Maha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivaratri (Night of Shiva or "Great Night of Shiva") is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Maagha (as per Shalivahana) or Phalguna (as per Vikrama) in the Hindu Calendar (that is, the night before and day of the new moon). The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Lord Shiva, all day fasting and an all night long vigil.
The deeper yogic meaning and objective within Mahasivrathri is:Mahasivrathri is the day & night of the yogi. Mahasivrathri is a once a year celebration of Lord Siva, the awake Spirit within each of us. For several thousands of years, yogis and nearly 60% of all householders, i.e, ordinary people in India, observe this auspicious day by staying up all night chanting and singing to Lord Siva. Mahasivrathri is the gift of realized Sages to enable everyone experience turiya, the state of higher consciousness.
Observing Mahasivrathri is transforming as we awaken to whom we truly are. Lord Siva, the dissolver of ego enables clearance of past karmic negatives that have blocked us from our true potentials. Mahasivrathri is rejuvenative as we tune into the eternal yogi within ourselves as the surrender of our body consciousness to the awake soul, the eternal yogi. The objective of Mahasivrathri is to experience turiya, the realm of enlightenment. Proximity of the mind with Source does align our thoughts to be empowered as we are in touch with our inner wisdom of calm, serenity, inspiration, abundance and knowing.
Preparing for Mahasivrathri in a yogic manner:Mahasivrathri is the celebration of the Spirit by the Spirit. Empowered worship of Source is from the intent of wanting to be Source.- In our inner journey of meditation; "fasting"- fruits, nuts and juice diet intake that is gradually reduced; and puja we transform be Lord Siva. These are moments for detox and cleansing of mind and body.- Jump into your personal Mother Ganga each morning! By slipping into a cold water shower each morning, we are dissolving our primal bond to the body and thus are born again. If getting into the cold water shower in the morning is difficult- do yoga and through yoga dissolve into lord siva of five elements and the body becomes easier to surrender into the cold water.- It is normal for humanity to experience turbulence and upheavals just before Mahasivrathri and then after Mahasivrathri, the calm and inspired realities that unfold. The mind readily plunges within when ever there is hardship in our external realities. After Mahasivrathri is observed and complete, it is normal to witness a huge blessing or blessings in our external reality.- Light a lamp at least once a day and meditate, chant and pray. If this is not possible, still the mind and visualize the lamp within and experience Source as the joys within the stillness of a mind without thoughts. The stillness of mind is Lord Siva, the experience of being the Self, the soul.- Pilgrimages to sacred places during this period helps the inner journey. Being aware of each thought and setting the mind alight through mantra chanting creates the inner lamp of awareness that gradually shines 24/7.- Do dharma. The effective form of dharma is to feed the hungry while we are fasting and in satisfying other hunger, we are divinely fed with the subtle energy of Source. Dharma done during this sacred period magnifies. Dharma done in random kindness going beyond our own suffering and discomfort enables the realization of Oneness, the essence of Source.- Climb within each day and go further beyond the mind into the vibrant light within! Lift our consciousness from the muladhara chakra (root chakra) above to the Guru chakra (above the navel). We transcend the body consciousness of heat and cold, hunger etc through the shift in our consciousness.- Climb above to the third eye and watch the vibrant light of the mantra dance. In bringing this light in the third eye to stillness, the mind transcends to the mindless realm of joy that Sages call, the sleepless sleep, turiya.- On the day/night of Mahasivrathri, be the pillar of light, Lord Siva.
May humanity arise in the awake consciousness of wisdom that enables each of us to be the prophets and masters of higher consciousness! May each of us be instruments of Source and in our breath, the ascendance of collective consciousness.
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