Thursday, April 25, 2013

My encounter with the enlightened - part 2



Travel to onsite and work,work,work ... life took different priorities and slowly the practices took a back seat unfortunately. The light was still flickering and though the practices were not regular on daily basis, it still kept happening once in 2 days or 3 days. The touch was still on, but both Abi and I could see that the effects were visible. Irritability started creeping into our lives and we were bickering and fighting for the smallest of things (as we still do :) even today) ...

We happened to attend a quick Sathsang with Sadhguru when he visited New Jersey earlier that year and the awesome feeling of His presence returned :) By this time, I had also heard through our friends about this powerful 'Shambhavi Mahamudra' practice that was being taught in India. To be honest, I was surprised that the powerful Pranayama practices (as they were called then) will no longer be taught to public. But then, I also realized it is probably because of people like me who learn it & yet don't keep up the practice regularly that Sadhguru has decided to simplify the access to spiritual possibilities to people. 

It was in April 2006 that He decided to grace the US again and this time his visit was to be in Nashville. Both of us did all we could and managed to get initiated to Shambhavi Mahamudra with Sadhguru. Other volunteers suggested that we just attend the initiation and not the entire class as we have already attended the 13 day class. 

We chose to attend the full class anyway and it was a truly wonderful experience reliving it ... I realized the essence of the earlier 13 day class is still retained and Shambhavi seemed to be so tough to practice! By the end of the class, I was crying so hard (I surprised myself) ... it was out of the pain of ignorance and from the anguish that I could not be receptive enough to burst out completely in His presence! 

Late nights and weekend work was so common (as with most onsite stays in IT companies). But the grit with which we both kept up the practices for next 48 days was the turning point actually. It showed us that we can keep up the practices twice a day, if only we make up our minds and find time. That period marked the true beginning of our Sadhana.

Immediately thereafter was the enrollment for our first volunteering experience and that too for a program conducted by Sadhguru himself, turning out to be the first Bhava Spandana Program happening in the IIIS. In so many ways, that experience changed our lives permanently ... the wild streak in Abi turned more towards compassion to human beings and the rock in me began melting faster. As with all the BSP sessions from Isha, it left us on an emotional high, but with much more access to the richness of life.

Just when we thought, this is it, life cannot be any better ... Sadhguru announced the trip to Kailash & Manasarovar. Not knowing what it is about, we enrolled for it and stood in the line unaware that the next 10x event was about to hit us :)

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