Dive deeper. Re-unite with your Inner Teacher.
A starting online community & educational platform, we work through the Yoga tradition but with a innovative and interspiritual heart. Our teachers empower you to become a spiritually more autonomous & creative practitioner, by reconnecting you to the voice in your Heart, your Inner Teacher.
Join to gain access to (upcoming) courses with 250+ Yogic techniques, that are a great support in attaining mastery over your spiritual development.
Our education is a synthesis of two paths:
varna yoga
Varṇa is a Sanskrit word that represents a spectrum of things, for instance colours, letters or the notes of a musical scale. Yoga is the Sanskrit word for Union.
Varṇa Yoga brings us Union through all our the hues & tones of Life. We practice this spiritual work through exercises in which we work with Sound, Speech & Colour.
By doing so, we develop the sensitivity to notice and study how all phenomena — whether human, animal, plant, mineral, etc. — contain a unique Divine Pattern and how such patterns relate to each other.
Varṇa Yoga is a way of teaching us Brahma Vijñāna, or macrocosmic spirituality.
rāja yoga
Rāja means ‘royal’ in Sanskrit. Rāja Yoga is the ‘Royal Path to Union’. In ancient times this was a training method for kings & rulers. It teaches us to become better rulers over our own lives.
Besides being the most comprehensive of all Yoga paths, it is also said to be the most suitable spiritual practice for our times, as it helps us overcome our mind.
Through eight steps it teaches us how to find and deal with our own Divine Nature. It gradually turns us into an instrument for observing Life directly, through meditation and other ways of (re-)directing our energy.
Rāja Yoga is a way of teaching us Ātmā Vijñāna, or microcosmic spirituality.
their combined practice leads to:
higher mantra yoga
The combined practice of the Rāja & Varṇa paths leads to direct insight into the spiritual science of Mantra Yoga. And – to our humble opinion – more easily so than do most traditional Mantra Yoga practices.
Mantra means ‘mind tool’, an instrument for the mind to bring about certain effects.
In our school, we only work with the more subtle or ‘higher’ regions of Mantra Yoga. Therefore we call it Higher Mantra Yoga.
It is used solely for spiritual work on ourselves, for our species & for the evolution of our planet.
Symbolically speaking, it helps us to become pure as lotuses even in the deepest mud.
Although very ancient beyond what we could explain here, this approach to Mantra Yoga is currently only taught in our school, as far as we are aware of.
However, elements can surely be found in many other spiritual traditions as they are universal in nature.
"Sound, Speech & Colour are gateways to the Divine in all phenomena. To the Sacred that secretly always surrounds us."
"All who master Higher Mantra Yoga – especially artists, musicians & writers – can bring the Divine deeply into their work."
"Finding Yoga through all the varnas is a road to Being Whole again. A path to Self-Realisation, Liberation & beyond."
connecting people
through
Interspirituality
Only together we can ever establish Heaven on our beautiful planet Earth.
At Higher Mantra Cloud Community regard all spiritual traditions as being essentially One.
Although not always One in spirit and certainly not in form, on the deepest level we all work towards the same goals & the same Loving Light.
We therefore take on an ecumenical (or: interspiritual) stance towards other traditions outside of the class room. While inside the classroom, we maintain & develop the purity of our own tradition.
Also, we intend to actively seek & maintain good relations with other spiritual organisations. Hand-in-hand we will move towards the Light.
Community
Only with Diversity our community can become Whole.
A new kind of online spiritual community brings together our students, allowing them to learn from each other as well as from our courses.
We hope to attract people of different cultures, different characters, different economic situations & different spiritual backgrounds.
What matters is not who you are, but the intention of your practice and the strength of your aspiration.
Meditation
There is little in life that connects people better than meditation.
Through our e-learning platform and video classes you learn many different exercises that support your meditative development.
Meditation allows us to experience the interconnectivity of all things. Its ultimate aim is to show us the Unity of all Existence.
All people are essentially One. By getting to know ourselves better through meditation, we will understand others better.
