January 6, 2016

Dear all,

Happy New Year 2016!

Bonne Année! Feliz Año Nuevo! Akemashite-omedetō-gozaimasu!

At the dawning of 2016, on January 1, Siddha Yogis and new seekers around the world welcomed the new year by participating in A Sweet Surprise Satsang, in which Gurumayi Chidvilasananda gave her Message for 2016.

Just as the rising sun on the first day of the year heralds a new beginning, in the same way, when we receive Gurumayi’s Message, we also receive her direction, which revitalizes our study and practice for the year ahead. What a boost for our Siddha Yoga sadhana! For me, it is an incentive to persevere, regardless of my mood or preferences.

New beginnings… Has the shining promise of the year 2016 put a spring in your step? Are you filled with anticipation for the many possibilities ahead? What does the word “new” symbolize for you? For me, “new” rings brightly; it looks clean; it smells fresh; it tastes magical; it feels crisp. It makes me alert and energetic; it’s full of wonder; it’s full of life. New intentions. New motivations. New approaches. New ideas. New resolutions. New promises. New everything! Just writing the word “new,” I experience that I am becoming a new person. How awesome is that?

Gurumayi speaks about how seekers should always have the attitude of a new seeker, a beginner—as if they were new to the teachings, new to the path, new to sadhana. In this way, they maintain both a vibrant outlook and a keenness to keep learning.

On the Siddha Yoga path, new beginnings are respected and celebrated as golden opportunities to refresh our commitment and focus our efforts anew on our spiritual practices. I’ve found that the resolutions we make at the beginning of a year have great power to propel us toward that which our heart longs for, that which is most beneficial. This is the power of setting a clear intention at a time of new beginnings.

Now is the time to make your resolution for 2016. I encourage you to dedicate time to studying and practicing Gurumayi’s Message in depth throughout the entire year. There will be many opportunities to do so, such as:

• the Monthly Meditation Sessions via Live Audio Stream
• Sadhana Retreats
• Pilgrimage to the Heart Retreats in Gurudev Siddha Peeth
• Family Retreats
• Kishor-Yuva Retreats

You can plan to participate in the Siddha Yoga celebrations, such as:

• the celebration of the 108th lunar birthday of Gurumayi’s beloved Guru, Baba Muktananda, May 21, 2016
• the entire month of June—Birthday Bliss
• Gurumayi’s Birthday, on June 24
• Gurupurnima, on July 19
• the Global Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive in honor of Baba Muktananda?s Mahasamadhi in October

Visit the Siddha Yoga path website, which is replete with the teachings of the Siddha Yoga Gurus, conveyed in a manner that appeals to the essential, pure nature of the five senses of perception.

The Siddha Yoga path website is truly one of a kind. It is a constant inspiration and a fountain of guidance for your sadhana to flourish. There is something for everybody. Baba Muktananda taught that the Siddha Yoga path is for everyone––regardless of age, race, nationality, religion, sect, caste, and creed. This truth applies to the Siddha Yoga path website as well. I can’t thank Gurumayi enough for using modern technology to convey and impart her teachings. If I were to prescribe a remedy for samsara, restlessness of the mind, and any spiritual malady, it would be visiting and engaging with the Siddha Yoga path website every single day.

The calendar of events for January on the Siddha Yoga path website will launch our year of study and practice of Gurumayi’s Message in a profound and meaningful way. Let me share with you a few of these events and study tools.   

• You may now have darshan of Gurumayi’s Message Artwork on the Siddha Yoga path website.
• On January 7, the words of Gurumayi’s Message for 2016 will be revealed.
• January 7 is also the 44th anniversary of the day Baba Muktananda established Shri Guru Gita as part of the Ashram Daily Schedule.
• January 14 marks a celebration of new beginnings known in the spiritual tradition of India as Makara Sankranti. On this day, people worship the sun deity, Surya Devata, who brings light and life to the earth. In the philosophies of India, the sun is revered and contemplated as a symbol of the supreme Self.

I’m delighted to let you know that on January 14 in honor of Makara Sankranti, there will be a live audio stream satsang titled, Adoration of the Two Effulgent Suns, broadcast from the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in Shree Muktananda Ashram! During this satsang, Siddha Yogis and new seekers throughout the world will recite the sacred text Shri Guru Gita. More details about this event will be available on the Siddha Yoga path website soon. Visit often to find out more.

The Siddha Yoga path website is the Universal Hall for satsang on a daily basis. It is alive with shakti, wisdom, and blessings. I encourage you to touch the website every day and receive exactly what you have been longing to receive and learn. As Baba Muktananda says, “Change the prescription of your glasses!” As Gurumayi Chidvilasananda says, “Just do it! Now is your time!” New beginnings are harbingers of great good fortune. Take full advantage of this new beginning—2016!

Best New Wishes ☺,

Swami Ishwarananda
Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher