Sahaja Yoga is the Light dispelling the Darkness
Sahaja Yoga is based on a living experience, the origin of which resides within us. It allows us to gain access to a state of consciousness which is beyond thinking or emotion. This state of thoughtless awareness, which is achieved by practising Sahaja Yoga, allows us to discover and to become the real “Self.”
Guided by the different prophets and religions through the ages, the human being has always looked for self-fulfilment and sought a way to get closer to the ‘Self’. The ultimate stage in this search and the evolution of the human being is to get back to and fully integrate the primordial energy which is at the origin of our creation.
All the religions and philosophies tell us of Union with the Divine, but are unable to make this experience a reality. This knowledge is only accessible in sayings and remains fixed at the mental level, keeping us far from the pure knowledge, which springs from the source inside human beings.
Sahaja Yoga is the spontaneous union with the Self. Sahaj means “with,” ja means “born.” Yoga represents the union with the all-pervading power of God Almighty. This spontaneous experience constitutes our second birth, liberated from the influence of the mind and the emotions.
This awakening happens inside us when a subtle energy called the Kundalini ascends, thus establishing our Yoga (or union) with the primordial energy.
The Kundalini is to be found in the triangular sacrum bone at the base of the spine. This extraordinary energy rises up the length of the spinal column inside the backbone. Once awakened, it passes through all the chakras of the subtle system to emerge, finally, through the last centre at the top of our head, the Sahasrara. We then get the yoga or union with the spirit which is within us.
While the Spirit is the reflection of Almighty God, the Kundalini is the mirror of His power, of His desire within us. It is the Primordial Mother, the Adi Shakti in the Indian tradition, or the Holy Spirit according to the Christian tradition. By passing through the fontanel on the top of the head, the Kundalini brings about our Self-Realisation, second birth or baptism. When this happens, one feels a cool breeze on the palms of one’s hands and on top of the head. This is the Holy Spirit, the same cool breeze as that perceived by Christ’s disciples at Pentecost.
The Greeks identified this energy under the name of pneuma, Muslims speak of Ruh, Christ called it the Holy Spirit. Jewish mystics talk of the Shekkina and, well before that, the Sumerians worshipped Inanna, the goddess who gives spiritual birth and the sacred breath. Several thousands of years ago, Indians already spoke of Chaitanya and of the Self, which Sahaja Yoga translates as “divine vibrations”. Knowledge of the existence of these vibrations is not new, but that knowledge has been lost or distorted over the centuries.
The Chakras are the centres of energy which control the psychosomatic and subtle aspects within us. In Sanskrit the word means Wheel: when the chakras are awakened in Sahaja Yoga, they turn in a clockwise direction and open out like flowers, thus spreading their qualities, re-establishing our interior balance and restoring our wellbeing and health.
In Sahaja Yoga the left channel, Ida Nadi, is placed in our left sympathetic nervous system. It represents the feminine aspect in us, the moon, and the past. It is the channel which governs our emotions. On the physical level, it controls the left part of our body and the right hemisphere of the brain. More subtly, the left channel expresses our desire to search for the truth.
People who are left-sided, that is to say, who use this channel a lot, are emotional people, who often dwell on the past. They easily feel guilty and allow themselves to be dominated by others. These are people who keep a low profile in public. In extreme cases they can become lethargic and fall into depression.
The left channel corresponds to the Yin part of our being.
The right channel, Pingala Nadi, is found in our right sympathetic nervous system. It represents the masculine aspect, the sun and the future. It gives us the physical capacity of action and the mental capacities of analysis and planning. It is the source of our artistic creativity. On the physical level, this channel controls the right side of our body and the left side of our brain.
People who are right-sided think a lot and look towards the future. They plan all the time and are very active. In the extreme, they become aggressive and dominating ego.
The right channel corresponds to the Yang part of our being.
The central channel, Sushumna Nadi, is found in our central nervous system, which is also called the autonomous nervous system. It is responsible for our spiritual evolution and our physical, mental and emotional balance. The central channel has been described in many religions and philosophies. The prophet Lao Tse described it as being the Middle Way in his work, The Tao Te Ching.
Our presentation describes the function and the practice of Sahaja Yoga. We would like to suggest a first experiment in the form of a simple exercise which you can do on your own.
