Nilakantha /Nee-luh-kuhn-tuh/ means "blue throat", which refers to the blue throat of Lord Shiva. One of the central Shaivite myths is the Myth of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. In this story, the devas and asuras unite to churn the great ocean of milk in the hope of retrieving soma, the sweet nectar that grants immortality. There are three stages to the churning, and in the final stage the the halahala or kalakuta, a horrible gooey black poison, arises from the depths. All of the gods and demons look on in horror at what they have brought forth, but none will take the poison. Lord Shiva steps forward, and takes the poison into his mighty throat, where it is transformed into the divine nectar of the all-pervading light of supreme consciousness.

Nilakantha meditation is an intelligent, systematic way of releasing the blockages in the subtle body that inhibit us from experiencing the exquisite gifts of our own deepest consciousness. This practice unlocks the sequences that keep our minds and hearts in an endarkened state, and stabilizes awareness in a place of clarity and expansive vision. Through the practice of Nilakantha meditation, a purificatory process takes place in which our own limitations are transformed into the boundless bliss-freedom of divine wisdom and grace.

Professor Paul Muller-Ortega, Ph.D., is recognized internationally as one of the world's most highly respected and renowned academic scholars in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. He is the founder of Blue Throat Yoga, in which he teaches the elegant practice of Nilakantha Meditation, along with the Svatantra philosophy of the non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir.

For more information about Paul and his schedule, please email him at svatantrastudy@yahoo.com

Om Hrim Namah Shivaya
Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah

I offer reverence to the divine union of Shiva and Shakti,
I bow down to that auspicious Master