Today the monks celebrated the Ardra Nakshatra with our monthly abhishekam to Lord Nataraja in Kadavul Temple. This is quite an auspicious time of year, with Lord Murugan to be celebrated on Thai Pusam just a few days from now, and with Mahasivaratri to be celebrated on the 24th. This is a wonderful time to deepen your connections to the Gods and to deepen your meditations into the stillness of your own inner being. Aum Namah Sivaya

This phase we've begun Sadhu Paksha. These two weeks are a time when the monks change their usual morning routine and instead enjoy their sadhana unstructured, walking and meditating among nature. These two weeks are also a time when there are no tours and the monks can withdraw from the public a little and instead focus on the within. Following Sadhu Paksha we will observe the changing ritau and transition into the cooler, winter season. With our focus being on the beauty and silence found nature's simplicity, we present some photos from our sacred gardens today.

Our free Spiritual Workout App is now available on Google Play as well as Apple's App Store, making it available on most devices.

The App was inspired by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami's publisher's desk article which you can read here:
Ten Minute Spiritual Workout

While today nearly everyone appreciates the need for daily exercise to stay fit and healthy, many don't realize the need to maintain a balanced spiritual life through daily practices. The Spiritual Workout is designed primarily for Hindus who would like to maintain a daily spiritual practice, but who might not have much time to give to spiritual well-being. The app has four main areas: worship, introspection, affirmation and study. The Worship section includes mantras, chants and a Ganesha Puja (including audio files for learning). The Introspection section includes "Aum" chanting, a simple breathing exercise and a guided meditation. The Affirmation section presents several affirmations which can be repeated to positively reprogram one's subconscious mind, and the Study section makes available some of Himalayan Academy’s important publications. There is a "10 Minute Sadhana" section which organizes these four areas, as well as a simple timer for use in your own custom spiritual practice.

Go here to get either the Apple or Android versions of the app:http://www.himalayanacademy.com/apps/spiritual-workout

Don't forget to rate it on either google play or the apple app store! Just go to app store, find the Spiritual Workout app, go to the review section and write a review

Today we are officially announcing the version 1 release of our free Spiritual Workout App!

The App was inspired by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami's publisher's desk article which you can read here:
Ten Minute Spiritual Workout

While today nearly everyone appreciates the need for daily exercise to stay fit and healthy, many don't realize the need to maintain a balanced spiritual life through daily practices. The Spiritual Workout is designed primarily for Hindus who would like to maintain a daily spiritual practice, but who might not have much time to give to spiritual well-being. The app has four main areas: worship, introspection, affirmation and study. The Worship section includes mantras, chants and a Ganesha Puja (including audio files for learning). The Introspection section includes "Aum" chanting, a simple breathing exercise and a guided meditation. The Affirmation section presents several affirmations which can be repeated to positively reprogram one's subconscious mind, and the Study section makes available some of Himalayan Academy’s important publications. There is a "10 Minute Sadhana" section which organizes these four areas, as well as a simple timer for use in your own custom spiritual practice.

Go here for the free itunes version of the app:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spiritual-workout/id1166767094?mt=8

When the android version is made available in the near future, you'll find the link on this page:
http://www.himalayanacademy.com/apps/spiritual-workout

Nirvani Adinatha has just completed a major side-project that he worked on here and there on his days off from normal duties. Nirvani is an excellent carpenter and can methodically build structures from scratch with relative ease. Let's walk through the installation of our new redwood meditation hut.

Paramamesthi Guru Siva Yogaswamigal was a master songster. Singing to God was for him the panacea for the ills of his devotees. Every day his small hut in Columbuturai was full of songs. If devotees requested help, the miracle medicine he gave would be to give them a song that he wrote and sang and then ask them to sing this themselves and through this sadhana invoke Lord Siva's grace into their own lives. "Don't ask me...ask God yourself!"

Of course the power of his songs, known as Natchintanai was that everyone who sang them understood their meaning and through this they could visualize and manifest the "bhava" that divine feeling of transformative devotion that rises up in the heart during intense devotional practice. Because the current generation does not know Tamil, they no longer have access to this spiritual medicine. We now have a few songs in English. Though we can never match the beauty of the original, still there is power in being full cognizant of what you sing as you sing. Please enjoy this very popular Natchintanai in English. You can go here to download the audio and copy the lyrics. Thanks to those who collaborated in refining the translation, which works to be lyrical, poetic and yet true to Yogaswami's original meaning in Tamil. Yogaswami said "Sing to melt the very stones. Worship until you fall into trance like a mad person in bliss!"

During the ladies retreat, by popular request, three "bhajan satsangs" were held with Brahmanathaswami. They sang Natchintanai, practiced the shum alphabet, worked on memorizing some core Vedic chants and practiced affirmations. Swami read from Yogaswami's biography, from which we can see how central he held singing to the Gods to be a core sadhana for his devotees. Swami also read from Gurudeva's teachings on affirmations. The key is to understand the meaning of what you sing and chant, so that the songs and chants become powerful affirmations of spiritual truths that can remold the entire subconscious, while also connecting you directly to God, Gods and Guru in the inner worlds through bhakti.

For the last few days, female sishya and students of Saiva Siddhanta Church have been attending what is simply called their "Ladies' Retreat." Some years ago, a few of our women sishya asked Satguru if they could, amongst themselves, organize such an annual event. Upon approval, they began their yearly visit to the Aadheenam, at which they receive various classes from Satguru and our swamis on subjects such as self inquiry, meditation, jyotisha, devotional singing, hatha yoga, etc.

