1. isbn 978-1-60607-115-1

Aśvini-Bharani-Kṛttika Nakṣatras

Moon in Aries

'The Lord is in all beings and the entire Universe is in Him.'

• Bṛhat Parāśara Hora Śāstra

The meditation techniques included in this book are to be practiced only under the direct supervision of an ordained teacher of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam and in consultation with your personal physician to determine your fitness and ability to do the techniques. They are not intended to be a substitute for medical attention, examination, diagnosis or treatment. If someone tries these techniques without prior participation in the meditation programs of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam and without the direct supervision of an ordained teacher of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, they shall be doing so entirely at their own risk; neither the author nor Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam nor Nithyananda Publishers shall be responsible for the consequences of their actions.

Published by: Nithyananda Publishers Nithyanandapuri, Off Mysore road Bidadi 562 109, Bengaluru, Karnataka state, India

Copyright© 2009 - 'Living Enlightenment year'

First Edition: December 2009, Ebook ISBN: 979-8-88572-229-2 ISBN: 978-1-60607-115-1 M.R.P in India only: ISBN: 1-60607-115-7

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. In the event that you use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions. All proceeds from the sale of this book go towards supporting charitable activities.

Printed in India by : W Q Judge Press, 97, Residency Road, Bangalore - 560 025, Karnataka state Ph: +91 80 2221 1168 Email: [email protected]

Universal Truth

If you look deeply, if you look beyond mundane life, beyond the day-to-day life we live... If you contemplate on a night sky... you will see that the most intimate and complete relationship man owns is the relationship to the Universe. In fact, it is man’s ultimate relationship: he takes birth, lives and merges back into it. Nothing happens outside of it; and even his enlightenment happens in it. Just as the child grows in his mother’s womb, man evolves in the cosmic womb, he is the microcosm of a tremendous cosmic macrocosm. Therefore, all components of man, from the grossest to the subtlest, come from the universe: his body, his mind, his energy and his very consciousness are elements of the cosmos, Universe and man are indivisible. Whatever happens in the Universe resounds in the human consciousness, and whatever happens in the human consciousness resounds in the Universe. Both are one and unique consciousness.

Moon in Aries

3

The Great Vedic Astronomy

Man has been deeply fascinated by the Cosmos since the beginning of time. Early cultures worked on understanding the phenomena that happen in the sky; they observed them in order to understand what role the sky played in their lives. From these attempts, the science of astronomy was born.

In this field, the ancient Vedic contribution is well known. The earliest references to astronomy are found in the Ṛg Veda, which are dated 2000 BC. Around 500 BCE, Āryabhaṭa, a great astronomer, presented a system that showed the earth to spin on its axis and considered the motions of the planets with respect to the Sun. He also discovered how the lunar and solar eclipses occur and was the earliest to discover that the orbits of the planets around the Sun are ellipses, just as Copernicus and Galileo concluded a thousand years later. He even determined the diameter of the Earth to be 5,000 yojanas, approximately 36,000 km, which is very close to the actual figure.

4

Moon in Aries

These traditions related these objects and their movements to natural events such as rain, drought, seasons and tides; they related them to auspicious or inauspicious occurrences on planet Earth. Jyotiṣa, the science of Vedic astrology, took birth out of observations and perceptions based on these astronomical phenomena. The first astronomers were actually ṛṣis and sages, who understood the sky was a divine happening; they identified celestial objects with energies and Gods and bridged astronomy to astrology.

Moon in Aries

Jyotiṣa Simply Put

Astrology manifested in the inner vision of the ancient sages and ṛṣis of India. These yogis and enlightened beings were able to see beyond the physical realms. They could feel and express the subtle reality that exists behind cosmic phenomena. As such, they perceived the cosmos as pure intelligence; they could differentiate the primal powers of this intelligence in the planets and stars (the macrocosm), and worshipped the cosmic powers within themselves (the microcosm) as powers of their being.

By concentrating intensely on the Sun and other planets, they understood the movement of the life force in their body, and by meditating on the life force, they also came to understand the movement of the Sun and the planets in the heavens. Through this technique called samyama, they could unravel the secrets of the universe. They brought down their understanding down to the human level through a system of Vedic science, which became known as Jyotiṣa: the science of light.

6

Moon in Aries

Parāśara was one such sage. He is known for being the father of Jyotiṣa. He wrote the magnum opus Brhat Parāśara Hora Śāstra, which systematically explains the theory of predictive astrology. According to history, he is the grandson of Vaśiṣṭa and also father of Veda Vyāsa, who wrote the great epic Māhābhārata. The depth of his astrological knowledge was so great that one evening while crossing a river in a boat, he casually looked at his favorite stars in heaven and suddenly realized it was an exceptionally auspicious moment. He concluded that if a child were conceived at that moment, he would be an expert in the scriptures. So he told this to the lady rowing the boat and requested that she marry him. She agreed and the son born was Veda Vyāsa!

Moon in Aries

By observing the movements of the celestial bodies through time and space, the science of Vedic Astrology can be applied to each human incarnation to encourage the soul to develop to its fullest potential.

In Paramahamsa Nithyananda's own words:

'The moment the consciousness enters the body, the energy level of the cosmos at the time of birth gets printed in that consciousness. Your inner space gets a print of the cosmic energy level and the position of the nine major energy centers of the solar system.

The astrological planets are not only astronomical, they are energies. A particular energy of push and pull exists between them. The different energy positions clearly decide the cosmic energy level during the time of birth. Based on that, Jyotiṣa will be able to predict the course of life. Understand, not exact incidences because you have freedom. You have freedom to decide whether to sit here or not, to read this or not.

The major course of life if you will get enlightened

8

Moon in Aries

or not can be predicted. Principles can be predicted, not policies! Having an idea about your horoscope will give you intelligence and acceptance in your life: intelligence to take decisions and the acceptance to bear the inevitable things. According to me, a seeker should have a basic knowledge about his horoscope.’

