Every aspect of creation, every dev and danav resides within the human body, the body being much more than what we meet in the mirror. These aspects can be accessed through certain practices from Ashtang Yog and Sanatan Kriya.

If you ask a yogic practitioner about the body, he/she will describe certain channels and energy centers, and also specific forms and shapes associated with different parts of the body. If you happen to attend a vedic yagya, you will be able to see these forms and shapes in the agni. Or if you have the fortune of being in the presence of a Guru as he chants certain mantras, you will get the sakshat darshan of those forms in front of your eyes. Take for example, the form of Ganpati.

We all identify Ganesh as a deity with an elephant head and a round belly. Lord Ganesh is the energy closest to physical creation. In the human body, it corresponds roughly to the base of the spine, which is the location of mooladhar chakra, responsible for physical needs of a being. Mooladhar is the highest chakra in animals, the exit point from the yoni of an animal and the lowest in humans, the entry point. The journey of human beings begins at the mooladhar to culminate at the sahastrar, which is the exit from the human yoni into higher forms and lokas.

‘Gan’ means jan samooh (general people) and ‘esh’ means supreme or Lord. Lord Ganesha is the supreme deity of the normal man, the guardian of the spiritual world and the first energy to grant access to the higher dimensions, also known as the pratham pujya.  It is the first energy that a spiritual aspirant is given experience of as he/she embarks on the journey of spirit under the guidance of Guru. Just like it is futile to talk of god to a beggar, whose immediate concern is his next meal, it is of no use to talk of siddhis of yog to a normal person who is wanting growth in physical aspects – better job, better health, better relationships, etc.  Only once their stomach is full, will they think of taking the next step. Elephant-head symbolises supreme intelligence, the human body with a large belly symbolises a reservoir of energy stored in the manipoorak chakra at the navel. Ganesh is the child of Mahadev, the supreme purush, and Adi Shakti, the mother of the creation.  Riddhi (prosperity) and Siddhi (spiritual powers) are married to Ganpati, which indicates Ganpati is an energy which bestows spiritual as well as worldly boons, confirming the philosophy given in shastras, that attainment of worldly pleasures is essential for attainment of higher realms- moksha or liberation.

In Sanatan Kriya, the first sadhna given to a sadhak is Ganpati sadhna and Ganpati jaap, which opens the doorway to lokas beyond the bhu-loka, the physical dimension in creation. The jaap is received from your Guru, who channels the energy into mantra paving the route for its siddhi. Sadhaks at Dhyan Ashram who have been seriously practicing the various mantra siddhis, have had physical manifestations of the various gods. A sadhak is given a specific count of jaap to be completed in the stipulated time as well as jaap maala which is moved as one does the jaap daily. It is important to move the maala while chanting. When the maala moves, the shakti of mantra gets accumulated in the maala and its meru. The various tantric mantras have their prayog later in sadhna, you use them for a specific purpose and the use happens through the meru.

Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of bright phase of moon) in the month Bhadrapada. The day is of special significance for any spiritual aspirant, for it is the day when it is easiest to access the energy of Ganesh, with specific yogic sadhnas such as Sanatan Kriya, mantra jaap and yagya as prescribed by one’s Guru. You may contact Dhyan Foundation for the first-hand experience of the sanatan kriya and yagya, and their ability to manifest thoughts and desires.