For the Love of Yoga with Nish the Fish

Dive into an exploration of Ramakrishna's teachings on love as the essence of life. Discover how love transcends mere liberation and fosters heroism. Nishanth shares insights on embracing the world joyfully, viewing it as God's manifestation. He provocatively contrasts compassion with a profound devotional love, advocating a life sparked by playfulness. The discussion ranges from a whimsical theology of a free Divine to the enriching experience of suffering. Join in for a vibrant theological journey that celebrates love and life in all its forms!

Spiritual life is unbelievably simple. It is essentially all about single-pointed, sincere, intense love for God, by whatever name you want to call Her! It's about obsessions and absorption, about losing yourself in love for that which is most love-able, Love Itself. It's all about just choosing one Ideal and like a moth into flame, plunging recklessly into it! It should be fun! It should always be fun. It's the most fun! But, part of the fun is that we tend to make things very complicated for ourselves! Especially given how maximalist the Tāntrik tradition can be with all of its concepts, tools and techniques, we tend to ask somewhat unimportant questions and focus on peripheral, non-essential, and often unhelpful priorities. There is a great temptation and proclivity in Tantra to overcomplicate. As such, the so-called left hand path of Tantra (Kaulamārga, Vāmācāra etc.) has always emphasized intensity and sincerity over rules and purity, force and feeling over form and finesseecstasy of feeling over technicality and thought! Let's fucking lose our heads and go crazy for Mā already! What the fuck are you waiting for? The world is mad! Let the dead bury their dead. Fuck 'em. Lets go dance mad with joy in the smaśāna with our friends, the ghosts and drink deep the liquor of devotion! Here are the 3 simple, direct, no-nonsense, single-syllable mantras to do just that! ^ Jai fucking Mā! Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

These past few weeks, we've been discussing some slightly more esoteric ideas including the ethos and strategy around Vāmācāra, the often misunderstood and misrepresented "left-hand path" of Tantra. Since it's the Gregorian new year, and since we're just about to roll out some Vāmācāra stuff in both practice and theory, in the light of Śrī Ramakrishna I thought it'd be good to start with this discussion from the Kāmakalā Vilāsa, an important Sri Vidya text in which we learn the bīja mantra which is, arguably, the foundational bīja for all śakti vidyās. We both present the bija as well as some exegesis on how it represents the entire universe, which is entirely reflected non-differently in the mirror of Consciousness, which is my very own Self, all for the sake of play. You'll find all of our other lectures on Vāmācāra here, in this rapidly growing playlist! Happy Gregorian New Year! May every moment be new for you!Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

A deep dive into Shodashī, Sarada Devi and their links to Kali and Kaula tantric practice. Guided visualization of Holy Mother and exploration of mantra, bijas and secrecy in tantric sadhana. Discussions of Sri Ramakrishna’s ecstatic practices, Holy Mother’s surprising authority and inclusive diksha styles. Reflections on vamācāra themes like the sacred feminine, interiority, and transforming everyday acts into worship.

A clear run through what Vāmācāra and Kaulācāra really refer to, beyond sensational myths. Discussions cover ritual uses of meat, wine, and fluids as symbolic practice. The talk explores bhāva, the pulse of spanda, and how perception shapes consciousness. It maps inward and outward paths via the Śrī Chakra and frames Vāmācāra as an integrated, devotional way of engaging life.

A deep dive into tantric meditation practices and the aesthetic symbols used in visualization. A line-by-line reading of a dhyāna-mantra that unpacks esoteric images like heart-lotus dhyāna, half-clad/half-haired symbolism, and mudras. Reflections on ritual timing, music, and set-and-setting for entering the imaginal mind, plus links between the Divine Mother, Ramakrishna, and Sri Vidya elements.

A vivid exploration of Kali pūjā rituals, from pot-based womb symbolism to the use of yantra, mantra, and voice. Heunpacks sacrificial imagery: animal bali, the sword, and the three-stage killing of beast, ego, and deity. Stories of Sri Ramakrishna and Totapuri illustrate the confrontation between devotional possession and formless knowing. The talk traces ritual immersion, purification mantras, and the fierce cost of full surrender.