Jyotiṣa and Living Enlightenment

Jyotiṣa can help one to read his destiny. But what is actually destiny?

There are only two types of destinies:

The first one is destiny as defined by a dictionary: lived within the boundaries of the ego, with its own expectations, hopes, desires, successes and failures. It is constantly changing. Because it evolves under mind’s law, it is mechanical, accidental and coincidental. This ‘destiny’ is lived in the dimension of the mind, and therefore has no existential reality in itself. It is nothing more than a reproduction of one’s past in the present, which conditions the future in a mechanical way.

Moon in Aries

The other destiny is existential and ultimate; it is the flowering of consciousness into enlightenment. Understand: the only thing predestined in the scheme of life is that man is meant to evolve to reach enlightenment. The rest is just incidental; it happens for no other reason than to teach and mold the being towards seeking enlightenment. Living Enlightenment is all about making conscious choices, free from the unconscious push and pull of the saṃskāras.

The further you wander from your center, the more you lose yourself in your periphery, the more you are unaware and subjected to incidences and accidents. Whereas, when you Live Enlightenment, you are centered, you are within your boundaries, you are aware. You become ‘predestined’, because your predestination is to reach enlightenment; your destiny is to become more and more aware. Then you become the agent of your destiny, and you move beyond grahas' influences. This is how you come to terms with your karmas.

For that to happen, a simple understanding of the forces at work in you can help clarity manifest in your daily routine. In addition to this, you can follow a couple of guidelines to keep your body healthy with the science of Āyurveda and raise your energy level with yoga, the use of gemstones, rudrākṣa beads, mantra chanting, and a basic knowledge of your psychological tendencies coupled with the ancient Vedic wisdom expressed by the great enlightened Masters.

All these remedies will create lucidity about your mental set-up and support for eventually dropping your conditionings; unclutching from your mind and emotions. It will foster your intelligence and energy to Live Enlightenment.

Moon in Aries 11

Understanding Grahas and Nakṣatras

The grahas are energy centers, energy fields that planets exert in the universe. Each of the nine main grahas in Vedic astrology has a specific energy field that creates specific effects on our planet Earth. For example, the moon has a strong impact on the movements of the sea and on plant growth; it even influences the mind of human beings. In the same way, the major energy centers produce an effect on living beings and influence their potential at birth, their mental set-up and, therefore, the course of their destiny. In Jyotiṣa, grahas are often referred as the agents of the karmas for which the soul took birth. Human personality and life have their counterparts in the structure of the cosmic physiology, represented by the grahas and the nakṣatras.

There are nine grahas (nine influences or ‘planets’) in our solar system: the Sun (Sūrya), the Moon (Candra), Mars (Maṅgal), Mercury (Budha), Jupiter (Guru), Venus (Śukra), Saturn (Śani) and two nodes called Rāhu

(ascending lunar node) and Ketu (descending lunar node). These represent archetypes. Sūrya, for example, represents consciousness; Candra represents the cosmic mind; Budha represents the cosmic intellect, etc.

Most of the calendars of the world have been set by the Sun's and Moon's movements (measuring the day, month and year) and were of great importance for agriculture, because the harvest depended on planting at the correct time of the year. But the Vedic tradition uses a system of 27 nakṣatras to calculate months. The nakṣatra is the constellation in which the moon sits in the heaven at a particular time. In each month, the full moon sits in a particular constellation, and the Vedic month will have this nakṣatra's name.

Each nakṣatra falls under the rule of one, sometimes two grahas. Each graha is assigned three nakṣatras. For example, if the child is born when the moon sits in Aśvini nakṣatra, his birth star will be Aśvini, and his sign will be Aries (called meṣa in Sanskrit), ruled by planet Mars (Maṅgal). Bharaṇi and Kṛttika, the two

Moon in Aries

next nakṣatras, also fall under the lordship of Aries sign. All three will therefore have similar characteristics and will influence the child’s mind and consciousness at the time of birth, shaping his destiny.

14 Moon in Aries

If Mars is your Planet

Moon in Aries

'I worship Mars, born from the womb of the earth, who has the beautiful brilliance of lightning, the divine youth who carries a spear in his hand.' -Veda Vyāsa

Dynamic : How we take actions and are able to be ourselves

Keywords: Energy, power, strength, courage, freshness, agility, competition

Signs: Aries, Scorpio

Color: Red

Gender: Masculine

Cakra: Maṇipūraka

Temperament: Tamas

Ayurvedic constitution: Pitta (fire)

Governing deity: Subrahmaṇya, Lord Śiva's son

16

Moon in Aries

Mars in Vedic Scriptures

Once when Lord Śiva was engrossed in deep meditation in his abode Mount Kailāś, three drops of perspiration originated from his forehead and fell to the earth. From those drops manifested a very beautiful child who was reddish in complexion and who had four arms.

The child was handed over to the earth goddess, Bhūmi, for upbringing. The child was named Bhaum as he was nurtured and brought up by ‘Bhūmi’ (a name of the planet earth).

When Bhaum grew up, he went to Kāśi and did a rigorous penance to please lord Śiva . Lord Śiva blessed

Moon in Aries

him by granting him 'Maṅgala loka' (the Abode of Maṅgala, Mars), which was superior even to the 'Śukra loka' in the universe (the Abode of Śukra or Venus, the God of love). The same 'Bhaum' is established in the solar system by the name of Maṅgala (the auspicious planet Mars).

Tendencies of Mars and Aries

'The Aries is blood-red in complexion. It has a prominent physique. It denotes courage. It resides in the East and is related to kings. It is fiery. Its ruler is Mars.'

