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 :)

My encounter with the enlightened - part 1

Life changes and this in itself is known to everyone! However, there are 10x events for some people in their lives, where a single event or person changes the life course itself, in short 'a life changing experience'! Here is one from my life ...

Back in 2003, I used to read a lot of  'spiritual junk' and used to consider myself knowledgeable in that area. But I had not known much about Isha foundation or Sadhguru for that matter. Having heard some of His discourses over tape (this was before CDs became popular) and admiring His logical sequencing & content per se was probably my first step towards the path not known experientially to me.

On a casual evening, Abi and I came to know about the Isha Yoga program happening in Mambalam. Abi & her sister had come with the required money to join the program. But by the time, I went to the ATM to get the money and come back, the registration was full for the program and I could not join that session. 

Not being used to failure (most of my previous experience was only in academics), I was just furious and that fury forced me to look at doing at least one program with Isha at the same time! So, without realizing what I was getting into, I registered immediately for the Hatha Yoga program happening in the Ashram and went there the same weekend Abi was getting initiated into Shakti Chalana Kriya (earlier - Sahaja Sthithi Yoga). 

After my return to Chennai from the program, with a broken back and slightly mauled ego after intense Hatha yoga, Abi was bubbling to share how wonderful the Isha program was. I admit being a bit baffled and immediately wanted to go for the next Isha Yoga program.

The second time around, registration happened fine but I stayed the previous evening at a friend's place (absolutely unlikely of me) and did not get up early enough on time for my morning class! I was close to tears when I woke up in the morning and in fact remember blasting Abi for not waking me up early - poor thing!! But she spoke to the teacher from Ashram and arranged for me to attend the class in that evening. I was just so thankful for her. 

From next day on, I was promptly attending the morning classes by myself. Considering myself an intellectual, I immersed myself in the class content because it was so logical and structured, yet peeling off my ego layer by layer. We went on to attend the Bhava Spandana program in 2003 itself. What happens in BSP  is not for me to put in words. It was way beyond me and I understood finally that even intellectually, this was something just beyond my grasp. 

At the end of it, I knew I can never be the same again and was bubbling to share the same with everyone. So, people who know me before 2003 & post 2003 and have actually observed me, would know the change. If observers say I have become bolder, more efficient at work, more loving in personal life, less angry at work & at home, etc. etc. as the key things, those may be just side effects. 

I know now that the seed He had sown in me had started sprouting and that was changing the way I was looking at things. But the dormancy effect took over as I got slowly back into the rut of life and the next 10x event had to wait for some more time ...