By Rudra Shivananda There is one advice that I give to all sincere seekers irrespective of their path or progress and that is to persevere and never give up. The spiritual path is long and arduous and has many pitfalls and obstacles. We are often befuddled by our delusions and fall prey to illusions, thinking

By Rudra Shivananda As we learn of the passing of a true hero, that of Neil Armstrong who took a small step on the Moon and expanded the boundaries of humanity, I’m reminded of the significance of the moon as a powerful symbol in the yogic tradition. Just as the effect of Armstrong’s feat will

By Rudra Shivananda A theme that was consistently emphasized in the teachings of Yogavatar Lahiri Mahasaya, the polestar of Kriya Yoga, is that of the spiritual eye. He called it the Kutastha. It is equivalent to the third-eye center or Ajna chakra which is located in the third ventricle of the brain in the middle

By Rudra Shivananda   In a previous post, I explained about the structural barriers that prevent the spiritual seeker from engaging in an effective mantra practice. There was a request to give some examples of the foundation mantras that are needed to transform a busy or lethargic mind into a calm state. Below, I’ve given

By Rudra Shivananda   One of the most hidden treasures of yogic knowledge is that of Soma or Amrita – the nectar of immortality and bliss. There are lots of misinformation and confusion on this subject and unfortunately very little in the way of clarity because of the sacredness of the knowledge. It is sacred

By Rudra Shivananda Every four years, a large part of the world takes time out of their busy lives to cheer on the athletes that have made it into the Olympic Games.  Four years ago, we watched the spectacle of the opening ceremony in Beijing, China and it was indeed awe-inspiring. The beauty and scale

By Rudra Shivananda The 2nd energy center or swadhisthana chakra is the center for attraction and aversions. We are attracted to certain things and people and have an aversion for others. The specifics are governed by our present and past karmic patterns – our urges and compulsions. The 2nd center is responsible for the instinct

By Rudra Shivananda The spiritual path is long an arduous and has many pitfalls and obstacles. We are often befuddled by our delusions and fall prey to illusions, thinking a true path is false or that we have achieved something when we have not. Why does this happen? It is because of our karmic tendencies

By Rudra Shivananda Mantra Yoga is that discipline by means of which one can attain Self-realization through the repetition of sounds or words that bridge the gap between our normal consciousness and super-conscious states of awareness. It said to be a powerful and effective means especially during the eras when the average human consciousness is

By Rudra Shivananda Too often I hear from sincere seekers that they are trying their best and putting in persistent effort but nothing seems to be happening with their meditation. It gets very boring and they are tempted to give up. Doubts arise that maybe the meditation is not right for them or maybe they