“Sahaja Yoga unites the essence of all religions.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Sahaja Yoga is different from the other Yogas because it begins with Self realisation instead of this being the unobtainable dream of a distant goal.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Innately, within us, resides the Spirit which wants to enlighten you, to give peace, the bliss and the joy of our being.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“You are yourself and you must see yourself as your Self, as your Spirit. And Spirit is a Universal Being, is the innocence, is the virgin within you. This body is a palace and it is the House of God. Within it God kept the Infinite Flame.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“The greatest friend you have is the Divine Power which is looking after you and doing everything for you.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“It is God who rules, it is He who does, it is He who has created everything and it is He who enjoys everything.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Atma is the reflection of Paramatma in our heart. This reflection is like the sun in water. Although reflection of the sun is in the water, he is away in the sky and not in the water. Similarly, Atma is as much as it is seen, it is beyond all that and not limited by it.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“The Atma (Spirit) resides inside this heart and after Sahaja Yoga its light spreads within us in seven layers.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the power that created you.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Worry about yourself and see the good points of others.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“The representatives of Sada Shiva and Adi Shakti in us are the Atma and the Kundalini.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Meditation, where you are connected to the All- pervading Divinity, is the starting point in Sahaja Yoga.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“When you try to seek the Knowledge you have to become the Knowledge. The light of Love is so sweet, so beautiful, so enamoring, so abounding. You can feel that Light within you which is of pure love, pure relationship and pure understanding.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Kundalini is our Mother, we are Her only children and She has been with us through all our lives just waiting for the moment of fulfilment.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“It is the Divine love and grace of God which has made you a human being and it is His grace which is going to make you a supreme human being in Sahaja Yoga.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Some are rich, some are poor, these are transitory things. Look into the heart within and enjoy that Love. With that Love you elevate and once more rise to greatness.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“We do not know our potential, our beauty, but once this connection with the mains is established you will be surprised at the results and the dynamism. Through our love we can absorb the defects of others and cleanse them. This is the power of Love. So far we have never used the power of Love.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“You cannot make your Kundalini pulsate with your mind. The Divine, if it has to do something, it must be extra-ordinary which human beings cannot do. To pulsate Kundalini is only possible for the Divine. It is a living force.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“A spiritual person is just innocent, just innocent. Whatever he talks or says comes through innocence. It just says what it knows and what it knows is the highest.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“God is infinite. You don’t have to count His aspects. You want to enjoy Him. The wise simply eat the fruit, they do not count the leaves, roots and branches.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“It is very important to understand that without transformation you have no meaning. Whatever you are, do not identify yourselves with that, but whatever you want to be, try to be that.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Spirit is the only thing that is at the center, and at the periphery if you look at things, they look as if they are separate and different. But if you can approach somehow into that state where your Spirit resides, you will be amazed to see that everything integrates, everything coordinates, and there is no difference. Say, in Mohammed Sahib, Dattatreya, Raja Janaka or Shirdi Sai Nath — there is no difference in their principle if you can just get your Spirit.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Until you are able to understand the meaning of the “Self”, the physical body would remain imperfect and would be unable to verify the Truth. But once the physical instrument is connected with Truth, you are able to verify the Truth.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“When you become one with the Spirit all your problems will be solved. A realised person never talks in first person. He becomes separate from himself leaving aside his desires, his materialistic ideas.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Meditation is nothing but the state of remaining in the constant company of the every-loving Bhagawati.”
[Bhagawati is the Primordial Mother — Adi Shakti, Holy Spirit or Ruh of Allah]
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“Sahaja Yoga is different from the other Yogas because it begins with Self realisation instead of this being the unobtainable dream of a distant goal.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“The essence of all religions is to find the eternal.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“In Sahaja Yoga, you have to understand one simple thing, that you are the Spirit and whatever is not the Spirit is not yourself.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“God has created man with his Shakti and man has to know Him, and recognize Him through Kundalini Awakening. Blossom Time has come and many ancient seekers are today getting their Self-Realisation.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“The object of Sahaja Yoga is basically to become and experience the spiritual Self.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“It’s the culture of God, we are talking about, it’s the culture of His kingdom where we give to others, enjoying, giving, doing for others, loving others, caring for others without any return.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“The only thing where you can really hide yourself is the love of God; where you can really get the great restful, blissful feeling of His complete protection.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“If in one lifetime you can achieve Self-Realisation and you reach the point of having begun to lose your habits, then in that very lifetime, it is possible for you to acquire that so called State. An established Sahaja Yogi is the one who becomes completely one with God and wins Him over.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“This is the Last Judgment. Remember, God will not bow before you. You have to accomplish Him in your own freedom. If you have not achieved Him it is not His fault nor is it of Sahaja Yoga.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
