Shivaratri is the day of Lord Shiva. Shiva is the lord of meditation and therefore the lord of awakening. Shiva Tatva means to be awakened. Shivratri is thus an occasion to awaken one’s self from all sorts of slumber. Shivaratri is not a night to be slept over. One should try and be up through the night. It signifies being aware of everything you have and being grateful about it. Be grateful for the happiness which leads to growth, and also for sadness which gives a depth to life. This is the right way of observing Shivaratri.

For the pious, the following method of Shiva worship is advisable  sit down in lotus posture, do some Pranayam to stabilize your breath, then indulge in Dhyana, followed by chanting of ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. It is the greatest mantra and the devout should drown himself in its Kirtan.

Shivaratri worship leads to fulfillment of a devotee’s wishes. There are certain days and time frames in a year that enhance one’s mental and spiritual faculties. In such times, whatever one wishes, materializes. Shivaratri is one such day. All this is very scientific.

Going to temples on this day is ok but you should remember that Shiva is everywhere. The meaning of Kailasa (legendary abode of Shiva in Himalayas) is celebration. So where there is happiness and celebration, Shiva is present.

Whether in Sanyasa or Sansara, you can’t escape Shiva. Feeling his presence all the time is the essence of Shivaratri. That is the real Sanyasa.

No worship is complete without offering something to the deity. Shiva is a very simple lord, he is innocent Bholanath. One just needs to offer bel-patra (bilva leaves) to him. But in this simplicity is a deep message. Bel-patra offerings signify the surrender of all three aspects of one’s nature Tamas, Rajas and Sattva.

You have to surrender the positives and negatives of your life to Shiva and become carefree! The greatest offering is your self. To offer one’s self is the key to happiness in life.

After all, why do you get sad? It is mainly because you are not able to achieve something in life. At such times you should surrender everything to the all knowing God. The greatest power is in surrender to the divine. It’s like a drop owning the ocean. If a drop remains separate, it will perish. But when it becomes the ocean, it is eternal!

Shivaratri is the day of Lord Shiva. Shiva is the lord of meditation and therefore the lord of awakening. Shiva Tatva means to be awakened. Shivratri is thus an occasion to awaken one’s self from all sorts of slumber. Shivaratri is not a night to be slept over. One should try and be up through the night. It signifies being aware of everything you have and being grateful about it. Be grateful for the happiness which leads to growth, and also for sadness which gives a depth to life. This is the right way of observing Shivaratri.

For the pious, the following method of Shiva worship is advisable  sit down in lotus posture, do some Pranayam to stabilize your breath, then indulge in Dhyana, followed by chanting of ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. It is the greatest mantra and the devout should drown himself in its Kirtan.

Shivaratri worship leads to fulfillment of a devotee’s wishes. There are certain days and time frames in a year that enhance one’s mental and spiritual faculties. In such times, whatever one wishes, materializes. Shivaratri is one such day. All this is very scientific.

Going to temples on this day is ok but you should remember that Shiva is everywhere. The meaning of Kailasa (legendary abode of Shiva in Himalayas) is celebration. So where there is happiness and celebration, Shiva is present. Whether in Sanyasa or Sansara, you can’t escape Shiva. Feeling his presence all the time is the essence of Shivaratri. That is the real Sanyasa.

No worship is complete without offering something to the deity. Shiva is a very simple lord, he is innocent Bholanath. One just needs to offer bel-patra (bilva leaves) to him. But in this simplicity is a deep message. Bel-patra offerings signify the surrender of all three aspects of one’s nature Tamas, Rajas and Sattva.

You have to surrender the positives and negatives of your life to Shiva and become carefree! The greatest offering is your self. To offer one’s self is the key to happiness in life.

After all, why do you get sad? It is mainly because you are not able to achieve something in life. At such times you should surrender everything to the all knowing God. The greatest power is in surrender to the divine. It’s like a drop owning the ocean. If a drop remains separate, it will perish. But when it becomes the ocean, it is eternal!

By H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

This whole creation is a play of Shiva, the dance of one consciousness, one seed, which has manifested into a million species in the world. The whole world moving in an auspicious rhythm of innocence and intelligence is Shiva. Shiva is the permanent and eternal source of energy, the only eternal state of Being.

Shivratri is when the Shiva tatva and Shakti become one.

There is a story related to Shivratri, about the union of Shiva and Shakti. The primordial and dynamic energy is wedded to the transcendental. Shiva is the silent witness, the chidakasha and Shakti is chitti or chidvilasa, the energy that plays and displays in the infinite space. Shiva is the formless Being; Shakti is the manifestation in the field. This is the recognition of the dual aspect of matter and energy, prakriti and purusha, the dravya and guna – substance and its qualities. Recognising the underlying non-dual nature of Brahman is Shivratri.

Shivratri is the night to celebrate the wakefulness of one universal consciousness without falling into the unconscious sleep state. It is an occasion to awaken the self from all sorts of slumber. The jagran in Shivratri is not just forcing oneself to be awake or singing bhajans aloud. It is about keeping awake and being inward and being consciously aware of the inner rest that sleep anyway brings everyday. When you surpass a certain layer of sleep, the rest in samadhi or Shiva sayujya happens.

Shiva is symbolically represented by the linga. The Divine is beyond any gender, so the Divine is called Ekalinga, or one gender. That one gender is the Self, the Atma. Beyond the body, mind and intellect, and beyond likes and dislikes, that Self is only one, it is Ekalinga.

Shiva has been associated with destruction. Transformation can only happen after destruction. Shiva is that factor of transformation.

