For the Love of Yoga with Nish the Fish

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What To Do For Navarātri | Rules for Chanting The Candi Sep 29, 2024

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Starting this upcoming Tuesday, on the New Moon, we will be entering into a very sacred and transformative period!
Perhaps the most exciting and intense time in our community, Navarātri (The 9 Nights of the Goddess) typically features:
1. collective sādhanā that many of us opt into doing together according to our capacity and interest
2. many lectures on the various aspects of the Divine Mother as usual and of course
3. copious Candi recitation!
Last year, we did an Introduction to the Devī Māhātmya, The Most Sacred Texts of the Śāktas which you can watch here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/introduction-to-91791288?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
For this upcoming Navarātri, some of you have expressed a desire to perform the Candi (recitation) sādhanā in addition to or as an alternative to the mantra-japa sādhana described here:
A Mantra Recitation Practice for Navarātri
https://www.patreon.com/posts/mantra-practice-113025541?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
In this video, we go over a few preliminary things you might like to do and tiknow regarding this type of chanting practice which when done with devotion, can be a real game changer, a total singularity in the aspirant's life and spiritual practice!
Jai Srī Durgā!
Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

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Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

How To Get Renunciation | Bhakti Yoga, Swami Vivekananda Sep 26, 2024

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In this class, we read from "The Preparatory Renunciation" from the Parā-Bhakti (Supreme Devotion) section of the Bhakti Yoga book in Volume III of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda to learn how we may "cultivate" renunciation which as we'll learn, is a necessary pre-requisite for higher spiritual life! But first, we make a few opening remarks about renunciation, about what it is and what it is not and most importantly, what it is for!
Here is a playlist of videos for classes in this series on Swami Vivekananda's Bhakti Yoga:
https://www.patreon.com/collection/728434
Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

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How To Contact The Spirit World & Not Go Insane Sep 20, 2024

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I know the title sounds new agey and off the wall but only because it is. I intend to discuss cremation ground sadhana a little and present three or four reasons for it, focusing on the concept of “spirit traffic”. This is a bit of a pre-Hallowe’en Hallowe’en talk I suppose!
Today will be the last talk of our “summer semester” before we shift gears for the fall!
You’ll recall the project this summer was to cover some foundational concepts in Sadhana and we started with "How To Get Started In Spiritual Life" exploring some basics and then we discussed “right motive” in spiritual life and suggested an attitudinal shift that can make for a long term and sustainable sadhana to prevent burnout in "How To Enjoy Spiritual Life"
In Should Worship One Deity or Many, Chant One Mantra or Many? we looked at the underlying reality behind every mantra and deity-form to make the argument for one-ness and to show a way to work with many different mantras and murtis without losing a sense of that one-ness!
Then of course we had to take up the question of the all-too-necessary living spiritual guide in How To Choose A Guru & What To Do If You Don't Have One
Then we thoroughly analyzed Tantrik subtle anatomy to explain the dynamics of sadhana, spiritual practice.
We explored some basic puja techniques and then we took all of those foundational ideas into the signature lecture of the summer The Secret Worship of Mā Kālī which we gave on Kali Jayanti and which presents a rather complete Sadhana for Mā Kālī.
So now that you have everything you need to begin an intense and productive and complete Sadhana, there’s only one question left to ask: “how do I stay grounded and not go insane?”Sadly “spinning out into madness” is something that happens far too often to sincere spiritual aspirants who go about things in the wrong way. So today, we’ll cover that as a nice closing sentiment for summer semester!
Enjoy!
Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

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Do I Have To Be Vegetarian To Practice Spirituality? Sep 14, 2024

