Siddha Yoga is based on the philosophy of Yoga as propounded by ancient sage Matsyendra Nath and codified later by another sage Patanjali in a treatise titled 'Yoga Sutra' several thousand years ago. Mythology has it that Matsyendra Nath was the fist human to learn of Yoga from Lord Shiva, who is the embodiment of the eternal supreme consciousness, in the latter’s celestial abode in the Himalayas. The sage was asked to gift the knowledge of Yoga to mankind for its salvation. The knowledge and wisdom contained in Yoga was handed down from ages to ages in the time honored Guru-Shishya (master-disciple) tradition. Guru is therefore an institution in the Yoga tradition, which is central to the practice of Yoga.

Yoga is considered an integral tool of the vast body of Vedic (Hindu) literature that covers the whole gamut of Indian spirituality. The 'Yoga Sutra', containing just 195 aphorisms, lucidly elucidates the eight stages of the 'Ashtang' (eight-fold) Yoga, which a seeker passes through as he progresses along the spiritual path.

Yoga is immensely beneficial in curing bodily and mental diseases and restoring and harmonizing the psycho-physical balance in a human body. However, using it for this purpose alone is to leave out its sole aim — liberating the seeker from the bondage of Karmas (actions), which tie him down to the perennial cycle of life and death. For more details Click here .

Yogic philosophy recognizes the subtle link between the human body and the cosmic Supramental Consciousness, which is responsible for the body's very creation. A potent force lies dormant at the base of the spinal column in every human body. Because it is coiled around the base of the spinal column in three and a half spirals, the ancient sages called it ‘Kundalini’, the coiled one (like a snake). ‘Kundalini’ is considered the feminine divine, ‘Shakti’, which, according to Vedic scriptures, is the very cosmic energy force responsible for the manifestation of the physical/material world.

Since ‘Kundalini’ is the cosmic energy that originates from the Supramental Consciousness, it is an omniscient force, which enables the Yoga practitioner to realize his true self. Once this self-realization is achieved, the Yoga practitioner is led to Moksha, the final liberation from worldly existence and its attendant miseries.

There is a close link between ‘Kundalini’ and an intricate network of 72,000 ‘Nadis’, vein-like structures that exists in the whole of the human body. Three of these ‘Nadis’ are like arterial ways that spiral upwards from the base of the spinal column all the way to the roof the brain, called ‘Sahasrahara’. The middle artery, also considered the major pathway, is known as ‘Sushumana’. The other two arteries on either side of ‘Sushmana’ are called ‘Ida’ and ‘Pingala’. Six ‘Chakras’ and three ‘Granthis’ — consciousness centers or cosmic energy hubs are located vertically above one another at brief intervals in ‘Sushmana’.

This entire network of ‘Nadis’, ‘Chakras’ and ‘Granthis’ exists, in another dimension not known to science, in so subtle a form that no high-tech laboratory gadgets can ever detect its presence. However, when ‘Kundalini’ is awakened through chanting of divine mantra and meditation, it rises through ‘Sushmana’ to reach ‘Sahasrahara’, its final destination where it’s Master — ‘Param Shiva’ — the eternal supramental consciousness resides. As it spirals upwards through ‘Sushmana’, ‘Kundalini’ energizes the whole network of ‘Nadis’ and pierces the ‘Chakras’ one by one. The awakened ‘Kundalini’ gets connected directly to the Supramental Consciousness through the ‘Sushumana’ pathway. As a result of this, every pore and cell in the human body is purified and purged of its bodily and mental afflictions, making the Yoga practitioner energized and ready for the onward spiritual journey. The outward manifestations of this cleansing process are Yogic ‘Kriyas’ or involuntary body movements that occur during Siddha Yoga meditation. Swaying from side to side, rapid movement of the head, clapping and uncoordinated movement of hands are some of the most typical of these ‘Kriyas’.