During the midst of this year's Ladies' Retreat, Suselah Periasamy and Toshadevi Nataraj received Mantra Diksha from Satguru today. Initiated into the daily sadhana of chanting Panchakshara, they move from this day on inward and upward to further reveal their innate divinity for themselves by themselves. Panchakshara means "five letters" in Sanskrit, and is used as a name for Namah Sivaya. Na, Ma, Si, Va, Ya.

Last week, Kaua`i Aadheenam was honored and blessed to have a most sincere, disciplined group of Satya Sai Baba devotees visit us. Months ago, their coordinator, Sandhya Kanade, contacted us with a request. In fact, her original note to us is the body of this post, as she thoroughly describes everything which took place.

"We are a group of devotees of Sri Satya Sai Baba, who are passionate about helping promote 'World peace' and well-being through the chanting of the Vedas. The Rudram is known to elevate the energies and accord expanding peace and love in the world.  Where better to chant, than in the auspicious grounds of the Kauai Hindu Monastery where preserving and providing a firm foundation of Sanathana Dharma is one of its missions.
"The world is now a global family with many friends and relative from various cultural, variant religious practices and family backgrounds. We desire to perform this Sahasra lingarchana as a group and enjoy Siva Anandam all together under one roof, with the coming together of all people from various castes, creed, sex and age groups to worship Lord Siva. Bhakti and devotion always plays a pivotal role in all our prayers at all times. It is well said that any puja performed as a group gives more vibration and good results to all the participants and the society. Group participation will also provide good understanding and opportunity to all of us and our children to learn more and more about Sanathana Dharma .They can adopt and carry it forward to future generations.
"Sahasra Lingarchana is a unique vedic ritual to worship lord Siva in the name of 'Uma Pardhiveswara Swamy.' It is performed by making 1,116 mruthika siva lingas also called as Pardhiva lingas made out of well prepared and sanctified clay. All these siva lingas are arranged in the form of Kailasa prastharam which is a depiction of Siva Kailasam with 16 avaranas and 1,116 Rudra swaroopas.  They are placed in this particular formation on a wooden plank. Roughly, an area of 9x9 is required. Devotees sit around this arrangement to pray and chant. Siva Shakti is invoked into each Siva lingam through vedic mantras during Shodasa Aavarana puja and worshiped with great devotion and bhakti to seek the blessings of Sri Uma Pardhiveswara Swamy for health, wealth, prosperity, bliss and ultimate mukthi.
"According to our Siva Maha Puranam, it is said that our lord Siva and goddess Parvathi reside in Kailasam, which is surrounded by 16 aavaranas. Each avarana contains a set of Rudra swaroopa devata ganas. There is a well-defined name for each aavarana and the respective devata ganas in the Sahasra Lingarchana kalpam . Shodasa Avarana puja is the process of invoking Rudra swaroopa devata shakti in all 1,116 mruthika sivalingas arranged in kailasa prastharam with 16 avaranas by each ones name and respective mantras. We invite them into the kailasa prastharam with all shodasa upacharams to worship them. Once this is complete, we'll have 1,116 Rudra devata swaroopams with Maha Linga swaroopa Uma Pardhiveswara swamy in the kailasa prastharam. This becomes the pivotal point of the entire universal energy and universal consciousness. What a  great opportunity for every one participating in such event to receive the universal energy as blessings. The mahanyasam is the process to tune your mind and body to absorb this high frequency universal energy present in Kailasa Prastharam which is invoked thru vibrant vedic beejakshra mantras during prana prathistha. This is followed by the Lingaarchana and then Rudraabhishekham.
"The main component in Sahasra Lingarchana is to make 1,116 mruthika Siva lingas, which we usually do in advance at home and bring it safely to the venue.
The main program details and rough time estimates are as follows
1. Ganapathy puja (30 min)
2. Sankalpam (30 min)
3. Mahanyasam (1.5 hrs)
4. Sahasra Lingarchana (1.5 hrs)
5. 1 round of chanting of the Rudram ( 30 min)
"Our hope is to perform it on July 2nd 2016 - Saturday morning and if possible, along with the swamis, yogis and sadhakas of the ashram. We have performed this Archana and chanting in other towns and cities in the US with a dedicated group of volunteers who work tirelessly for a seamless process, starting from setting up for the event to clean-up after the event. It can either be performed indoors or outdoors based on the number of chanters.
"To be able to perform a Sahasralingaarchana and chant the RUDRAM In this auspicious and highly energized Island of Kauai, especially in the precincts of the Monastery is indeed a blessing.  We would like the Monastics and board members to kindly consider this proposal."

We just today received a beautiful message from Sandhya reflecting on the aftermath of their visit:

"Namaste Swamiji,
 
My humble pranaams to Satguru and all of you. We had an inspiring, uplifting and devotion-filled week. Yourself and the entire Monastery showed us what it is to 'share and give selflessly.'
Starting from opening the doors of the monastery for this event to having the group experience the whole divine land of the Monastery- go into the garbhagudi of the Iraivan temple, do Abhishekha to the Narmada Linga , experience the spiritual energy on the grounds- has been a touching experience. You thoughtfulness in simple tasks such as providing bug spray, provide the buggy to take people around etc was an inspiring experience.
 
The icing on the cake was the Ardra pooja and Abhishekha to Lord Nataraja . It was indescribable and was an out of the world experience. The whole group had tears of Bliss flowing incessantly. What a spiritually elevating weekend that was.
 
Thank you  is such a small word that does not express the gratitude we all feel..
 
Samastha Lokaah Sukhino Bhavantu.
 
Namaste,
The Sai group"