Articles

11.11.2022 Asanas (continued)
There are different ways of understanding the concept of asana. Much depends on the level of perception of the people who practice them, and on the goals that certain people follow. People who are more focused on the material result, even if it is associated with changes in the body, perceive work with asanas, first of all, as a physical component of our being.

Therefore, for such people, the stages of mastering yoga as a sadhana are, in general start with health exercises and a little work with energy. After a years of practice if such a person intuitively understands that he has exhausted that level of sensations, only given by the physical perception of the body and asanas, as a method, he begins to look for ways to work with consciousness. This way of practice is done rigidly delimiting the levels of perception of himself as body and consciousness.

15.10.2022 Amnayas
The theory and practice related to amnayas are based on the legend that God Sadashiva from his five faces manifested five levels of knowledge – Amnayas, which he passed on to Shakti. The whole story is quite symbolic, because knowledge was transmitted through speech (i.e. the sound “nada”), and, in fact, Sadashiva himself is a symbol of “nada”, which is personified in the form of “maithuna” or “yamala” – an intimate connection between Shiva and Shakti. "Nada" makes Shiva and Shakti tattvas related to each other through the Sadashiva tattva. Read more>>
Tags: :  tantra theory forum interview
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

08.10.2022 The relation between kanda, Kundalini and chakras

Many translate the term कन्द (kanda) as "bulb", "rhizome", "tuber", "root", etc. But where does it come from? And what does it have to do with Kundalini and chakras?

I would translate the term as "bud" which contains a flower in its latent form. Kanda is the source of the potential unfolding, blooming of the flower, and some flowers may even have several rows of petals. The petals that have initially opened are directed upwards and sideways, followed by others, on top of them and from within. There are flowers that bloom on ''several levels'' vertically, but this is a single system. Flowers usually need a balance of sunlight and moisture for their growth. We know that in Tantrism the flower is a symbol of Shakti, and also chakras are often called flowers, lotuses.

08.09.2022 The concept of sacred and living in India

In classical yoga texts, it is written that: "There are as many forms of living beings as there are yoga asana”. How does this relate to asanas such as the plow pose, the rock pose, etc.? It's not like they are live beings.

16.08.2022 About full sannyasa and kuṇḍalas in Natha Sampradaya

Full sannyasa in the Nath tradition is the highest initiation, which is called "kanphata" or "darshani". Such an initiation means a new spiritual birth, and it assumes that the one who received it is free from all the objects of the world, without having any property in the material and immaterial sense.

12.07.2022 Guru-yoga
Guru, Lama, Sifu, and Sensei in the East are not just people from whom you can learn something. For example, in Buddhism, Lama is the personification of the highest mystical experience. The Nathas consider Guru and Ishtadevata as one entity. Read more>>
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

17.02.2022 Forms of Ganapati and the Meanings of His Attributes
Many forms of Ganapati are mentioned in various texts, up to 56 in Ganesha Purana. Some of Ganapati’s names emphasize the possession of one of his significant attributes and each has their meaning. Here are the explanations for some of them. Read more>>

27.06.2021 Vairagya
Vairagya - perfect renunciation is the ultimate detachment from the outside, combined with the ultimate immersion in the outside Read more>>
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

16.06.2021 Adinath
Shiva in the form of Adinath is considered to be the first Guru to tell the teachings of the Nathas. Being the source of all knowledge of yoga and tantra, he transmitted the secret truths to his disciple Matsyendranath, who in turn initiated Gorakshanath in them. Read more>>

11.04.2021 Legend of Dharmanath
There is a legend how Dharmanath, the founder of Dharmapanth, appeared. This story is outlined in "Navnath bhakti-sagara", but it also it’s modifications can be found in other sources. Read more>>
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

18.03.2021 Energy awakening
Some Gurus say that mudras pass arbitrarily during the awakening of the Kundalini. Moreover, the very term "mudra" itself is Shakti and means the one that bestows "joy", also something that means mixing, union (consciousness and prana). Read more>>
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

04.03.2021 Laya-yoga
“Laya-yoga is praised ten million times - it is the dissolution of consciousness; whether you walk, stand, sleep or eat - always meditate on Atman (the one who perceives). This is the meaning of Laya-yoga. " (Yoga-Tattva-Upanishad, 23, 24)
Read more>>
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

