English Sahaja Yoga Meditation Courses by Nordic and European Yogis

We will experience the awakening of a divine mothering energy within us that gently takes us into a state of silence.

“Meditation is such a soothing thing, such a beautiful way of connection with the Divine, that all your problems get solved in that meditative mood.” – Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga

Download “Affirmations for Self Realization”

We place our right hand on our torso and head in certain places, such as the left hip and the forehead. In Sahaja Yoga, these actions and affirmations connect our sincere desire to become our true selves to our own power to become our true selves. The result is a state of meditation, free from thoughts about the past or the future. This is Self Realization. This process is covered in Day 1’s session recording below.

Learn how to calm your attention, reduce your thoughts, and increase your enjoyment of inner silence.
“Like a wheel which is moving, and if your attention is on the wheel, on the periphery, then your mind is all the time moving. But if you jump on the axis of the wheel, it is silent.” – Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga

Download “Raising the Kundalini & Giving a Bandhan.”

Begin and end your meditation with the movements described on this page. They help to bring your attention into the present and sustain the state of calmness and inner silence. These techniques are demonstrated in Day 2’s session recording below.

Our attention can move into the past, the future, or be stable, quiet, and settled in the present. In a state of balance we are able to surmount inner and outer obstacles to becoming our true selves.

“The Spirit will shine on an attention which is steady. Steady it. By balancing you bring a steadiness to it. Balance your thoughts, balance your eyes, balance your desires.” — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga

Download Foot Soaking – A step by step guide

Foot soaking is a clearing technique that will greatly enhance your state of meditation. The technique helps relieve your energy centers of any negativity affecting the subtle system. The negativity is transferred to a basin of salt water. It can be done in the evening, at the end of the day, or any time. It’s very beneficial when it becomes part of your daily routine.

Our attention can move into the past or the future, making it a challenge to meditate. We will learn about the three energy channels, and how to balance them so that we can be in the present, and on the path to our spiritual ascent.

“You are an instrument most beautifully made, absolutely so beautifully made that once you discover it, you will be amazed as to what you are.” – Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga

Download Balancing Techniques

Thoughts are generally about the past or the future. Sahaja Yoga Meditation helps us to establish ourselves in the present, without any thought. We balance the left and right channels of our subtle system using these techniques. They are demonstrated in Day 4’s session recording below.

We discuss the innate qualities of the subtle energy centers (chakras) within us. We will learn how we can imbibe these qualities in our daily lives through Sahaja Yoga meditation.

“The first thing should be to watch yourself, that you are not reacting but you are experiencing and enjoying the silence, the subtleties, the beauty, the glory of your being.” — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga

Download the Subtle Energy System

Download What do you feel on your hands?

In Sahaja Yoga we use the natural elements of water, earth, fire, ether, and air to deepen our meditation. The foot soaking technique helps us clear our subtle system and increases our enjoyment of the meditation.
“Only in meditation you are in the present and you grow in your spirituality.” — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga

We will steady our attention and learn to identify and clear out the imbalances affecting our subtle being. Gradually, we’ll go deeper into our own subtlety, silence, and self-knowledge.

“Your hands start feeling the cool breeze. They start feeling the chakras of yourself and chakras of other people. With your hands you can raise the Kundalini, with your hands you can give realization. These hands become powerful things.” – Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga

We will demonstrate the cooling effect of ice to steady our attention and make us less reactive.

“All this temper becomes so cool and so beautiful. It’s very surprising. A very dynamic person becomes extremely compassionate.” — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga

Download Ice Treatment handout

Using Shri Mataji’s photograph for meditation

We have found that by meditating in front of Shri Mataji’s photographs, our Subtle system comes into balance and is cleared through the positive vibrations that are emitted from her photographs. As result, we become more relaxed and calmer as we experience the inner joy of the Spirit in our heart. We follow the traditional respect and protocol of not placing our feet pointing towards the meditation table and meditate with shoes removed. We can sit on a chair or floor, whichever is the most comfortable.

If you wish to use Shri Mataji’s photograph, then it’s best to place the photo in a frame and use a small candle in front of the photo when meditating.

Shri Mataji’s Photo No 1

Download 10cm x 15cm

Download 15cm x 20cm

Shri Mataji’s Photo No 2

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Download 15cm x 20cm

When our left channel clears out, we can feel how much we are loved by the Divine.