To an untrained or uninitiated observer, these may look bizarre or even alarming. But they are neither abnormal nor do they cause any bodily harm. ‘Kundalini’, being an all-knowing energy force, is aware of which body part or organ is in acute need of healing or cleansing. So, the ‘Kundalini’ makes the practitioner perform ‘Kriyas’ that are specific to his needs. With this cleansing, the practitioner is cured of all kinds of chronic and even terminal diseases such as HIV, AIDS, cancer, arthritis etc., and genetic disorders like hemophilia, mental afflictions too are completely cured and stress is completely relieved.

Also, the piercing of different consciousness centers equips the practitioner with Siddhis (powers) such as increased intuition, the ability to see unlimited past and future and perceive the existence of worlds beyond the physical one that we live in. When the ‘Kundalini’ reaches ‘Sahasrahara’, the practitioner’s spiritual journey is complete as it is here that he realizes his true self. This realization releases him from the bondage of Karmas, which is the root cause of all human miseries. It is also here that the seeker realizes that he is himself the Brahman, the eternal Supramental Consciousness, the state which also known as Moksha.

The Vedic scriptures acknowledge the interplay of ‘Brahman’, the formless, limitless, eternal and never-changing Supramental Consciousness on one hand and its manifestation as the consciousness in the ever-changing material world. The consciousness in the material world, which impacts all animate and inanimate objects, is made up of a combination of three ‘Gunas’ (qualities) — ‘Sattva’ (lighted, pure, intelligent and positive), ‘Rajas’ (passionate and energetic) and ‘Tamas’ (negative, dark, dull and inert).

Sattva is the force of equilibrium. Sattva translates in quality as good and harmony, and happiness and light. Rajas is the force of kinesis. Rajas translates in quality as struggle and effort, passion and action. Tamas is the force of inconscience and intertia. Tamas translates in quality as obscurity, incapacity and inaction.

All the creatures, including humans, possess these Gunas. However, no existence is cast in the single mould of any of these three modes of the cosmic force. All the three qualities are present in everyone and everywhere. There is a constant combining and separating of the shifting relations of these qualities. They constantly struggle to influence or dominate each other. This is the reason why no person is consistently good or bad; intelligent or dull; active or lethargic.

When ‘Satvic’ quality in dominant in a person, it propels him toward seeking greater consciousness so that he could free himself from Karmic bondage and return to the Supramental Consciousness to which he originally belongs. Domination by either ‘Rajasic’ or ‘Tamasic’ quality leads the person onto an unending cycle of pleasure and pain and life and death. The practice of Siddha Yoga leads to the ascent of ‘Satvic’ qualities and eventual progress to Moksha, the final spiritual liberation.

Each person has certain tendencies, called Vrittis that guide his overall behavior. Tendencies are in turned influenced by the three gunas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Each of these Gunas can be elevated or suppressed through the practice of Yoga, according to The Geeta and ‘Yoga Sutras’ by ancient sage Patanjali. Lord Krishna tells his chosen disciple Arjuna in the epic Mahabharata that elevation of Sattva Guna and suppression of Rajas and Tamas Gunas through meditation can help the practitioner develop and strengthen Sattvic or pure tendencies while suppressing Rajasic and Tamsic tendencies so that he/she can gain lasting health and true higher knowledge and self-realization.

According to Vedic scriptures, only a Siddha Guru, an empowered spiritual master, with an altruistic aim can bring about a positive change in human Gunas and Vrittis by initiating a spiritual seeker into Yoga. Since Sattva is a force of equilibrium that ushers in true wisdom, its elevation on mass scale can transform the entire mankind by eliminating conflicts and discords, and bind the whole humanity together with peace and harmony.

This is the mission — spiritual transformation of mankind — that Guru Siyag has undertaken by promoting the practice of Siddha Yoga.

Guru Siyag has proclaimed, “I have set out alone to elevate the Sattva Guna in mankind and to destroy all its Tamsic tendencies completely. No single nation, religion, race or caste can claim a monopolistic right over me.”