Navrātri – Day 2

The second day is also easy.

You still have the passion, the energy to go through the vrata. You will feel a slight change towards the worse starting tomorrow:)

Today is the second day of destruction. The body starts to realize that you are fasting, and slowly starts to dig into it’s reserves (polite word for excess fat). Mentally, you begin to realize that it was not just about missing food, but a lot of tendencies that you have acquired over the past few years, are now beginning to show.

The urge to check the phone, the urge to smoke or drink, to have tea or coffee…all these start showing from day 2. And these can be very strong urges, almost making you want to give it up and have “that one bit that will not really make a difference”…


An extract of something that I wrote about last year –

We have all heard about moha and māyā. These words have no equivalent in English. Moha can be translated into delusion, but the actual meaning is closer to “loss of consciousness”. What causes moha? That is māyā. The Devi Mahātmyam describes māyā as the divine power of self-concealment – what it conceals is the infinite, the Brahman, the true Self. 

You cannot look within, if you are bound by these tendencies. They keep you on the surface, and no matter how many hours you meditate, they just do not allow you to go within. The mind keeps going back to that email, that post, that cigarette, that cup of coffee – and oddly enough, it starts to speak to you and try to convince you to let go and indulge.

Such is the power of the mind – if only you can learn to channel it for positivity, rather than negativity…


This was my schedule at sunrise on Day 2:

  • Yogic warm up
  • Tadasana
  • Surya Namaskara
  • Trikonasana 
  • Virabhadrasana
  • Balasana
  • Balasana variation
  • Adho Mukha Shvanasana
  • Ujjayi pranayama
  • Dhyana

And here is my schedule at sunset:

  • Yogic warm up
  • Tadasana
  • Surya Namaskara
  • Virabhadrasana – 3-5 min hold
  • Balasana
  • Adho Mukha Shvanasana
  • Ujjayi pranayama

Here is the story of Madhu and Kaitabha. Take some time out to read it:)

Devi Mahātmayam – Day 2

ॐ देवी ब्रह्मचारिण्यै नमः॥

Om Devi Brahmacharinyai Namah॥

या देवी सर्वभू‍तेषु माँ ब्रह्मचारिणी रूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥

Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Maa Brahmacharini Rupena Samsthita। 
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