“Freedom must have wisdom behind it. So both the sides, the movements on both the sides, are wrong. So what is all right? In the center. Is not to get conditioned by anything and not to be ego-oriented.“ — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

This will be an interactive workshop in smaller virtual rooms with experienced Sahaja Yoga practitioners. You’ll learn techniques to clear your subtle system and go deeper into meditation. This interactive workshop is only available on the Zoom platform.

SAFETY NOTE: We will use a candle to clear our left channel of imbalances. As a safety precaution, do not do this treatment if you are wearing loose clothes or near anything that might catch fire. Take great care. You can sit on a chair or on the floor.

WHAT TO BRING: Before the start of this session, please have these items available:
– A small candle in a holder or secured to a plate
– Matches or a lighter

Download Candle Treatment

We become our own gurus through the daily practice of Sahaja Yoga. We stop arguing with ourselves. We accept and follow our own inner guidance. We leave behind all extreme behavior, whether it’s over-indulgence or over-strictness.

“You have to be your own guru means you have to guide yourself. You have to treat yourself as your disciple and you have to trim yourself.” — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Download the Void – Self-Mastery

Download the Subtle Energy System

Download What do you feel on your hands?

We will focus on the first energy center, the Mooladhara Chakra. In Sanskrit, “Mooladhara” means support of the root. This chakra is the base of the subtle system. Its innate qualities are purity, innocence, joy, and wisdom.

“This innocence never gets destroyed because it is eternal, but it may happen that it will get covered with some clouds by our mistakes that we commit. But once you get your Realization, your innocence is re-established, manifests, and you become innocent.” — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Download the Mooladhara Chakra

Download the Subtle Energy System

Download What do you feel on your hands?

Swadhishthana, the second chakra, is the center of creativity, pure knowledge, pure desire and pure attention. The power of pure desire within us guides our spiritual journey. Opening this chakra helps us to let go of our need to control, so we can allow the divine power to work things out.

“Thinking, thinking thinking, planning, planning, planning, planning, running. Ultimately the whole joy has disappeared.” — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Download the Swadisthana Chakra

The third chakra, the Nabhi, is where our seeking for spiritual evolution originates. When this chakra clears, we experience our own divine qualities of satisfaction, generosity and peace.

“There can be no peace in the world until there is peace within.” — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Download Nabhi Chakra

Let’s collectively open our Heart Chakra so we can feel our innate qualities of love, compassion, security and fearlessness.

“You become the source of joy, not that you only receive the joy but you become the source of joy, the source of bliss and the source of peace. Wherever such a person goes, it just soothes.”  — Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Download Heart Chakra

Welcome to Sahaja Yoga Meditation

“You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the Power that created you.”
HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Founder of Sahaja Yoga Meditation

Your Self Realisation
Today, you have been introduced to Sahaja Yoga Meditation and received your Self Realisation. Self-Realisation occurs when the Kundalini, a mothering energy within all of us, is awakened and connects us to the all-pervading power.

Meditation
Through regular meditation, we strengthen our Kundalini to cleanse and balance our energy centres (chakras). Meditation allows us to go beyond our thoughts (thoughtless awareness) to experience inner peace and silence. Regular meditation only takes a few minutes and really works!

Try the meditation
Sit quietly for a few moments and hold out your hands, palms upward, towards the photograph. You may feel a cool or warm breeze and your thoughts may quieten. Continue meditating in silence for 5 to 10 minutes.

HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

About Sahaja Yoga Meditation
True meditation is a personal experience, where one goes beyond thoughts, worries, and upsets. One is calm and peaceful through ‘thoughtless awareness’- that is, no unwanted thoughts but fully aware. Sahaja Yoga meditation is used by millions globally, with minimal disruption to daily routines, to actually achieve inner balance, joy and improvements in mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Sahaja, Saha means ‘with’, Ja means ‘born’. Born with you. That is spontaneous. Yoga means Union with the Divine. So, Sahaja Yoga is the spontaneous union of your Self with the Divine.

Who is Shri Mataji?
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (or ‘Mother’, as she is affectionately known) founded Sahaja Yoga meditation in 1970. For over 40 years, she gave thousands of lectures and taught millions around the world how to meditate easily. Born in 1923 in India, she worked with Mahatma Gandhi and was very involved in India’s fight for independence. She was a mother and grandmother and a descendant of an Indian royal family.

The Subtle System
Overlaying our nervous system, resides a subtle system comprising of energy channels (‘Nadis’, see A to C on diagram) and centres of energy (‘Chakras’, see 1 to 7 on diagram). This system looks after our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual being. Upon ‘Self Realisation’, our spirit is awakened, and the subtle system connects to the all-pervading life force that nourishes and balances it through true meditation.

