Kalā means a part of nature. Āvāhanā means an invitation. Pūjā means a sacred ritual. So the Kalāvāhanā Pūjā is a sacred ritual that invites the powers of nature into our bodies through the medium of touch, or awareness.
We are used to experiencing the powers of nature through our senses of hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell. They all combine to pump tons of information into our brain in its waking state, often overloading it. But when we link or order this information in a way that creates space, it actually refreshes the brain. When we touch a body part, it automatically brings our awareness to that part and refreshes the part of the brain that is linked to it. In this way the powers of an individual can be connected with the inexhaustible powers of nature, which consist of six elements—solid, liquid, plasma, air, space and time. Each of these elements contains wild and aggressive powers that become benign when they are controlled. When they are invoked into the body’s six chakras, they can sometimes bring out suppressed and sometimes wild tendencies. After we invite all of Mother Nature’s powers into an individual’s body, that individual is worshiped as the Goddess. And that completes the ritual.
When performed correctly, the Kalāvāhanā is very empowering. It brings the interconnectedness of the entire world into our awareness and makes us one with it. It also serves to refresh the entire being, similar to the sensations that we enjoy after taking a bath—tensions are released; clarity, understanding and peacefulness are restored.
Today, Devi worship, Shakti sadhana and Tantric traditions are practiced in households all over India, and Goddess worship is proliferating around the world. Kalāvāhanā is similar to other guided meditations and visualizations, as well as touch and distance-healing techniques such as reiki. It is equally well suited for physical practice (whether in group or individual sessions), or via long distances (using a photograph and the geometric symbol of the Sri Chakra). The role of Devipuram is to ensure that these rituals are taught with both scientifc understanding and proven, replicable techniques anchored in time-tested traditions.
Kalāvāhanā is ultimately a tool for empowerment, which is the essence of Sri Vidya. All of us face physical, mental and spiritual problems on an almost daily basis. Such problems will always be there. But Kalāvāhanā can bring us the ability to cope with these problems adequately by maintaining balance of mind, and by fInding and living a purposeful life.
Source : Gifts from the Goddess by Guruji Amritananda, Edited and introduced by Michael M. Bowden