And vice versa: by understanding others better, we will understand ourselves better.
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
yogaś-citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ
Yoga is the controlling of
the whirlings of the mind
up to the level of memory.
– Patañjali
varna yoga consist of three subjects:
sound
In our programmes we study Sound mostly through singing with the sound of the tanpura, an ancient Indian instrument.
A method that uses a lot of elements from Indian Classical Music in order to bring about meditative work with Sound and to heighten our sensitivity of energy patterns.
As a part of Varṇa Yoga, we use this as a tool for understanding patterns. Studying Sound is for us a Yogic tool to study the relations between parts of a pattern.
speech
Working meditatively with various basic elements from which language is built, we gain understanding of them as (parts of) tools for transformation: mantras.
Such mantras and their unique energy patterns are tools to form bridges between the heart & our spirit, through the use of our mind.
As a part of Varṇa Yoga, we use this as a tool for understanding patterns. Studying Speech, we work with syllables from the Sanskrit language to study combinations of parts of a pattern.
colour
We also perform a deep meditative study of Colour & the ‘different colours of life’. This leads to a deep understanding and ‘organically present categorisation’ of all things that exist.
Everything in existence is energy. Differences in character between things exist because of different energetic nature.
As a part of Varṇa Yoga, we use this as a tool for understanding patterns. Studying Colour, we gain direct understanding of the dominating energetic qualities of objects and of the individual parts within a pattern.
rāja yoga consist of eight main subjects:
yama
Moral principles. Dealing with what is. Learn to explore your own moral compass using five principles. Rather than imposing our morality on you, we teach you how to develop your own morality. This brings harmony, focus & clarity.
niyama
Niyama is work with moral ideals. Learn how to keep a growing, upward direction in your life. This is the other part of your moral compass, supporting you on your way to a constructive attitude to life and creative & inspired development.
āsana
By far the most well known part of Yoga, āsana means bodily postures. Mainly used for strengthening & cleansing, they are more often than not applied with little understanding, even by most contemporary Yoga teachers. We teach you how to structure each āsana.
prāṇāyāma
Prāṇāyāma means controlling subtle energy currents. This has a powerful cleansing & vitalising as well as healing effect. It also improves our understanding of the Three Modes of Energy, one of the most important Yogic tools.
pratyāhāra
Pratyāhāra is detachment. You learn to purposely steer away all your attention from distractions. On the level of all five senses and any arising thoughts or impressions. Regain control over where your mind is going!
dhāraṇā
Dhāraṇā is concentration. You learn to mentally approach objects of attention closer and closer. This builds up towards meditation. Learn to focus even in the midst of crowded places, growing your mental strength.
dhyāna
Dhyāna is meditation. Meditation here means a unifying experience with the object of your attention. This is indispensible for any serious Yogic practitioner, in spite of many people these days claiming otherwise. Experiencing Unity feels like coming home.
samādhi
Samādhi is contemplation, or meditation on abstract states of mind. Feelings (not to be confused with emotions!) become gateways to the highest states of awareness. This increases our flow in life and firmly connects us to Bliss, Peace & Joy and ultimately to our Higher Self.
Synthesis
In the end, in case sufficient mastery has been attained over both Varna Yoga & Raja Yoga, the practices of Sound, Speech, Colour & Yoga will more and more blend together…
…into a unified symphony of all the elements involved.
And that is a very Liberating experience, where High & Low — Spirit & Form — meet, while their distinctions softly fade away, gradually freeing yourself from the bounds of karma.
This is Higher Mantra Yoga.
Learn to find Light,
even in the darkest night
Our specific approach to Yoga can help you find Light even in the dead of night. Even in the darkest of matter. In the deepest mud.
Core techniques of our approach to Mantra Yoga aim to build bridges between yourself & the Divine Natures of all phenomena. Between earth & heaven.
These techniques require us to negate all layers of physical & mental stuff, allowing us to surpass all darkness to find the Light hidden inside.
Apart from general spiritual benefits, being able to do this can also be a great cure for materialism, depression, anxiety and the darkest of thoughts & emotions.