24.02.2021 On actions that support and destroy the practice of yoga
Niyama are the prescriptions that yogi follows, receiving them from an authoritative Guru in the form of practices and instructions to them. There can be many Yamas and Niyamas, as many as there are obstacles on the way that must be overcome for spiritual development. Read more>>
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

19.02.2021 "Adesh" - the unity of Atma, Jivatma, and Paramatma
"Adesh" is the word used by Natha yogis to greet each other. Its literally translation is “will”, “order”, “instruction”, where “will” is the more accurate translation. Read more>>
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

22.01.2021 Sahaja
"Sahaja" means "essence", i.e. innate, primordial, higher nature. The practice of sahaja is the awareness of oneself as Shiva-Shakti yamala (union), without any efforts in the form of techniques or willingness to sustaine supporting states, when it is so obvious to you that you are Shiva that you do not need to prove it to yourself. Being in the state of sahaja, you don’t think or plan anything, and at the same time everything always develops in the most ideal way. Read more>>
Tags: :  hatha-yoga sahaja yoga nathas sadhana
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

20.01.2021 Navanathas and Chaurasi-siddhas
Each of the nine Nathas (Navanathas) is a svarupa of one or another Deity, and Nathas worship not just Deities, but their "svarupas" first and then Deities. “Svarupa” is the true form. For example, the body can be considered as a secondary form and the soul as primary form. Spiritual form is svarupa. In the Tradition, Navanathas have two forms: the first is "bhoga-rupa", the second is "yoga-rupa". “Bhoga” are forms such as Ganesha, Vishnu, Chandra, Parvati, Brahma and others, while “yoga” are forms such as Kantharnath, Santoshnath, Chauranginath, Udayanath, etc. Read more>>
Tags: :  nathas sampradaya yoga tantra
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

29.12.2020 Traditional apprenticeship. Tips for students
What else is worth mentioning about the path, practice and doctrine of Nathas is that it is extremely secret. And this is not intrigue or advertisement. To make it clear: there is a chance for a few in millions to figure out what Nathas tradition is. Why do I think so? It is known that Gorakshanath was a disciple of Matsyendranath who was kaula-tantric. Kaula-tantrism is a difficult practice and doctrine has traditionally been kept secret. So, Gorakshanath took its essence from his Teacher, that means the highest that was there. The essence can’t be simpler, than that from which it is extracted. Read more>>
Tags: :  yoga sadhana forum Nathas Guru
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

24.12.2020 Amanaska-yoga
Purva-yoga (Purva-taraka) is a synonym for Hatha-yoga, and Amanaska-yoga (or Uttara-taraka) is a synonym for Raja-yoga, the purpose of which is Unmani (dissolving of mind in its source, Parasamvita). Unmani-avastha (state of unmani) is somewhat different in the definition of tantrikas and nathas from Patanjali's definition of «citta-vritti nirodhah». Read more>>
Tags: :  yoga amanaska-yoga raja-yoga
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

02.07.2020 Adharas
"Adhara" means basis or foundation. In yoga esoteric aspects of the body are called adharas. Those are the points of prana transformation and areas for concentration. There are sixteen adharas. Concentration on adharas helps in the awakening of Kundalini, raising it upward, so that in the higher stage of shambhavi-mudra to redirect Kundalini inside, to connect the inner and outer lakshyas and achieve the state of vyoma. Read more>>
Tags: :  sadhana yoga nathas
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj

01.07.2020 Meaning of Time in Nath tradition
Time, in Nathas worldview, is the essence of Shakti, the dynamic aspect of Shiva. In Tantra, this aspect of Shakti is called Kali, while among the Naths, the highest manifestation of the Goddess is Yogamaya Balasundari. Special yantra is used for her worshiping. Yantra is divided into four parts, symbolizing the four yugas - time segments of the universe. In the middle is Balasundari herself in yamala (union with Shiva). Balasundari is Nija-shakti of Shiva, Kundalini. Read more>>
Tags: :  yoga sampradaya nathas mantra
Author: Yogi Matsyendranath Maharaj