For the Love of Yoga with Nish the Fish

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Why Practice Aghora? Jun 13, 2024

Show notes

In this lecture, we discuss one of the main purposes of Aghora Sādhana by referring to the “8 fetters” from the Pashupata Sutra to explain the cremation ground practices of the early Shaivas. I’m going to explain the value and meaning behind these practices which often get seen with disgust some circles and with a morbid fascination in others! Whether we are averse to this aspect of Tantra or attracted to it, that we are fascinated by it is undeniable. And as such: after having thoroughly investigated the purpose of such sādhanas, I want to give you a few "Aghora" practices you can immediately apply.
उपायजालं न शिवं प्रकाशयेद्घटेन किं भाति सहस्रदीधितिः।
विवेचयन्नित्थमुदारदर्शनः स्वयम्प्रकाशं शिवमाविशेत्क्षणात्॥६॥
Upāyajālaṁ na śivaṁ prakāśayedghaṭena kiṁ bhāti sahasradīdhitiḥ|
Vivecayannitthamudāradarśanaḥ svayamprakāśaṁ śivamāviśetkṣaṇāt || 6
“The various techniques and practices cannot reveal Shiva! Does a pot illumine the thousand rays of the sun? By thus discerning, in a single instant, the broad-minded aspirant becomes absorbed in Śiva who is one's own Self-luminosity!"
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
Our hatha yoga class is Wednesdays at 11am PST and again at Friday 5pm PST via this same link also.
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 Worship Mā Kālī Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

Today's Amāvasyā (new moon) is exceedingly important because it is the Phalaharini Kali Puja! Since its such a special occasion, I'll spend a few moments reflecting on what this day means for devotees of Kālī and then as an offering to Her in the form of You, I'd like to share the guided meditation for Mānasa Pūja, the Mental Worship of Mā Kālī.
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
Our hatha yoga class is Wednesdays at 11am PST and again at Friday 5pm PST via this same link also.
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 Very Heart of Tantra | Introduction to Tantrasāra of Abhinava Gupta Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

Today is the monthly śivarātri (the day before the new moon) and the Wednesday Amāvasyā (new moon) features a very special celebration, the Phalaharini Kali Puja, one of the Big Three for Kali in the calendar year!
Naturally, I wanted to do something special in this lecture to mark the occasion:
I felt like we should discuss the very highest, the very essence, the very heart of the Tantrik tradition. And the best way to do this, I humbly propose, is to introduce you to one of the most important Tantrik texts ever composed: The Tantrasāra of Abhinavagupta.
In this lecture, we discuss the four things that Abhinavagupta points out as the defining features of this tradition that make it so awesome. I want to share with you the central insight from this text which has the power and potential to totally liberate us in a single instant! Also we can talk a little about “Kashmir Shaivism” as the scholars are calling it these days, and discuss what it means to be part of this lineage
विमलकलाश्रयाभिनवसृष्टिमहा जननी भरिततनुश्च पञ्चमुखगुप्तरुचिर्जनकः।
तदुभययामलस्फुरितभावविसर्गमयं हृदयमनुत्तरामृतकुलं मम संस्फुरतात्॥१॥
विततस्तन्त्रालोको विगाहितुं नैव शक्यते सर्वैः।
ऋजुवचनविरचितमिदं तु तन्त्रसारं ततः शृणुत॥२॥
श्रीशम्भुनाथभास्करचरणनिपातप्रभापगतसङ्कोचम्।
अभिनवगुप्तहृदम्बुजमेतद्विचिनुत महेशपूजनहेतोः॥३॥
Vimalakalāśrayābhinavasṛṣṭimahā jananī bharitatanuśca pañcamukhaguptarucirjanakaḥ|
Tadubhayayāmalasphuritabhāvavisargamayaṁ hṛdayamanuttarāmṛtakulaṁ mama saṁsphuratāt || 1
May my heart, filled with the nectar of the Embodied Absolute and pervaded by the emissions of the ecstatic union of my Mother who is the stainless ground of ever new creation, and my Father who is the five faced Shiva who in fullness is always delighting himself in that creation, shine forth!
Vitatastantrāloko vigāhituṁ naiva śakyate sarvaiḥ|
Ṛjuvacanaviracitamidaṁ tu tantrasāraṁ tataḥ śṛṇuta || 2
Not everyone is capable of diving into the the oceanic Tantrāloka Therefore, listen, all of you, to this Tantrasāra which is written in simple language!
Śrīśambhunāthabhāskaracaraṇanipātaprabhāpagatasaṅkocam | Abhinavaguptahṛdambujametadvicinuta maheśapūjanahetoḥ || 3
If you want to worship Śiva, please pick one by one these lotus petals of the the heart of Abhinavagupta in which contraction has been for ever ended, which has bloomed open through the touch of the rays from the feet of his guru, the revered Sun, Shambhunatha.
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
Our hatha yoga class is Wednesdays at 11am PST and again at Friday 5pm PST via this same link also.
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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Kālī and the 5 Levels of Void May 30, 2024

