Nitya Devi worship is associated with the phases of the Moon and is one of the vital aspects of Devi Sadhana. Nitya is permanence, and permanence is associated with stability. In astrology too, the 2nd, 6th and 10th houses are associated with stability, regularity, and work. The role of a nitya sadhana, is to bring stability to our mind so that we can lead a more meaningful existence.
While most of us start our lives with dreams to reach higher destinations in life, somewhere in the midst of the daily hustle and bustle, we lose track and eventually end up lost. At times, the enormity of our life situation overwhelms us and even though we genuinely do want to align our lives, we do not know where to start! At such times, by following a few very nitya sadhanas or daily rituals, helps bring life back on track and steer ourselves in the desired direction. Each day of life is filled with beauty, and when there is a sadhana attached to our day, we find ourselves in a stable state of mind, which in turn helps us to discover more growth opportunities, pursue goals with enthusiasm and focus better.
If you are not initiated into a traditional sadhana, and yet want to make a difference to your life through a nitya sadhana, you can start by following these two rituals. These rituals are simple, easy to follow and do not consume much energy and time, yet when done regularly, impart lasting benefits.
The two rituals that you need to include in your daily life are bowing to the rising Sun early in the morning and bowing to the Moon at bedtime.
Sun signifies your soul and when you bow to the rising Sun, you connect your inner self with your higher universal Self and in making this connection, you replenish your energy. As soon as you wake up, refresh yourself and then for a few minutes stand in front of the rising Sun, spending some time gazing at it. You have to be very mindful that you are looking at the rising Sun and not the Sun that is already high up in the sky, or else, it will end up damaging your eyesight! In case you are not an early riser, then you can do the same ritual in a slightly different way; you may bow to the morning Sun and stand with your eyes closed, feeling its rays on your body and being.
Whether you gaze at the Sun or you feel it’s gentle warmth on your being, in both the cases, mentally visualize yourself being energised. Visualise that in the presence of the Sun, your inner impurities getting cleared and you being recharged; feel your energy levels rise and your inner self replenished. Spend a few minutes doing so, and once you feel energised, mentally make a sankalp or a resolution for your day. This sankalp has to be associated with things/events that are important for you, or you want to achieve, or complete successfully during your day. It can be an important meeting that you have to attend, or it can be a task you want to complete or it can even be an important phone call that you want to successfully make. Making a sankalp in front of the rising Sun, will give you the energy to manifest it too. This entire activity will not take more than 10 minutes of your morning, but it will give you confidence to deal with your day successfully and when this ritual is done daily, it will empower you to transform your life.
The second ritual has to be done at night. Before you end your day, you need to bow to the Moon and spend some time sitting in the moonlight contemplating. Contemplate on how you dealt with your day – whether you were able to succeed in your ‘sankalp’ that you made in the morning. If yes, what should be the next step ahead and if no, what are the changes you need to make. Especially contemplate on the way that you processed your emotions during the day; think about your reactions and responses, cross-checking all those moments, where your reactions were in excess or in lack; all the moments, where you overreacted or you showed unnecessary restraint. And after a thorough self check of yourself in context of the day, promise yourself to make the needed changes in your approach, so that you can better yourself with time.
Unlike the sun, which is always visible in the morning, it is possible that the moon may not be visible at the end of the day from your location and in that case, gazing at the stars or just the vast expanse of the sky is also good enough.
While the Sun is associated with our soul, the moon is associated with our emotions and this daily ritual gives us a chance to deeply connect with our inner core, improve our lives and emotionally balance ourselves. This simple act of reverence towards the Sun and the Moon on a daily basis will slowly start to make its impact on your being and with time, will help you build confidence, stabilize emotions and gradually transform your life.