On the 8th day of the waning moon in the Vedic calendar month of Mrgaśirsha, we celebrate the birth anniversary of Holy Mother Sārada Devī. This an exceedingly auspicious a day for our lineage especially if not also for all worshippers of the Divine Mother everywhere in every lineage. It is a special day for everyone, actually, because today, we celebrate the "avatarahood" of the Divine Mother Herself! In 2023, we gave the talk The Tantra of Holy Mother Sarada Devi exploring Holy Mother's central teaching, "don't find fault with others/no one is a stranger to you/the world is your very own": we tried our best there to point out the non-dual teaching embedded in this seemingly innocuous, but actually theologically dense, teaching. Then, we asked Who is Holy Mother Sārada Devī? in 2024. With the disclaimer that स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः, "even the gods do not understand her true nature", we tried to sketch out a brief biography of this mysterious avatāra of Mā. Also, I thought it would be helpful to contemplate Holy Mother both as the ideal student as well as the Guru in Sārada Devī as Tantrik Guru. In this talk we encounter her emphasis on japa, that is, the recitation of the holy name as the centerpiece of spiritual practice. This year, I thought we'd do something a little more esoteric: let's explore the link between Holy Mother and various forms of the Tāntrik Goddess, with a special emphasis on the red-hued Jaggadhātī (who is very likely Holy Mother's ishta besides Ramakrishna and certainly her kula-devī, family deity) and the red-hued Lalitā Mahātripurasundarī (or Ṣoḍaśī).We also make a few etymological claims also about Her name and about Sāradā as the patron deity of Kashmir and also Adi Shankara's Śrī Vidyā stronghold in the south: Sringeri Math. You'll find all of our talks on Holy Mother all in one place here. Today is also the Feast Day of the Lady of Guadalupe! Last year, we gave a lecture called Kālī = The Lady of Guadalupecomparing the two! It is to this day one of my favorite talks ever! But ultimately, what can we say about She who becomes the very words we use to praise Her? Who can praise Her here? By Her power Brahma, Vishnu and I have taken our embodied forms! Who then can truly praise You, You who are prior to all of us? And yet, futile though it may be, here is our attempt to try to fit the ocean of your limitless Being into the teacup of our limited understanding! May all these clumsy words be like so many hibiscus flowers placed one by one at Your lotus feet in worship! Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

I'm just so thrilled about all the new Kālī content we've been putting out this past month, in the days leading up to Śyåma Kālī Pūjā, and the weeks after: First, in How To Get Possesed By Kālī we carefully explained what it is to be a paśu or anu, a discreet unit of consciousness (i.e an embodied soul or jīva) and then carefully pointed out why the ānavopaya is so suited for most of us, despite our pretense at high-flying non-dual philosophies! The ānavopaya assumes duality, individuality and the separate, external existence of God that can be invoked, evoked and experienced in the vigraha (image). We discussed how the goal of ānavopaya is a kind of immersion in the Goddess through worship and other techniques that can very well be understood as a kind of "possession" (aveśa) experience. Then, having explained all of that, we presented you with How To Get Started With Kālī Worship and also Who Is Kali? | & A Ritual to Invoke Her to kickstart your practice and for more seasoned practitioners, we even went over a A Left Hand Path Ritual for Kālī having given some nuance and context for it in Introducing The Left Hand Worship of KālīAnd for whatever reason if you're somehow not convinced about the power and importance of ritual worship in your spiritual life (because you're attached to some notion of non-duality or something, for instance), we make a case for it in The Essence of Tantra | & Why You Should Learn Pūjā. I think it's neat also that you can watch a demo of the whole pūjā (in an albeit abbreviated form) in Śyāmā Kālī Pūjā 2025. Of course, lectures like How To Say Grounded & Reasonable In Kālī Pūjā and The Two Extremes of Kālī Worshipadd further theoretical nuance to the very practice-oriented, anavopaya-esque discussions aforementioned and I am particularly fond of this year's Hallowe'en special Vampires, Kali and Christ | A Hallowe'en Special which was about yoginīs and what not but also touched upon some pretty deep themes regarding free will vs determinism ("my" will vs. "God's" will that is and if they can even be distinguished!).Anyway, in this class, I point out some distinctive features in Kālī pūjā like the ghost worship, jackal worship, cremation ground sacrifices, the transgressive offerings and animal/human sacrifice that give this pūjā and the Deity to whom it is offered its unique flavor! Jai Śrī Rādha-Rānī Ki Jai!Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

We gave this talk around the time of the Śyāmā Kālī Pūjā last month and now here is the recording as a present to celebrate this Scorpio New Moon! May it be an offering to each of you who are each living incarnations of the Goddess we worship! You'll find all our classes on Kālī pūjā guiding you in a step by step, mantra by mantra ritual here. Jai Mā!Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM