jijaji

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg7hrhrcgwY&feature=BFa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WChHVnek2YM

Here's another simple Hanuman Mantra I listen to as well

thanks guruyoga Yea I listen to the one by Pt. Rajan & Sajan Mishra as well... very powerful

Thank you 3bobji

Hope this helps; http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/introduction.htm 'Torch Divine', January 1959 - quoting Guru Dev Drops of Nectar (Sayings of Shree Guru Deva, "Vedanta Incarnate", His Divinity Swami Brahmananda Saraswathi Maharaj, the illustrious Jagadguru Shankaracharya, Jyotir Mutt, Badrikashramam.) Having become a devotee of God one can never remain unhappy anywhere. This is our experience. * * * * People are unhappy because they do not have "ISHTA" (chosen Deity). Without 'Ishta' people are turning out to be orphans. * * * * It is only the 'ISHTA' that saves one from 'ANISHTA' (Untoward happenings). * * * * See your 'ISHTA' as all-pervading. That is 'ANANYATHA' (one pointed devotion). * * * * Among Vishnu, Shankara, Devi, Surya and Ganesha, none is greater or smaller. All of them are quite capable of bestowing on their devotees all that is good in its entirety. * * * * By repetition of the "Manthra" given to you by your Guru as per your qualifications, your sins shall be destroyed. * * * * Develop fully one 'ISHTA'; then no 'ANISHTA' can ever befall you. * * * * By doing Japa your sins shall be destroyed, JAPATO NASTI PATHAKAM. * * * * Of the five Deities Shankara, Vishnu, (Rama, Krishna), Surya, Ganesha and Devi, whosoever is more adorable to you the Manthra of that Deity should be repeated by you everyday. * * * * You must get to know the Manthra of your 'ISHTA' and the method of 'Dhyana' thereof, through an experienced 'SATGURU' and somehow or other devote some time every day for Japa of the 'Ishta Manthra' and Dhyana. * * * * Through Japa "SIDDHI" (Realisation) shall result. There is no doubt about this. "JAPAT SIDDHIR JAPAT SIDDHIR JAPAT SIDDHIR NASAMSAYAM". * * * * See your 'ISHTA' everywhere. There should be no place where your 'ISHTA' is not seen. * * * * It is absolutely difficult to get the vision of your 'ISHTA' until and unless you get one pointedness on your ISHTA. To cure a disease both "OUSHADA" (medicine) and "PATHYA" (Dietic Restriction) are necessary. To cure the disease of restlessness of the mind "ABHYASA" (Practice) is "OUSHADA" and 'VAIRAGYA' (Detachment) is PATHYA. * * * * To apply your mind to your ISHTA is ABHYASA. To constantly think of ISHTA, meditate on it, talk always about It and think always about It is ABHYASA. When the mind is engrossed in the ISHTA, detachment automatically comes in. Therefore, we say you need become a "RAGI" (a person having attachment). That is to say there is need for the mind to develop attachment to the ISHTA. * * * * Let constant thinking of God be the main work for the mind and carrying on "VYAVAHARA" (worldly activities) only secondary. In that case you will have "LADDOOS", (sweets) in both hands. * * * * There is no need to apply your mind entirely in order to carry on "VYAVAHARA." It is possible to carry on "VYAVAHARA" with only a little co-operation of the mind. * * * * Just like the Miser whose mind, even while attending to VYAVAHARA, mainly and constantly thinks of the money, you should be attending to VYAVAHARA while your mind mainly and constantly think of God. अशान्ति सूक्ष्म शरीर में - वह उपरी भौतिक उपचारों से दूर नहीं होगी। अशान्ति हटाने के लिये सूक्ष्म शरीर की चिकित्सा आवश्यक है। बिना आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान के शान्ति नहीं मिलेगी। "ashaanti suukShma shariira meM - vaha uparii bhautika upachaaroM se duura nahiiM hogii . ashaanti haTaane ke liye suukShma shariira kii chikitsaa aavashyaka hai . binaa aadhyaatmika GYaana ke shaanti nahiiM milegii ." 'By treatments of the outer physical existence, the peacelessness in the sukshma sharir (subtle body) will not go away. For the purpose of removing ashanti (peacelessness) the healing of the subtle body is required. Without spiritual knowledge, you will not get peace. अभ्यास करते चलो। मन भागे तो भागने दो तुम मत उसके पीछे भागो। जहाण् मन जाता है वहाण् यदि इसे कुछ रसास्वादन हु‍आ तो वहीं चिपक जाता है। भयवान् में लगाया जायगा और कभी भगवान् के दिव्य स्वरूप का रस मिल गया तो फिर वहीं चिपक जायगा। इसलिये मन को भगवत् भजन में लगाना चाहिये। हर हालत में परमात्मा में मन को लगा‍ओ। सन्देह मत करो कि भगवान् का भजन कभी व्यर्थ जायगा। "abhyaasa karate chalo . mana bhaage to bhaagane do tuma mata usake piichhe bhaago . jahaaN mana jaataa hai vahaaN yadi ise kuchha rasaasvaadana huaa to vahiiM chipaka jaataa hai . bhayavaan meM lagaayaa jaayagaa aura kabhii bhagavaan ke divya svaruupa kaa rasa mila gayaa to phira vahiiM chipaka jaayagaa . isaliye mana ko bhagavat bhajana meM lagaanaa chaahiye . hara haalata meM paramaatmaa meM mana ko lagaao . sandeha mata karo ki bhagavaan kaa bhajana kabhii vyartha jaayagaa ." 'Proceed with the practice. If the mind runs away, let it run away, you do not run afterwards. Wherever the mind goes, if it becomes appreciative there, then right there it clings. If it will become attached to Bhagwan, and has sometimes got a taste of Bhagwan, then afterwards it will get stuck to that very place. Therefore you should apply the mind in worshipping the Lord. In all circumstances apply the mind to Paramatma. Make no mistake, no worship of Bhagwan will be futile.' - Jagadguru Shankaracharya Brahmaleena Shri Brahmananda Saraswati Maharaj

