Special practices for Spirit Adoration?

[Matrozs]

Hi,

I was wondering if special practices can help with pre-invocation , or just Spirit Adoration in general.
For example , making more time for one's daily yoga practice and performing asanas and pranayam before The Adoration of a Hindu Diety. Or doing the same with qigong , more precisely tai chi , when trying to attain the favour of a Taoist Deity.

Thanks.

[RockDemon]

You know I don't have much experience so do not my answer as a 'right' answer, but I think the answer is - yes, definitely.

[Matrozs]

Thanks Rockdemon. I was hoping someone would have some valuabe experiences , but nobody seems interested in sharing [crymore]

[Matrozs]

As a bump and to clear things out ,
I am aware of bhakti yoga and it's deity specific variants . I was asking if doing normal yoga can alone get you favored by some deities . Don't tell me nobody has experience in this ... [crymore]

[WillowDarkWytch]

Motumbá Àse

I am a Candomblé initiate and a medium of Umbanda. For us, specially in Candomblé, to proper worship you NEED to be initiated, or the deities actually "won't listen". I don't fully agree with that but I do think that you have "limit" of what you can reach without proper inititation into the cult, there are certain things you won't be able to do without it. I mean, you can worship and maybe get some favours if the deity likes you, but do "work" or "spells" or any ritual work with them is out of bounderies and the deity won't do anything, you get me?

I do believe that is pretty much the same with any deity of any cult. BUT, in the light of knowledge and experience, I could say that some patheons or some deities maybe reached through those means.

I have a friend devout to Lord Ganesh, and he's a Kundalini Yoga practitioner. He developed his own his relationship with Lord Ganesh through meditation and Yoga and actually have some great "results" out of it. And then again, is a devotional relationship and any work that might be considered "magical" through Lord Ganesh (my friend is a witch too) he achieves it through propper mudras, asanas and the right mantra (he DOES studies mudras, asanas and mantras, its meanings and applications). Hindue deities are different that those from Africa, though.

I used to work with Hekate. There you have another type of deity that works differently. Not too much of the "physical" strength that She has, but the "unlocking" She does it's wonderful. She is a very heavy spirit and very different to other greek deities and that's because She's not a goddess. You can reach Her through offerings typical to Her (except for the animal parts, unless you'll get them in the butcher store, which won't have real "energetic" qualities it needs) and She can be reached for magical work, then again, through worship and "empowering" rites.

I think you should do a reasearch on the spirit/deity and see if you can or cannot work with them. I hardly recomend do anything african without the basic orientation from a priest/ess. Hindue deities can be worked just by your devotion.

I hope I've been explanatory and have cleared some doubts if any

Saravá
Idansinají

[Matrozs]

What I understand from your post is that your friend has been using bhakti yoga to form a relationship with Ganesha , which loosely answers my question as ''maybe''.
I do not see myself working with African dieties , mainly because of the fact that I do not know much about them and becuase there are many other dieties I could more easily work with.
As far as I know Hecate usually does not let her devotees alienate from her and seek other spirits , how did you manage that?
Quite the informative post Thank you.

[the_spiral]

I am aware of bhakti yoga and it's deity specific variants . I was asking if doing normal yoga can alone get you favored by some deities . Don't tell me nobody has experience in this ... [crymore]

Yes, doing "normal" yoga alone (and I assume you're referring to the eight limbs?) helps with devotions. The practices of asana, pranayama, pratyahara etc. help to align your physical, mental, astral and spiritual bodies and cleanse your nadis (energetic channels) to facilitate a closer connection with Divinity. You purify and transform your entire Being over time through practice. So it's not that the deities favor you for doing them, but that your senses (both physical and subtle) are clearer to communicate with them better.

And initiation is not necessary to practice yoga or make puja to Hindu deities, only to teach. Some deities (like Ganesha, Hanuman and Maa Kali) seem happy to take non-Hindu devotees and others not so much. But I still recommend training and initiation at some point since it gives you a good foundation for "correct" practice. Asana and pranayama especially can be difficult without guidance.

[Matrozs]

Spiral , yes by ''normal'' yoga I do mean the 8 branches as described by Patanjali and I take your post as a yes to my question .

I again reformulate my question , in hopes that this time it will make more sense : '' Because you practice yoga , are the Hindu dieties liking you more ?

Edit: I did not see your last paragraph ... Thanks .

[Matrozs]

I also no longer do my sadhana (for a couple of months now) , partly because of it's interference with my other practices and partly because lack of time and will . But now that I came back I will need to formulate a new training regimen also, as I am in the process of reforming my life . Not as drasticly as it sounds like , but it will (and already has made ) make an impact.