Deity worship is a central part of yogic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain philosophy, and you’ll find plenty of Gods and Goddesses to energetically work with, in your yoga practice.
In this article, we take a look into the revered Lord Ganesha. And you’ll learn different ways that you can worship Ganesha whilst calling upon his sacred powerful energy for support in your life…
Who Is Ganesha?
Ganesha is one of the more popular and well-known Vedic Gods. You’ll easily recognise him as the elephant-headed God, and he is commonly depicted with multiple arms and a plump belly.
Ganesha is known by multiple different names such as Lord Ganesh, Ganapati, Ganpati, Pillaiyar, Vinayaka, Vighneshvara, Ekadanta, and Lambodara.¹ ‘Shri’ is also often added before Ganesha’s name to signify homage and respect.
Ganesha is worshipped all over Asia in yogic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. In Thailand, Ganesha is known as Phra Phi Khanet or Khanet (pronounced Ganet).
In yogic and Hindu traditions, Ganesha is known as the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Some of the central sacred texts on Shri Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Ganapati Atharvasirsha and the Mudgala Purana.
You’ll find Ganesha depicted in multiple different positions, such as seated and dancing. And he typically holds different objects such as a broken tusk and an axe.
The weapons Ganesha is often depicted holding, such as his axe, help to communicate his role as a protector and convey his ability to destroy obstacles.
Ganesha is also commonly accompanied by a mouse as his sacred vehicle (vahana).
There are different Puranic mythical versions of how God Ganesha came to have his elephant head…
Some myths teach that he was born with his elephant head, whilst others teach that Lord Shiva beheaded Ganesha.
In the latter version, it is said that Goddess Parvati created Ganesha out of clay to protect her, and he ultimately came between Parvati and Shiva. This led Shiva to cut off Ganesha’s head and replace the original head with an elephant’s.¹
When To Call Upon Lord Ganesha For Help
Lord Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles, and is a good deity to work with if you need support in overcoming challenges and hardships.
Much like an elephant, Ganesha is strong, powerful, and gentle, but fierce when needed. The strength of Ganesha helps to remove anything obstructing your path.
As well as being known as the remover of obstacles, Ganesha is also known as the deity of wisdom, education, academics, and intellect, the patron of the arts and sciences, and the God of beginnings.
Ganesha is widely revered because he helps to grant success, prosperity, and protection.
You can call upon the energy of God Ganesha for support when you’re starting something new, for auspicious blessings, when you need support in overcoming challenges, or when you’re engaging in learning and education, especially in the arts and sciences.
Lord Ganesha is also often regarded as the God of transitions and protection.
And so you’ll often find him in doorways to keep out bad energy, or people with poor intentions, from holy spaces such as temples, which is in keeping with his original role as Goddess Parvati’s protector.¹
Because of Lord Ganesha’s versatile energy, you can work with him in multiple scenarios.
For example, you can call upon the energy of Ganesha to help you overcome challenges in your business, to bless a performative dance that you’re about to execute on stage, or for good luck and blessings before important exams.
Chants And Mantras For God Ganesha
“Om gan Ganpataye namaha” roughly translates to “my salutations to the Lord Ganesha” and is one of the most simple mantras that you can recite and meditate upon to call in the power of Ganesha.
Ganesha is also commonly associated with “aum” (also known as “om”), so if you prefer to chant “aum” whilst meditating on the image of Ganesha, this would also be a really effective way to work with his energy.
To practice with your Ganesha mantra, come to a comfortable seated position, and close your eyes.
Take a few deep breaths to centre and relax yourself.
Start reciting the mantra and continue for as long as feels good.
Or you can do a mala meditation (japa meditation) by using mala beads to keep your mind focused. Simply say the mantra each time you count a bead on your mala.
If any thoughts arise and the mind starts wandering, just bring it back to focusing on your breath and the mantra.
You can check out my free Sacred Chants + Mantras playlist for beautiful Ganesha chants to listen to.
Having these play in the background throughout your day is a wonderful way to infuse your day with Ganesha energy.
Visualisation And Meditation Upon Ganesha
When working with visualisation and meditation, you can either meditate upon the image of Shri Ganesha in your mind’s eye, or on a picture or murti of Ganesha
A murti is a holy statue of a deity, specifically used for reverence, devotion, and bhakti yoga.
According to the Ganapati Atharvashirsa (a Sanskrit text dedicated to Ganesha) and kundalini yoga, the energy of Ganesha resides in the root chakra.¹
So you can also meditate upon muladhara chakra to work with the energy of Ganesha. Muladhara chakra, also known as the root chakra, is located at the base of the spine.
To meditate upon God Ganesha, simply come to a comfortable seated position.
If you’re going to visualise Ganesha in your mind’s eye, you can close your eyes.
Or if you’re going to meditate upon a picture or murti of Lord Ganesha, have that in sight, and just soften your gaze upon the picture or murti.
Take a few deep breaths to centre yourself, and allow your breathing to be deep, slow and rhythmic.
Absorb yourself in thoughts of Ganesha, and think about why you’re asking for his support.
You can visualise Lord Ganesha supporting and blessing you. And feel his warm protective embrace washing over you.
If you’d like more meditation tips, check out my article here on some common things that might be preventing you from meditating.
Creating An Altar And Offerings For Lord Ganesha
Creating a dedicated altar for Lord Ganesha is a lovely way to honour his energy and call upon his blessings for your life.
You can place a holy statue (murti) of Ganesha on your altar, and provide offerings specifically for him.
Typical offerings for Ganesha can include red flowers, incense, and fresh fruits. Ganesha is said to have a sweet tooth and enjoys offerings of small sweets, coconut, and fresh bananas.
If you’re looking to celebrate Ganesha on auspicious days dedicated to him, then you can undertake rituals and offerings during Ganesha Chaturthi, which is a festival dedicated to Ganesha. And also during Ganesh Jayanti which is Ganesha’s birthday.
Ganesha Talismans
Amulets and talismans are another lovely way to work with the Divine energy of Shri Ganesha.
You can create a small talisman of your own to carry with you from a small thumb-sized holy statue of Ganesha (murti).
Or you can buy a pendant complete with a Ganesha amulet to wear.
Make sure you cleanse and bless your talismans and amulets with holy water before using them.
Final Thoughts…
Ganesha is one of the most lovely Vedic deities to work with in your spiritual practice, because of his peaceful, calm, gentle energy combined with his wisdom, strength, and power.
The energy of Ganesha helps to both protect and support your success in life and on your spiritual path.
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