How a Simple Mantra Transformed My yoga yoga yogeshwaraya
I recollect that I sat on my yoga mat and felt like a complete fraud. I was in a downward dog position, yet my mind was a million miles away, it was running through a to-do-list, it was recounting a stressful work discussion, and it was fretting how I was going to prepare dinner. I was making the moves, but I did not feel any of the well-known zen-like rewards that everyone was raving about. My practice had the quality of being empty, of lacking the instruction manual.
This was until one day I came across something deep in a retreat the mighty mantra, Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya. This was not just a phrase but the key missing having a deeper, meaningful connection to my practice and I would like to tell you how it can do the same to yours.
What the hell is Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya? Breaking Down the Mystery
The first time that I heard the song, Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya, it seemed complicated and even frightening. I supposed it was some higher, occult instruction. But my teacher explained it in the simplest manner possible and it all made sense.
Let’s demystify it right now. It is a strong mantra of the ancient texts of yoga. Consider it not so much as a magic incantation, but as an excelling desire-bringer. It is a method of getting your heart and mind in the right position before you even get into your first position. The following is the basic definition of it:
Yoga: It means union- state of unity of your personal with the universal consciousness. That is the whole objective of the practice.
Yogeshwaraya: This refers to the Lord of the Yoga who is commonly referred to as Shiva. You do not need to be so concerned about the deity aspect. Consider Yogeshwaraya to be the best, ideal teacher or the divine origin of yoga itself- perfect focus, discipline, and enlightenment.
In chanting Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya, then, we are simply creating a great intention. We are saying, I can offer my practice to the utmost source of yoga. I desire genuine marriage and relationship. It is a practice of devoting your time on the mat to something bigger than a good stretch and bringing that profound transformative energy into your life.
Why This Mantra is a Game-Changer to a Busy Mind.
You may be reasoning that you are merely stretching your toes and having a rest. Do I really need a mantra?” I was skeptical too. However, the point that I have learned here is that yoga is much more than poses (asanas). It is merely the physical aspect of a great, beautiful tree.
The actual magic of yoga occurs in the mind. The poses merely mean to prepare the body such that it sits comfortably to carry on with meditation where the real inner work will commence. And this is where Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya comes in. This mantra has three amazing uses, in my own experience, and in the experience of most of the people whom I have had conversation with:
It Focuses a Roaming Mind: I have a monkey mind which was my greatest challenge. The process of chanting this mantra, even without sound, provides my brain with one, positive focus. It is a rope that prevents me to run on a sea of thoughts about deadlines and chores.
It Makes You Mean What You Say: When I begin my practice by chanting Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya it makes me remember what I am doing there. I do not go there to do a successful handstand to Instagram. I go there to seek togetherness, harmony and connection with myself. It imparts meaning to my sun salutations.
It Links You to the Past: this ancient mantra helped me feel that I was a member of a tradition dating back to thousands of years. It is a fascinating and frustrating experience to feel that you are dipping into a pool of wisdom that has been used by hundreds of thousands of seekers before you.
A Real Life Case Study: Stressed to Blessed.
I would like to provide a story of my friend Sarah (the name will remain confidential) a project manager and a mother of two. She went to yoga with the sole purpose of gaining the physical advantages by wishing to relieve her back pain. She would complete an online lesson of 20 minutes when her children were sleeping and look at the clock all the time.
According to her, her practice was utterly unsatisfactory. The stress-relief benefits did not take effect on her, and her back pain improved marginally. This was a simple experiment I offered to her: on the next two weeks when she would press play on her video she would sit up and sit one minute and close her eyes and say ten times Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya with meaning to the search of the true union.
The outcome was not a magic moment but it was meaningful. At the conclusion of the two weeks, she informed me, that something had changed. That minute of chanting compelled me to shift to the mom-mode into the me-mode. I felt my practice had become slower and more deliberate. I was actually having the stretches in my back and not merely pushing through them.
I completed my practice in an unusually relaxed state, not only exhausted, the first time. It diminished her physical pain and all her mind-body connection which was the result of that mere change of intention under the influence of the Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya mantra.
Yoga Nidra: The Art of Weaving Yoga Yogeshwaraya into your Practice.
