Power!

Maha Shivaratri: Monday March 4th

• Shiva is known to destroy that which needs to go in order to make room for new creation, thus known also as the god of Transformation.
• Shivaratri means the “great night of Shiva” and is the night when Shiva is said to have performed the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. (Tandava Nritya)
• He is sometimes seen in the form of Nataraja, performing the cosmic dance. (Our statue in the foyer area)
• He is also known as the first teacher of Yoga.

Maha Shivaratri

• Shivratri is also when “Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva married again…The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael leaves (leaf of wood apple) to Lord Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-long vigil.”
• This date is “one of the most auspicious in the Vedic/Yogic calendar” and a time that traditionally, yogis “stay up all night doing sadhana (spiritual practice) in order to receive Lord Shiva’s grace and purify their consciousness.”
• Fasting and purification of the body and mind are common practices on this day.
• You may wish to meditate on
  • The challenges you have overcome and celebrate them.
  • What you have learned, and on the work you still have to do and the direction you are going.
• This is a time to reflect on our infinite possibilities in recognition and honour of the day that Shiva, “after many millennia in meditation” achieved absolute stillness, becoming one with Mount Kailash. Shiva’s power of destruction is a means of spiritual transformation, a force meant for regeneration.
• Be conscious of what you ask for, and prepare yourself as best you can with loving kindness for yourself.
• Shiva is a destroyer of illusions and when illusions shatter there may be pain before the ecstasy. And the ecstasy is completely worth it!
• Shiva directs Shakti or the Kundilini energy in our bodies toward positive destruction of that which does not spiritually serve us.
• Shiva’s increased power on this day is for all of us to use for our spiritual goals.
• Identify your biggest spiritual obstacle. Chant to the energy of Shiva to help you to destroy any blocks you have to reaching your spiritual goal. Chant to Shiva to give you the power and love you need to nourish your spiritual goals…
• Chant: Om Namah Shivaya – I honour the divinity within me/ I salute Shiva/I honour that which I’m capable of becoming! Find the words or meaning that you are comfortable with and repeat the chant/mantra as many times as you feel you’d like to.
• The scientific fact that all of life is just one energy that manifests itself in millions of ways is an experiential reality in every yogi. And everyone longing to know the infinite, to know the oneness in Existence, is a yogi. Maha Shivaratri offers everyone an opportunity to really know and experience this oneness.

International Women’s Day: Friday March 8th

Balance for Better is the theme for this year, 2019.

We are all strong and soft, hard and malleable, happy and sad, resilient and rigid, calm and erratic, poor and rich, there is a blend of energy in all facets of who we are and in all that we do!

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. So in celebration of women, when you drop into one of our Friday classes be sure to drop your name into our singing bowl to be in the chance to win the lucky door prize for that class.

Lucky door prizes are from Secret Scent, an amazing local business with all natural oils. You can check out their range at www.secretscent.com.au