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This lecture is undoubtedly going to be somewhat controversial for some! Brace yourselves!
In this week's Bhakti Yoga lecture, we take a few excerpts from Swami Vivekananda's "The Methods and the Means (for practicing Bhakti Yoga)" from Volume III of the Complete Works to explain the role of diet, ethics and other preliminaries in spiritual life.
"If I want to practice spirituality, then, should I become a vegetarian? How important is a vegetarian diet to spiritual life, anyway? Should I avoid onions and garlic and other rājāsic foods? Should I stay clear of mushrooms and leeks and such tamasic foods? What really qualifies as a "sattvic" diet, after all?"
These questions naturally come to mind when we take up spiritual life, especially within the context of Sanātana Dharma.
Also, a naturally related question to vegetarianism is the ethical question of Ahimsā, non-violence. The Buddha and Mahavīra, the founder of Jainism made this ideal the very heart of their respective traditions and everywhere it is emphasized: one should not harm others in word, thought or deed. But what does that really mean? And do I have to be perfectly non-violent before I can take up spiritual life?
As we explore these dietary and ethical pre-requisites, we discover that there is only one real pre-requisite to spiritual life which Swami Vivekananda emphasizes towards the end of the reading: strength! Physical and mental strength!
May Swami Vivekananda bless us all with strength!

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Goddess Mantras for Protection Sep 13, 2024

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This is perhaps the most new-agey title we've ever given for any of our videos but bear with me! It's appropriate, I promise!
In this lecture, we explore the exciting world of Kavaca (spiritual armor), devices or mantras which serve an apotropaic (protective) function. We say a few things about physical kavacas that can be worn and which are often made out of specific metals, stones and yantras before introducing three forms of "mantra-kavaca", mantra-armors you can start using immediately to protect yourself from all harm whether physical, psychical or spiritual!
Finally, I make a comparison between the Devi Kavaca from the Chandi and the Old Irish prayer "St. Patrick's Breastplate" to introduce some Kavacas in the Christian mystical tradition also!
May you be safe and protected always!
Jai Mā!
Our pūjā class meets live every Thursday evening at 6:30pm PST via this link:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
If you want to follow along with the "How To Do Tantrik Puja" course, you can watch or rewatch previous lectures here:
https://www.patreon.com/collection/233799
Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

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The 15 Kālīs | & How To Worship Them Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

In the Tantrik worship of Mā Kālī, after She is worshipped, we then worship Her āvarana devatās, attendant/auxiliary deities which can be each of them conceived of as emanations of Her Being.
Among these emanations are the 15 yoginīs, also known as the Nitya-Kālīs, often described as banshee-like dākinī figures that make up her retinue. There is very little on the internet about these yoginīs/dākinīs/nitya-kālī because their worship is rather esoteric and quite guarded.
In this lecture, I first make a few broad overarching comments about spiritual life and particularly about how to gauge your progress in spiritual life just so that we can get clear on the goal and the proper motivation behind worshipping Mā in this Tantrik way.
Then, we offer a brief description of the 15 Kālīs and what they represent in the context of Tantrik embodiment. Finally, I suggest a simple way to worship these energies in the context of your daily pūjā. Below is their meditation mantra which can also be used to invoke them:
ध्यानम्
ॐ सर्वाः श्यामा असिकराः मुण्डमालाविभूषिताः।
तर्जनीं वामहस्तेन धारयन्त्यः शुचिस्मिताः॥
दिगम्बरा हसन्मुख्यः स्व–स्व–भर्तृसमन्विताः।
dhyānam
oṁ sarvāḥ śyāmā asikarāḥ muṇḍamālāvibhūṣitāḥ।
tarjanīṁ vāmahastena dhārayantyaḥ śucismitāḥ॥
digambarā hasanmukhyaḥ sva–sva–bhartṛsamanvitāḥ।
"They are all black, holding swords, garlanded in heads; they are each holding out their index finger of their left hand and they are all smiling sweetly. They are naked, joyful and filled with the bliss of the self/self-satistified."
To offer a flower to the whole group of 15 simply chant:
OM ete gandha pushpe kālī devyāmbādi-panca-daśa-yoginībyho namah:
or you can offer each one a flower (or a flower petal) individually as follows:
OM ete gandha pushpe srī kālī devyāmba srī-pādukam pūjāyami namah
OM ete gandha pushpe srī kapalinī devyāmba srī-pādukam pūjāyami namah
OM ete gandha pushpe srī kullā devyāmba srī-pādukam pūjāyami namah
OM ete gandha pushpe srī kurukullā devyāmba srī-pādukam pūjāyami namah...
etc. Just work your way down the list of names! Notice the mantra is pretty much the same for each offering; it's only the name of the nitya-kālī in question that is changing!
Here are all their names, perhaps published for the first time for the general public on the internet as far as I know:
1. Kālī
2. Kapālinī
3. Kullā
4. Kurukullā
5. Virodhinī
6. Vipracittā
7. Ugrā
8. Ugraphrabhā
9. Dīptā
10. Nīlā
11.Ghanā
12. Balākā
13. Mātrā
14. Mudrā
15. Mitā
Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

