by  Natha.net

On Wednesday, March 2nd 2011, there will be a special Yang Spiral Meditation for celebrating Mahashivaratri - The sacred night of Shiva. In the article below you can read about  the experiences some participants had in the previous years. If you would like to participate in this years Mahashivatri Yang Spiral Meditation, click here.

Shiva is the Absolute Light of Undifferentiated Divine Consciousness manifesting under the shape of all existence. He contains everything – nothing can exist beside Him, and He is in every human heart. In Mahashivaratri night you can experience most easily the communion with shivaic aspects, when His Grace is fully manifesting towards those who adore Him permanently with all their heart.

In this profoundly sacred, magical and mysterious night that is MahaShivaratri, all yogis and worshipers of Shiva gather to celebrate Him.  
Natha Yogacenter celebrated the night of Shiva - MahaShivaratri - through an one and a half hours spiral meditation. The Yang Spiral meditation, made by the succession of the 12 zodiac constellations symbolizes the return to the Original Point, being just our spiritual evolution, that search for Shiva – God. With aspiration and devotion guests and students of Natha Yogacenter gathered on this holly night to meditate together in the Yang Spiral Meditation in order to unite their hearts with Shiva the Great Divine Savior. Each of the participants felt an ineffable range of elevated states that enriched their soul and mind.

Here are some of the testimonials:
(These interviews were recorded after the MahaShivaratri Spiral 2008 in a magical atmosphere that was filled with devotion towards Shiva.)

Interview with Camelia Marin, yoga teacher:

Rep: This is the night when yogis stay awake until late in the night and continuously pray. This is the night when we can celebrate the possibility to be in communion with Shiva. It is a special moment in which the gates of the heaven are opened towards those who want to enter there.
The communion with the spiritual guide of the school Grieg was very strong, and it was an opening towards the shivaic energies, the shivaic consciousness. But how was it for you?
Cami: I could feel the difference between making a simple meditation alone and being together with so many people and sharing these energies with each others, also I felt a strong connection with everybody here - like we were one.

Interview with Rainer Trubel, yoga teacher

Rainer: We also did a ritual the day before, and this spiral was somehow the crowning of this experience. I perceived this manifestation of Shiva through me and everybody, everything very strong and clear. After the spiral I just sat down and I immediately wanted to do a strong meditation and also felt this power – the Shakti of Shiva – if I would have to shout at somebody it would be an invincible power. I am full of gratitude to Shiva and the master.

Interview with Vajrananda Nielsen, yoga teacher

Rep: MahaShivaratri is an Indian celebration so they think that if they pray all night and fast they will even receive the final liberation. What do you feel as a yogi, studying and practicing yoga for so many years? How do you feel about liberation? Do you think it is possible to achieve it in one night?
Vajra: It depends on the yogi and also on how much is able to go inside, because I think if you are really focused, even not on Shivaratri, but just focusing very much for 6 hours, then this night is for sure a special night.
Rep: I wanted to ask you if you felt any difference between spirals, the spirals that were before in other years and the new ones in which we are facing outwards from the spiral.
Vajra: No, I must admit I felt no difference. Not yet, I have to try more spirals. They are all strong. Also maybe because I am making a retreat these days and I am sitting and meditating very much alone, my state is very much centered in myself and I have been this way for the last 3 months.
Today I gave the initiation in Kali to my yoga class so there was a lot of preparation for initiating the whole class. Therefore I was already charged very much. Kali fits very much with Shiva – his consort. How well you know yourself and how well you know Shiva?
But I think in every moment Shiva is not dependent on the movements of the planets. He is much bigger than that and today is his new moon so has not limited, but for us, it’s an occasion to come closer to him.
It’s very much like taking an airplane and going high above the earth, higher and higher and then the meditation becomes easier. Also astronauts have said the same things, that they become more spiritual when they come back to Earth. Because today it is very, very easy to contact the Divine.
I have been in India for MahaShivaratri. The first time I was in India I was walking with the Guru and I was pulling his car shouting “Jay, Guru, Jay!”. We were walking through corridors and people were outside the corridors throwing money on us and flowers and it was very, very beautiful. They kept it very high…we were living in the tents, different ashrams and temples with the Guru. We were also meditating – it was extremely strong and very beautiful there, we came to the Ganga and we had to take a bath – it’s a custom there and there it was crowded with people, and Narcis and Marius, we all had orange clothes and also those tridents. We came for the Kumbha Mela where all the Indians just fell to the ground and kissed our feet. I was so shy about this but I was able to experience their devotion and you can get rid of the mind through devotion. It’s very easy I think to realize Shiva. Get rid of your mind and devote yourself to Shiva tonight!
That means opening the heart but we are in the North, we are not so open…it helps a lot to have many Romanians here.
First time in India I did not do so much yoga, I was traveling to see Garamasala, North of India, and we went in Kashmir, Rishikesh. But when I came home and was standing on the stairs in Prema meeting my lover again, I could feel how soft I had become, so soft, my heart was so soft and still and that’s the old mother of spirituality, that’s mother India. She transformed me when I was there. It is interesting to come from India back to Romania, feel the difference and then back to Denmark.
Rep: Everywhere we are home in our hearts…
Vajra: Yes, Grieg said that when we expand our consciousness we are not submitted to the differences between countries. Consciousness is the same in all countries. I was always complaining that I should leave Denmark because I liked Romania so much. And the same today, if I am just fixed on Shivaratri today.
Tomorrow? What about tomorrow or yesterday? They are also full of consciousness. Consciousness is the same.
But maybe it is easiest for us today. Because everything is in us and we are all the planets, we have Ganga, Mount Meru, 7 rings around it. You don’t need to go on a pilgrimage because you have everything in you. You are that!
Your physical body is the most holy temple, because you are everything! First you have to find yourself in what you are dividing yourself into and then you discover you become everything!
No me, no mind! Nothing is me, nothing is mind! Therefore you can become everything. This is like Shiva!

Interview with Alain Mathiesen, advanced yoga student

Rep: How was your spiral today?
Alain: I felt a strong state of Shiva which helped me to keep focus and to maintain the focus during the entire spiral. And then on top of that I played with all the feelings that came along with the music and from the other people around. I felt devoted and inspired.

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