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<\/a><\/p>\nWhen you visit our yoga studio in Vermont, you will see murtis<\/em>, statues of Hindu and Buddhist deities such as Ganesh, Shiva, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, and Hanuman. You can understand a deity at many levels. The easiest way to relate to them is as personal archetypes. The word archetype was coined by the Swiss psychotherapist, Carl Jung. An archetype is a symbol or a form that is imprinted in your subconscious.<\/p>\n There are archetypes from many traditions. For instance, the Sun God is called Ra (Amun Ra) in the Egyptian tradition. The same Sun God in the Roman tradition is called Mitra, while in the yogic (Hindu) tradition, the Sun god is also Mitra or Surya. Even though the cultures were thousands of miles apart, these are Universal archetypes. Interestingly, Mitra was born of a virgin mother on December 25, was a wandering preacher with 12 disciples and when he died, he was resurrected 3 days later! Of course, the cross is another beautiful archetypical symbol. The Hawaiians call these archetypes Aumakua such as Pele, Goddess of the Fire. And I\u2019ve written before about the four archetypes of Warrior, Healer, Teacher and Visionary (I base my morning ritual on them).<\/p>\n The entire philosophy of yogic Self-Realization<\/em> is embedded in the symbols of these archetypes. These archetypes are within our Collective Unconscious<\/em>. These archetypes lie deeply embedded in our Causal Body<\/em> and are available for the whole human race. They appear in times of transition in our lives and help guide us to achieve higher ideals in life. One of the highest ideals is knowledge about oneself (self-realization). When we know who our archetype is, we can learn how to invoke the associated knowledge and superhuman ideals in our lives. At its very core, these teachings are not a religion nor a philosophy. It is a Sadhana<\/em> (Spiritual Practice) of actualizing our human potential in every stage of our lives. It is always Perfecting<\/em> as opposed to Perfection<\/em> and looking at the good in everything around us.<\/p>\n The Sanskrit word for archetype is Ishtadevata<\/em>. Ishta<\/em> means desired and devata <\/em>means deity. The murtis<\/em> (statues) are not “out there”, but within you as archetypes. They not only help you in your transformation, but they lead you to Awakening<\/em>. As Joseph Campbell said, myths are Collective Dreams<\/em>, while your dreams are Personal\u00a0<\/em>Myths<\/em>! When your personal dreams, hopes, and aspirations are in tune with the\u00a0Collective Dreams <\/em>or myths, there is amazing harmony in your life.<\/p>\n Finding your archetype (Ishtadevata<\/em>) is like falling in love: the form of the deity has to appeal to you. It is like walking into a room of new people and immediately liking someone, or going into an art museum and connecting with a piece of art.<\/p>\n Similarly, you can look at these deities, touch them, feel them, understand their Symbolisms <\/em>and myths. Sooner than later you will find yourself gravitating to one, two or three deities. Usually you have one primary archetype and another secondary one. They change during your life because you change! These archetypes give you the reason to live with joy and help you in your personal, professional and spiritual aspects of your life. They also remind us of the grander ideals we can all live for. They bring out the yearning some of us have to make an impact on people and society and leave a legacy beyond the transitory nature of our lives.<\/p>\n About 20 years ago, I took a grand leap and left my job as a partner in a consulting structural engineering firm. As a young engineer, I had progressed quickly into a leadership role. I was quickly emerging as a firm and regional leader, designing large projects, developing key clients, publishing research work, and leading regional professional organizations. Knowing deep inside that there was a greater service-oriented purpose in my life, I resigned. I had no plans, no job, no idea what was next. But I felt this incredible sense of inner power and devotion to a greater purpose in my life.<\/p>\n Since that time, I have pursued work as a teacher, a coach, a wellness coach and mentor, a spiritual seeker, and as a yoga practitioner. I am a devoted step-father and husband… and son. I have taken additional leaps of faith on my life’s journey, often when my professional career leads me astray from my heart-felt greater purpose. Looking back now, after meeting Manoj and learning about these archetypes, I have realized that the Hanuman in me was guiding me and giving me the power to make these various leaps, especially since that time. But, like many other archetypes and spirit guides with whom I walk, I realize that Hanuman has always been with me.<\/p>\n