Thing is anyone who knows a thing or two about Sanatana Dharma and did TM a long time ago like myself (late 60's) or even now, knows that AYP's Deep Meditation has it's roots in TM and is a further modification itself. TM however is a modification of the Meditation that was practiced and given by Shree Brahmananda Saraswati, who followed traditional Advaita Vedanta. Brahmananda Sawaswati would not give mantra diksha to anyone without an Ishta Devata (as the Mantra was centered around the Devata) he would push them for information to help them ascertain what their Ishtadevata was by asking questions about their 'family deity (Kuladevata)or other factors that would help them choose. And for the record Ishta (इष्ट) in Sanskrit is a tad more closer to beloved, lover or cherished, even (worshiped in sacrifices) than the common 'chosen', although that is completely acceptable in the proper context, but the proper context is NOT anything you want it to be. To say that one's Ishta is any goal, be it bettering your community, or just being a better supervisor at work is a bastardization in and of the term itself. They may be good goals worthy of achievement, but they are not the same as what a persons Ishtadevata is, even if you drop the 'Devata' part and use it in a way that works for a hybrid system. The term Istha is synonymous with Devata simply put and to strip that away and say it can refer to anything you have as a personal goal is again a bastardization of the term see for your self: http://spokensanskrit.de/ and Favourite Deity The doctrine of ishTa-devatA (favourite divinity) has now to be mentioned. In Hinduism one may choose the deity that satisfies one's spiritual longing and make that the object of one's adoration, love and worship. Since each name and form of God constitute a pointer to something that is beyond and since each is at the same time a representative of some aspect or manifestation of the Supreme Reality, it is the entire array of all names and forms of God that will perhaps point to the fullness that is God. But it is advisable for each individual to concentrate on, and have a special place for, one particular manifestation or form of God and this would be his ishTa-devatA, favourite deity. Even a person who has realised the Brahman as the Ultimate Reality that pervades everything, does not reject image worship. For him all deities are alike. He is not averse to worshipping or meditating on any particular form of the Absolute. This is the reason why we see our advaita-Acaryas, give as much importane to devatA worship and temple offerings as the non-advaita AcAryas. Hindu tradition has mainly six types of IshTa-DevatA (=favourite deity) worship. These can be listed as the worship of Aditya, the Sun-God; Ambika, the Mother-Goddess, in her three forms of Durga, Lakshmi or Saraswati; Vishnu, belonging to the classic Trinity; Ganesa, the elephant-faced God, considered as the primal God of all worship; Mahesvara or Shiva, the third God of the Trinity, mostly in the form of the un-anthropomorphic linga;; and Subrahmanya, the six-faced God known also as Kumaran or Murugan in Tamil. These six are the original subtle manifestations of the Absolute Transcendental Reality. The Avatars (=Divine Descents) of Vishnu, like Rama and Krishna are more concrete manifestations of the same Absolute Reality. So they are identified with Vishnu in the above list. A capacity for recognition of the figures of these six divinities and their manifestations is the first lesson that a Hindu child gets in religion. Every variation of the favourite deity worship may be considered as belonging to one or a combination of these six traditions. In addition, the choice of the favourite deity, instead of being an academic exercise, could also be a choice of one among the thousands of temples all over the country and the deity chosen may very well be the particular deity enshrined in that particular temple, with a specific name and form, though belonging to one of the six streams of divinities listed above. Thus arose the tradition of each family having a kula-devata (=family deity) and this is sacredly revered as a legacy from generation to generation among the male descendents of the same family. It is this variety that gives richness to Hinduism and it is this possibility of 'to each according to his need and capacity' that brings together under the one banner of Hinduism people with varying practices, attitudes and states of evolution. Accordingly carving of images of gods both for worship at home and in the temples became one of the most highly developed art and profession in India. The religious life of India has thus been nourished through the ages on a visual panorama, unmatched, perhaps, in the history of any civilization. Complete Essay