Disclaimer: If you have any known health issues, always consult your physician or other qualified health professional before enrolling into our courses.
"Courage isn't the absence of fear.
It's rather continuing in spite of it.
Yoga is surely a most powerful way to
master courage & overcome fear."
Samkhya
Alongside Higher Mantra Yoga we study the Science of Soul as was described in the ancient Indian Sāṃkhya philosophy, Theosophy and by the modern Yogic sages Śrī Ajīta & Swami Yogeśvārānanda Sarasvatī.
- Anatomy of the subtle energy system
- Nāḍī-cakra (streams and wheels of pranic energy; chakra system)
- Śarīras & kośas (energy bodies & sheaths)
- Indriyas (sense organs of action & of knowledge)
- Bhūtas & tanmātras (coarse & subtle elements)
- Antaḥkaraṇa catuṣṭaya (fourfold Inner Organ, the 'sixth sense')
- Samsara, karma & reincarnation (existence, impressions & the Soul's development)
- Jīvātman-paramātman-mahātman (three perspectives on Soul consciousness)
- Svarūpasthiti (being seated in the True Nature, Self-Realisation)
- Jīvanmukti, Kaivalya & Mokṣa (Enlightenment, Absolute Unity, Liberation from worldly existence)
For who are our courses?
Aspirants & teachers
Perhaps you are a lifelong aspirant of spiritual growth. Maybe you are even teaching others. But your dedication leads you to want to improve further.
Our programmes can bring great insight, steadfastness, agility & beauty to your Path. In their depth they go much beyond what for instance most 500h Yoga Teacher Trainings offer.
Healing professionals
Meditative practices and learning to work with subtle energy are very stimulating for those with jobs in the healing fields.
Insight into your field of work, understanding of your clients and your ability to practice compassion can strongly evolve with the help of a rich Yoga practice.
Leaders & entrepreneurs
Perhaps you are an entrepreneur who is sharing an idea with the world. Or you enjoy contributing to the goals of an organisation.
Yogic philosophy can be easily translated to business & leadership situations to help get to the core of any matter and can be a powerful catalyst of innovation.
Artists, writers & musicians
Artists, writers & musicians, with the help of our approach to Yoga, can turn into Divine Messengers, drivers of change and people who show others the simplicity within complexity.
Lasting beauty is a sign of inherent harmony. Learn to construct new projects gracefully and with a Sacred Flame burning inside.
Or perhaps... you are just simply interested?
It’s unnecessary to already have a spiritual practice before you start taking our courses. In the coming years, we will be offering Introductory, Beginner, Intermediate & later also Advanced study programmes. If it feels right for you or stimulates your curiosity, take a chance! You are more than welcome.
Māntrikadeva, Mantrikadeva, Mantra Yoga, Self-Realisation, Self-Realization, Spiritual Liberation, Spiritual Growth, Sanskrit, Tanpura, Meditation training, Raja Yoga, Oneness, Buddhism, Hinduism
What can I expect?
Enrolling in our classes grants access to...
…many ways to train ourselves for spiritual improvement, stemming from the Yoga tradition. Whether working through Haṭha Yoga or Rāja Yoga exercises or through exercises dealing with Sound, Speech & Colour, the general line of approach is more or less the same. What you can expect is the following:
- You will learn many different Yogic techniques surrounding the subject of your course, that help you improve vitality, clarity and effectiveness. They are great tools on the road to Self-Realisation & beyond.
- We help you understand Yogic philosophy and seek to inspire you in how to apply it to daily living. A complete Yoga practice should be able to influence every part of your daily life.
- Yoga exercises are here to help us transform. We can greatly harmonise our lives with their help. Although subtle, some of these techniques can have a deep impact on your life.
- As you master them, the integrating whole of exercises should gradually & increasingly bring more Love, Peace and Joy into your life. Advanced practitioners will be able to find them in any situation.
- Morality is an important part of your training. This doesn't mean we teach our students exactly how to behave. To our liking that would be too dogmatic. We do however teach you certain guidelines that help you re-discover your own moral compass for yourself.
