The Sanskrit root word ‘Nava’ has two meanings- ‘nine’ and also ‘new.’ As a snake sheds off its outer skin from time to time, Navaratri is a time for us to cast away the old impressions and baggage and make our consciousness new. ‘Ratri’ also means night that gives rest. We suffer from three types of afflictions. One is the suffering that arises from inside, second one arises externally. The third one is subtle and lies in between these two. Night relieves us from these three afflictions and brings rest to the mind, body and consciousness. What happens when you sleep? You are relieved of all your worries.
So what should you do during Navaratri to get total rest for the body and mind?
During Navratri, your mind should be immersed in the divine consciousness. Just as it takes nine months for a baby to be born, these nine days are like resting in the womb of the mother and having a new birth. During these nine days and nights, one should get back to the source. use this time to ask yourself, “How was I born?”, “Who am I?, “What is my source?”
Navratri is an occasion for one to take the mind back to its source. The seeker gets back to the true Source through fasting, prayer, silence and meditation. While fasting detoxifies the body, silence purifies the speech and brings rest to the chattering mind, and meditation takes one deep into one’s being.
Rise above the small things
During these auspicious days, make sure that small things do not distract you from your goal. Our mind is so tricky that it just pulls us away from our goal and gets us stuck in small things,. For example, just someone sneezing next to us or snoring near us is enough to put the mind in a state of grumbling and complaining. When we become aware of our mind and its tendency to get into a cycle of negative thoughts or emotions, we become wiser. It’s then that we can win over the small chattering mind.
During these nine days, the mind goes through the three gunas-tamas or lethargy, dullness and heaviness (first three days); rajas or restlessness and activity (following three days) and sattva or purity, energy and lightness (last three days. So even if any conflicts arise, keep them all aside and keep going back to your innocence.
Feeling the unknown
This whole cosmos is made up of that one energy called Devi. This whole universe is made up of that vibrating and scintillating consciousness, and all our bodies are like the floating shells in the ocean of consciousness, which is unseen. You can’t see it, but you can feel it. So, during these nine days, you should feel the unknown. Although we may not necessarily understand the meaning of all the poojas and ceremonies done during these nine days, we should simply sit with our hearts and minds open and feel the vibrations they create.
Fasting makes you feel light
The best way to celebrate Navratri is to usually fast and pray, and then feast in the end. It helps you keep a light stomach, so you can go deeper in your sadhana/spiritual practices and meditation.
I won’t recommend everyone to fast without having any food at all. You can have limited food, have fruits and eat less. Suppose you eat one whole meal, you can cut it down to half or a quarter. Avoid snacking all day. While fasting, make sure that you drink plenty of water, and eat sufficient amounts of fresh fruits, and other sattvic food to keep yourself energized.
Fasting is recommended during Navaratri because it detoxes the body, enhances digestion and increases positivity. When we fast, the restless mind settles down and it becomes easier to meditate and make progress on the inner journey to the source.
Remember we fast not to please the Divine, but to cleanse our body. When the body is cleansed, the mind becomes calmer and more peaceful.
Chanting
There is chanting done at The Art of Living International Center on all the days of Navaratri. On the last day when Yagnas are performed (you can watch them online or offline), you simply bathe in the vibrations of the chants. It’s called Mantra Snaana, bathing in the mantras.
The powerful mantras chanted during the yagyas enrich the subtle creation and benefit the whole world but only when the devotees participating in the yagyas go deep into meditation.
Keeping silence
Navaratri is a time for self-referral, a time to go back to the source with the help of silence. When the mind is engaged in the world outside all the time, it gets tired. In silence, you are conserving energy. In silence, you are taking your mind inward where the mind becomes sharp as a laser beam.
Meditation Along with Silence
When you keep silent initially, the mind will still tend to go all over the place though you are not speaking. But when you meditate along with silence, diving deep in then your mind becomes very focused. Then your intuition improves, memory gets better and intellect becomes sharper, and your body finds definite strength. It should be guided silence. Not speaking while you continue to do all other chores, will not make your silence very effective. Every six months we should sit in silence.
Silence is some degree of disinterestedness in doing anything. It is an inward journey of the mind. This inner stillness is very important for our spiritual and intellectual growth. Inner silence frees us from the noise of the world. And finally, there is the silence of Oneness – Oneness with the entire universe. Oneness is the goal of silent practice.
Each day of Navratri is associated with some unique qualities of the Devi and when we meditate on this aspect of Mother Divine, these qualities get kindled in our consciousness as well.
Just Soak in the Magic of Homas
You know the farmer ploughs the field, sows the seeds, sprinkles water, adds manure and takes care of the pests and weeds. But, the consumer is seldom concerned with how the food is grown. He/she merely enjoys the taste of it. Similarly, the experts or Vedic pandits who perform the pooja rituals and homas or yagyas aligned with scriptures and these chants and homas will create the vibrations.
The intellect may not understand the meaning of these mantras but the mantras have a deep soothing and rejuvenating effect on our consciousness. The vibrations that are produced benefit all the subtle layers of existence. This energy creates benevolence, benefits mankind, washes away bad karma, promotes harmony in the world and fulfils desires. These bring us close to self-realization and bring us material success.
Our job is to simply sit with our hearts and minds open and soak in these vibrations. We should simply smile and receive the blessings. All the chantings done properly with the right intonations, with devotion, bring about purification and upliftment of the consciousness. We must simply enjoy it.
