Annual Festivals

Maha Sivaratri (Spring)
Om Namah Sivaya!

Maha Shivaratri is said to be the anniversary of Shiva’s Tandava, the dance depicted in his Nataraj form with which he creates the universe.  Or more precisely, with which Shiva dances this world of form and substance into and out of existence.  Shivaratri is also said to commemorate Shiva’s marriage to Parvati, again pointing to the creative play between Shiva – spaciousness – and Shakti, his consort – creation.

For the practitioner of Shiavite Tantric Yoga, Maha Shivaratri – celebrated on the darkest new moon night of the year – is a time of high ritual and spiritual practice.  On this night, we find an opportunity to delve deeply into and access the energy of the pause   – the sandhi – the quiet moment and open space that rests between the darkness of the receding moon and the returning light as the moon again begins to wax.  It is here in the void at the point of transition that Shiva is found, felt and experienced most directly.  And so, on this night, we find an open moment in which we may gather up our karmas – our limiting patterns of body, speech, and mind – drop them off into the void so that we may walk into a new year in the light of our True Nature.

Hanuman Jayanti (Spring)
Jaya Hanuman!

Guru Purnima (Summer)
Jaya Guru Dev!

In India, the full moon of the month of Ashada (July-August) is honored as the most auspicious and important time of the entire year, known as Guru Purnima. This moon’s luminous brilliance and perfect form are seen as expressions of the Guru’s gift of grace and the attainment of Self-realization.

Come celebrate this year’s Guru Purnima on Monday, July 6th, with a day of ritual, practice, and merriment in the Soma studio at Yoga Mandala.

Stop by for any part of the day if you can, Soma will be open all day for continuous self-guided practice: prostrations, meditation, contemplation, silent mantra recitation, and study. Don’t miss the evening fire ceremony and community feast!!

Guru Daksina:
Guru Daksina is a traditional offering of appropriate value based on the economic capacity of the giver, made to one’s main spiritual teacher as a sign of respect, gratitude, and confirmation of the value of the teachings. If you are planning on giving Guru Daksina you may bring cash or check which will be collected and given directly to Dharmanidhi.

Navaratri (Fall)
Jaya Ma!

All of life is the interplay of Siva and Sakti – emptiness and form, awareness and energy, hosting consciousness and manifesting energy. During Navaratri, we invoke, worship, and celebrate the energy aspect of this ever-present pairing in the form of the Universal Mother as Kali, Laksmi, and Sarasvati, and on the 10th day, Durga. Please join us for these nightly rituals and immerse yourself in the blessing power of the Divine Mother.

Diwali (Fall)
Jaya Ma! Jaya Ganesa!

Known as the Festival of Lights, this occasion marks the return of Rama to his kingdom and home of Ayodhya, after 14 years in exile, and after defeat of the demon king Ravana. It is celebrated on the new moon at the end of the month of Ashwin in the Indian calendar. A wide range of traditions are observed on this holiday, but it commonly includes the exchange of gifts, and games of chance for money, to bring and infusion of “newness” into one’s life.