Guest guest Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Dear All, The second Nyas that we find in the Beginner Shiva & Durga Pujas is the Anga Nyas. Anga means part – in this case part of the body. BTW, can anyone say what is the meaning of Nyas? Also Swamiji gave an example of Nyas and said the most famous example of Nyas is this..(Fill in the blank). Can anyone say what it is? So, we form a tattva mudra with our right palms. Make the top of the thumb touch the base of the right finger to form this mudra. With the right hand in this position “om nam hrdayaya namah” – touch your heart “om mah sirase swaha” – touch the top of your head “om sim shikayai vausat” – with hand still in position 2 (top of the head), extend the thumb backwards to touch the head. “om vam kavacaya hum”- make tattva mudras with both hands and cross in front of your body, as though you were hugging yourself. “om yah netratrayaya vausat” – point to your three eyes – your little finger will point to your left eye, the middle finger will point to the right eye, and the pinky finger will point to the third eye. Note – you will not actually touch your eye but rather point to them. And then of course “karatala…. Phat” where you would roll your forearms forwards and backwards and end with a clap. That was Anga Nyas. Now Shiva is established in your body too. You are He. After having him on our fingers and bodies, we are ready to have him in our hearts as well. We start the japa of his mantra “Om Namah Shivaya”. The minimum recommended is 108. You are encouraged to do as much as you can so that japa becomes ajapa – continuous. The japa can be Shabda- with sound Manas- Silently (in the mind) Pumsa- Just the lips mouth the mantras, no sound. In all cases, it is preferred to combine japa and pranayam. How do we do japa with pranayam? Well, if you have been given a mantra, then you would inhale for one length of that mantra, and chant “Om Namah Shivaya” for as many times as it is comfortable for you during the exhalation. Typically you would chant 10 or 20 “Om Namah Shivaya”. If you have not been given a mantra, then you would inhale for the length of ONE “Om Namah Shivaya” and chant the same mantra for as many times as you felt comfortable. Swamiji has said this repeatedly – CONSISTENCY IS KEY IN PRANAYAM. So DO NOT chant 5 mantras one time and 10 the other or vary the counts. Keep the breathing consistent during the japa. Note: Some days you will be able to do more and other days less. It is perfectly fine to keep a pace of, say, 10 mantras to the breath one day consistently, and then 20 mantras to the breath the next day. Each day, our pranayam will vary depending on many factors. But on one day, stick with one measure of repetition. Hope this helps. Lets say you are maintaining 20 mantras to the breath. So you have done five rounds (making a 100) and have only 8 left of the 108 suggested. So what do you do? Do you stop at 108 or do you carry on? When I asked Swamiji this question, if the number 108 was important, or the pranayam (20 to the breath) was important, he said “Pranayam”. So in this case, you would do 120 mantras instead of the suggested 108, and that is perfectly fine. Remember 108 repetitions are the MINIMUM recommended. We can ALWAYS do more. OK, dear all, we are approaching another interesting topic – OFFERINGS. See you tomorrow. Jai Shiva Nanda Make your home page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Dear Nanda, Why don't the mantras said on the in breath count towards the total of say 108? If the idea is to be continuous and to have Japa going on continuously why would you do different mantras for the in breath and out breath.? Grace On 30/03/2005, at 6:22 PM, Nanda wrote: > Dear All, > > > > The second Nyas that we find in the Beginner Shiva & Durga Pujas is > the Anga Nyas. Anga means part – in this case part of the body. > > > > BTW, can anyone say what is the meaning of Nyas? Also Swamiji gave an > example of Nyas and said the most famous example of Nyas is > this..(Fill in the blank). Can anyone say what it is? > > > > So, we form a tattva mudra with our right palms. Make the top of the > thumb touch the base of the right finger to form this mudra. > > > > With the right hand in this position > > > > “om nam hrdayaya namah” – touch your heart > > “om mah sirase swaha” – touch the top of your head > > “om sim shikayai vausat” – with hand still in position 2 (top of the > head), extend the thumb backwards to touch the head. > > “om vam kavacaya hum”- make tattva mudras with both hands and cross in > front of your body, as though you were hugging yourself. > > “om yah netratrayaya vausat” – point to your three eyes – your little > finger will point to your left eye, the middle finger will point to > the right eye, and the pinky finger will point to the third