Atithi Devo Bhavah: Responsible Rishikesh

14/12/2021

Gita Jayanti.the day that the Bhagvad Gita was revealed by Krishna falls on Mokshada ekadasi. Yoga being a Mokshamarga, a path towards liberation of the soul, is encapsulated within the Bhagvad Gita. It is best known as the song of the Divine and was revealed to Arjuna by Sri Krishna during the battle of MahaBharat.
Yoga is a part of the traditional system of India, sanskrit name Bharat. All of the yogas of samkhya, karma, bhakti, jnana are well detailed in the Bhagvad Gita.

20/04/2021

10/12/2020

06/11/2020

Come join us for 7-days of FREE online yoga, music, meditation, ayurveda, and healing. Welcome to the 12th International Yoga & Music Festival - 2020.

To register, visit: https://www.rishikeshyogafestival.com

05/09/2020

There is nothing higher and holier than the knowledge, which comes to the soul, transmitted by a spiritual teacher.
If a man has become a perfect Yogi, it comes by itself, but it cannot be got in books. You may go and knock your head against the four corners of the world, seek in the Himalayas, the Alps, the Caucasus, the Desert of Gobi or Sahara, or the bottom of the sea, but it will not come until you find a teacher. Find the teacher, serve him as a child, open your heart to his influence, see in him God manifested.
Our attention should be fixed on the teacher as the highest manifestation of God; and as the power of attention concentrates there, the picture of the teacher as man will melt away; the frame will vanish, and the real God will be left there. … This is the spirit, in which we are to be taught.
Such teachers are few in number, no doubt, in this world, but the world is never altogether without them. The moment it is absolutely bereft of these, it will cease to be, it will become a hideous hell and will just drop.
These teachers are the fair flowers of human life and keep the world going; it is the strength, that is manifested from these hearts of life that keeps the bounds of society intact.

Swami Vivekananda
(CW/V4/Addresses on Bhakti-Yoga/The Teacher of Spirituality)

30/08/2020

A French woman has been arrested for making a video of herself naked on a holy bridge in the Indian city of Rishikesh, police said Saturday.

15/08/2020

India, the land that the world comes to to seek and has historically provided solace, turning none away from her in the spirit of Atithi Devo Bhavah: the guest is God. In recent times, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg too availed and experienced the same spirit. The India that the world followed in positive spiritual and onward progressive growth. This motherland has welcomed all and whosoever have sought her refuge. The only country that has never invaded any other: rather, borne and suffered invaders and greedy colonisers who pillaged her riches and went further to erode her sanatana culture by imposing their religions through cruel ways and the worst cut, render her into bits and pieces as different countries based on religion that they brought alongwith. The sanatana culture where despite the multitude of ways to approach the divine, these differences all lead to the one single truth and the sentiment of Vasudhaiva Kutumbaka: the world is one family. This motherland, known as Bharat Mata is where her rivers,mountains,trees,forests are worshipped,the lush fields compared to bedecked brides, where spirituality is interwoven into the very social fabric and where the ways of natural living are followed: A land that gave the world its tradition of Yoga.

https://www.theyogaschool.in/component/easyblog/the-national-song-of-india-vande-mataram-praise-to-the-motherland

28/04/2020

Shankaracharya Jayanti. To the Guru who gave us the deep knowledge of Advait Vedanta and many beautiful compositions...this one being my ever favourite. The song of the soul. NirvanaAstakam.
Shivoham. I am the eternal soul🕉

25/03/2020

Om Vasundharaya Vidmahe Bhutadhatraya Dhimahi Tanno Bhumih Prachodayat
Let us meditate upon Bhumi Devi, the one who provides us everything. Let her bless us all with abundance.

The Hindu calendar(uses solar and lunar phases) begins with the month of Chaitra when the sun comes into Aries, the first zodiac sign, at 0 to 30 degrees. Chaitra is the spring to summer transition month. It is the closing of Spring(Vasanta) Rtu(season) to beginnings of summer Grishma. The first day of Chaitra is known as Gudi Padva in western India- Gudi means a hoisted flag of victory and Padva is an acronym for Pratipada(the first day of a lunar month). The creator Brahma created the universe on this day. This festival brings in the winter (Rabi) crop and is celebrated as Ugadi in South India, Cheti Chand(first sliver of moon) for the Sindhi community and is celebrated widely as the Hindu new year across Eastern India and Nepal too. Traditionally, the day is begun by eating the newly sprung bitter buds of neem(Margosa) and some jaggery( raw sugar): bitter sweet ways of grandmothers methods for innoculation - If neem is eaten for the first fifteen days of Chaitra, one is protected from skin diseases and malaria throughout the year. Chaitra Navratri begins on the Hindu New Year. The nine days will celebrate the Goddess in her many forms upto welcome to the birthday of Ram on Ram Navami-9th day.
In this nine day period, devoted to the Cosmic Mother, it is common for people to fast and exercise restraint in many aspects of life. Besides doing that let us also, through an understanding of each Navaratra, develop an emotional tool-kit that will facilitate our journey to a greater sense of well-being.
The 1st Navartra is to celebrate Mother Earth. It is the day for the 1st form of the Nava Durga - Ma Shailputri. The journey of the mother Goddess from the base of the spine at the Mooladhar chakra begins. The element of this chakra is Earth. Today is the day for grounding ourselves. Sit for meditation on the floor, feel yourself grow roots deep into the Earth. Being deeply grounded is the 1st condition for growth!
The Ancients gave us the ritual of khetri beejna to celebrate & honour the Earth on this day. During the Chaitra Navratras, people usually perform yagna or havan for Bhoomi Devi. We can create our own - plant a tree, hug a tree, make a sculpture or pot of clay, whatever makes one connect with the Earth element... Most importantly vow to take care of our use of her resources, so that she does not have to resort to extreme measures to make us pay attention. While spending some time in quiet reflection, keeping attention at the Mulaadhaar chakra at the base of the spine feel it become healed, nourished and strong. The mooladhar chakra is responsible for our will to live. It is this impulse that makes us respond with violence and fear and insecurity. Let us express our gratitude to mother Earth for her bounties so we may be able to transcend these primitive expressions and emotions.
Tool #1 – Attitude of Gratitude

28/02/2020

The CAA-NRC protests have now hit the state of Himachal Pradesh causing unrest and violence, with attacks on Hindu Temples and Shivlingas.