03/14/2026
What is Puja?
Puja is a ritual of offering and respect.
In the simplest sense, it is a way to honor the divine, the teachers, and the tradition through simple physical actions. During puja there may be flowers, fruit, incense, a lamp, water, or food offered before a deity or sacred image.
But the ritual is not only about the objects being offered. It is about the attitude behind the action.
In many yogic traditions, including those connected with Ashtanga yoga, puja expresses humility and gratitude. It reminds the practitioner that the practice did not begin with us. It comes through a lineage of teachers and through a culture that preserved these teachings.
The actions used in puja developed over many generations. Lighting a lamp, offering flowers, ringing a bell, chanting mantras - these gestures engage the body, the voice, and the mind at the same time. In this way the practitioner brings attention and intention into one place.
Each element also carries a traditional meaning.
The lamp represents awareness.
Flowers represent appreciation and devotion.
Food or fruit represents offering the results of one’s work.
Chanting “namah” expresses bowing and respect.
In this way puja becomes a gesture of acknowledgment, a moment to pause, to recognize the sources of the practice, and to approach it with respect.
P. S. Amazing post led class experience. Grateful 🙏