- In most classes, weekly live video lessons are an important part. During these group classes you practice exercises relating to the course you are taking and afterwards we discuss how things went and you can ask your teacher questions.
- Regular attendance of these classes is a condition for advancing to a next level of courses. Many of our Yogic exercises are so unusual, so unfamiliar, that they require careful supervision over longer periods of time, to make sure students handle them with due care.
- All formal learning happens on a private network, where you will be assigned to certain groups with fellow students, based on subject & level of difficulty. Here you can for instance get to know each other better or ask each other questions.
- These groups are connected to a brand new online community where you can meet like-minded practitioners from around the world. You can gather together in affinity groups, share your thoughts on spiritual living and arrange informal practice sessions with your fellow students, to name a few examples. Advanced students can initiate groups that perform meditative research on specific subjects.
- Currently, we are taking preparations for our programmes to become certified Yoga Teacher Training courses in the International Yoga Federation 500h standard.
"A succesful Yoga practice brings more Strength, Compassion & Wisdom to all parts of our daily life."
Most of your practice will be done outside of the classroom. In your own time and in real life situations. Self-dependence & autonomy are essential qualities we seek in our students. We help you further develop these qualities & teach you how to deal with each exercise wisely.
But naturally, we can’t do your spiritual practice for you…! This can only be done by yourself.
Teachers & lineage
Swami Māntrikadeva Giri
founder/teacher
A young & dynamic spiritual leader, Swami Māntrikadeva is devoting his life to spreading the teachings of Yoga. With an interspiritual heart, he aims to make the many benefits of this ancient philosophy and set of practices more widely available. In depth (for dedicated practitioners) as well as in breadth (larger audiences). Wishing to bring the many seekers of the world closer to Self-Realisation & Liberation by strengthening the connection between their hearts & minds and always stimulating students to become creative & autonomous contributers to their own spiritual life, the lives around them and the world at large.
Stern yet colourful & compassionate and with a quirky sense of humor, Māntrikadeva brings a vast spiritual resourcefulness to the table. After a series of dreams & visions, that started shortly after he finished his formal Yoga training, he slowly founded his organisation, Varṇamāntrika. Through its programmes, that combine traditional and systematic Yogic practices with pioneering spiritual work through Sound, Speech & Colour, he gradually shows students the magical way to what he calls Higher Mantra Yoga.
In the summer of 2024 he became a Swami in the Giri order through a vidvat sannyasa initiation. What he teaches concerning Rāja Yoga comes through the lineage of Ajīta, while teachings on Varṇa Yoga came to him both directly in meditation and through the works of Alice A. Bailey with Tibetan master Djwhal Khul.
Māntrikadeva is the spiritual name of Maarten Goddijn. He lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with his fiancee and two sons.
Vādāsana
teacher
Welcome Yogi, let’s get to know each other a little better. I’ll go first!
Dedicated to applying the teachings of Yoga to every aspect of daily living, my way of teaching is based on making Yoga available and practically applicable in every day life. Unifying the earthly with the spiritual so we can experience the full spectrum of life.
My classes are based on your inner experience. We practice how you can observe your inner world while you practice Yoga. By studying the sūtras, we broaden our perspective of Yoga & deepen our theoretical understanding.
A very down to earth and practical teacher, I feel that if one doesn’t find happiness on earth, how can one find the blessings of the highest?
By offering a set of short courses, your can study at your own pace. Through our weekly meetings you can stay connected with likeminded practitioners and ask any questions you may have regarding Yoga and your practice.
Besides my personal and teaching practice of Yoga, I am a mother, a lover & wonderer of nature and a social worker for people with cognitive problems.
Vādāsana is the spiritual name of Vanessa Schaarenburg – van Leeuwen. She lives in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands, with her husband, son & stepchildren.
Our lineage
Māntrikadeva and Vādāsana met in 2014 at the classes of Yogamaster Śri Yogācārya Ajīta Mahārāja, where they soon became friends.
