Here is my interpretation of why it exists and how it goes. It’s not always easy to teach, because it requires exposing your baseline belief as well as opening up your heart in song. It is a stripping bare of the soul. The invocation underpins the fundamental teaching of Anusara Yoga and Shiva-Shakti Tantra (the philosophy that Anusara Yoga is based on). The beautiful kirtan singer Nikki Slade once taught me that chanting is the yoga of the heart. So it seems appropriate to chant this text. And it’s in Sanskrit, an ancient sacred language whose rich sounds have deep resonance.
The invocation is a dedication to the innate essence of being, that which is intrinsically good. Shiva represents this essence found in yourself, your loved ones, nature, the world around you. Sometimes the goodness is cloaked and harder to see but we Anusara yogis believe that this intrinsic goodness is running through everything. In basic terms, we ‘look for the good’. And the chant goes a little something like this…
Symbolic mythical figure of Shiva
Om Namah Shivaya Gurave (I honour Shiva, the essence of being, the guru, teacher within and without)
Saccidananda Murtaye (Truth, consciousness, bliss)
Nisprapancaya Shantaya (Omnipresent and peaceful)
Niralambaya Tejase (Ultimately free and luminiscent)
Om, Om, Om (universal sound connects us to the essence)
[An aside: repeating Om Namah Shivaya alone is a powerful seed mantra used alot in yoga meditation.
A very soothing sound and concept to repeat to oneself. Give it a bash if you dare stepping down the rabbit hole... see you on the other side!]
