I practised the full primary series this morning, I do so every Sunday. My weekly yoga practice follows the It's Yoga week, and Sunday marks the beginning of the week. In the It's Yoga system, we start the week with the full primary series as a way to acknowledge and give thanks to the origin of The Rocket and its lineage before exploring other sequences during the week.
This Sunday practice always feel special and sacred, this is accentuated by the chanting of the opening mantra; a mantra which honours the teachers before us and the inner teacher. I know that mantra by heart, but a few months ago I decided I also wanted to learn the closing mantra - I only knew the last line. The last line is extremely powerful on its own, but after yesterday, the whole verse resonated even more when I chanted it this morning. A prayer the entire world is in need of right now.
Ashtanga Yoga Closing Mantra
ॐ स्वस्ति प्रजाभ्यः परिपालयन्तां न्यायेन मार्गेण महीं महीशाः । गोब्राह्मणेभ्यः शुभमस्तु नित्यं लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।
Oṃ svasti prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṃ nyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṃ mahīśāḥ | go-brāhmanebhyaḥ śubham astu nityaṃ lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu || Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ |
May the rulers of the earth protect the well-being of the people, With justice, by means of the right path. May there always be good fortune for cows, Brahmins and all living beings, May the inhabitants of all the worlds be full of happiness. Oṃ Peace, Peace, Peace! - translated by Zoë Slatoff
Text taken from https://www.ashtangayogaupperwestside.com/