The best thing about this mantra is that it is straightforward. No particular equipment is required or a Sanskrit PhD. You can start using it today. I incorporated it into my routine in this way and you can do the same:
As a Prelude to Your Practice:
Enhance a comfortable sitting posture prior to unrolling your mat. Close your eyes and make a couple of deep breaths. Then repeat in your mind or pluting, a few times a mantra Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya. Allow the vibration and the meaning to absorb. Intention Set the intention that this practice is in your best interest and to discover real connection.
As a Moving Meditation:
It is also possible to match the mantra with your breath when you are doing basic poses or your sun salutations. For example:
Breathing: Say in your mind Yoga Yoga.
Inhalation Exhale: thinking silently: Yogeshwaraya.
It makes your physical movement a type of moving meditation and keeps your mind focused on something good.
As a Closing Dedication:
When you are finishing your practice at the end of your Savasana or seated meditation, you may repeat the mantra. It is a lovely way to close your practice, giving the energy and the peace that you have created to the universe, or just to bring it with you in the rest of your day.
Hardly Truths and Graven Fears, Busted.
I get it. My reaction the first time I heard this was a bunch of reservations. I want to speak to you about the ones that you may be having at this moment.
I am not Hindu/spiritual/religious! Nor am I in a conventional sense. You don’t have to be. Consider the “Yogeshwaraya” to be a figurative expression of the most intellectual or the most prudent portion of your self, or the energy of peace in the world. It is not a particular religious belief, but the intent.
“I feel silly chanting. It’s not me.” That’s okay! There is no need to sing loudly. It is as powerful as repeating the words in your mind silently. The point or the trick is the concentrated will.
“I won’t pronounce it right.” Perfect pronunciation should not be an adversary of a good practice. Do your best. The universe, your own mind, will know your purpose. One fast web search will provide you with audio samples to follow.
Ripple Effect: Take the Mantra off the Mat.
The most unexpected advantage that I gained was that the tranquility and concentration that the use of the Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya mantra started to spread into my life. The reaction is no longer automatic in my case because when I sense a stress wave approaching me at work, I no longer respond immediately. It is followed by a single deep breathing that I utter Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya. It is a kind of reset button, reminding me that to find unity and peace rather than being overwhelmed with the chaos.
It is an app to have on hand. You can do it when you are in a traffic jam, you are about to have a tough discussion or when you are feeling stressed. It takes you right into the disheared, gorgeous process of your day-to-day existence, the very essence of what you do when you are practicing yoga, the seeking of peace and connection.
Your Invitation to a Better Practice.
The entire turn around in my yoga life was exactly a day I started practicing the Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya mantra. It changed my orientation towards the outward appearance of the poses to the inner world of my mind and soul. It gave the reason that was the source of the power of the what.
So, I invite you to experiment. In the next occasion when you get on your mat, you have only a minute before you get into one posture. Sit. Breathe. And bring to your mind this old, strong saying. Devote your practice to something bigger. It is entirely likely that you will discover that the secret to truly transformative practice, as I did, was never about being flexible, but being focused and intentional.
Choose your questions frequently asked.
In simple words what is yoga yoga yogeshwaraya?
Simply, it is an invocation with the meaning of I devote my yoga practice to the divine origin of yoga, or I am seeking the ultimate union and connection with this practice. It is a way to make a mighty, spiritual purpose before you start.
Do I have to chant it out loud?
Not at all! Although it makes it best to chant in a loud voice to get this impressive vibrational effect, it is equally good to repeat the mantra in your mind silently. The intention of the words is the most significant one.
I’m not religious. Can I still use this mantra?
Absolutely. You may take Yogeshwaraya to mean the best and the wisest of you, the nature of peace itself, and the tradition of yoga itself, which has existed since time immemorial. It is the concentration and commitment that is advantageous and not a particular religious faith.
At what time do you use this mantra?
The most usual are when you are about to start your practice at the very first moment to form your purpose, or when you are about to conclude your practice to seal your purpose. It can also be used when doing a moving meditation in the process of your practice and match it with the breathing.
What do I pronounce, it is Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya?
One of the most common pronunciations is so basic and so easy to say, YO-gah YO-gah Yo-gaysh-wa-RA-ya. There is no need to be overly concerned with perfection. There are audio pronunciations that you can get on the internet to make you feel more at ease.