The Time

The practice of Pranayam should be commenced in Vasanta Ritu (spring) or Sarat Ritu (autumn). Because in these seasons success is attained without any difficulty or trouble. The Vasanta is the period during March and April. The Sarat, autumn last during September and October. In summer do not practice Pranayam, in the afternoon or evening. In the cool morning hours you can have your practice.

The Place

Select a solitary beautiful and pleasant spot,£where there are no disturbances; on the bank of a river, lake or sea or the top of a hill where there is a nice spring and grove of trees, and where milk and articles of food are easily procurable, Build a small Kutir or Have one compound. In the corner of the enclosure, sink a well. It is impossible to get an ideal place that can satisfy you from all view points. The banks of Narmada, Jumuna, Ganges, Kaveri, Godavari, Krishna are very suitable for building Kutirs or huts. You must select one such spot, where there are some other Yogic practitioners in the neighbourhood. You can consult them in times of difficulties, You will have faith in the Yogic Kriyas. When you see others also who are devoted to such Yogic practices, you will diligently apply yourself in your practice, as you will get an impetus and you will strive to excel them. Nasik, Rikhikesh, Jhansi, Prayag, Uttarkasi, Brindaban, Ayodhya, Benares, etc., are good places. You can fix a spot in a place far from the crowded localities. If you build a Kutir in a crowded place, people out of curiosity will molest you. You will have no»spiritual vibrations there. You will be without any protection if you build your cottage in a thick forest. Thieves and wild animals will trouble you. The question of difficulty for food will arise. In  Swetaswatara Upanishad it is said : " At a level place, free from pebbles, fire and gravel; pleasant to the eyes, and repairing to a cave, protected from the wind, let a person apply his mind to God." Those who practise in their own houses can convert a room into a forest. Any solitary room will serve their purpose well.

The Five Essentials

Five things are necessary for practising Pranayam, First, a good place ; second, a suitable time ; third, moderate, substantial, light and nutritious food; fourth, patient and persistent practice with zeal, ease and earnestness and lastly the purification of Nadis (Nadi-Shuddi). When the Nadis are purified the aspirant enters the first stage in the practice of Yoga" Arambha." 

A Pranayam practitioner has a good appetite, good digestion, cheerfulness, courage, strength, vigour, a high standard of vitality and a handsome figure. The Yogi should take his food at a time when Surya Nadi or Pingala is working i.e., when the breath flows through the right nostril, because Pingala is heating and digests the food quickly. Pranayam should not be practised just after taking meals, nor when one is very hungry. 

     Gradually one should be able to retain the breath for 3 Ghatikas (one hour and a half) at a time. Through this, the Yogi gets many psychic powers. When anyone wants to stop the breath for a long period, he should remain by the side of a Yogi Guru, who knows the practice of Pranayam thoroughly. The breath can be suspended by graduated practice from one to three minutes without the help of anybody. Suspension for three minutes is quite sufficient for purifying the Nadis and steadying the mind and for the purpose of good health.

The Meditation Room

Have a separate meditation room  cinder lock and key. Never allow anyone to enter the room. Keep it sacred. If you cannot afford to have a special room for on contemplative purposes and for practising Pranayam, have a place in the corner of a quiet room, set apart for this purpose. Have it screened. Place the photo of your Guru or Ishta Devata in the room in front of your Asan. Do Pooja daily for the picture, physically and mentally, before you start meditation and Pranayam. Burn incense in the room or burn Agarbatti (incense sticks). 

 Keep some sacred books there such as Ramayan, Srimad Bhagavatam, Gita, Upanishads, Yoga-Vasishta, Bible,Quran etc., for your daily study. Spread a four-folded blanket and over it a piece of soft white cloth. This will serve the purpose of an Asan. Or spread an Asan of Kusa grass. Over it spread a deer or tiger skin. Sit on this Asan for practising Pranayam and meditation. You can have a raised platform made up of cement. Over this you can spread your Asan. Small insects, ante etc., will not molest you. When you sit on the Asan keep your head, neck and trunk in a straight line. By doing so, the spinal cord that lies with the spinal column will be quite free.

Meditation opens gates of infinite joy

THE GATE TO BLISS 

Meditation is the gate that opens that [infinite joy] to us. Prayers, ceremonials and all the other forms of worship are simply kindergartens of meditation. You pray, you offer something. A certain theory existed that everything raised one's spiritual power. The use of certain words, flowers, images, temples, ceremonials like the waving of lights brings the mind to that attitude, but that attitude is always in the human soul, nowhere else. People are all doing it; but what they do without knowing it, do knowingly. That is the power of meditation.

Slowly and gradually we are to train ourselves. It is no joke—not a question of a day, or years, or maybe of births. Never mind! The pull must go on. Knowingly, voluntarily, the pull must go on. Inch by inch we will gain ground. We will begin to feel and get real possessions, which no one can take away from us — the wealth that no man can take, the wealth that nobody can destroy, the joy that no misery can hurt any more. (IV. 249, 248) 

Greetings 2011

Sai Baba (Shirdi) appearance in a marriage ceremony Sai Devotees,
Please read this  with full love and devotion.
I would like to share with you all an incident of Shirdi Baba's appearance during a wedding. The incident of Baba's appearance, the version of which I have heard, is as follows.
The bride who is a devotee of Baba went along with her parents to Shirdi a few days before her marriage. She grew so emotional there that she wept before the Samadhi of Baba with an invitation to attend her marriage. Later the marriage was performed as planned. After the marriage celebrations was over the bride remembered her prayer to Baba at Shirdi and then wept in the night just before going to bed that she never experienced Baba's presence during the marriage.
That night Baba came in her dream and said: "Do not feel sad. I was there during your marriage. Open the album of photographs of your marriage and see the photo where you are all going in the procession. You can see me in that photo."
The same photo is attached.
Jai Sai Ram,March 2004
 
Baba Appeared at Purnahuthi Homam, of 108 days of Sai Mantra Chanting

A couple from Karnataka, had a 108 days of “Sai Chanting”(Deeksha ) and on the last day they performed “Homam” .  Wonder!!! Sai baba made his presence during pooja performed by the family for 108 days.
They found “Sai Baba” present in the function.  Actually these 4-pictures were captured using a ” Mobile ” , but the same was not be found in any of the video’s or photograph’s taken during the day.

 

This photo taken from the one Sai Devotees house. She is at present doing a software job. She daily reads at least one chapter from Shirdi SAI BABA Satcharitha. Baba belssed her like this way. Udi is coming From the Statue of Sainath Maharaj from Five years. The Udi is so soft like wheat powder. This is from the village Nidumolulaku, Movva Mandal, Krishna Dist, A.P, India.

 

SaiMaharaj with one eye opened

After the reports of Lord Ganapathi idols drinking milk, bleeding of Christ, now it seems it’s the turn of Sai Baba. On 17th July 2008, Gurupoornima day, also celebrated as birthday of Sai Baba, a one foot idol of Sai Baba with one eye opened has attracted lakhs of theists and atheists in awe, admiration, Love, devotion and some with doubts to the house of A Babu at Gavipuram Guttahalli, Bengaluru. Important to note is that, after this event, after two days, it is reported that even in Nelamangala (near Bangalore) such two incidents of Sai Baba idol opening his eye are reported.

This is a wonderful experience given to the Devotees from Baba…
– God Bless us All -