Gayatri Mantra

Namaste. Happy Solstice. So on this day we're going to take the opportunity to chant one of the oldest invocations to the Sun known as the Gayatri Mantra. I feel very humble in sharing this with you because it is a mantra that holds such great wisdom and it's so respected and you know this little bit that I've learnt I bow down to my teacher soul David Ray and just honor him and all of those who have come before us and carried these teachings through. So the Gayatri Mantra is a way of aligning our energy with the Sun and it's also a prayer to to that essence that illuminates all things to that divine light that moves through all of life. Gayatri is a goddess so although the Sun is traditionally a Surya is a masculine energy but within everything there's a yin and a yang and Gayatri is the feminine the goddess who is the essence of the light which shines through the Sun. So as we chant to Gayatri we are we are connecting with this essence and allowing it to open within ourselves. Gayatri also means she who protects so we are calling on this great light to protect us to guide us and to illuminate our hearts, our minds, our path. So to speak these words is really a very divine practice and often the Gayatri is chanted when when used in a particular sadhana, chanted four times a day at the turning point so at midnight, at dawn, at midday and at dusk and we're at this great turning point in the year the summer solstice. So let's just have a look at the words and we're going to I'll just speak them line by line so we can get a sense of the pronunciation. You can look at the PDF attached to this clip so you can read the words that's really going to help be able to just say it together and so we'll go through line by line and then we're going to chant the mantra together nine times. So just taking a moment to find the words and the first line is om bhuva suvaha. Often the last word is is spoken as suvaha but that's actually not correct it's either suvaha or spa so we're going to use suvaha and this line is relating to the three worlds or the three levels of existence earth the heavens and that in between so let's say that together om bhuva suvaha and the next line tat savitur varenyam Savitur is this divine radiance varenyam is the highest so the highest radiance let's say that together tat savitur varenyam beautiful the next line bhargo devasya dhi mahi bhargo is this self luminous one we meditate on the self luminous one again let's say that bhargo devasya dhi mahi and the last line diyo yona pracho dhiyat which gives rise to the spirit moving within the body diyo yona pracho dhiyat beautiful so in essence the mantra is saying something like we meditate on the supreme light of the divine spirit the creator of the universe which pervades everything on earth the atmosphere and the heavens may this supreme consciousness guide us protect us and illuminate our hearts and our minds and as we chant we chant not only for ourselves but for all beings everywhere that they may be guided protected receive healing and illumination so you ready okay we're going to do this together nine times so get really comfortable it's where you can feel the spine upright so that the energy can move freely through the spine as we chant find a really comfortable position maybe in a chair maybe seated on a bolster and just close the eyes take a deep breath in and exhale and you may want to be reading this as we go through it so if you need to let the eyes be open just dropping inside calling on the divine spirit the light that moves in all things within you to illuminate your path to illuminate your heart there's any particular area in your life that you're wanting to bring in extra illumination and clarity just setting this intention may we know our true essence our true source okay deep breath in exhale oh boy boo vah suvah ha tap savvy to that in yam bar go de vasya de mahi dio yona pracho diet oh boy boo vah suvah ha tap savvy to that in yam bar go de vasya de mahi dio yona pracho diet oh boo boo vah suvah ha tap savvy to that in yam bar go de vasya de mahi dio yona pracho diet oh boo boo vah suvah ha tap savvy to that in yam bar go de vasya de mahi dio yona pracho diet oh boo boo vah suvah ha tap savvy to that in yam bar go de vasya de mahi dio yona pracho diet oh boo boo vah suvah ha tap savvy to that in yam bar go de vasya de mahi dio yona pracho diet oh boo boo vah suvah ha tap savvy to that in yam bar go de vasya de mahi dio yona pracho diet oh boo boo vah suvah ha tap savvy to that in yam bar go de vasya de mahi dio yona pracho diet oh boo boo vah suvah ha tap savvy to that in yam bar go de vasya de mahi dio yona pracho diet finish with om shanti shanti shanti om shanti shanti shanti it's dropping in noticing how you feel allowing that divine light to radiate from the center of the heart bringing the hands to touch in front of the heart center deep breath in exhale wishing you peace and light in your heart always namaste