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Swami Vivekananda's 9/11 Message Sep 11, 2024

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As is our tradition in this community, to commemorate today's auspicious anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's 1893 address at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago, I make a few comments about why this is such a special moment before reading out to you can excerpt from Sister Nivedita's reflections. Finally, we read the speech and celebrate this moment as being inextricably linked to that one when on the 11th of September in 1893, Swami Vivekananda changed the world!
Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

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What Are The Different Forms of Kālī? | & How Can I Worship Them? Sep 10, 2024

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Unity delights in diversity! While there is only One Reality, called Kālī, She plays in a myriad ways, appearing in a dazzling display of forms! Taking the 10 mahāvidyās for example, the 10 aspects of Kālī, they each of them have their own vigrahas (anthropomorphic descriptions), yantras (geometric representations), mantras (vibrational formulae) etc. giving us at least 30 different ways to conceptualize Kālī who is Herself beyond all conceptualization! In this class, I talk a little about the 33 Kālīs, making an argument for 3 additional forms to the 30 sketched out above. This lecture was given on Tuesday, on the new moon night, so we open with a few statements as to why that's such a big deal in our tradition. Also, we cover many foundational aspects of the practice like Tantra like where to get a legit mantra, the qualifications of the Guru etc. Finally, we offer a few simple practices you can take up right away to start propitiating Mā and we make a few points about the Kālī yantra as a symbol of the body!
Jai Mā!
Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

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The Tantrik Gaṇeśa Sep 07, 2024

