Ten days after Maha ShivaRatri, I am finally finding a few moments to write about my wild party of One… This year, since I didn’t have the energy to organize another all-night chanting event for ShivaRatri, I decided to have a quiet little chanting hour by myself. “Decided” is the key word here. I have to laugh every time I think I have a plan, because the Universe has a way of teaching me (again and again) that I’m not really in control of the “plans”! And ShivaRatri is the perfect night for letting go of the little mind’s attachments, since that is what Lord Shiva is all about. He helps us let go of everything that blocks our ability to rest in Pure Consciousness and Bliss.

So, I thought that I would just chant quietly to Shiva for an hour and then go to bed and get a good night’s sleep for work the next day… But, instead, here is what actually unfolded:

A certain lila (“divine play”) that I’ve been engaged in for a few years presented me with a situation that gave rise to some anger in my system, so when I lit the nag champa incense and sat down to chant to Shiva, instead of sweetly singing a lullaby to my Beloved, I sang louder than I have ever sung in my life. Let’s just say it was borderline yelling, and it went on for two hours, during which time I played bells and drums, and sang along with chanting CDs (and also briefly played my harmonium and sang my own chants), and rubbed my hair in Kali Wildness… Needless to say, once I got in bed it took me two more hours to fall asleep… and then I arose at 4:30am to continue chanting to Shiva for a while before work, and that’s when the Magic of ShivaRatri really descended into my being: suddenly the anger transmuted into Clarity, and I was able to calmly write a letter setting clear boundaries and bidding that lila a final farewell…

Sometimes I have to put up the Big Cosmic Shiva Mirror for me to see clearly what I need to let go of… And once I let go, I am amazed at the Bliss that flows into my being… And, in the ten days since ShivaRatri, I am astounded by all the Grace that is flowing into my life from all directions.

Repeating the Names of God really does have such a profound affect on my daily life. As the Indian poet-saint Tulsidas said, “The Name repeated with either good or evil intentions, in an angry mood or even while yawning, diffuses joy in all the ten directions.”

May all beings know the Bliss of letting go of attachments.

Om Namah Shivaya! ~ I bow to Shiva, who is Pure Consciousness and Pure Bliss.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja with Shiva & Nandi taken by Teja’s son Gabe.

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“Keep it Moving” is the theme of Lena Stevens’ February 2012 Forecast. I especially liked the part about keeping our thoughts and emotions moving so they don’t get stuck. She writes, “Allow yourself to feel, and then to feel differently, and yet again to feel something else.” (To read the rest of Lena’s forecast, please click on the title above.)

A few days after reading that monthly forecast, I was out on a brisk walk about town, and as I ascended a hill that I’ve walked up many times, I felt exasperated and my first thought was, ‘I can’t believe I’m still here in this town, after almost 19 years!’ As soon as I thought that, I remembered Lena’s words about keeping our feelings and thoughts moving, so I decided to try it out, and I quickly thought, ‘I am a multi-dimensional star being, and it doesn’t matter where I am on the earth!’

Well, as soon as I thought that, I felt so incredibly free, and so it really did work: I changed my thoughts, and then my feelings immediately changed. As I kept moving up the hill surrounded by the all-too-familiar Ashland scenery, I felt liberated from the limiting prison of my mind! 

Deep thanks to Lena Stevens for inspiring me to keep things moving…

May all beings be happy and free.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

P.S. Happy ShivaRatri (tonight in U.S./tomorrow in India) to one and all!

Photo of Stargazer Lilies by Teja Shankara.

