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Anusara Invocation

The Anusara Invocation is more than just words; it's a sacred mantra that sets the tone for your practice, inviting divine energy to guide and support you on your journey. Rooted in ancient yogic tradition, the Invocation is a powerful tool for connecting with the higher self and tapping into the universal flow of grace.
Recited at the beginning of each Anusara Yoga class, the Invocation serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all beings and the boundless love and wisdom that resides within each of us.  
The act of chanting together at the beginning of class creates a harmony that celebrates the beauty of community and offers a centering in the heart. The invocation is one way we Open to Grace.
We have gathered an in-depth collection of free resources for you to learn more about the Anusara Invocation.
Explore Anusara's Invocation. Learn more about the words and translations, watch videos of the sung invocation, and see sheet music if you are interested in playing the Anusara invocation on a musical instrument.

Discover more about Anusara's invocation by reading our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).

Word by Word Translation of Anusara Invocation

Enjoy a fuller review of the Sanskrit words used in the Anusara invocation and understand what each word means. The Anusara Invocation also connects to the Methodology of our global yoga school.

  • A sacred syllable symbolizing the Absolute, the Universal Energy that lives in all of us. Om represents the “soundless sound,” the eternal vibration of life essence. 

    As science has discovered, there is a constant subtle hum to the universe. Yogis know that we are all connected by these harmonics of being.

    Om is the vibration that the universe is making at its most subtle and sublime level. Through this awareness, the yogin (practitioner of yoga)
    sees the Self in all things.

  • Namah means to honor or to bow with respect. Shiva translates literally as “auspicious,” “good,” or “benevolent.”

    Namah Shivaya is know as a maha mantra, or great mantra ,and has been chanted for hundreds of years.  The chant says, “I recognize that the ground of being is goodness, and I honor this goodness in myself and in all beings.”

  • Gu means “darkness,” and ru means “remover,” or “destroyer.”

    Gurave means to bow to the teacher, especially the teacher within.

    In the outer world, the guru is the energy that you can listen to as a teacher. The guru can be your partner, your children, your dog, or even a place in nature that speaks to you.

  • Literally, these three words from Sanskrit mean


    • Being (sat)
    • Consciousness (chit)
    • Bliss (ananda).


    This phrase - satchitananda - refers to the experience of unconditional or non-referential awareness experiencing itself in form as bliss, joy or ease of being.


    The phrase describes a moment of awareness resting in its true nature, like a drop of ocean water being absorbed into the peace of the ocean.

  • Murtaye literally means “image,” or “form.”  The word refers to images that invoke the qualities of expansion, peace, and balance.

    Murtaye can apply to literal images of Krishna, Jesus, Buddha, etc. or to inner visualizations such as the many visualization practices in Tibetan Buddhism.  The word also refers to the inner image one creates of oneself.

  • A power of Grace that is never absent. This word refers to a current or river of life energy, prana, or life force, that always runs through our lives.

    By aligning more and more with this current, we may create transformation and balance in the current of energy through our own bodies and spirits.

  • The Sanskrit word Shanti means “peace” and refers to a balance of mind. When the mind is poised delicately and intentionally between the past and the future, awareness can rest in its true nature, which is an expansive state of non-referential peacefulness.

  • A quality of light or illumination that exists eternally and is independent in its existence.  Spiritual traditions worldwide reference light as a symbol of the expanded Self and/or Divine.
    Luminosity is an attribute of the life force (prana) and is an agent of transformation.

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Translations of the Anusara Invocation

This literal translation comes directly from the Anusara Teacher Training Manual used globally in our teacher training programs. This translation provides a bit more depth to each section of the Sanskrit stanzas.

Om

Namah Shivaya Gurave
I offer myself to the Light, the Auspicious One,
who is the True Teacher within and without,

Saccidananda Murtaye
Who assumes the forms of Reality,
Consciousness, and Bliss,

Nisprapancaya Shantaya
Who is never absent and is full of peace,

Niralambaya Tejase
Ultimately free and sparkles with a Divine luster.

Om

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