May the Gayatri Mantra bring you light, wisdom and healing from solstice to solstice!
Some eight years ago, I embarked on a solstice-to-solstice sadhana to recite the Gayatri Mantra 125,000 times. I was going through a difficult period in life, and I turned to this meditation to light the way. In recent months, this deeper practice has been calling me, so when the Winter Solstice arrives on December 21st at 10:59am est, I will begin another Gayatri Mantra meditation enhanced with distance Reiki to inspire light, wisdom, and healing as we continue to navigate through difficult times.
What is this Solstice-to-Solstice Sadhana?
In the yoga tradition, a mantra sadhana of this sort is called purash charana – a commitment to chant a mantra for a specific number of times for a specific number of days: in this case 125,000 recitations of the Gayatri Mantra over 183 days (approximately 683 recitations/day or 7 malas). Purash charana means “first step.” In relation to meditation, it is the first step toward touching the Divine; and in relation to this sadhana, through a dedicated practice toward realizing the essence of the mantra.
What is the Gayatri Mantra?
The Gayatri Mantra is a verse in the Rig Veda (an ancient Indian text) and is a universal mantra available to all, meaning no initiation is needed to practice. This verse is incredibly potent and beneficial for all beings. It is said that hidden within the 24 seed sounds of this verse are 70 million mantras that hold the knowledge and wisdom contained in all the Vedas. In simple terms, we are tapping into this universal intelligence when meditating on this mantra for the purposes of spiritual and mental illumination.
The Gayatri begins with an invocation to the three worlds – physical, mental, spiritual – and then continues with the 24 seed sounds:
“OM bhur bhuvah svaha … OM tat savitur varenyam … bhargo devasya dhimahi … dhiyo yo nah prachodayat”
My favorite translation of this mantra is by one of my teachers, Joseph Le Page:
“Let us honor the Unity of Divine Spirit that pervades everything on all realms of existence. As the Sun illuminates our world, may this Supreme Consciousness protect us, and illuminate our hearts and minds that we might realize our inherent Oneness.”
What is Reiki?
Reiki – Rei means “universal” and Ki means “life force energy”, the same as prana or chi. When these two words are put together, “universal” gains broader meaning to include “spiritual wisdom”. Reiki is the practice of hands-on or distance healing for optimizing and balancing life force energy. Reiki supports harmony at all levels of our being – physical, energetic, psycho-emotional, and spiritual – the same way yoga practices promote “union” of body-mind-spirit for overall wellbeing.
Back in 1980, 1st degree Reiki initiation was required as part of my initial yoga teacher training. Twenty years later, I became a Reiki Master en route to becoming a yoga therapist. Reiki has been an integral part of my work and continues to evolve within my personal practices. This fall, I have been combining my morning mantra meditation with hands-on Reiki and have been inspired by the enhanced effects. I am excited by the potential of invoking distance Reiki with the Gayatri for global wellbeing.
An Invitation
If you are interested in developing a personal purush charana, I am happy to discuss options with you. If you would like to be part of the meditation circle during my Solstice-to-Solstice Sadhana for the full 6 months or even for 1 month, I can send you more details. Please use our contact form to be in touch.