The Subtle System

How do I learn more?
To help you understand this new experience, you are invited to free online courses or weekly classes where collective meditations will establish your Self Realisation. You will learn how to maintain inner balance throughout the day and read and correct any imbalances in your subtle system. Classes are held in over 100 countries worldwide. Suitable for newcomers and regular meditators. No booking needed and everything is provided. Classes are always free of charge.

• Daily meditations and Courses
• Worldwide meditation centres

More Information & Online Resources
Online resources with video and audio meditations, meditative music, balancing techniques, printed guides and talks by Shri Mataji (founder). Live Streaming meditation webcasts. Podcasts with guided meditations, music and talks. Newsletter sign up for news and events.

• More information & Online resources

Use this Guide to learn simple meditation and balancing techniques to help you experience the peace of true meditation. If this is your first meditation, then please follow the ‘Affirmation for Meditation’ steps for your Self-Realisation to activate your inner-being.

Download Meditation & Balancing Guide

Music

Ragas/Songs for the Chakras
Selection of Ragas (Songs with mantras) which are a melodic mode of Indian classical music that focus on each chakra of the Subtle System. Listening to the music can help to clear the chakras when meditating.

Meditation music with Didgeridoo instrument.
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument, played with continuously vibrating lips to produce a continuous drone while using a special breathing technique called circular breathing. The didgeridoo was developed by Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia at least 1,500 years ago, and is now in use around the world, though still most strongly associated with Indigenous Australian music.

The Didgeridoo represents the earthy sounds of the Mooladhara chakra which is located at the base of the spine. The chakra has the qualities of innocence and wisdom and manifests in Uluru (Ayers Rock) located in central Australia. The Mooladhara chakra is symbolized by the elephant headed child – Shri Ganesha.

All this music is performed by musicians who practice Sahaja Yoga meditation.

Devotional music
Beautiful devotional music in praise of our inner Mother and the external Spirit. Sung by Anandita Basu who is a recognised name in Sahaja music, Sufi and Qawwali music from Kolkata, India. Anandita started to learn Indian Classical music at the age of 4 with her mother and Guru, Professor Anjana Basu.

Vishwa Shanthi – Universal Silence
A presentation from the Late P.K. Salve Academy of Music and Fine Arts in India.

Sahaja Yogis from around the world attended the Academy to harness their Self Realisation to learn and develop their artistic skills. While at the academy, they produced this beautiful music that is influenced by western and traditional Indian styles.

• More meditation music – Selection of music to enhance the meditation experience.

Free meditation classes and resources to help you discover the unique technique of Sahaja Yoga Meditation.

Resources

• Resources area – Subtle system/chakras, Glossary of Terms, printed guides, meditative music, video and audio meditations, balancing techniques and talks by Shri Mataji (founder).
• More about Sahaja Yoga – What is Meditation? Who can do meditation? What does it cost? Who teaches the meditation? Who teaches the meditation? Getting started.
• More about Shri Mataji – Founder of Sahaja Yoga meditation. Shri Mataji quietly transformed lives. For more than forty years, she travelled internationally, offering free public lectures and the experience of self-realization to all, regardless of race, religion or circumstance.
• Nirmala Vidya Amruta – References to all of Shri Mataji’s talks if you want to look up a particular ailment/issue and find out Shri Mataji’s solutions to it.
• Meditation music – Selection of music to enhance the meditation experience.
• Resources for children – Sahaja Yogi parents who are trying to make meditation for children different and interesting for them. (Password to website is Gananayaka)
• Online daily meditations on YouTube, Facebook and Zoom.
• Audio podcast website – On Apple podcast – On Google podcast.
• Video podcast website – On Apple podcast.
• Sahaja Yogis Experiences – Sahaja Yogis share their experiences, re-collections of memories and encounters with Shri Mataji and the practice of Sahaja Yoga. Find out about Shri Mataji’s life, and enjoy pictures taken over more than three decades in five continents.
• Australian classes – in over 80 locations.
• Worldwide centres – in over 100 countries.
• Subscribe to Newsletter. – To be notified of online events, workshops and other events.
• Contact Us – If you have any questions about our meditation then please don’t hesitate to contact us.

While participating in our sessions, you will come across several terms that may be new to you. This is an overview of the most commonly used terms…

All Pervading Power
God Almighty. Known by many names including Shiva, Allah and Yaweh.

