Intense M.R.Y. Shivaratri Sadhana

Shivaratri (Skt. शिवरात्रि, Śivarātri) is the night of Shiva.

For a yoga practitioner, the night of Shiva is a very significant sadhana, during which there is a manifestation of an especially strong spiritual energy that transforms and cleanses the consciousness from impurities.

Shiva is the Master of Yoga, the Lord, the first nath and the first Guru, who have given the teaching of yoga to humanity. For this reason, yogis commit to asceticism and meditate on the Highest Consciousness during this night. By reciting mantras of Shivaratri they glorify Shiva and express their gratitude to Guru Parampara.

It is very favorable for a practitioner to spend this night at the Guru’s ashram. On the day preceding the night of Shivaratri the practitioners should immerse into austerity: fast, tame his/her sensory desires and perform cleansing practices.

A nighttime meditation and rituals of worship and sacrifice take place at the ashram during the night of Shivaratri. People, who come to the ashram, sacrifice symbols of causal, subtle and physical body, i.e. flowers, fruit, incense, candles and a monetary offering. Throughout the night, until the Sunrise, practitioners try to maintain alertness, control the sleepiness, distractions and inertia. The sadhana of this intense period accelerates elimination of impurities of consciousness, strengthens will power and determination, and influences the future development of a yoga practitioner.