Understanding the Meaning Behind Ritual When? December 12, 9AM (MST) - 2-hour workshop Pūjā is a beautiful practice of offering, gratitude, and relationship with the sacred. In this intimate workshop, you will learn the symbolism behind the traditional elements of pūjā, the meaning of each offering, basic Sanskrit chants and pronunciation, and how to perform a simple home pūjā with understanding and reverence. This hands-on workshop offers a rare opportunity to deepen your connection to a living tradition through both study and practice. If you wanna reserve your spot, it is already available inside our classroom! If you have any questions, feel free to comment this post or reach out via email info@mahalilayoga.com Looking forward to study with you! With love, Maline

Navarātri, meaning “nine nights” in Sanskrit, is a sacred celebration dedicated to Devī, the Goddess, and the many ways her presence manifests throughout creation. Across India, Navarātri is celebrated through different rituals, stories, prayers, and traditions. Although these practices may vary, they share a common recognition of Śakti, the divine power that creates, sustains, and transforms the universe. These nine nights invite us to turn our attention towards Śakti as Devī, honouring her not only as a deity to be worshipped but also as the sacred presence underlying all life. - Navarātri in the South Indian Tradition: In many South Indian traditions, the nine nights are divided into three periods, each dedicated to a different expression of Devī: Durgā, Lakṣmī, and Sarasvatī. The first three nights are dedicated to Durgā, the fierce and protective Mother, who removes obstacles, dispels ignorance, and gives us the strength to face the difficulties of life. The following three nights honour Lakṣmī, the Goddess of abundance, nourishment, harmony, and auspiciousness. Her presence reminds us that prosperity extends beyond material wealth and includes the qualities that sustain and enrich our lives. The final three nights are dedicated to Sarasvatī, the Goddess of knowledge, wisdom, speech, music, and the arts. Through her grace, we cultivate clarity, discernment, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world. This sequence can also be contemplated as an inner journey: first, the removal of obstacles and ignorance; then, the cultivation of auspicious qualities; and finally, the unfolding of knowledge and wisdom. The celebration culminates in Vijayadaśamī, the tenth day, which honours victory, particularly the triumph of dharma over adharma. - Navadurgā: The Nine Forms of Durgā Devī: Another widely observed tradition of Navarātri honours nine manifestations of Durgā, collectively known as Navadurgā. These nine forms are named in the Devī Kavacam, a sacred protective hymn traditionally associated with the recitation of the Devī Māhātmya.

There is a beautiful understanding in the Vedic tradition that we do not come into this life empty-handed. Before we have accomplished anything, before we have learned anything, before we can even say the word “I,” so much has already been given to us. We receive a body through our parents. We receive language, food, knowledge, culture, values and ways of understanding the world. Behind our parents are their parents, and behind them another generation, and another. If we look far enough back, our individual life begins to appear as one small expression of a much greater movement. The Vedic tradition asks us to recognize this. Pitṛ Pakṣa (पितृपक्ष) is a period of the year dedicated particularly to our pitṛs, our ancestors who have departed from this physical life. In 2026, this period falls from the end of September until Sarva Pitṛ Amāvasyā on October 10, although the exact observance of śrāddha depends upon the lunar tithi and one's location. It is a time to remember those through whom this life came to us. But to understand Pitṛ Pakṣa, we first need to understand something about the Vedic vision of a human life. We are born receiving: The Vedas do not present the individual as an isolated being. We exist within an enormous network of relationships. The sun shines without asking anything from us. The earth supports us. Plants become our food. Countless people preserve knowledge that we later receive. Someone grows our food, someone builds our home, someone teaches us to speak. And our ancestors gave us this body. For this reason, the tradition speaks about ṛṇa, a debt or indebtedness with which a human being is born. This does not mean debt in the heavy sense we might immediately imagine. It is an acknowledgement that life is possible because we are constantly receiving. We are indebted to the devas, the intelligent forces through which this universe functions. We are indebted to the ṛṣis, through whom knowledge has been preserved and transmitted. We are indebted to other human beings and living beings with whom we share this world.

In the Vedic tradition, the sun is more than the source of light in the external world. Sūrya also invites us to recognize the light within — the inner presence that illuminates our thoughts, experiences, and understanding. Through movement, breath, and repetition, we will practice Sūrya Namaskāra as both a physical sequence and a form of reverence: awakening the body, moving prāṇa, and turning our attention toward that inner light. This class is perfect for the morning, for days when your energy feels low, or anytime you want to reconnect with yourself through movement. ☀️ In this practice: • Sūrya Namaskāra (Sun Salutations) • Breath-led movement • Energizing yoga flow • Mindful connection to prāṇa • A moment to honour the sun outside and within No need to achieve anything. Simply arrive, breathe, move, and practice. ॐ

Exploring the wisdom, lineage, and teachings behind the practice we know today. Today I was chatting with a fellow teacher at the studio. She mentioned she was doing a 300-hour yoga teacher training and was curious about my journey, since I lived in India for three years studying what in the West is often called “philosophy.” More accurately, it is one of the darśanas (visions or means of seeing reality), but that’s a conversation for another day. I studied Advaita Vedānta, the non-dual teaching that unfolds the knowledge found in the Vedānta, literally “the end of the Vedas.” The Vedas are the foundational body of knowledge of the Vedic tradition, from which disciplines such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotiṣa (Vedic astrology), and many others emerge. This tradition is also the foundation of what we today broadly call Hinduism—they are not separate traditions. Traditionally, there are four Vedas: the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, and Atharva Veda. These were preserved for countless generations through an extraordinary oral tradition before being compiled by the sage Veda Vyāsa. While it is impossible to date them with certainty, they are among the oldest surviving bodies of knowledge in the world. The Vedas are traditionally divided into two broad sections. The first is Karma Kāṇḍa, which deals with ritual, action, values, dharma, and living a harmonious life. The second is Jñāna Kāṇḍa, also known as Vedānta, which is dedicated to self-knowledge and the discovery of our true nature. These teachings have always been passed down through a living lineage of teacher and student (guru-śiṣya paramparā), and remarkably, that tradition is still alive today. I had the privilege of studying within that lineage in India. I like to imagine the Vedic tradition as a tree. The Vedas are the roots and the trunk. From them grow the major branches, such as Ayurveda and Jyotiṣa. Yoga is another of these great branches, deeply connected to the same source. Although each branch has its own methodology, they all arise from the same vision of life.