Articles in the Featured Category

It was Lalita Panchami, the fifth night of Navaratri and a night drenched in the glory of Mother Lalita’s love and bliss. I had walked back to my hotel after the Panchami festivities at Amma’s Devi temple. As I was lying in bed waiting to drift off into the arms of Nidra Devi, the Goddess of Sleep, I began to feel a little strange, and I was totally unprepared for what happened next…

Jai Sri Ganesha! Well, I finally used my adorable Snowball microphone and recorded a very simple little baby video about the short but powerful Ganesha mantra, “Om gam ganapataye namaha.” This mantra attracts the energy of Sri Ganesha, who helps us develop our discrimination, willpower and intuitive awareness. Sri Ganesha helps us enter the path of true spirituality and guards our well-being as we make each step towards higher states of divine consciousness.

I have a confession to make. Though I’ve been coming to India for fifteen years, can chant up a storm, and can wrap a sari blindfolded in a minute flat, I don’t “do yoga.” But recently, I’ve been feeling the urge to include my physical body on the spiritual path by starting a yoga asana practice. Here’s why…

No, not the cold, slushy kind…a Snowball microphone is on its way! Why, you ask? Well, over the years, I’ve found myself involved in teaching seekers how to chant and pronounce mantras and prayers in Sanskrit. I’ve done this through one-on-one tutoring and also through chanting booklets that I created for Amma Sri Karunamayi’s bookstore. I consider it a great honor and blessing to do this, and have felt very gratified by people’s sincere appreciation for my help.

When I first entered the spiritual path, I was not interested primarily in meditation. Oh, meditation was nice as an idea, a kind of delightful fantasy of yogis and yoginis meditating peacefully in the forest. But my main interest was in things like devotion, chanting, or selfless service. Because I had read about the importance of meditation, I did try half-heartedly to meditate, but I never was able to achieve any kind of concentration, peace or bliss. I ended up deciding that meditation simply wasn’t for me, and that I would reach the ultimate state in some other way, like devotion or service. Then I met Amma.