Show notes

Last week, to mark the auspicious occasion of Cinnamastā Jayanti and also the Thrice Blessed Day, Buddha Pūrnimā, we gave a few talks on Tantrik Buddhism with an especial focus on Goddess worship within the context of Vajrayāna deity-yoga.
We picked up the Cinnamunda Vajravārāhi Sādhanā, attributed to the mysterious Srī Matī (Laksmīnkarā Devī) who, like Cinnamunda herself, is said to have decapitated herself in act of yogic perfection (siddhi). This text (really, a paddathi or ritual manual) is featured in the Tengyur, a text in the Tibetan Buddhist commentarial tradition.
There we saw enough similarities between so called “Buddhist” Tantrik ritualism and the “Hindu/Śākta” form that we were able to make a few general and universal claims about the principles of Tantra in practice! You can watch that talk here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/104859531?utm_campaign=postshare_creator
Today I want to zoom out even more and discuss the philosophy as it evolves from the time of the Buddha to modern day Vajrayāna practices to make a comparison between Kali as she is described in the more radical śākta texts like Maharthamanjari, Mahanayaprakasha & Mahanirvanatantra and the concept of the Void in Buddhism!
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
Our hatha yoga class is Wednesdays at 11am PST and again at Friday 5pm PST via this same link also.
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 Dark Side of Tantra May 28, 2024

Show notes

One of my favorite things about the Tantrik tradition is how vast it is. On one hand, you have the most refined non-dual philosophy wedded to aesthetically heightened and exceedingly subtle systems of practice for the attainment of the highest liberation in life. And on the other hand, you have midnight ghastly rituals in cremation grounds to hex your enemies, take control of spirits, amass wealth and get people to fall in love with you…
Such range!
And my favorite thing about Tantra?: as Swami Vivekananda so boldly declared before a western audience in 1893, we regard the “highest absolutism as well as the lowest fetishism as both equally valid attempts at grasping the Ineffable.” My favorite thing is how very inclusive and accepting our tradition is to every form of spiritual practice from the so called “lowest” to the “highest”. Everyone is approaching the divine each in their own way according to their own understanding and predispositions. And so every approach is valid as just another way to reach and express the Ineffable Reality which is non other than non-dual Consciousness reposing in Her innate bliss endowed with the ecstatic powers of willing, knowing and doing, joyously projecting Herself outward into manifestation in each and every moment.
As the Tantrik master Prabodha once said: “There is nothing so high that I can conceive that you have not transcended nor is there anything so low that you have not permeated completely!”
So in the name of embracing both highest and lowest, in this lecture, we will be discussing “the dark side of Tantra”. Yep. Cremation ground rituals, spirit possession, fierce blood drinking goddesses etc.
Enjoy!
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
Our hatha yoga class is Wednesdays at 11am PST and again at Friday 5pm PST via this same link also.
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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Is Cinnamastā a Fierce Goddess? May 27, 2024

Show notes

To mark the auspicious occasion of Cinnamastā Jayanti which we celebrated earlier this week, here are a few words on the mysterious and profound Self-Decapatating Goddess, Vajravairochinī. May this be a prayer to Her and to you, who are the Goddess embodied!
Pratyālīddhāpadām sadaiva dadhātīm cinnam śirah:karttrkām
Digvastrām
svakabandhashonitasudhādhārām pibantīm mudā
Nagābaddhashīromanim trinayanām hrdyutpalālangkrtām
Ratyāsaktamanobhavopari drddhām
Dhyāyejjapāsannibhām
Whose left foot is stepping forward
Ever, always
Holding a severed head,
Naked
Whose severed head
Is joyfully drinking
The nectar of Her own blood
Streaming
Who has a gem
Bound by a serpent
on her head
Who has three eyes
Who’s heart is ornamented by a lotus
Who is firmly standing above
The mind attached to sensual delights of the world
One should meditate upon this Goddess
Who is red like a hibiscus!
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
Our hatha yoga class is Wednesdays at 11am PST and again at Friday 5pm PST via this same link also.
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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An Invitation to Tantra | Tae Lee's Art Show at Wonzimer Gallery May 26, 2024