• Bṛhat Parāśara Hora Śāstra

Symbol: The ram

Element: Fire, heat

Ruling Planet: Mars / Mangal

Body Type: Pitta (fire)

Healing stone: Coral

18

Moon in Aries

The symbol of Aries is the ram. It represents freshness, innocence, purity, agility, and beauty. The ram is a spark of life that is pure, full of joy in its innocence, frolicsone, always eager to play and jump, enjoying the expression of its own energy. Mars is ready to create, to start new happenings: it is the power of manifestation in the Universe and is the first sign of the Vedic zodiac.

Aries gives a lot of independence, a good ability to express one’s desires; it gives strength and a strong sense of personal orientation in life.

Strong dynamism and original initiatives express though the native. The Aries type is often intellectual and feels a strong desire to fight for a cause, or for his own ideas and convictions. That gives him a strong drive and a sense of a mission in life, a need to manifest something on planet Earth.

Their logical abilities make Aries natives interested in science and research, and they have acute abilities of perception and a good visualizing power. The fiery Mars gives intensity and leadership qualities.

Moon in Aries 19

Aries Nakṣatras : Aśvini, Bharani and Kṛttika Nakṣatras

Characteristics of an Aśvini-born

If your moon sits in Aśvini, your will be of fine appearance and gentle manners, your nature can be quite adventurous and you possess brilliant eyes. You are efficient and have healing energy. You are strongly inclined towards serving others and you have a natural skill to take care of other’s needs. Humble and truthful by nature, you can show heroic dispositions when needed.

You are always ready to stand up for human rights or for your own beliefs because you cannot bare injustice. Your disposition is enthusiastic and happy-go-lucky; you are playful, childlike and very active, just like your mind! You always keep busy and spend extra time to keep your surroundings neat and clean, especially your house.

20 Moon in Aries

Endowed with personal charisma, elegance and popularity, you are very courageous and display confidence. You can gain knowledge about a wide range of subjects and show the faculty to study and learn because of your great ability to synthesize ideas.

You are spiritual and able to sacrifice yourself for the sake of your goals and ambitions or for those whom you love. Often, you have a social bent of mind and feel deeply for physically challenged people or the under-privileged strata of society. This could lead you to embrace a humanitarian vocation or to be part of a spiritual organization that works on uplifting peoples’ lives.

Characteristics of a Bharani-born

The moon in Bharani nakṣatra suggests a person successful in work, capable, truthful, of a pioneering spirit, and free from disease. Through Bharani’s influence, you may even experience spiritual depth and yogic abilities.

Moon in Aries 21

You have beautiful breakthroughs in life, which are often preceded by struggles. Under Bharani’s auspices, you need to learn to nurture self-control, will power and discipline. This nakṣatra shows idealistic or moralistic ideas, an aspiration for social transformation, and a great adaptability to life’s situations. It denotes also the creative potential of the universe, which is flowing freely through you.

You sometimes express your opinion without being bothered about others’ sentiments. As a result, you encounter considerable resistance and failure. Tactful behavior is something alien to you! You may appear to be arrogant even though your heart and intentions are pure. Taking the advice and encouragement of those close to you regarding personal matters will break the ice!

You are a natural commander and eager to establish supremacy. It may cause you to face stiff competition and setbacks in the rat race.

22 Moon in Aries

As a Bharani born, you should avoid unnecessary arguments or useless causes and principles that will ultimately drain your precious energy. Over time, you will develop a great caring attitude towards others, without having the need of their attention and recognition, in a spirit of universal love.

Characteristics of a Kṛttika-born

When the moon occupies Kṛttika, you may be a good advisor, strong in purpose, determined and intelligent. You are very fond of relationships, are of bright appearance and possess widespread fame.

Kṛttika’s deity is Agni, the sacred fire. Just like fire, you are sharp, cutting and penetrating by nature. Your personality often expresses ambition, pride and self-motivation. You are a fighter for a cause; you are a spiritual warrior.

Kṛttika is also known as the ‘Star of fire’ and is related to physical and creative force. It stands for the determined and tenacious will to achieve greatness.

Moon in Aries

This nakṣatra indicates a life where negativities are burnt up and purified, and you ripen the fruit of your efforts and spirituality. It can bring out the divine qualities in human nature through the fires of purification.

You are witty though stubborn and aggressive at times. Your creative drive does well in careers such as music, dance, design, military work, or any work which requires an engineering brain and brave qualities.

Be careful and balanced in the way you eat! You experience strong desires of all kinds, and one of your life lessons is to discipline your nature and to find activities that calm your mind, fulfill, heal and revitalize your being. That should be your primary goal.

24 Moon in Aries

Energy Centers and Aries

Maṇipūraka Cakra : the Fire of Transformation

There are seven major energy centers in our body, called cakras in Sanskrit. They are directly connected to our emotions and impact different aspects of our personality and the way we relate to ourselves, others, and to Existence.

Each planet resonates with a particular energy center in the body. The fiery energy of Mars is connected to maṇipūraka cakra located in the navel region. Its energy can sometimes imbalance the cakra, especially when it is channeled towards worrying! Maṇipūraka flowers when you stop worrying about your worries.

It is a proven fact that cakras correspond and affect the functioning of specific glands that constitute the body's endocrine system. This is why worrying imbalances your system, and creates chronic diseases in the long run. Your body and mind are very deeply rooted in our consciousness!

Moon in Aries

To keep manipūraka balanced, bringing awareness into your mind and irritations, practicing meditation and yoga will benefit you. Wearing coral stone can also contribute to maintain your balance.

Also, Mars stands for the fire which produces heat in the body, a warm temper and an attitude of intensity in life. Mars gives courage and strength to evolve in life. Therefore, it is associated with transformation on all levels: for example, jatarāgni is the inner fire through which food is converted into substances which can be assimilated by the body. Inner strength and the power to digest can be maintained by eating slowly and with awareness.

A balanced manipūraka cakra will confer a good digestion and physical well-being.

