Articles
Below, you will find copies of articles written by Swami Yogaratna and other well-versed teachers, to help inspire and deepen your understanding and spiritual insight.
BOY AND THE WILD HORSE From ‘Yoga Darshan’ by Swami Niranjanananda, Chancellor of Bihar Yoga Bharati, the first deemed Yoga University in the world: Right now, the mind is the master and we are the slave. If the mind says, ‘Do this’, we do it. If the mind says, ‘Do not do this’, we do not do it. If the mind says, ‘Accept this’, we accept it. If the mind says, ‘Do not accept this’, we do not accept it. Most of our life is governed by the mind and the different manifestations of the mind. In yoga it is the reverse of this process. We try to control, we try to become the master of the mind. In the world, we find many different types of yogas: hatha yoga, jnana yoga, kriya yoga, kundalini yoga etc. But, out of all these, there is one yoga that is the most important for everyone. It is known as the seer’s yoga. In this yoga the practices are really simple. If you get an opportunity, learn them. They are very beneficial, very helpful, for dealing with the tension in which we live. They are more effective than hatha yoga, raja yoga or karma yoga. The process here is that through certain other practices of yoga, we develop an attitude towards our actions, thoughts, feelings and behavior …We must observe everything that takes place in our life, in our mind, in our surroundings, in our family, in our work. We must become the “observers.” Another word for this is ‘awareness’. In Satyananda yoga we say this is the most important thing to develop. |
Extracts from the book: “PRACTICE OF KARMA YOGA” by Sri Swami Sivananda
You
will get purity of mind if you work in the spirit of Nishkamya Karma
Yoga. This is a very great
reward for your actions. You cannot imagine the exalted condition of
a man of pure mind. He has unbounded peace, strength and joy. He is
very near to God. He is dear to God. He will soon receive the divine
light. Work without any sort of motive and feel its effects, purity
and inner strength. What an expanded heart you will have!
Indescribable! Practise, feel and enjoy this state.
You
do not lose anything in Karma Yoga. Even if you do a little service,
it brings its own advantages and benefits. It purifies your heart and
prepares the Antahkarana for the reception of knowledge of Atman. The
Samskaras or impressions
of these good actions are indelibly imbedded in your subconscious
mind. The force of these Samskaras will again propel you to do some
more good actions. Sympathy, love, the spirit of patriotism
and service will be developed. Nothing is lost when the candle burns.
There
is a peculiar joy and Ananda in the practice of vigorous Karma Yoga.
The Karma Yogi gets inner spiritual strength and power by performing
motiveless and selfless actions.
Look
at the stupendous and magnanimous work turned out by Lord Buddha, Sri
Sankara and other Karma
Yogis of yore. Their names are handed down from posterity to
posterity. Their names are still remembered. The whole world worships
them with reverence. Can you attribute an iota or grain of selfish
motive to their actions? They lived for doing service to others. They
were examples of absolute self-abnegation.
Expand.
Purify your heart. Live in the true spirit of Karma Yoga. Live every
second for the realisation of the ideal and goal of life. Then and
then alone will you realise the true glory of Karma Yoga. Keep before
you the examples of the great Karma Yogis who served mankind and thus
radiated peace, bliss and
wisdom unto all.
Interesting article in the yoga therapy israel web about what Yoga Nidra is by Swami Yogaratna Saraswati
https://www.yogatherapyisrael.co.il/post/yoga-nidra-talk-experience
The Three A’s of Yoga (Awareness, Acceptance, Attitude) by Swami Yogaratna
http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2000s/2003/0301/03013as.html