Articles by Swami Veda Bharati 
Self
25 May, 2015 @ 5:03 pm
Imagine a screen, imagine a Flame, and imagine an object. The shadow of the object falls on the screen, say a film is being shown on the screen. The shadow of the object is falling on the screen. The shadow doesn't fall on the screen unless the screen is illuminated. So for the shadow to fall, or for the reflection to occur – or instead of the screen, let's call it a mirror. Okay?
Message for International Yoga Day, June 21
24 May, 2015 @ 7:46 pm
On such a day, all those who follow the inner spiritual core of yoga in their quest, in whichever branch of spiritual yoga, they need to get together to share their inner experiences, contemplate on their advancement in the quest, and be in a mode of deep inner silence.
What Does Yoga Grant
24 May, 2015 @ 4:41 pm
One who practices the sadhana of yoga has five qualities of the ocean. The ocean does not keep a dead body as such for long. So, the practitioner of yoga does not let abide in himself the defects like attraction, aversion, confusion, pride, self-adoration, boasting, jealousy, envy, malice, deceit, crookedness, roughness, bad moral conduct, affliction.
Therapy as Spiritual Liberation
22 May, 2015 @ 8:14 pm
The word for therapy used in Sanskrit is chikitsa, the “desire to know”, quest for knowledge. In order for that desire to be fulfilled, one has to make an admission that “I do not know”, as Nachiketas in the Katha Upanishad admits. Therefore, Yoga therapy is desire for knowledge of the means of liberation. All other aspects of therapy are just parts of that entire science. Without such seeking of knowledge on the part of both the physician and the one suffering, there is no therapy.
Blessing on TTP Certification Day, November 2013
22 May, 2015 @ 5:09 pm
OM. Be still. Whenever you are sitting or standing and doing nothing, practice stillness. Do not waste time. Life is short. Use it well. Now, be still. Count your breaths for three minutes. Always begin everything by remembering the Guru. I will not spend much time with you tonight.
Yoga Psychology
22 May, 2015 @ 4:58 pm
In yoga psychology we speak of the internal states of mind that one has cultivated. I personally believe strongly that ideals are the best therapy for any emotional difficulty. The ideals that you have believed in, that you have cultivated, that you live by, are the ones that help you determine your emotional responses. If, for example, a man strongly believes in the ideal of monogamy, he cannot have an emotional response to another woman approaching him, no matter how beautiful she is. A woman simply does not have an emotional response to another man, no matter how handsome or attractive he is. You see? And another person says, "Well, I was in such a situation that there was nothing I could do about it. I'm just a human being, so this had to be my response."
Three Yogas
22 May, 2015 @ 4:35 pm
More than 36 years ago I wrote in one of my books that there are three brands of yoga: Hollywood yoga, Harvard yoga, Himalayan yoga.
Meditation through Sublime Emotions
12 May, 2015 @ 5:16 pm
A human being has no use for things sublime if he is not an aspirant, if he is not a seeker after the intangibles, if his world consists only of the tangibles. If you are an aspiring one, look for the sources of your emotion, the spiritual sources of your emotion. Those experiences which give a sexual awakening to an average flesh-bound individual, those very experiences awaken the energy in the lower centres and make it flow upwards till it is felt in the higher centres so far as a yogi’s experience is concerned.
Mastering Yoga Nidra
12 May, 2015 @ 5:01 pm
Yoga Nidra is not quite that much of a magic. One still has to study a subject in the regular way, then go into the Yoga Nidra state. Without disturbing the rest of the mental field, select the topic to be reviewed. The images or words and the topic come popping up in a proper sequence. One simply observes that. It is a difficult process to learn and even more difficult is to do conscious recall of the imagery that had emerged from the unconscious, when one comes out of that exercise.
Navel-Gazers and Lotus-Eaters
12 May, 2015 @ 4:52 pm
Two of these phrases are ‘navel-gazers’ and ‘lotus-eaters’. Of these, ‘navel-gazers’ is more commonly used and one may have to search deeper in literature to find the phrase ‘lotus-eaters’. Let’s consider first ‘navel-gazers’. Its current usage is somewhat, but not fully, far removed from the original meaning. The Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “one who stares fixedly at his navel to induce a mystical trance”. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, navel-gazing is “excessive introspection, self-absorption, or concentration on a single issue”. These definitions are somewhat distorted from the original content of the phrase.