Vedic Study Members Enter Above
Welcome Navratri 2024 Participants
Dear Seeker
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We are delighted to welcome you to our sacred space dedicated to Navaratri, the nine-night festival celebrating the Divine Feminine in her many forms. Navaratri, which means "nine nights," is a vibrant and spiritually significant festival that honors the goddess Durga and her various incarnations. This period is a time for deep reflection, devotion, and joyous celebration.
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During these nine nights, we embark on a transformative journey, invoking the divine energies of Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Each goddess represents unique aspects of the divine feminine and offers us blessings of strength, abundance, and wisdom.
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On this private page, you will find resources, guidance, and community support to enhance your Navaratri experience. We will share daily meditations, mantras, stories, and insights to help you immerse yourself in the profound wisdom and beauty of this festival.
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I’ve created a series of online opportunities to connect with me and dive deeper into this sacred time of Navratri. My co-host, Sadhvi Aparna, and I, along with special guests like Kirtan artist Wah and Nina Rao, will be offering live kirtan, satsangs, and spiritual guidance throughout this 9-day, 9-night festival. We’ll explore the hidden wisdom of the goddesses, engage in mantra chanting, and share sacred stories that can help you activate the divine feminine energy within you.
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This all begins on September 28, where you will meet Sadhvi Aparna, my Navratri co-host to start this beautiful journey. Many of your questions will be answered that day. If you can’t join live, don’t worry—a video will be posted right here so you won’t miss out on any of the wisdom or connection. More exciting events are planned as we dive deep into celebrating Navratri, a time to rejuvenate, uplift, and reclaim your spiritual power through the goddess.
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Navratri, the 9-day, 9-night Vedic goddess festival, is the perfect opportunity to rekindle your divine feminine power and immerse yourself in the essence of Shakti."When Maa Shakti is recalled in the mind, hidden spiritual vibrations become activated in the body-being, potentiating latent capacities to rise against challenges, unearth buried creativity, and unleash emotional resilience.
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Throughout Navratri, we’ll contemplate and connect with the nine forms of the Mother Goddess, Shakti—the all-pervading, supreme power. These nine forms, including Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati, each represent a unique aspect of the divine feminine, from power and courage to creativity and wisdom. Together, they embody Shakti, the nondual feminine force that enlivens the entire universe, both animate and inanimate.
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By connecting with Shakti through sacred stories, divine archetypes, ancient mantras, and focused intention, we evoke and activate her power within our hearts, bringing forth courage, resilience, and the creative force to meet life's challenges.
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May this Navaratri bring you closer to the divine within and around you. Let us celebrate these nine nights with devotion, joy, and an open heart.
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—Acharya Shunya
SCROLL BELOW FOR
Navratri Goddess Resources
Mark your Calendar: Sequence of Goddess Events
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Watch the Video Recording
Listen to the Audio Recordings
The Introductory Session on How to Celebrate Navratri is Now Complete
Click on the Link to watch the recording.
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A special Zoom session was conducted by Vedic Teacher Sadhvi Aparna Amy Lewis, on September 28 for participants. Watch the recording to discover the significance of the goddess Shakti and her various forms, and receive guidance on rituals, mantras, and meditations to deepen your connection with the divine energies. This session is designed to provide you with practical insights and practices in Navratri foods, lifestyle, worship (Puja) and altar setting-up tips to celebrate Navratri with devotion and grace. This recording shall help you embrace the blessings of the Goddess during this sacred festival.
Join Acharya Shunya for Navratri Celebrations: Channel the Goddess
We invite you to join Acharya Shunya from October 3rd to October 11th, daily from 12 to 12:30 PM PST, for a special Navratri celebration. Over these nine sacred days, Acharya Shunya will chant and share Goddess Katha (evoking legends) from the Devi Mahatmya, an ancient goddess scripture from the 5th-6th century BCE. This series is designed to inspire and help you channel and experience the divine grace of the Goddess. Immerse yourself in these powerful sessions and embrace the blessings of Navaratri. The same Zoom link will work onall afternoon sessions.
Watch the Video Recording
Join Us for a Concluding Celebratory Session with Acharya Shunya
We invite you to a special concluding session of our Navaratri celebration featuring Acharya Shunya, Sadhvi Aparna, and a renowned kirtan artist. This joyous event will include participant shares from around the world, a concluding satsang from Acharya Shunya, and live kirtan to uplift your spirit. Celebrate the culmination of Navratri with us, embracing the divine grace and community spirit. Join us for an inspiring and heartwarming finale to this sacred festival.