Aries and Āyurveda: Understand your Constitution

In a birth chart, many influences have to be considered to find out one’s body type. Consulting an experienced Ayurvedic doctor will help you to understand your body constitution.

Generally, the Ayurvedic dośa (or body constitution) related to Aries is pitta.

Let’s use this scale:

If you experience symptoms such as excessive body heat, digestive problems, quickness to anger, impatience, a tendency to exert excessive effort to achieve goals, vision difficulties, being prone to make errors in judgment because of mental or emotional confusion, then there is a good possibility you are suffering from pitta imbalance.

If you have a strong power of digestion, good vitality, goal-setting inclinations, problem-solving skills,

Moon in Aries

a keen intelligence, decisiveness, courage, a bright complexion and mental clarity, then your pitta is balanced.

Here are some of the common characteristics of people who have a predominantly pitta body constitution:

Strong and well-built body

Sharp mind, good power of concentration

Orderly and focused

Assertive, self-confident

Aggressive, sometimes demanding

Enjoy challenges

Under stress, pittas become irritated and angry

Uncomfortable in sun or hot weather, heat makes them very tired

Perspire a lot

28

Moon in Aries

Good public speakers, capable of sharp and cutting speech

Generally good management and leadership ability

Subject to impatience and anger

Typical physical problems include rashes or inflammations of the skin, acne, boils, ulcers,

Heartburn and acidity, insomnia, burning eyes and blurred vision and anemia.

How to manage pitta ?

Factors that can cause pitta to increase include a diet that contains too many hot or spicy foods, fasting or skipping meals, over-exposure to the sun or to hot temperatures and emotional traumas. Pitta is stimulated by pungent, sour and salty food and weakened by sweet, bitter and acid tasting foods. A pitta type should also take care not to do things too rapidly, including eating! Pitta imbalances can be quickly corrected by spending time in nature, and doing less. Because pitta

Moon in Aries

people are goal-oriented, they can benefit from going from a swim or simply enjoying some hours of rest. Drinking rose lassi or using sandalwood or rose oil for aromatherapy is also essential for cooling the heat of pitta.

Food items to balance pitta :

Dairy milk, butter, and ghee are good for pacifying pitta.

Sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes decrease pitta influences. Therefore if your pitta characteristics are too pronounced, you can add complex carbohydrates like wheat, white rice, barley and oat to your plate; and favor sweet fruits such as grapes, cherries, melons, berries, avocados, coconuts, pomegranates, mangoes, and fully ripened oranges or pineapples. Incorporate asparagus, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, ladies fingers, lettuce, beans, green beans, zucchini and green leafy vegetables such as lettuce to your diet.

30

Moon in Aries

And remember, except tofu and split-mung dhal, beans and bean products are not too good for your constitution.

Meditation for Aries: Balance your Pitta!

Mars natives can be benefitted through techniques that develop insight and build energy in the body. Aries people like to work on themselves in a practical way, through physical practices (Nithya yoga) or mental techniques like visualizations or rituals.

Here is a meditation for you:

The first 10 minutes: In standing position, close your eyes and start to intensely shake your body from head to toe. Let your body become like a liquid.

The next 10 minutes: Sit down wherever you are. Sit on a chair if you need to and create whatever sounds and gibberish comes to your mind. Do not use words that you know. Release all the irritation you hold inside. If it is needed, visualize or remember situations which caused tension in you, and focus on

Moon in Aries

bringing out sounds from your navel area. Express yourselves!

The last 10 minutes: Just sit quietly. Witness whatever is happening in your body and mind, without passing any judgment on any of your thoughts, without resisting any thought and without destroying any thought. Just be as you are, enjoy the light sensation in your manipūraka cakra!

32

Moon in Aries

Nithya Dhyaan: the Universal Technique

Nithya Dhyaan is a formula and technique that works on all the components of your being. Whatever your birth sign may be, it awakens the cosmic powers within you and makes them available to your being to excel in all spheres of life.

This is a five-step technique. Allow seven minutes for each step. Keep your eyes closed throughout the meditation.

1- Chaotic breathing:

Sit in vajrāsana (kneel and sit on your heels). Place your hands on your hips and breathe chaotically, without a repetitive rhythm. Just focus on your breathing; let your entire being become the breathing.

Moon in Aries

2- Intense Humming:

Continue to sit in vajrāsana, form cin mudra with your fingers (with the thumb and forefinger forming a circle and other three fingers outstretched), and place your hands on your knees, palms facing upwards. In this posture, with your mouth closed, produce the sound ‘Mmmm...’ from inside your body, as loudly and lengthily as possible.

3- Cakra awareness:

You may continue to sit in vajrāsana or sit crossed legged if you wish. Keep your fingers in cin mudra position. Now, bring your awareness to each cakra one after the other, from mūlādhāra cakra(root center) to sahasrāra cakra (crown center) to

34

Moon in Aries

center). Feel each cakra completely as if your whole being has become that energy center.

4- Silent Meditation: Be unclutched

In this step, carry the understanding with you that your thoughts are unconnected, irrational and unclutched. Don’t try to create thoughts, don’t try to maintain thoughts, do not try to destroy thoughts or react to them. Just sit and watch them. Understand,

by your very nature, you are pure being and bliss.

5- Guru Pūja

Now, connect, relax and rest into the universal energy. Just sit in a very deep and passive way, feeling one with the whole, God,

Moon in Aries

or your Master. Listen to the Guru pūja mantras and feel their vibration in you. Express your gratitude with reverence.

You will find further details on the benefits of Nithya Dhyaan; along with the meditation instructions, in the comprehensive booklet and audio CD called Nithya Dhyaan- Experience bliss.