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In my last blog article, “A Vegan Yogini’s Time-Out-of-Time Spiritual Practice”, I mentioned that I was in between books, so I was reading a publication about veganism. Well, after I finished reading that upsetting magazine, I wasn’t sure what to read next. In cultivating the witness, I observed a touch of the usual disoriented feeling that I tend to get in between books, and it was interesting for me to watch that state and to understand how fiercely I hold onto, and anchor to, and ground through whatever book I am currently reading. So then, in between books I experience a bit of vertigo, and I get to consciously practice listening for what is next…

For quite some time I have been wanting to read the Tulsidas Ramayana, but the daunting price has been holding me back. (It is $48 used on Amazon!) So as I was ‘listening’ for what book is next, I wondered if it might be time for the Tulsidas Ramayana, but I could not get a clear answer, so in the meantime I decided to re-read Gandhi-ji’s Book of Prayers. And wouldn’t you know, when I got to the section of prayers by Tulsidas, I felt a very deep resonance and kinship with that sixteenth century Indian poet saint! And that’s when I thought maybe it is time to read his Ramayana! 

Well, one reason why I can’t spend the money is that I owe my landlords $50 for a dryer repair, and since I’m only working half-time (and still searching for more work), I haven’t been able to pay them, so then I can’t order a book for $50 either… So Thursday morning, I said to the Universe, with my teenage son as my witness, “I need an extra hundred dollars to come to me this week.” If you have been following my blog for a while, then you already know that I struggle with the concept of “manifesting your reality” because even though our thoughts are indeed powerful, there are so many other co-factors at play when we are putting intentions out to the universe…

Even though we don’t always get what we think we want, sometimes we do (!), and in this case, it was quite an amazing manifestation. After putting that request (demand?) out to the Universe, I went to help a friend and he gave me ten dollars more than the ten dollars he owed me, and then after lunch, I got a call from EcoTeas asking me to work at their next packaging day, which will likely bring in about $75-95, and then that same day, a guy in the UK sent me a message about ordering my book Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living. So, all of that will total about one hundred dollars, maybe a little more!

With Amazing Gratitude, I’m now going to write my landlords a check for the $50 I owe them, and then I’m going to get on Amazon and order the Tulsidas Ramayana!

May all beings everywhere receive everything they need, when they need it.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja on birthday eve taken by Teja Shankara after attending an Amma Satsang.

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People often ask me how I am so grounded and vibrant on a vegan diet. The answer is simply that I prepare healthy foods and I focus on spiritual practices that keep me centered. I choose vegan foods that are grounding such as beans, whole grains, roots, and dark green leafy vegetables, like the collard, arugula, and mizuna greens in this photo. For that meal, I sautéd the collard greens in walnut oil and tossed them with some leftover tempeh and red bell pepper. Then I drizzled organic flax oil over the raw mizuna and arugula.

In addition to simple, tasty greens that are full of iron, calcium, and many other vitamins and minerals, I continue to sit daily in a silent meditation practice that balances my chakras (energy centers in the subtle body) and keeps me centered in my heart. In my pocket book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, I describe meditation (and other spiritual practices) in an easy-to-read way that appeals to many people.

Currently, my favorite daily practice is one that I’m calling my “time out of time”, which I enjoy after my morning meditation. For my time-out-of-time practice, I light candles on my coffee table, then sit on the couch with a cup of hot tea. I begin by reading aloud my current vows (which I wrote on January 1^st), and then offering my tea to Neem Karoli Baba. After that, I sip the tea whilst reading spiritual teachings. Recently I have been reading books by Ram Dass. To read the book reviews, please click on the titles: Be Here Now, Be Love Now, and Still Here.

The past few mornings, since I am in between books, I’ve been reading the Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit (magazine) published by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), and I will write a blog article with quotes from that publication once I digest it a little more. As a vegan yogini, when I read about the ill treatment of factory farm animals, I am filled with such a deep sorrow that I feel sick to my stomach and my heart aches. Thus, I feel very inspired to do my part to help raise awareness about this issue. In short, the animals and fish are suffering very much because of the dietary choices made by the human species. And, the choice to no longer eat animal products, but to instead eat a plant-based (vegan) diet, not only reduces the suffering of the animals, but it increases the good health of the humans and dramatically reduces the global greenhouse emissions. So, going vegan is a win-win-win situation: the creatures win, the humans win, and the planet wins!

More on this topic soon.

May all beings, including the cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys, be free to live happy lives.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja’s vegan dinner by Teja Shankara.

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