Exclusive Festival and Retreat Guide
Announcing the Festival and Retreat Guide, a comprehensive resource that carries explanations, point-by-point guidance, mantra explanations, and more. This guide is designed to be read before Navratri starts for a gentle assimilation and preparation. Immerse yourself in the sacred teachings and prepare for a spiritually enriching experience. Download your copy now and begin your journey towards a deeper connection with the Divine. Don't miss this essential guide to celebrate Navratri with full fervor and understanding.
Chant Selection
by Nina Rao
Renowned Kirtan Artist Nina Rao recorded an exclusive set of mantras in 2023 for Acharya Shunya led Navratri participants.
We proudly share them with you below.
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"Nina with Krishna Das
“From Deep in the Heart-Cave Nina calls us...Her chanting rich with timeless longing… calling us to live in the love that is our True Being.
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- Krishna Das
Kirtanwallah
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General Chants for Navratri
The Argala Stotram
Argala Stotram is a prayer on Goddess Durga. It is one of the important chants found in Devi Mahatmiyam in the Markandeya Purana, a composition of Markandeya Rishi. It is in praise of the Divine Mother, Goddess Durga as the Nourisher and Protector. It is a chant meant for everyone as each of us requires the Goddess to nourish and protect us throughout life. As a Mother figure, the Goddess grants all our wishes, be it material or spiritual.
Life often presents us with roadblocks, times when no matter how much effort we put into our goals—whether it's in our education, career, health, or financial well-being—something seems to hold us back. These obstacles can come from external circumstances, but just as often, they arise from within, shaped by our past experiences, mindset, or patterns of behavior. The Argala Stotram, a sacred chant rooted in ancient wisdom, is said to help us break through these barriers. It’s thought to work on multiple levels, helping to clear the way for progress, whether the challenges are external or internal.
At first, we may find it difficult to engage fully with the chant. Distractions from the outside world or our own inner resistance can get in the way. However, if we commit to practicing it with persistence—even just for one day—those initial barriers begin to fall away. Over time, the Argala Stotram becomes a tool for transformation, gradually helping us release what’s holding us back and guiding us through life’s challenges, one step at a time.
Note: We encourage you to prioritize your health and well-being throughout your spiritual journey and make informed choices regarding your diet and lifestyle. Please consult a healthcare professional or nutritionist if you have any doubts or concerns about the dietary changes you are considering.
By proceeding with the course of diet and lifestyle modifications, you agree to the terms and conditions outlined in this disclaimer.
Click here to read our full disclaimer.
Jai Maa Seekers of Mother's Grace:
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I, Acharya Shunya, along with my husband, Chef Sanjai, have lovingly curated a collection of recipes ideal for Navratri. These recipes are designed to promote sattva, enhancing your spiritual practice and well-being during this sacred period.
In the Vedic tradition, food is categorized into three types: sattva, rajas, and tamas.
Sattva: Foods that are pure, fresh, and naturally sourced. These foods promote clarity, calmness, and harmony in the body and mind. Examples include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
Rajas: Foods that are stimulating and energizing but can lead to restlessness and agitation if consumed excessively. These include spicy, salty, and oily foods.
Tamas: Foods that are heavy, stale, and processed, leading to lethargy, confusion, and imbalance. Examples include processed foods, fried foods, and leftovers.
Our recipes, some of which you can find demod below, focus on sattvic foods, which are perfect for Navratri, a time of spiritual renewal and purification.
If you would like to embrace a sattvic diet during Navratri and experience its transformative benefits, we invite you to download our special recipe collection. May these recipes nourish your body and soul, supporting your journey towards greater harmony and inner peace
With blessings,
Acharya Shunya ​
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Potato Chaat
Buttermilk Curry
Spiced Milk
Spring Quinoa
Tapioca Khichidi
Rose Sherbet
Opo Squash Stirfry
Breakfast Recipes
Navratri Lifestyle & Puja
The Navratri Lifestyle has many beautiful facets - which includes dressing in clothes that remind us of good Shakti, eating like a goddess, pampering ourselves like a goddess and offering worship to her, daily over the 9 days and nights, so we grow closer to her every day.
Goddess Puja is a beautiful, ritualistic expression of reverence—a way to connect deeply with the goddess using your speech (through mantras), body (by lighting a lamp or candle), and mind (by focusing your thoughts on the goddess of the day). It’s a meaningful and mindful time spent at your home altar, immersing yourself in the goddess’s presence.
Sadhvi Ishani is a lifelong student of Acharya Shunya,and a respected teacher in this lineage. Watch the video below to check out the goddess blessed lifestyle of Sadhvi Ishani's daughters and click on the link below to learn simple, easy ways to perform Puja daily. 🌸