A groundbreaking master of Yoga and, despite operating largely in the background perhaps one of the most profound revitalisers of Yoga in the past decades, he is an honorary member for life of the World Yoga Council & the President of the European Yoga Council.
Bowing to him in Gratitude,
🙏
Special gratitude also goes out to the great Yogis Swami Yogeśvārānanda Saraswati, Patañjali & Svātmāramā and to the Tibetan master Djwhal Khul.
Upcoming courses
After nearly two years of preparation, on September the 25th, 2024 our main educative programme will finally commence.
The first level of this multi-year full spiritual training is called the Foundation Level and is estimated to take 18 months to complete.
Enrol now or at any moment of your chosing!
Find out more by clicking here.
FAQ
(Frequently asked questions)
At the moment we do allow free registration, though with limited access. Anyone of good will is welcome.
However, as our community grows larger over time this might be reconsidered.
The cost of our courses varies. Joining the online community is free.
We offer various introductory courses which all have different (low) prices. But most of our courses come only in bundles, for which you pay a monthly fee.
The programme of the Foundation Level, the first stage of our Rainbow Path, will be starting in september 2024. From then on, you can enrol for 150 euros/month.
The courses are divided in two parts: self-study & supervision sessions. Supervision sessions are held through video conference.
During those group sessions you first practice some exercises from our courses of your own choice and afterwards you discuss with the teacher how they went. When everyone has had their turn, there is room for other questions.
Foundation Level courses come with access to 4 hours of weekly video sessions. You can choose to which of those sessions you go, but frequent attendance is a prerequisite for moving on to the next level.
No. We strongly advise against doing that. And we even go as far as to say that when we have the feeling that you are doing this, it can be a reason to be expelled from our platform.
Why do we take such a firm stance? This has to do with your safety as well as the safety of your fellow students.
(Some of) the exercises performed in our school can be very powerful transformative tools. Used wisely their effects are constructive, but used unwisely they are destructive. If you follow our instructions and visit our supervision meetings regularly, taking the guidance of our teachers to heart, the exercises are perfectly safe to practice.
In our own lives we (the teachers) have experienced the difficulties that can arise from wrong application of these exercises. When doing them the short term effects may seem positive, while in reality only the long term effects truly count. Our teachers know these long term effects from their own experience and can guide you past possible pitfalls.
As teachers it is our responsibility to guide you to your Higher Self safely. May we be able to prevent even the most subtle forms of violence in your practice!
The Yoga we teach here at Higher Mantra Cloud Community is an esoteric form of Yoga. Basically, this means two things:
1. We have to explain a set of concepts to you before we can teach you everything we know, because those concepts generally do not have exact counterparts in our western cultures. In a way, you can compare this to learning mathematics: before you can learn it you need to learn calculus. Using the basic concepts of Yoga you will be able to much more easily understand advanced teachings than you would without.
2. We have to make sure you have a basic understanding of those concepts, before we can teach you other parts. This has to do with safety. You don't allow a child to go swimming without supervision, until you are sure it has basic swimming skills. This is similar. Some very beneficial Yoga exercises can in fact be detrimental to your health without the right application and therefore require expert supervision in the early stages of practice.
Esoteric means 'for inner circles'. For those who already know certain things, like we explained above. Exoteric means for the general public.
Most Yoga today is exoteric. It can be practiced without too much supervision, mainly because its effects are relatively limited.
For more information,
send an email to:
info@highermantra.cloud
Māntrikadeva, Mantrikadeva, Mantra Yoga, Mantra singing, Self-Realisation, Self-Realization, Spiritual Liberation, Spiritual Growth, Sanskrit, Tanpura, Meditation training, Raja Yoga, Oneness, Buddhism, Hinduism
Higher Mantra Cloud Community is a part of Varṇamāntrika,
a spiritual organisation founded to spread the teachings of
Higher Mantra Yoga.
© 2024 Varnamantrika Education & Community B.V.
All rights reserved.
© 2024 Varnamantrika Education & Community BV