eye. Note > – you will not actually touch your eye but rather point to them. > > > > And then of course “karatala…. Phat” where you would roll your > forearms forwards and backwards and end with a clap. > > > > That was Anga Nyas. Now Shiva is established in your body too. You are > He. > > > > After having him on our fingers and bodies, we are ready to have him > in our hearts as well. We start the japa of his mantra “Om Namah > Shivaya”. The minimum recommended is 108. You are encouraged to do as > much as you can so that japa becomes ajapa – continuous. > > > > The japa can be > 1. Shabda- with sound > 2. Manas- Silently (in the mind) > 3. Pumsa- Just the lips mouth the mantras, no sound. > > In all cases, it is preferred to combine japa and pranayam. > > > > How do we do japa with pranayam? > > > > Well, if you have been given a mantra, then you would inhale for one > length of that mantra, and chant “Om Namah Shivaya” for as many times > as it is comfortable for you during the exhalation. Typically you > would chant 10 or 20 “Om Namah Shivaya”. > > If you have not been given a mantra, then you would inhale for the > length of ONE “Om Namah Shivaya” and chant the same mantra for as many > times as you felt comfortable. > > > > Swamiji has said this repeatedly – CONSISTENCY IS KEY IN PRANAYAM. > > > > So DO NOT chant 5 mantras one time and 10 the other or vary the > counts. Keep the breathing consistent during the japa. > > > > Note: Some days you will be able to do more and other days less. It is > perfectly fine to keep a pace of, say, 10 mantras to the breath one > day consistently, and then 20 mantras to the breath the next day. Each > day, our pranayam will vary depending on many factors. But on one day, > stick with one measure of repetition. > > > > Hope this helps. > > > > Lets say you are maintaining 20 mantras to the breath. So you have > done five rounds (making a 100) and have only 8 left of the 108 > suggested. So what do you do? Do you stop at 108 or do you carry on? > When I asked Swamiji this question, if the number 108 was important, > or the pranayam (20 to the breath) was important, he said “Pranayam”. > > So in this case, you would do 120 mantras instead of the suggested > 108, and that is perfectly fine. Remember 108 repetitions are the > MINIMUM recommended. We can ALWAYS do more. > > > > OK, dear all, we are approaching another interesting topic – > OFFERINGS. See you tomorrow. > > > > Jai Shiva > > Nanda > > > Make your home page > > > Sponsor > > > > Children International > > Would you give Hope to a Child in need? > > > <332170_011805_newchildforemail.jpg> > > · > Click Here to meet a Girl > And Give Her Hope > > · > Click Here to meet a Boy > And Change His Life > > Learn More > > <l.gif> > > Links > > • > / > > • > > > • Terms of > Service. > > Attachment: (text/enriched) [not stored] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Dear Nanda, having returned from the movies, I'm pleased to find your instructions for day 12. I'm also puzzled: as far as the nyas is concerned, all I've been able to find is that it means 'placing' or 'establishing', but I have no idea what the most famous example of Nyas is. I would like to know, though.. > "om yah netratrayaya vausat" – point to your three eyes – your little finger will point to your left eye, the middle finger will point to the right eye, and the pinky finger will point to the third eye. Note – you will not actually touch your eye but rather point to them. is it a matter of finger gymnastics again or is my third eye in the wrong place? I can't get my pinky to point at my third eye, not if the middle finger and little finger point to the right and left eye respectively. I thought you were supposed to point the three middle fingers, so that the middle finger points to the third eye. Could you please explain this a little further? Do you keep the hand horizontally? > How do we do japa with pranayam? > If you have not been given a mantra, then you would inhale for the length of ONE "Om Namah Shivaya" and chant the same mantra for as many times as you felt comfortable. Do you mean that the outbreath should be much longer than the inbreath? Or do you draw in a loooong 'Om Namah Shivaya' and then recite 'Om namah Shivaya' quite quickly (how you ever get to 20 mantras to the breath is beyond me), so that you get as many mantras out as comfortable (I mean you would vary the speed of the recitation of the mantra, but the breaths would be even in length?). Do you count the mantra on the in-breath as well? Do you use a mala or do you count on your fingers? And if you can use a mala, is it true that it should not touch the floor? thank you again, with love, Henny > > > Make your home page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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