For centuries in India, yoga has been a practice rooted in the Hindu faith. Today, it is a massively popular fitness tradition in the United States, part of a wellness lifestyle for some 15 million Americans. And some Hindus are not happy with the way yoga is treated in the US. The Hindu American Foundation claims the tradition has strayed too far from its Hindu roots and has launched a campaign called 'Take Back Yoga.' In Tell Me More's weekly "Faith Matters" conversation, guest host Farai Chideya puts the question, "who owns yoga?" to Sheetal Shah of the Hindu American Foundation, and Virginia Cowen, a yoga instructor and body trainer. Full Article

Basically following the breath up and down the spine and touching upon the chakras in the process (some omit this part) and there are various versions of course. jijaji

I also wanted to ask what is your opinion of Kriya Pranayama (Spinal Pranayama) as seen in a few different groups? jijaji

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLCuWuvSlBI

dwai, what would you say is the best generic pranayama that is ok for people in general to practice? cheers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbdzUi-vfA4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McirZ6Ab-mM

Thank you guruyoga, I have been reading Advaita Sadhana over the past several months, really wonderful indeed

MetalNun, You are not understanding what is being said, no one ever said spiritual practices don't work, I certainly would not say something so weird and if you think I did show me please. What we are saying here is Yoga has it's roots in Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and that fact should be acknowledged plain and simple, Krishnamacharya himself was Sri Vaishnava (what does that tell you)? Can Christians and those outside Hinduism practice Yoga? Of course but they can, however, the tradition itself should not be watered down for them. AND it should be at very basic level IMO to begin and not start out with Atma Vichara as is recommended by so many Pseudo Advaita teachers. jijaji

Honestly MetalNun, I do not believe Mark your teacher was literally saying you were JivanMukta, I know who he is BTW and know he lived with Krishnamacharya a long time. you may want to ask him if he was being completely serious or being somewhat facetious when he said that.