SADHANA STEPS ( THE COMPREHENSIVE METHOD)

     

                                                                 STEP 16 

                                              TAKE THE VOW (SANKALPA)

  

                TAKE IT ONLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR SADHANA

                  1.... (YOUR FULL NAME) BORN IN ..... (STATE YOUR GOTRA. IF YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR GOTRA, SIMPLY SAY NARAYANA GOTRA FOR EVERYONE IS A CHILD OF THE DIVINE) ON .... (STATE YOUR DATE OF BIRTH) HEREBY VOW TO DO A PURUSHCHARANA OF ... (THE NAME OF YOUR MANTRA, LIKE GAYATRI, SRI SUKTAM, GURU MANTRA, ETC.) OVER THE NEXT ... (STATE THE NUMBER OF DAYS YOU'LL BE CHANTING THE MANTRA OVER, FOR EXAMPLE, 40, 90, 100, 300 AND SO ON) DAYS SO I MAY BECOME A WORTHY RECIPIENT OF YOUR GRACE AND ATTAIN THE DESIRED OUTCOME.

                                                              STEP 17

                                  MANTRA BREATHING (MANTRA SHVASA)

       

                     STARY BY COMPLETELY AND GENTLY EXHALING FROM BOTH NOSTRILS BEFORE YOU CAN BEGIN THE MANTRA BREATHING PROCESS BELOW:

                   WITH YOUR RIGHT THUMB, CLOSE YOUR RIGHT NOSTRIL AND BREATHE IN DEEPLY FROM THE LEFT. WHILE BREATHING IN, CHANT GAYATRI MANTRA.

                 NOW, LIFT THE THUMB FROM RIGHT NOSTRIL AND CLOSE YOUR LEFT NOSTRIL BY PLACING THE INDEX FINGER OF YOUR RIGHT HAND. EXHALE GENTLY. CHANT GAYATRI MANTRA WHILE EXHALING.

                 KEEP THE SAME HAND POSITION AND DEEPLY INHALE FROM YOUR RIGHT NOSTRIL NOW. CHANT THE MANTRA WHILE INHALING FROM YOUR RIGHT NOSTRIL.

                NOW, LIFT YOUR INDEX FINGER FROM THE LEFT NOSTRIL AND PUT YOUR THUMB ON THE RIGHT NOSTRIL TO CLOSE IT. GENTLY EXHALE FROM YOUR LEFT NOSTRIL AND CHANT YOUR MANTRA WHILE EXHALING.

                THIS IS ONE ROUND OF INHALATION-EXHALATION, WHICH INVOLVES INHALING FROM YOUR LEFT, EXHALING FROM YOUR RIGHT, INHALING FROM YOUR RIGHT AND EXHALING FROM YOUR LEFT.

                          (  DO THREE ROUNDS OF MANTRA BREATHING )

                                                                 STEP 18

                                               APPLICATION (VINIYOGA)

                 THE WORD VINIYOGA MEANS APPLICATION. UNLIFE SANKALPA, VINIYOGA IS CHANTED EVERY DAY THROUGHOUT YOUR SADHANA. USE THE FOLLOWING MANTRA WITH WATER IN YOUR RIGHT PALM :

            SAPTAVYAHRATINAM JAMADAGNI BHARADVAJA ASTRI-GAUTAMA

           KASYAPA-VISVAMITRA-VASISTHA RSAYAH

           GAYATRYUSNIGANUSTUBBRHATI-PA MKTISTRISTUBJAGATYACHANDADA MSI

           AGNI-VAYU-SURYA-BRHSPATI-VARUNENDRA-VISVEDEVA DEVATAH

           SARVAPAPAKSAYARTHE JAPE VINIYOGAH

  

                                                              STEP 19

                           PURIFICATION OF HANDS (KARA SHUDDHI)

                  CHANT THE FOLLOWING MANTRA AND SHOW THE APPROPRIATE MUDRAS TO PERFORM PURIFICATION OF THE HANDS.