36

Moon in Aries

Nithya Yoga for You

When the dynamism is low in the person, martial arts can be practiced to strengthen Mars energy. Otherwise, gentle yoga postures which work on manipūraka cakra, as well as Sūrya Namaskār (the ancient Sun salutation), can be practiced by all natives!

Ardha Matsyendrāsana :

Moon in Aries

37

Instructions:

To blissfully enjoy the benefits of any āsanas, make sure your body is warmed up, the spine worked on and stretched out before entering the postures.

Sit in vajrāsana (kneel and sit on your heels)

Perform the posture on the right side first. Simply allow the buttocks to fall to the left side.

Using your hands, help to lift your right leg and place the foot on the outside of the left knee.

Ensure that both hips are down on the floor as evenly as possible.

Bring the right hand behind your back (about 1 foot away from the spine), fingertips pointing outward. (Elbow can be bent if needed to create more space between torso and legs).

Bring the left arm up, and push back the knee with the left elbow. Keep the elbow bent with the palm facing outward.

38

Moon in Aries

Look over your right shoulder.

Inhale, lengthen the spine.

Exhale, gently twist around, looking gently over your right shoulder more.

You can hold this āsana for 6 breaths.

After the last exhale, inhale as you bring the head around to the front.

Then exhale and allow the body to unwind slowly.

Repeat on the other side.

Benefits:

This āsana gives a complete rotary movement to the entire vertebral column, and works on the digestive power which planet Mars represents. It can lead one to complete inner transformation by giving an experience of no-mind state.

Moon in Aries

Sūrya Namaskār

Sūrya Namaskār (the Sun salutation) is called the king of asanas. It is a sequence of 12 postures, each symbolizing a sign of the zodiac. This sequence of asanas has the amazing ability to activate the best characteristics of your birth chart by bringing energy to your body, a clearer thinking through emotional balancing, and a restored health, thereby enabling you to express your intelligence and uniqueness. It is a technique to experience a conflict-free life, fulfilment and eternal bliss.

Its practice awakens the body’s innate intelligence to produce energy from the sun. It is designed to access the etheric energy all around you. When performed facing the East in the first rays of the morning sun, along with the appropriate breathing technique and the mantra, the effect on the individual mind, body and spirit is incomparable.

It is said that the daily practice of Sūrya Namaskār

40

Moon in Aries

is enough to work on the whole body organs, cakras and mindfor the whole day.

Sūrya Namaskār mantras

A mantra is a composition of syllables, words or sentences that, when repeated with awareness and visualization, has a powerful and penetrating influence on the mind. Before each repetition of Sūrya Namaskār, one chants the corresponding mantra, which is a glorification of the Sun. This simple method leads us to the experience that the outer Sun symbolizes the shining intelligence in our inner sky. We come to understand our connectivity to the cosmic energy that pervades all the grahas. The characteristics of our sign get activated to unfold its inherent potential.

Aum hrāṁ mitrāya namaḥ Salutations to the friend of all

Aum hrīṁ ravaye namaḥ Salutations to the shining one

Aum hrūṁ sūryāya namaḥ Salutations to the one who induces activity

Moon in Aries 41

Aum hraim bhānave namaḥ Salutations to the one who illumines

Aum hraum khagāa namaḥ Salutations to the one who moves swiftly

Aum hrah pūṣṇe namaḥ Salutations to the giver of strength

Aum hrāṃ hiranyagarbhāya namaḥ Salutations to the golden Cosmic Self

Aum hrīṁ marīcaye namaḥ Salutations to the Lord of dawn

Aum hrūṁ ādityāya namaḥ Salutations to the son of Aditi, the infinite Cosmic mother

Aum hraim savitre namaḥ Salutations to the eternal benevolent mother

Aum hraum arkāya namaḥ Salutations to the one who is praiseworthy

Aum hrah bhāskarāya namaḥ Salutations to the one who leads to enlightenment

Sūrya Namaskār āsana sequence

To blissfully enjoy the benefits of any āsana, make sure your body is warmed up, the spine limber and stretched out before entering the postures.

Moon in Aries

43

Stand with feet slightly apart. Bring hands together into prayer position in front of your chest. Keep your eyes open during the practice of the āsanas. Chant the corresponding mantra loudly.

Inhaling, gracefully sweep the arms up over your head and gently arch the spine backwards.

Exhaling and bending from the hips, sweep the arms forward and down so the hands touch the floor close to the feet and the forehead comes in close to the knees. Bend the knees to allow for greater ease in doing this.

Step the right foot back as far as you can and as you inhale, lift your heart center up.

Step the left foot back and assume the plank position with spine, neck, and head in a straight line, hands placed directly under your shoulders.

On the exhale, lower the knees, chest and chin to the floor assuming aștānga namaskār. Point the toes.

Inhale, raise the head and chest off the floor by engaging the lower back and gently pushing with your hands. Keeping the elbows bent at a 90-degree angle, come into bhujangāsana.

Exhaling, push with your hands, raise your hips into the air and back and assume the downward dog pose. Push your heels towards the floor.

Gently look forward at your hands and step the left foot forward as far as you can, close to the hands. Inhale, lift your heart.

Step the right foot forward to meet the right hand. Bend your knees if you need, exhale, and bring the head in close to the legs.

On an inhale, sweep your arms up over your head and gently arch the spine, saluting the Sun.

Exhale, bring your arms down and your hands back into prayer position in front of your chest.

Moon in Aries

45

Nithya Yoga is Paramahamsa Nithyananda's unique offering to the world, helping the practitioner to be in the state of yoga every moment. You will find further details on the benefits of Sūrya Namaskār in the book titled: Nithya Yoga - The Ultimate Practice for Body Mind and Being.

