by Gurudevi Nirmalananda

Divine sounds lie at the root of your existence. This is what makes words affect you so deeply. They reverberate all the way in. The power of words originates in the Divine sound, OM.

In order to manifest as the universe, Shiva emanates his bliss as the subtle sound OM. It grows and expands, then blasts itself into many sounds, called Matrika. In this yantra (drawing), the sounds emanate forth into the energetic structure underlying the universe, as expressed in the Sanskrit alphabet. It’s all made of energy, with every energy having its own sound.

J~naanaadhishthaana.m maat.rkaa. — Shiva Sutras 1.4

The underlying limitations are rooted in Matrika.

The sounds combine to make words. Thus, words embody the energy of Consciousness at a primal level. Other people’s words impact you unless you are based in a deeper level of your own Beingness. The words you say to yourself have even a stronger impact, which is why mantra[1] is such an important yogic tool.

Your current “human condition” is one of feeling incomplete and insecure. It makes you turn toward the world in order to create identity and self-worth. It matters to you how other people see you and what they say to you. What they say about you to others is almost more important. You crave their good opinions in order to feel good about yourself. Thus their words matter enormously, even if inaccurate or untruthful.

When you turn your attention inward, settling into your own Beingness, you see that their words are simply their opinions. Thus we get the saying…

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[1] To receive the mantra from Gurudevi, attend one of her programs or request a mantra card at https://svaroopa.org/mantra-card.

The more energy you put into getting love from others, getting your sense of self-worth from others, getting your happiness from others — the more energy you put into this, the more bound you are. Freedom comes from…

From Gurudevi’s full discourse “Subtle Perceptions and Powers“

By Gurudevi Nirmalananda   

There are two types of desire. I will call the most common one the “passing desire.” It is a desire that arises from an inner feeling of being incomplete.  

This inner feeling makes you sense you lack something, which makes you desire something to complete you. It is a desire to get something from outside of you, which gives you a sense of fulfillment that lasts for only a short time. It might be a desire that is easy to fulfill, maybe to eat something or to phone somebody.  

It might be something that takes longer: a desire to spend more time with somebody or to go a particular place on vacation. It could be a long-term process, like the desire to be successful in your profession or to support someone who is going through an illness.  

This type of desire may even feel like a compelling need for something, because it arises from an inner sense of being incomplete. This is the source of almost all of your desires and it motivates all of your actions. You are trying to fill up the bottomless well inside, the well of “lack.” 

There is another type of desire, which I will call a “true desire.” It arises from a deep inner sense of fullness. This desire is a recurring desire. It keeps coming back to you, arising from somewhere profound within you. It is not really a desire; it is foreknowledge of your own destiny. 

Excerpt from Yoga: Inside & Outside, page 127 

By Amanda (Purna) Schmidt

Aratis, bhajans, kirtans — it’s all here!  Find them all in Yoga’s Sacred Songs, Gurudevi’s newly published compendium of all the Svaroopa^Ⓡ yoga chants.

Learn the inspiration behind each chant, as Gurudevi explains the importance of the words as well as melody. You’ll also find a Sanskrit pronunciation guide as well as photos of Gurudevi.  

Best of all is Shree Guru Gita, which she has rendered into English verse.

The companion CD, “Mystical Song of the Guru,” is also available now. These wonderful new resources make the mystical experience of chanting more accessible than ever. It’s never been easier to bring this Ashram practice into your daily life. Deepen both your understanding and devotion.

By Gurudevi Nirmalananda 

Siddhis, riddhis and nidhis — these are three different types of mystical powers that a yogi is endowed with, progressively more and more with their continued practice.

Yet the yogis of yore, who gave us these practices and documented them in their writings, warn against the pitfalls of having such powers.  In a sense, they are attainments, as most people think.  Being able to do these things is beyond the pale of what we call “normal”. Some of them are:

With these powers, you can get lots of attention from lots of people, but you won’t find your own Divine Essence.  And no matter how much attention others give you, you’re always anxious that it could end. And it can. You may hold others captive, but you are completely dependent on them.

This is not freedom.  It is a sophisticated sort of bondage. The more energy you put into getting love from others, getting your sense of self-worth from others, getting your happiness from others – the more energy you put into this, the more bound you are.

Freedom comes from finding the source of love within. Freedom comes when you know your own Self as the source of your worth — you are inherently worthy.  Freedom comes from living in the constant inner flow of bliss – not mere happiness but the bliss of Consciousness.  It sets you free…

— excerpt from Gurudevi’s satsang discourse, October 13, 2024.

By Barbara (Girijananda) Hess

With Gurudevi’s new album, chanting brings me to such a blissful inner space. 

I feel the eternality inherent in Guru, the remover of darkness, revealing the light. OM flows into Guru which flows back into OM. I coast inside on the slow, melodic repetition of OM Guru, OM Guru, OM Gurudev. I become aware of the infinite depth of my own Self. 

This is what the Guru does — she removes my darkness to reveal the light of my inherent Divinity to me. She shows me the source of illumination inside. The formless and the form at the same, time, she guides me in coming home to my own Self. This chant opens me to this ever-expanding awareness. 

Recorded at our Vowed Order retreat, this chant is a call and response between Gurudevi and the chorus of vowed members. During our recording session, my heart expanded. I perceived the devotion of Gurudevi singing to her Guru, my own devotion, and the devotion of my fellow vowed kula singing to her. 

The powerful simplicity of this chant stays with me wherever I go. I find myself singing it out loud or silently many times during the day. Even amidst daily life busyness, I am drawn inside to the bliss of my own Self, the One Self Being All. Jaya Gurudev!

That’s one of the reasons I love when you’re able to come, to come here in person.  Of course, I love to reach you wherever you are, to guide and to support you in the midst of your life.  But when you can come here in person, it’s like diving in at the deep end of the pool.  And your immersion in the water, in the Grace, makes it easier…

—  Gurudevi Nirmalananda

From Gurudevi’s full discourse “What is an Ashram?“