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Wednesday, March 02, 2011

let the shivaratri celebration begin!

all over the world, the coming new moon will usher in shivaratri, the great night of shiva.

for those who are unfamiliar with this annual celebration, i thought this was the perfect explanation, courtesy of the astroved.com website:

Maha Shivaratri means "The Great Night of Siva". The night of Shiva falls on the eve of the New Moon. The night is symbolic of a condition prior to creation and refers to the chaos that existed before light. But this chaotic darkness is not a negative condition. It is pure consciousness without the pollution of knowledge. In the Buddha's terminology it is the Emptiness of Nirvana.

Every year during The Great Night of Shiva, Lord Shiva incarnates in the form of the Shiva Lingam. Maha Shivaratri is the prime time for every soul to get into the primordial consciousness of non-existence or Nirvana. One is required to keep vigil during the night in order to receive Shiva's grace and assistance.

As you keep vigil this night, you become aware of your life and karma. It is a great opportunity to connect with the divine formless form of Lord Shiva, the Lingam, who symbolizes 'all-auspiciousness', and to invite these energies in your life. In essence, Maha Shivaratri signifies the transition from the darkness of gloom and ignorance to the dawn of divine joy and knowledge.



here in LA, there will be many events that will focus on shivaratri itself. and because anything that gets the yoga community together is a celebration in and of itself, i'm going to go ahead and list those, too:

Wednesday, March 2nd 7:30pm
Maha Shivaratri, a Celebration of Oneness
Art of Living Los Angeles Center
948 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles
Cost: FREE!


Join us for an evening of Kirtan, Meditation and Knowledge, delicious food and celebration!
Everyone is welcome to be a part of this very special night.


Wednesday, March 2nd 7:30pm
Snatam Kaur & Guruganesha Live!!
Wilshire Ebell Theater
4401 W 8th St, Los Angeles
Cost: $35-$55 (Click here to buy tickets online - enter code AYOGIST5OFF to get $5 off!)


Concert, chantfest, musical group meditation, a yoga class in melody . . . how best to describe a live performance by Snatam Kaur and her band? It’s all of these things and more. Crystalline and radiant, Snatam’s voice is redolent of the simple yet powerful truth of the heart.

Snatam’s divinely melodic songs based on traditional Sikh mantras are augmented by simple, heartfelt English verses that express the meanings these sacred syllables hold and help the audience forge their own emotional connection. Snatam is ably supported by devotional music stalwart GuruGanesha Singh, who handles the guitar with effortless grace, slipping easily between chordal rhythms and mellifluous leads.


Thursday, March 3rd 7:00pm
SPRING ALIVE with Spring Groove
Santa Monica Playhouse & Group Theatre
1211 4th St, Santa Monica
Cost: $10


TOURING THE HEART AND MIND

Show begins 8:00pm
Pre-Reception 7:00pm

With:
Dave Allen
Joni Allen
Mark Gorman
Jason Paige
Michelle Pereira
Deepak Ramapriyan
Eddie Young

(Due to an overwhelming response we are currently overbooked for the SPRING ALIVE show THURSDAY MARCH 3rd. We would like to strongly encourage you come to our pre-reception at 7pm since we will be forced to distribute tickets on a first come first serve basis. Also we are shooting to have an invited run thru rehearsal of the show Weds. March 2nd at 4pm. If this time/date would also work for you as another option kindly let us know asap. and we will contact you. This might help better facilitate an opportunity for all who want to attend.)


Thursday, March 3rd 9:00pm
Mahasivaratri Festival
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
13325 Beach Ave, Marina del Rey
Cost: FREE


All are invited to celebrate Sivaratri, the Night of Siva, one of the most auspicious events of the year in the Hindu calendar.

It is said that Lord Siva protects the world throughout the year but this is his one night to rest. It is our duty to watch over the world for him. This all night vigil with continuous chanting of the names of Siva, Lord of Yogis, will tune your mind to the highest spiritual vibrations.

Festivities and Chanting starts at 9:00pm. Stay for the first puja (devotional worship), which begins at 10:00pm or all through the night.

Offerings of fruits, sweets and flowers are welcome. The festival of Sivaratri will end with a feast at dawn.


Friday, March 4th 8:00-10:00pm
Ananda Kirtan + Maha Shivaratri Celebration with Saul David Raye
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement
245 S Main St, Venice
Cost: $15 in advance; $20 day of


Come together as one and join in celebration during this auspicious time.

With Saul David Raye and special guest musicians: Deepak Ramapriyan, David Watts, Christo Pellani, Marla Leigh, Frank Fitzpatrick and Marti Walker

We live in a powerful time in our earths history. Ancient wisdom teachings have long recognized that life is a circle, inter-conneted, that all of life is sacred. Each one of us, is an important center point within this circle, as we awaken and raise our consciousness we reflect that energy back to the whole. This high energy, ecstatic evening will be a joining of the sacred circle through the power of sacred music, chanting, meditation and heart wisdom teachings. Singing and Dancing have long been sacred healing practices to awaken the life force, connect us to Spirit and embody an ecstatic connection to the Divine force that sustains all life. Join us for this wonderful celebration of life.


Friday, March 4th 8:15-11:30pm
Group Howl at the Moon! ~ SHIVARATRI
Aanand Saagar
606 Venice Blvd #H, Venice
Cost: By donation

ॐ Shiva, the transformative force of the Universe, powers the dance of creation. ॐ

ॐ Come out and celebrate Shivaratri... lead a chant (to Shiva or to anyone you wish), play an instrument, or just kick back and soak up the vibe... everyone is welcome to participate ॐ

ॐ hot chai, great sound system, free parking, no donations or money exchanged. The only currency is what you bring to the Table... ॐ


Saturday, March 5th 6:00-11:30pm
Maha Shivaratri Pre-Bhakti Fest Party
Art of Living Center
948 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles
Cost: $20 pre-sale, $25 at door (Pre-sale tickets available at http://www.prebhaktifest.com/)


Sacred mantras in a sacred space. Immerse yourself in the joy of kirtan in a majestic santuary filled with the shakti of 100 years of prayer and chanting.

FEATURED RECORDING ARTISTS: DONNA DE LORY, JOEY LUGASSY, AND BREATH OF LIFE TRIBE


Saturday, March 5th 7:00-9:00pm
Art of Living Kirtan & Meditation
Yoga Desa
120 N Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga
Cost: By donation


Art of Living teachers Michele Krolik and Andrew Behla offer a monthly kirtan. Singing traditional sanskrit mantras have a profound effect on the environment and consciousness, helping to quiet the mind and open the heart. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to participate with a beginner’s mind.


Saturday, March 5th 8:30-11:30pm
Maha Shiva Ratri Kirtan Celebration with Govindas & Radha and Special Guests
Bhakti Yoga Shala
207 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica
Cost: By donation


With:
Govindas and Radha
Andres Salcedo
Sita Devi
Ashley Wynn & Lisa Florine
Kalidas
+ other Special Guests

Shiva Ratri is the night dedicated to honoring Lord Shiva, commonly described as "Lord of the Yogis". All over the world Shiva Ratri is celebrated with much of zeal and enthusiasm. Shiva Ratri literally means ' the night consecrated to Shiva'. On this auspicious nite, we will only chant mantras dedicated to Lord Shiva ...
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!