Show notes

Here's a slightly different episode for you on this auspicious Sunday, on the third day of the waning moon in the month of Vaiśakh:
Last night, I did a Kālī Pūjā at my beloved friend Tae's art show. It was his intention to feature a Kālī Pūjā at the celebration alongside his favorite musical artists. Here is a little excerpt from the evening's worship which features a few opening remarks regarding just what Tantra is and what it can be for you followed by Priti's incredible bhajans (devotional songs) on harmonium while I chant mantras to Mā!
Above all, I just want to bring you into this wonderful Tantrik ritual world of worship! Come, come.
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
Our hatha yoga class is Wednesdays at 11am PST and again at Friday 5pm PST via this same link also.
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 Buddha and Why You Should Learn Tantra May 23, 2024

Show notes

Tonight on Buddha Pūrnimā, by way of celebration, we did a talk on Tantrik Buddhism: specifically, the worship of Chinnamastā/Chinnamunda in the Vajrayāna context. (I'll upload this talk soonest!) But before we plunged into that topic, I was moved to say a few general things about the Buddha and his legacy and how that applies to us in this day and age who are studying and practicing the up-until-now very esoteric traditions of Śakta Tantra or Goddess Tantra.
You see: both the Buddha and Vivekananda felt that what was kept secret and made available to only the elite few needed to be made publicly available as the common property of every man, woman, (person) and child and they both made it their mission to do just that. Just like that, great saints and mystics like Āgamavagīsha, Ramprasad, Rāja Deva Nanda Singh, Ramakrishna and countless others have mainstreamed Kālī (to borrow a phrase from Ācharya Timalsinaji) so that what was once enjoyed by only a few can now. be cherished and worshipped by many! I am so, so delighted to be part of that process with all of you!
May this be an offering to the Buddha, the embodiment of compassion.
May this be an offerings to all beings who are turning towards awakening,
who are awakening
And who are awakened!
Jai Mā!
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
Our hatha yoga class is Wednesdays at 11am PST via this same link also.
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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Bagalā and Black Magick in Tantra May 21, 2024

Show notes

Today is Chinnamastā Jayanti and last week we had Bagalāmukhī Jayanti.
Since both of these are fierce and very esoteric forms of Kālī, I thought I would take this occasion to discuss some of the "darker" aspects of our Tantrik heritage since both of these deities, as well as many of the other Daśamahāvidyās are associated with magical practices of um, let's say, a less than savory nature according to the views of some more right-leaning practitioners. And Bagalā Devī especially has a strong association to cults that practice black magic with the purpose of binding, stunning and confounding enemies.
What's all that about?
In this talk, I want to make a case for why we should accept those aspects of our tradition but also strongly suggest a more devotional reading of these mantras and these forms of the Goddess. We do this by discussing Bagalāmukhī's dhyāna-ślokas (her meditation mantras), her origin story as per some śakta upa-puranas, the practices associated to her cult of worship and most importantly a story from the life of Sārada Devī where she actually manifested her Bagalā aspect to smite Harish, a devotee who had gone crazy because of his wife's black magic! This lecture is part of a series on the daśamahāvidyās which you can watch here
Later today, Mā willing, I'll upload a lecture called "The Dark Side of Tantra" exploring this idea more fully but here is my first swipe at it!
Jai Mā! Jai Pītāmbara-Devī Ki Jai!
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
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
If you'd like to support us, you can do so here:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jaimakali

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Mātangī and the Daśamahāvidyās May 19, 2024

Show notes

The day that we gave this lecture was an exceedingly important day: Akshaya Tritiya! Because the sun and moon are in very exalted positions and because of the association of this day to a series of auspicious events in Puranic Hinduism (the day Mā Ganga came down into the earth from the heavens, the day Vyāsa began dictating the Mahābhārata to Ganesh, the day Yudishthira received his unlimited food bowl, the day that Parvati appeared as Annapurna to feed everyone among other things), today is typically regarded as a great day to buy gold, begin new projects, embark on new ventures and most importantly, do spiritual practice. Whatever is started on this day while endure for a long time, if not forever and whatever spiritual practices are performed go extra hard and have a bigger impact in our lives. The TLDR of this is: it's max XP day, kula.
But also what's especially important for us is that this day was also Mātangī Jayanti.
So to honour the occasion, we decided to say a few things about Nīla Sarasvatī/Mātangī and the Daśamahavidyās as a whole as our humble prayer to the goddess in her auspicious Candāla form!
Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures.
It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
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

Hit Me Up x

Support the show

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