Attention
The faculty of applying the mind and interest. Under pressure it can become short-spanned and undisciplined but through Sahaja Yoga Meditation the faculty can become focused and productive.

Balancing and Clearing
If the attention is majorly focused on right-sided activities (thinking, action, the future) or left side (reflection, emotion, the past) blockages can occur. Meditative clearing removes these blockages and allows the system to gain balance in the centre (mental silence, peace, now).

Catches
Catches occur when the efficient function of chakras is impaired. These catches block the passage of kundalini and are the causes of varying problems. When these damaged charkras are repaired through meditation the problems disappear.

Central Channel
This is the channel through which the kundalini flows. It is opened when self realisation takes place and it is the through-flow of kundalini which brings about real and enriching meditation.

Chakras
These are the subtle energy centres located at the main nerve plexuses along the spine. There are seven main chakras in the human system and they relate to stages of evolution, the seventh, at the top of the head being activated by self realisation.

Cool Breeze
The energy manifested from the top of the head when self realisation takes place. It can be felt as a warmish breeze-like sensation. After meditation the energy cools down and is known as the cool breeze.

Difference between Yoga and Meditation
Yoga is the union of the kundalini with the great energy of creation that surrounds us (self realisation). Meditation takes place as a result of that joining.

Guru
Spiritual teacher, guide. Someone with their self realisation who assists others to gain their yoga.

Kundalini
The mothering energy that resides in the sacrum bone at the base of the spine. When self realisation takes place this energy uncoils, rising through the chakras and the top of the head.

Inner Peace
Being free from mental activity. Not being concerned with memory or plans but being in the ‘now’.

Joy
Happens when deep meditation takes place. A all-embracing sense of relaxed well-being.

Kundalini Awakening
Kundalini resides in three-and-a-half coils at the base of the spine. When self realisation or kundalini awakening takes place, this energy uncoils and rises through the chakras to manifest at the top on the head.

Left Channel
This rises along the left side of the spine but at the forehead it crosses into the right hemisphere of the brain to become the superego. It is concerned with emotion, the past, insecurity, conditioning and, if the attention becomes heavily focused into it, it can cause depression and many painful diseases.

Meditation
It is a state of relaxation without mental activity. It is calming, peaceful and opens the inner pathways to health, knowledge and spiritual deepening.

Right Channel
This rises along the right side of the spine but at the forehead crosses into the left hemisphere of the brain to become the ego. It is concerned with action, the future, planning and, if the attention becomes heavily focused into it, it can cause anger, tensions and many painless diseases.

Sahaja Yoga Meditation
The word ‘Sahaja’ in Sanskrit has two components: ‘Saha’ is ‘with’ and ‘ja’ is ‘born’ – the literal translation is “innate”. Yoga means union with the divine. So, Sahaja Yoga means spontaneous and born with you meaning that the kundalini is born within us and can be awakened spontaneously, without effort. This is Self Realisation

Self Realisation
This is the yoga, the union, the joining of the individual spirit with the great energy of creation. It happens when the kundalini (life force) rises from its home in the sacrum bone along the spine and pierces the fontanelle at the top of the head.

Shri Mataji
The founder of Sahaja Yoga. She was born in 1923 in Chhindwara, India. Her father was a lawyer who spoke fourteen languages and was the first Christian Member of the Indian Parliament. Her mother was the first woman in India to receive an honours degree in mathematics. The family was deeply involved in the Indian fight for independence. Shri Mataji married C.P. Shrivastava, a diplomat who became Secretary General of the UN Maritime Organisation. She has two daughters and four grandchildren. In 1970 she discovered a way of granting spontaneous self realisation. She then travelled the world holding programs, giving self realisation and informing people of Sahaja Yoga.

Spirit
The reflection of divinity within each human subtle energy system.

Spirituality
An intense interest in the non-material aspects of life, reality and existence after death

Subtle System
The network of chakras, channels and kundalini which define the nature of a human being at any given time. (See more here)

Thoughtless Awareness
Is meditation. All thinking stops although the consciousness of sounds around us remains. The traditional name for this very pleasant and rewarding state is mental silence.

Vibrations
The cool pulsing that a realised person feels (often on the palms of the hand) when the attention is focused on something or someone in balance.

Yoga
The pathway to, and gaining of, self realisation. Rajah Yoga is the pathway along the right channel, Bakthi Yoga uses the left channel ‘Sahaja means born-with or spontaneous. So Sahaja Yoga draws attention to the fact that the union (self realisation) can be gained spontaneously by way of mechanisms one is born with.