Why Did We Fast and Stay Up All Night for Shiva Ratri? + Shiva Puja Walkthrough

On the very auspicious day of Shiva Ratri this year, we got together on zoom in the morning to say a few things about the "art of tapasya", that is, the art of austerities in the name of spirituality. If done too excessively, the body and mind are weakened. But if not done at all, the body and mind are similarly weakened! Compassionate and artful tapasya is the doorway to strength and self-control, which is a pre-requisite in many cases for not only meditation, but devotion. After all, if the...