an India store or online


Daily Sadhana Commitments for morning and evening

* Mantra japa for aspect of Shakti according day of the cycle (9-18 rounds)

* Honoring the beginning and ending of the sadhana cycle by creating a samkalpa, dedication and bringing closure to the process.

 



 



 

 

 

What's inside

GETTING STARTED
2 lessons
Docs

INTRO

Experience a global circle for women as we gather for our 12th annual Navaratri Gathering.Daily Shakti Prana Flow Practice with Body Puja, Shakti Pranams Beginning Sat Oct 17th to Sunday Oct 25thDaily Live/Replay 10 Sessions 7:30 - 8:30 a.m pstfollowed by a Yogini Zoom Circle till 9:00 a.m,.Special Tuesday evening ClassesPrivate Whats-app mobile based Yogini Circle for questions and support.Every day, we will experience a complete flow including ritual puja, Devi Kavacha (Sacred Inner Armor of Mantra) from Shakti Sadhana, and Shakti Pranams with mantra.Enjoy shakti movement meditations for deeper embodiment of Ma Durga, Ma Lakshmi and Ma Saraswati as emanations of the Great Mother.Embody a natural, universal and lineage practice to connect to the heart of the Great Mother, the Maha Yogini, the heart of Sri Chakra, forever in union with MahaYogin. 

Docs

WELCOME

Welcome to Navaratri!Enjoy our Shakti Sadhana course this year including the Shakti Pranams - Daily 108 for the Great Mother.We open to the power of Navaratri or the Nine-Nights for daily meditation, ritual, mantra, prana vinyasa shakti namaskars and community altars.Navaratri is a 10-day sadhana period dedicated to the triple form of the Great Mother that is celebrated around the world during the transforming period of the Equinox when the world is in a delicate balance. Shakti Sadhana opens our life to transform (Ma Durga), create (Ma Saraswati), sustain as abundant love (Sri Lakshmi) and celebrate the victory of consciousness as the culminating point of the sadhana period (Vijaya Dashami).This journey is accompanied by simple life-sadhanas and a period of blessing and fortifying one's home to bless and celebrate the fruition of the year's journey at the following New Moon. This is a process that is inclusive to all spiritual backgrounds and encourages a personal approach to the universal teachings and practical wisdom of yoga.Sadhana includes guided audio meditations and videos.You can choose from 10 minutes to 1.5 hour of practice a day and connect with the collective in this transformative sadhana. Once you enroll, you can join the group every year.May all beings know the peace and support of the Great Mother.Jaya Mataji ki Jai! Courage, Compassion and Change in Soulful Times Shakti Sadhana Practices with Shiva and Global Collective 100% Fundraiser for Global Mala Project Fundraiser for RootSrise, Happy Hats of Kashi and Pink Mandala Mats for Breast Cancer

Navaratri Spring 2016 - 1 - Prep
3 lessons
Navaratri Spring 2016 - 2 - Durga
8 lessons
Docs

Navaratri Spring 2016 - 2 - Durga

Navaratri Durga Blessing mailer - click here to view In the audio below, Sally Kempton teaches a meditation on Goddess Durga, who offers you strength and protection, and invites you to take her radiance into your own body. From Shakti Meditations - Click here to get the whole CD   Visualization and Symbols: Trident, conch, bow and arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, disk, sword, trident Myths/Texts: Devibhagavatam Mantra: Om Dum Durgayei Namaha Rasa: Vira Raudra Altar - Colors: Red Festival Days: Navaratri, Dashara and Durga Puja Consort: Shiva - Rudra Bhava: Fierce, persevering, strong Movement Meditation: Ha Kriya Namaskar: Durga namaskar, mandala namaskar II Solar-Lunar Waves: Vira I Family, Standing Balance Mudra: abhya mudra, vira mudra  

13:44

Durga Namaskar 108 Names

Relax deeply while receiving the meaning of Durga’s 108 names, invoking her forms as goddess, protector, wisdom, strength, and transformation.

Audio

Day 1: Durga Puja 1

Audio

Day 2: Durga Puja 2

Audio

Day 3: Durga Puja 3

Audio

Sally Kempton Durga Meditation

     

48:47

Durga Namaskar

Practise Durga Shaktisadhana with three Oms, Chandra Namaskar, Malasana, Virabhadrasana II, and movements embodying Durga’s sword of discrimination.

Docs

Durga

Navaratri Durga Blessing mailer - click here to view In the audio below, Sally Kempton teaches a meditation on Goddess Durga, who offers you strength and protection, and invites you to take her radiance into your own body. From Shakti Meditations - Click here to get the whole CD   Visualization and Symbols: Trident, conch, bow and arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, disk, sword, trident Myths/Texts: Devibhagavatam Mantra: Om Dum Durgayei Namaha Rasa: Vira Raudra Altar - Colors: Red Festival Days: Navaratri, Dashara and Durga Puja Consort: Shiva - Rudra Bhava: Fierce, persevering, strong Movement Meditation: Ha Kriya Namaskar: Durga namaskar, mandala namaskar II Solar-Lunar Waves: Vira I Family, Standing Balance Mudra: abhya mudra, vira mudra  

Navaratri Spring 2016 - 3 - Lakshmi
8 lessons
Navaratri Spring 2016 - 4 - Saraswati
5 lessons
Navaratri Spring 2016 - 2 - Durga
6 lessons
Navaratri Spring 2016 - 3 - Lakshmi
7 lessons
Navaratri Spring 2016 - 4 - Saraswati
5 lessons
Practice
3 lessons

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