Show notes

On Gaṇeśa Chathurthi, the auspicious day when we worship Gaṇeśa, the elephant headed God who is so beloved by one and one, we gave a talk on the "Tantrik Gaṇeśa", that is to say, on the more esoteric dimensions of the veneration of this Lord of Wild Forces!
Gaṇeśa Pañcharatna Stotram
मुदाकरात्तमोदकं सदाविमुक्तिसाधकं
कलाधरावतंसकं विलासिलोकरञ्जकम् ।
अनायकैकनायकं विनाशितेभदैत्यकं
नताशुभाशुनाशकं नमामि तं विनायकम् ॥
"(Salutations to Ganesh) who holds in his hand the modakam (sweetmeat) representing divine joy who always helps devotees achieve liberation (and that sweetness) who holds the moon as his ornament and who playfully protects the world who has no Lord over himself but is himself the Lord of All and his devotees, protecting them by destroying their demons/bondages. To those who surrender to him, he destroys all inauspiciousness. I salute that Vināyaka and bow to him!"
नतेतरातिभीकरं नवोदितार्कभास्वरं
नमत्सुरारिनिर्जरं नताधिकापदुद्धरम् ।
सुरेश्वरं निधीश्वरं गजेश्वरं गणेश्वरं
महेश्वरं तमाश्रये परात्परं निरन्तरम् ॥१॥
He takes a frightening form for those who do not bow down to him and he shines like a freshly risen sun, who is eternal and unchanging, worshipped by Gods and seers, he delivers all those who bow down to him from calamities! He is the Lord of the Gods, the Lord of Wealth, the Lord of Elephants and the Lord of violent forces! He is the Supreme Lord who is Beyond Transcendence in whom I unceasingly take refuge
समस्तलोकशंकरं निरस्तदैत्यकुञ्जरं
दरेतरोदरं वरं वरेभवक्त्रमक्षरम् ।
कृपाकरं क्षमाकरं मुदाकरं यशस्करं
मनस्करं नमस्कृतां नमस्करोमि भास्वरम् ॥२॥
He is the auspiciousness of the whole world, who casts out demons, who has a huge belly, who gives boons and whose face represents the Imperishable Reality, who gives grace, forgiveness, joy and glory, the maker of the mind who exaclts those who bow to him! I bow to him!
अकिंचनार्तिमार्जनं चिरन्तनोक्तिभाजनं
पुरारिपूर्वनन्दनं सुरारिगर्वचर्वणम् ।
प्रपञ्चनाशभीषणं धनंजयादिभूषणम्
कपोलदानवारणं भजे पुराणवारणम् ॥३॥
He easily brushes aside all suffering; he is the receptacle of praises since time immemorial/who is praised by the Immortals! He is the first born son of the enemy of Tripurāsura and he devours the pride of the enemies of the Gods! He himself assumes the terrible form of the devourer of the world, adorning himself with fire and other powers! His cheeks give/are full of the liquor of grace...I praise him with the liqour of the purānas!
नितान्तकान्तदन्तकान्तिमन्तकान्तकात्मजं
अचिन्त्यरूपमन्तहीनमन्तरायकृन्तनम् ।
हृदन्तरे निरन्तरं वसन्तमेव योगिनां
तमेकदन्तमेव तं विचिन्तयामि सन्ततम् ॥४॥
The exceedingly beautiful, single tusked son of Shiva who puts an end to death, your form is inconceivable, limitless and destroys all divisions/obstacles. You are always present in the cave of the heart of Yogis! Like this, I contemplate the single-tusked one!
महागणेशपञ्चरत्नमादरेण योऽन्वहं
प्रजल्पति प्रभातके हृदि स्मरन् गणेश्वरम् ।
अरोगतामदोषतां सुसाहितीं सुपुत्रतां
समाहितायुरष्टभूतिमभ्युपैति सोऽचिरात् ॥५॥
Those who recite these great five jewels of Gaṇeśa, those who chant this contemplation and who remember Gaṇeśa in the heart in the early morning will be free of disease and impurity and will have good company (spouses and children) and will soon get long life and the eight occult powers!
Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

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The Secret Worship of Mā Kālī Sep 03, 2024

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This talk was given on the sacred 8th day of the waning moon that just went by, which as you know, is not only Kālī Jayanti but also Krishnajanmasthami, the birthday of Kali-Krishna. And I am releasing this midnight on a new moon on Tuesday, the moon sacred day and time for worshipping Mā.
This is a very special video to me because it makes many things that have been very secret for so long available to the viewing public. I trust that if you take up the practice and do it sincerely with no desire but to lose yourself in Her love, then She Herself will send a guru to guide you! Or rather, She Herself will appear in the form of the human guru, if such is needed (as I often recommend) or She will instruct you in dreams or from within.
I want to make an offering to you, you who are Kālī embodied: may all of these words be red hibiscus flowers placed one by one and Your feet! This video should give you everything you need to worship Mā!
Let's get to it:
In the (often very secret) tradition of Kālī-kula (Kali worship), there is a hymn that captures the very essence of how Mā likes to be approached. This hymn details the mantra, the yantra and the form of Mā Kālī (specifically, Dakshina Kālī) that is to be meditated upon. More importantly, it stresses the bhāva, or mood in which to call upon Mother and some of the important elements of ritual worship that is enjoined by the Kali Tantra including animal and human sacrifice, cremation ground meditation and various other transgressive elements.
We already gave a talk exploring this very excellent hymn to Kālī here
You can read the hymn in Devanagri, Roman transliteration and a some other scripts here: https://stotranidhi.com/en/sri-kali-karpura-stotram-in-english/
The book that we reference for translations in this and the other video is "Hymn to Kālī" by Arthur Avalon and Swami Vimalananda.
But before we discuss the hymn and the Kālī mantra, which is of course the main offering in this video, we say a few things about the similarities and differences between Kālī and Krishna.
Happy New Moon! Jai Mā

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