YOGA MEDITATION
Puja
What is puja? Puja (pronounced pooja) comes from the Sanskrit meaning reverence, honor, adoration and worship. It is used to describe an act of worship involving a ritual or ceremony. Puja can be relatively simple and offered daily at home or more involved, at a temple, where the ceremony is usually performed by a priest.
She adds, “We are not just working on the your body and mind, we are working on the your heart. The candles, bells, flowers, chants, ceremonies, fragrances evoke a mood, create a heart opening.”
And she continues, “It is not a religion, but we use some of the same tools in the same way… way...because you must have access to the experience.”
Instructions for a Home Puja Practice
B: The following steps to a home practice are excerpted from Maria Sichel’s article “Puja Part Four: How to Puja” based on her conversation with Swami Nirmalananda.
Ingredients for a Simple Puja Using an Arati Plate
Metal tray — Traditionally stainless steel or silver, special plates can be purchased online or at an Indian grocery store. The plate used for arati is a new plate, dedicated to puja only. “It is a dedicated, sacred object,” says Swami Nirmalananda. “It can be a very personal offering to design your own arati plate. I have seen many with painted with designs around the edges using oil or acrylic paint.”
Turmeric — This brilliant gold spice is the grated root of a plant. The color of sunlight, t honors the goddess Lakshmi.
Kumkum — This paste is turmeric which has been processed so it turns red. It honors the goddess Durga and is the color of life, like the color of blood. Kumkum is also used to make the bindu, the red dot on your forehead between your eyes.
How to Assemble the Arati Tray
Gather your ingredients. Place your tray on a table or counter to set it up. If it had a clock face on it, somewhere around the number 4, imagine a small circle. Place a small amount of turmeric in 1/3 of the circle (upper left), kumkum in 1/3 of the circle (upper right), and rice in 1/3 (bottom portion).
Place your candle or a ghee wick in the center. Affixing the candle with tape on the bottom helps to hold it securely in place. You can offset the candle from dead center if you need room for more flowers. Add your fresh flowers. Face the blossom away from you, stem side toward you. Finally, add the piece of personal jewelry, placing it around the 7 on your imagined clock face.
Light the candle or ghee wick. Swamiji says, “Your flame holds the whole light of consciousness and represents the way it brings life to you and to the universe.” Bhakta Johnson adds, “The light or candle represents the light of the soul and the lamp of devotion.”
Kneel, sit or stand to do your Arati depending on the height of your puja table. Place the tray on your hands with open palms. Do not use your thumbs to grip around the edges. Your hands are flat all the way underneath.
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