Birthstones for Aries

Red coral gemstone bracelet

This book comes with a unique energy bead bracelet which beautifully combines semi-precious stones with rudrākṣa beads- enhancing and radiating the properties of the stones. This bracelet attunes you to the Universe and contributes to destroy sufferings related to negative karmas. It is specially blessed by Nithyananda, the enlightened Master of our times for the fortunate ones who wish to receive the blessings of the Universe! Enlightened Masters are said to be the manifestation of the Cosmic Energy, which radiates through the 9 planets. It empowers you to expand your inner intelligence into Living Enlightenment!

Jyotiṣa uses different gemstones (also called birthstones) to strengthen each planets’ energies.

Gemstones are the finest and purest consolidation of minerals that exists, formed under extreme heat and pressure inside the earth. Stones are crystals of

Moon in Aries

clear and purified minerals that are also found in the human body.

Because of their mineral quality, they are agents of electromagnetic energy, which influences the electromechanical nature of the human body. When a stone is in contact with the skin, it starts working on the physiology and the energy level of the body, as well as the pranic layer of energy.

Red coral stone represents planet Mars in the natal chart. It rules energy, vigor and vitality. It is beneficial for:

Physical and mental growth

General health

Monetary gains

Status in life,

Success in sports

Marital bliss

48

Moon in Aries

New ventures and relief from obstruction

Low stamina, lack of effort and self-confidence,

Blood infections, blood circulation, obstructions in physical growth

Fatigue

Back pain

Chest congestion

Fever

Moon in Aries

49

Rudrākṣa Beads

Aries’ Cosmic seed

Today, scientific experiments have verified the intrinsic properties of the rudrākṣa. These are: dynamic polarity, bioelectricity, and paramagnetic and diamagnetic propertiesall of which effectively control

50

Moon in Aries

hyperactivity, eliminate stress and bring beneficial effects on body and mind.

Rudrākṣa beads are emblems of Lord Śiva, who is believed to be at the very core of the centrifugal force of the universe, representing Brahman or the cosmic Sun: the aspect of creation which continually dissolves to begin a new cycle of creation, preservation, dissolution and recreation of the Universe. Therefore, wearing rudrākṣa attunes one with the cosmic energy that destroys karmas and confers spiritual liberation. It cannot have an adverse effect on the wearer because of its auspicious signification and can be worn by anyone, irrespective of his or her moon sign. Rudrākṣa beads have immense benefits:

They protect against negative planetary positions and enforce the positive effects of the birthstone which you wear

They keep, foster and protect one’s own energy

Moon in Aries

They can tap into energy fields to restore energy in the wearer.

They stimulate an individual's consciousness and sub-consciousness

They stimulate the mind, sharpens the intellect, gives power and opens the third eye

They ensure peace of mind and harmony of relationships

They help to cure dangerous diseases such as epilepsy, cough, and small pox and heal poisonous wounds

They actualize Master's blessings into your life.

Navagraha Pūja

The Navagraha pūja is a Vedic prayer which produces tremendous positive energy, and helps everyone to gain courage to face any situation in life.

This ritual traditionally performed for the nine planets, brings solace to the person's mind, and dilutes any negative influences which can be felt during certain period called 'Navagraha dośa'; when the planets are not in proper alignment, influencing the person negatively. Due to these, people fall into depression

Moon in Aries 53

and certain low moods. This period may last for some time, depending on the power of the planet.

However this can be averted with intelligence. Navagraha pūja is conducted to connect oneself to the cosmic intelligence, to avert any hindrances and to bestow tremendous peace and contentment in life.

This pūja is a collection of prayers and rituals performed to the planets in the form of deities.

With the blessing of these nine planets, the person is helped to attain good health, prosperity, knowledge and enlightenment.

Navagraha Homa

Homa is a fire ritual, and an intense spiritual practice which becomes a powerful meditation technique when performed with devotion. During homa, one invokes the cosmic energy and visualizes it in the fire. Offerings to the planet deity through the fire are made at the same time.

Moon in Aries

Through the mantra chanted and the purification effect of the fire; the body, the space in which the ritual happens and the people attending the prayer are benefited, and the planetary effect decreased.

When this homa is done as a personal spiritual practice, the energy is brought from the nirvanic to the physical layer of the body through all subtle energy layers, healing the person and raising his level of energy- allowing him to transform his destiny.

Navagraha pūja and homa services are available in all Nithyananda Vedic Temples throughout USA, and Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam ashrams throughout India.

Find out your nearest Temple in India on www.nithyananda.org and www.nithyanandavedictemple.org for USA, contact them to have more details if you are interested in benefiting from these services.

56 Moon in Aquarius

Mantra for Aries

Aum hrīṁ Nityānandāya namaḥ

(Om Hreem Nithyanandaya Namaha)

In this mantra, Aum is the primordial sound and is the representation of Śiva’s energy, the male aspect of the universe. Actually, Aum is the cosmic sound that pervades the grahas, their movements and their effects on us.

The Bīja mantra (seed sound), Hrīṁ, has no linguistic meaning but encloses a powerful vibration which attunes you to the primordial energy from which the grahas originate: the female energy, Śakti.

Nithyananda means Eternal Bliss and invokes the truth which is our true nature, and the nature of our own intelligence. It is the pūrṇa mūla mantra (the complete mantra) because it represents a straight path to both Śakti (success in this world) and to Śiva (success in the cosmic world) which is ‘enlightenment’.

Moon in Aries

Namaha means 'I surrender' my ego to Existence, to the Master. Thus this sacred mantra awakens the completeness and fulfillment inside us and balances the male and female energies which exist inside every one of us.

The repetition of this mantra is a powerful technique which can be performed throughout the day as you go about your daily routine. It can also be uttered aloud 108 times every morning. The number 108, which is a multiple of 9, has been sacred since time immemorial. That is because the number 9 is the limit of all numbers: 0 to 9 is all one needs to make up an infinite amount of numbers. Therefore, 108 symbolizes and connects you to infinity.

Its beautiful sound should be pronounced clearly and as loudly as possible and from the navel region.

