It is often said that doing Sun Salutations cleanses the body, creates Ojas (spiritual splendour), and is excellent for improving the Solar significations in our chart which also affects our behaviour granting benefits from the very source of life. However, when doing Surya namaskars we're essentially in the position of Hanuman (Mars) submitting to Lord Ram/Solar energy. This increases our dependency on solar energies to direct us which is essential when it comes to the masculine spiritual path. Lord Hanuman is also the very face of Brahmacharya (celibacy) for he dedicated his entire life to solar worship. People who feel like they're prone to be influenced strongly, tend to fixate, and have issues with ego-identifications that can ground them in the material world should avoid this particular practice as it is a route towards deifying your suffering and erasing your sense of belonging within the world.
Solar practices are an excellent balancing force and can act as great initiation thresholds for boys who want to enter manhood and become more responsible, and spiritual, and concentrate their efforts. However, the practice I'm going to recommend today is something I've been perfecting for the past 7 to 8 months and have been recommending as a remedy to many people with a high affinity to the Vata and Pitta dosha, restless minds, and a type of stiffness that obstructs the flow of devotion in their spiritual practice. The Moon is our divine mother, and lover and takes on many faces as She wishes to grant us grace in many forms. In any spiritual path, it is essential to remain in a state of non-attachment while feeling the many ebbs and flows of life and who better than the Lunar goddess granting you Her power of change, bliss, and cooling your senses so you absorb the juice (rasa) and bliss of life. In the Shiva Samhita, the Moon is known as the fluid of immortality that flows in the Ida Nadi and also represents the Bindu sitting in the Sahasrara chakra which drips nectar of life when awakened (during ejaculation for men and during menstruation for women).
The poses in the Chandra Namaskara require the loosening of the muscles, tension, and trauma held in the body. The Sadhana of the Moon is to make you feel cool, similar to being in the lap of the divine mother, which is why this practice is essential for the occult as well due to the body acting out the cycles of the moon and understanding the importance of rest, rejuvenation and in submission to our inner Shakti, we truly become Shiva.
Uncovering the meaning of the poses
Navratri is the auspicious festival of the 9 nights where the queen of heaven reveals Herself and spreads Her splendour as the goddess Ratri showing Her many forms that pervade the cosmos making us realize that She is the cosmos and there's nobody but Her. Chandra Namaskar is a very deeply significant Sadhana of the goddess and each pose has its form of Durga and the completion of the practice causes the Goddess Siddhidatri to bless you with perfection in your knowledge and search for Truth (which is realizing your Shiva tattva).
Anjali Mudra: We begin standing straight (Tadasana/Mountain pose to represent Shakti's birth as the daughter of Mountains/Himalaya) in the salutation pose, opening up to the lunar energy as we do while praying. The goddess associated with this pose is Shailaputri.
Indudalasana: This pose means fragmentation of the moon, in the very beginning the dual nature of the Lunar goddess is addressed through this pose. She is the Shukla paksh and the Krishna paksh. The goddess associated with this pose is Brahmacharini as She is still in separation from Shiva, unaware of Her divine nature.
Devyasana: The goddess pose shows Her in the position of birthing, Her fertile nature is celebrated through this asana. Women benefit from this asana as it stretches the hips and releases trauma stored within them. This is an asana one can practice regardless of doing the entire Chandra Namaskar practice. The goddess associated with this pose is Chandraghanta who is Shakti's fierce form when She is going to marry Shiva.
Trikonasana: The triangle pose is the symbol of the yoni that has three parts: iccha (desire), jnana (knowledge), and kriya (action) which represents the entire creation process as it is through the Mahadevi's desire for knowing Herself, She takes the action of creating the vast cosmos. The goddess associated with this pose is Kushmanda Mata where Shakti creates the universe with a smile.
Parsvottanasana: The pyramid pose represents the death aspect of the life cycle, it is the first pose in the practice that requires the head to be looking towards the floor, representing how at the end of the day we all do submit to death, which is just a part of the life cycle. This pose is associated with the Kalaratri form of the Devi where She is the darkness, destruction, and the very void from which creation appears, all through Her desire and grace.
Anjaniyasana: The crescent moon pose is related to the mother of Lord Hanuman, Anjani as She gave birth to the very epitome of devotion, and when the Anjaniyasana is performed on both sides of the Chandra Namaskar practice, it represents having devotion towards the divine mother in Her waning and waxing phases. As the consort of Vayu (the wind deity), the divine mother's fluidity is praised here, similar to Indudalasana. This asana is associated with the Goddess Kathyayini (Venus) due to it being fluid, creative, and a representation of Shiva's love for his Shakti without whom he would be Shava (corpse) for She is the tattwa or essence of his existence.
Skandaasana: Skandaasna is the half squat that represents the divine mother in Her warrior position when She is ready to attack those who harm Her children. Skanda/Karthikeya is the first child of Shiva-Shakti and he is most protected and loved. This asana is associated with the goddess Skandamata as strengthening the core and the lower extremities (Manipurna and Muladhara chakra) increases our desire to destroy whatever harms the innocent.
Malasana: The mediating garland pose is the spiritual marriage between Shiva and Shakti and their understanding of the universe that they can potentially create. This garland is the garland of the 52 letters of the Sanskrit language which encompasses all the sounds and all the knowledge within it relating it to the Svadhistana chakra (Self-establishment). The goddess associated with this asana is Mahagauri which means 'great brilliance' as She plays all the roles in Her own story for Her desire and finally revels in Her joy (svatmarama).
Here is a link to the Chandra Namaskar practice for those who want to try it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-QxVypp86U&ab_channel=MindBodySoul
मेधासि देवि विदिताखिलशास्त्रसारा दुर्गासि दुर्गभवसागरनौरसङ्गा ।
श्रीः कैटभारिहृदयैककृताधिवासा गौरि त्वमेव शशिमौलिकृतप्रतिष्ठा I
Devi is the intelligence by which the essence of all the scriptures are comprehended: O Devi you are the intelligence (Medha) by which the essence of all the scriptures (sastras) are comprehended, you are Durga which is the boat that carries one beyond the difficult ocean of worldly attachments to the ever detached state (Of bliss-consciousness), you are Sri, who alone made her abode in the heart of the enemy of Kaitabha (i.e. lord Vishnu), and you indeed are Gauri, who made her abode in the lord with moon on his head i.e. lord Shiva as Ardhanareeswara.
-Shakradaya Stuti, Shri Durga Saptashati
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