Shiva is a very simple lord, he is innocent – Bholanath. One just needs to offer bel-patra to him. But in this simplicity is a deep message. Bel-patra offerings signify the surrender of all three aspects of ones nature – Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. You have to surrender the positives and negatives of your life to Shiva and become free. The greatest offering is yourself. To offer ones self is the key to happiness in life.

Kailasa is the legendary abode of Shiva. Kailasa means where there is celebration. So wherever there is happiness and celebration, Shiva is present. Whether in sanyasa or sansara, you cant escape Shiva. Feeling his presence all the time is the essence of Shivratri. Lord Shiva is always depicted with eyes closed with a snake around his neck. He may appear to be sleeping but this indicates his inner state which is fully awake, like a snake.

He is always painted blue in pictures. Blue signifies the vastness of the sky. The moon on his head depicts everything within him. So all the ghosts, dead, devil, everything is included in his gana. In Shivas procession all types of people are present. So also in this world, all belong to that supreme soul. Its said “Sarvam shivamayam jagat”. This whole world is Shivamaya.

Shivratri signifies being aware of everything you have and being grateful about it. Be grateful for the happiness which leads to growth, and also for sadness which gives depth to life. This is the right way of observing Shivratri.

Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage.  It occurs after every twelve years and rotates among four locations: Prayag (Allahabad) at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna and mythical Saraswati river, Haridwar along the Ganga river, Ujjain along the Kshipra river and Nashik along the Godavari river.

The Maha Kumbh Mela (‘Great’ Kumbh Mela) which comes after ‘12 ‘Purna Kumbh Melas’ which is after every 144 years is also held at Allahabad

The 2001, Maha Kumbh Mela was attended by around 60 million people, making it the largest gathering anywhere in the world

This year Purna Kumbha mela is at Haridwar, along the Ganga river from Makar Sankranti (14th January 2010) to Shakh Purnima Snan (28th April 2010)

The Art of Living Kutir has been set up at a prime spot by Swami Bhanu and Swami Shiv Chaitneya.

Kumbh Mela Schedule

Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life.What you speak about, you can bring about.
If you keep saying you can’t stand your job, you might lose your job. If you keep saying you can’t stand your body, your body can become sick. If you keep saying you can’t stand your car, your car could be stolen or just stop operating. If you keep saying you’re broke, guess what? You’ll always be broke. If you keep saying you can’t trust a man or trust a woman, you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you. If you keep saying you can’t find a job, you will remain unemployed. If you keep saying you can’t find someone to love you or believe in you, your very thought will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs. If you keep talking about a divorce or break up in a relationship, then you might end up with it.

Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power-packed with faith, hope, love and action. Don’t be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.

Watch your Thoughts, they become words.
Watch your Words, they become actions.
Watch your Actions, they become habits.
Watch your Habits, they become character.
Watch your Character, for it becomes your Destiny.

The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settle for.

In the search for Me, I discovered Truth.
In the search for Truth, I discovered Love.
In the search for Love, I discovered GOD.
And in God, I have found Everything.
Be Blessed

Watch how your circumstances and situations begin to change when you change the way you speak.

- Q: I Cannot find enough time to Meditate

Sri Sri : Meditation will give you more time.

- Deeper your rest more Dynamic your activity.

- Work must be like holiday, Holidays must give deep rest.

- Don’t peg your targets on other people’s achievements

-  Half the health we spend gaining wealth and then spend half the wealth trying to gain back the Health!

-  Confidence is competing with yourself; Arrogance is competing with others.

-  The more you give, the more strength will come to you.

-  Pain is inevitable …suffering is optional!

-  Good Communication: Speak in Bullet points. Listen as Bullet points.

-  From: Friendship to Friendliness

-  From: Concern to Care

-  From: Ambition to Aspiration

-  Your silence increases the voltage of your words!

-  A little silence before any work brings clarity of mind. A little silence after the work brings contentment. Without    Clarity of mind and contentment, no work is worth doing.

-  Industry is like the body. Society is like the mind

-  Having infinite patience is the fastest way to do things.

-  Padartha Gnane Mokshaha – Complete knowledge of even one particle can free you.

-  Crisis comes to one who takes challenges, and the one who takes challenges also prepares to face crisis!

-  Some people who are too comfort loving do not take challenges ad therefore are not prepared to manage crisis. To manage crisis we need trust and faith.

-  The more you frown, the faster you age.

-  The sign of a healthy society is that there are empty places in prison and empty beds in hospitals

We have moved away from our roots. A self-centered person is more stressed than one that is engaged in community service. It is a lack of spirituality that causes a person to be stressed and shaky. Music, meditation and community service are all necessary components to live a balanced, healthy and happy life.

1. Yoga flushes out stress hormones, stimulates lymphatic system and tones up neuro-muscular activity, promoting circulation and a healthy nervous system. Yoga helps the endocrine system and cuts down anxiety levels, correcting adrenal secretions and improving gut feelings.

2. Do neck rotations, forward bends, backward bends, for free flow of spinal fluid. Do Surya Namaskar to improve digestive system and strengthens joints. Ujjayi breath; Nadi shodhan; Bhastrika; 10 minutes of Sudarshan Kriya uplifts the spirit and is a stress buster world over.

3. A balanced diet with green and leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, sprouts, moderate oil and chillies. Ashwaghandha, drumstick leaves and pumpkin are favourable additions to ones diet. When tired the consuming the powder of drumstick leaves or Urja tablets help one to restore vitality.