Eventually, this mantra will replace your inner chatter and create silence in your mind. Your whole being integrates itself towards enlightenment which leads you out of the dynamic of karma and planetary effects.

Five Techniques for an Aries Mind

Love yourself!

'Yes' is a key word. Say 'yes' to yourself. Soak yourself in this 'yes', until you become it. Nobody has ever said to you: 'Love yourself!' Love yourself? We always think that to love, one needs somebody else. No. If you don't love yourself you won't love others. You can only encompass the other when you have integrated yourself in love; otherwise, your love is pseudo. What you dislike in others is always a projection of you, and the way you judge people tells a lot about how you judge yourself!

Don't take yourself too seriously!

When your logic manages your anger, you will have two problems. Because you have too many suppressions, you will be shouting and showing your anger when it is not necessary Second: when you are not expressing it, you will be suppressing it and you may create all kinds of discomforts. Both are wrong.

Moon in Aries

Suppressing or expressing- both are not going to help. You will think: what am I supposed to do? You are not asked to do anything. Just be, that's all. Let it come as it comes. Feel it. It will no more remain with you.

Be liquid!

Don't let your practicality and goals cut you off your intuition. It is a too much to lose! This intuition is the very path to the most beautiful mysticism in your life. Be very clear, when you reject it, you close your door to the higher aspects of life, and reduce existence to an object. There may be a plan for business in your life, but your life should not become a business!

Free yourself from yourself!

Whenever you feel irritated by your responsibilities, your work, your family issues and carry their remembrance wherever you go, it means you forgot these responsibilities were your conscious choice in the first place. You feel they are imposed on you because you remember them continuously, they

60

Moon in Aries

constantly bind you and you don’t allow yourself to be in the present moment. Those choices you made became like a knotted rope around your being. Start to loosen the knots one by one by reviewing your past choices, and acknowledge they belong to you only!

Heal the world!

Your altruistic nature is always ready to serve your community. But how do you help? A smile on your face is the answer! No need to prepare long discourses about how the world needs to change. Let your smile overflow to bring smile on everybody’s face. Never put up a smile and try to bring it to others in the name of service, or you’ll be just imposing your ego onto others. First flood all your problems with inner healing and clarity, then do service. Understand yourself, the world and God… then live enlightenment!

Moon in Aries

Maṅgal (Mars god) as represented in Tiruvannamalai Ashram (India). Around Mars stand the other 8 Navagraha deities (deities associated with the nine planets), along with their Navagraha trees (trees associated with the nine planets), to bless all with abundance. The circle of deities is placed around the main deities of the temple, Sri Anandeshwara and Anandeshwari; located near a powerful energy field of 1008 Śiva lingas radiating Śiva's cosmic energy in an extremely auspicious atmosphere.

62

Moon in Aries

Glossary:

Nakṣatra: the constellation in which the moon sits in the heaven at a particular time, commonly called as ‘birth Star’

Vedic sciences: refer to a number of disciplines found in the Vedas, a large body of texts originating in ancient India, among the oldest sacred texts

Ṛg Veda: an ancient Indian sacred collection of hymns, one among the four canonical sacred texts of Vedic tradition known as the Vedas

Āryabhaṭa: one of the first astronomer and great mathematician of India, born in 476

Copernicus: (1473-1543) the first astronomer to formulate a heliocentric cosmology, which displaced the Earth from the center of the Universe

Galileo: (1564-1642) Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and important astronomical observations

Moon in Aries

Yojana: a Vedic measure of distance used in ancient India, between 6 to 15 km (4 and 9 miles)

ṛṣi: a sage through whom the Vedic hymns flowed, a “seer” able to reach states of higher consciousness

Yogi: a practitioner of various forms of spiritual discipline, as yoga

Parāśara: a Ṛg Veda Maharṣi and author of many ancient Indian texts and important astrological texts, known as a traveling Master

Bṛhat Parāśara Hora Śāstra: a prominent astrological scientific text, written as a recorded dialogue between Parāśara and his disciple Maitreya

Vāsiṣṭha: Rāma’s guru, a great ṛṣi who had complete knowledge of the whole cosmos and the gods

Veda Vyāsa: a sage of ancient India, compiler of the Vedas and great epics like the Māhābhārata

Māhābhārata: one of the major Sanskrit epic of India and philosophical scripture, depicting a great war that happened in India; written in 250 000 verses

64

Moon in Aries

Samskāras: engraved memories stored in the subconscious part of the mind. They are continually interfering with our decision making process

Grahas: energy centers, energy fields that planets exert in the universe; generally assimilated to ‘planets’

Karma: karma is the collection of unfulfilled experiences and actions that stay in us and constantly pull us to fulfill them

Āyurveda: a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian Subcontinent. In Sanskrit, the word Āyurveda consists of the words ayus, meaning ‘life’, and veda, meaning ‘related to knowledge’ or ‘science’

Yoga: literally union, union of the individual self and the divine Self, often taken to mean Hatha yoga, which is one of the components of yogāsana , relating to body postures

Rudrākṣa: a large broad-leaved tree whose seed is traditionally revered and used for prayer beads, or

Moon in Aries 65

mala, growing in foothills of the Himalayas up to South-East Asia

Sanskrit: language of the Ṛg Veda and of many scriptures, as well as mantras

Mantra: a sound, a formula, sometimes a word or set of words, which because of their inherent sounds, have energizing properties, an approach to spiritual evolution

Unclutching: understanding that each thought is completely independent, unconnected to the precedent; which leads to disengage oneself from the mind, resulting in experiencing the no-mind state

Cakra: literally a ‘wheel’: refers to energy centers in the mind-body system

Maṇipūraka cakra: third energy center, meaning ‘the city of jewels’ in reference to the treasures it holds

Tamas: the behavior of laziness or inaction.

