Imagine looking at the world you live in. Also imagine yourself recognizing the divine in everything you see and in everyone you meet. Imagine approaching every situation in life with the unwavering strength and delicious joy that comes with the conviction of the divine presence within you.
Siddha Yoga teaches that not only is it possible to achieve this result, it is also our innate right. The goal of the Siddha Yoga path is Self-realization: the permanent experience of yoga, that is, oneness with God. In each of us, beyond the mind, the body, the ego, a divine force is present. We practice yoga to recognize this divine power, the Self, and to bring all of our thoughts, words and actions into harmony with it. The key to achieving this divine view of ourselves and the world is shaktipat, spiritual awakening. Shaktipat initiation gives us access to our inner spiritual space. Then the practice allows us to develop this spiritual awareness. The teachings of Siddha Yoga are disseminated throughout the world by the SYDA Foundation and thus made available to seekers.
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, the current guru in the lineage of Siddha Yoga, continues a sacred tradition by making shaktipat accessible to seekers. Guided by her teaching, students of Siddha Yoga embrace the spiritual practices of yoga, including meditation, chanting, contemplation, study, and selfless service, which are all means of achieving the goal of attainment of the Self.
The teachings of Siddha Yoga are rooted in the timeless texts of the Scriptures of Kashmir Shaivism and Vedanta, as well as in the experience of the realized Siddha Masters. If you are new to Siddha Yoga meditation, a spiritual journey guide written by Swami Muktananda titled From the Finite to the Infinite will be a good place to start.
The essential teachings
“Experience the POWER within. Kundalini Shakti”
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Through this key teaching, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda invites Siddha Yogi students to discover their inner power, to live with the awareness of the divine force that resides in them and in everything. For Gurumayi, this power is none other than Kundalini Shakti, the spiritual energy whose awakening triggers and animates the path of the seeker.
Gurumayi teaches that in order to fully experience inner power, one must practice and study regularly. She stresses the importance for students to integrate the teachings and practices specific to the philosophy and culture of Siddha Yoga in their daily way of life.
“Honor your Self,
Baba Muktananda
Worship your Self,
Meditate on your Self,
God dwells in you, as you.”
This crucial teaching of Swami Muktananda is based on the experience he himself had in meditation: God abides in each person, as each person. The Self that Baba is talking about here is universal. It is the innermost core of being, the very heart of the consciousness of each individual, source of unconditional joy. When the students of Siddha Yoga connect to their Self through meditation and lead their life from this level of consciousness, they realize their union with the Self of all.
“See God in everyone.”
Bhagavan Nityananda
The Siddha Yogi comes to perceive the Divine Consciousness inside through the regular practice of meditation, chanting, selfless service and dakshina , as well as through the persistent study of the teachings of Siddha Yoga. The Siddha Yoga student is then able to recognize the presence of this same Consciousness in all the others. By applying this essential teaching – seeing God in every person – Siddha Yoga students develop their ability to treat themselves and to treat others with love and respect.
“The Heart is the hub of all sacred places. Go there and roam.”
Bhagavan Nityananda
This teaching from Bhagavan Nityananda brings us back to the experience of the divine within. In the philosophy of yoga, the “Heart” indicates the universal Consciousness which one can perceive inside oneself. By investing in the study and practice of Siddha Yoga, students discover many dimensions of Consciousness on the path to enlightenment. For an in-depth study of the Radiant Heart, one will refer to the book of Gurumayi entitled “The Sadhana of the Heart”.