66

Moon in Aries

Pitta: one of the three dośas (or attributes) of the body in Āyurveda, principle of heat

Subramaniya: Śiva and his consort Pārvati had two famous offspring Gaṇeśa and Subrahmanya. Subrahmanya represents the innocent, vigorous energy associated with the planet Mars

Lord Śiva: rejuvenator in the trinity also means ‘causeless auspiciousness’

Mount Kailāś: abode of Lord Śiva, where he practices intense yogic austerities

Kāśi: refers to Varanasi, the holy city located on the bank of the River Ganges, in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh; one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world

Jaṭarāgni: Inner fire that sustains life

Dośa: in Ayurvedic medicine, one of the three biological humors or energies (kapha, pitta, vata) which

Moon in Aries

combine in various proportions to determine individual constitution and mental and physical disorders

Lassi: a popular and traditional yoghurt-based drink

Vajrāsana: common yoga and meditation posture, where the person sits on his heels

Cin mudra: palms upraised with thumb and forefinger forming a circle and other three fingers outstretched

Guru Pūja: form of worship offered to the master

āsana : body postures performed in yoga, literally means ‘seat’

Aștānga namaskār: prostrating to a deity or master by lying on the floor with all eight limbs of the body touching the earth

Bhujangāsana: ‘cobra posture’ in yoga, in which the head and chest are raised while lying down

68

Moon in Aries

Pranic layer: the second layer of energy of the body, related to pāna or life energy

Brahman: the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality, the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything in this Universe

Pūja: a ritual made of different offerings related to the deity propitiated

Navagraha dośa: literally means ‘planetary defects’ or inauspicious alignment of planets

Homa: ancestral Vedic fire ritual

Nirvanic layer: seventh subtle body that we have and last layer of energy which is the space where one experiences intense bliss

Physical layer: the gross body made of flesh and bones

Bīja mantra: refers to the single syllable mantra used to invoke certain deities

Moon in Aries

Aum: the primordial cosmic sound from which the whole Universe emerged

Hrim: bija, or seed mantra relating to feminine energy

Śakti: energy, intelligent energy, considered as the feminine aspect of Śiva

Jivan Mukti: the state of achieving liberation from the cycle of birth and death during one’s lifetime

About Paramahamsa Nithyananda

Paramahamsa Nithyananda is an enlightened master living amidst us today. With a worldwide movement for meditation and inner bliss, Nithyananda offers solutions for situations as practical as every day stress to the quest for something as profound as enlightenment. He left home at a young age and traveled the length and breadth of India, visiting holy shrines and associating himself with spiritual masters and mystics. He realized his intrinsic knowledge through the paths of meditation, yoga, tantra, knowledge, devotion and other Eastern metaphysical sciences. With an enlightened insight into the core of human nature, Nithyananda has defined his mission for humanity at large. Rooted in the ancient tradition of living enlightenment, and embracing all world religions as sacred and unique, Nithyananda draws people from around the globe, crossing all societal, cultural, language, age and gender barriers.

Moon in Aries 71

About Nithyananda Mission

Nithyananda Mission is a worldwide movement for spreading meditation and inner bliss. The services provided by the organization include meditation, yoga, corporate leadership programs, free energy healing through the Nithya Spiritual Healing system, free education to youth, promoting art and culture satsangs (spiritual gatherings), free medical camps and eye surgeries, free meals at all ashrams worldwide, a holistic system of education for children through the āśram gurukul and a host of specially designed meditation programs.

Programs Offered by Nithyananda Mission

Inner Awakening

Inner Awakening is a 21-day 'master' program that is intensely transformative. It is designed to reproduce all the components of Jivan Mukti or 'Living Enlightenment' in every individual and brings about

72

Moon in Aries

an irreversible alchemy of moving from the mundane to the Divine.

Life Bliss Engineering (LBE)

LBE is a 90-day residential program to experience the intense and transformative power of being in an enlightened master's presence. Conducted at the Bengaluru ashram in India, it takes you to the depths of your being through yoga, meditation and a wide range of multifarious activities and helps you to awaken your innate peak potential. It is a lifetime opportunity to learn directly from a living enlightened master, to engineer your very body and mind for enlightened living.

Kalpataru

A one-day meditation program that sows in you the seed of Living Enlightenment. This program empowers you with the energy to align your actions with your intentions so you move with outer world success and inner bliss.

Moon in Aries

Contact Us

USA:

Los Angeles

Life Bliss Foundation

9720 Central Avenue, Montclair, CA 91763

USA

Ph.: +1 909 625 1400

Email: [email protected],

[email protected]

URL: www.lifeblissfoundation.org

MALAYSIA:

Kuala Lumpur

14, Jalan Desa Gombak 5, Taman Desa Gombak

53000 KL, MALAYSIA

Ph.: +601 78861644 / +601 22350567

Email: [email protected],

[email protected]

URL: www.mynithyananda.com

74

Moon in Aries

INDIA:

Bengaluru, Karnataka

(Spiritual headquarters and Nithyananda Vedic Temple)

Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam,

Nithyanandapuri, Off Mysore Road,

Bidadi, Bengaluru - 562 109

Karnataka, INDIA

Ph.: +91 97422 03311 / +91 92430 48957

Email: [email protected]

URL:www.nithyananda.org

Visit : www.nithyanandagalleria.com

www.lifeblissgalleria.com

for more information. E-mail:

[email protected] &

[email protected]

Over 500 FREE discourses of Nithyananda

available at http://www.youtube.com/lifebliss

foundation

Moon in Aries

75

76

Moon in Aries

"Let you all experience and radiate Jivan Mukti, Living Enlightenment" - Paramahamsa Nithyananda

Moon in Aries

NOTES

78

Moon in Aries

NOTES

Moon in Aries

NOTES

Ebook ISBN: 979-8-88572-229-2

80

Moon in Aries