Divine Yogacharini Jennifer:  Namastey!                                                  

We have a breather in our merry-go round of incessant action (Lord Krishna himself says that to manifest in Prakriti means ipso facto, we must incessantly act.  We have no choice - so- this non-stop activity is not making me complain.  I am taking the time to reach out to all the eaglets flying the skies of the world.  Everyone has reported back - and some - bless their little feathered hearts - are in constant contact.  Some, I suspect, may be in a nose dive with their beaks only inches from the ground - to those I say - look up.  Remember the heights and look up - that itself will change your direction and get you out of the tail spin - even if you brush the ground - don't lose momentum - hold on by a feather to your Yoga - even if it is Only Om chanted once a day, under your breath.  As long as even a tiny link is there, you can always find your way back up again.  Nine times down, ten times up!  Remember to remember!  It is so easy (so Tamasic) to forget.  I read recently of a tap dancer (of all people) who had not performed for two years, but was planning a world tour.  When asked how he would be able to hold up to the stress of his strenuous act after a two year break, he replied, “True, I didn’t train as hard as I do when I am actively performing... but... I always remained in striking distance of my performance peak”.  I like his metaphor - “Remain in striking distance” - never go so far away from your Yoga Sadhana that you can’t come back.  Hariharan wrote a lovely email a few days back.  He and Patricia are immersed in the incredible work of running a Swiss mountain top cabin retreat - which is 24/7 commitment and of course, enormous responsibilities as they have 30-50 guests in a very remote setting for whom they almost single-handedly have to care.  So as he said, most of his Yoga is Raja Yoga, maintaining Sambhava in the stress and pressure of daily relationship - using Yama / Niyama concepts as a sounding board.  Yes!  that is also Sadhana - sometimes - just to stay afloat.  The Asanas and Pranayamas and quiet sittings help - but sometimes the Tsunami of Samskara just demands that we go with the flow.  That of course is Iswara Pranidhana.  Letting go.  Letting God!  A tough one - especially when God seems to think we need to wake up a bit by hitting our heads on a few rocks!

We are starting to collect little eaglet souls for the 37th Annual International Teachers Training Course October 2nd.  One person is even coming from Alaska, USA.  It looks like we also may have three married couples.  It is a nice trend.  Most are actively and sincerely working on their correspondence courses.  Some good writers and some good thinkers - now- will they be able to bake well in the Ashram oven?  Several are also already starting to prepare themselves to join us next year.

You will be watching little Dhivya Priya’s unfoldment in YOGA LIFE.  It takes all the restraint I can muster not to plaster all the pages of YOGA LIFE with her photos.  She is so photogenic.  We celebrated her 2nd birthday on June 21st with a small feast at Surguru Hotel for 40 people.  Her Nshektra (astrological) birthday was celebrated with an extensive Ayusha Homa on June 28th.  The Ashram was very much purified by the vibrations from the Homa.  The same Pandit - Nataraja Gurukul - who performed the marriage ceremony for Dr. Ananda and Devasena also performed this Homa.  his Mantras have the ability to rearrange one’s DNA!  The very cells get charged.  It was a deeply cleansing and stabilizing experience.  It was especially good for Devasena who now enters the eighth month of her pregnancy.  She is doing very well.  We are trying unsuccessfully to get her to rest more - Little Dhivya Priya knows something important is happening.  When we ask her where is your thambi (younger brother) she points to her mother’s quite large tummy.  She will be a great Akka (elder sister).  He is a lucky boy  Who is he?  Well, we will see.  How magic this life cycle is.  What a privilege to watch Life unfold itself.  Of course, it is also hard work - to protect and nourish small budding Jivas (spirits-souls).  This is just in case all this makes you want to rush out and get one (a baby) for yourself!

It’s very hot still, though we had a spot of rain last night, enough to make the electricity department turn off the electric current all night.  Our electricity department is better at predicting weather than our meteorological department.  We have had some turnover in staff.  Little Amudha is gone having gone a bit too far in hiding office keys to spite Kumar for a scolding he gave her.  She is now taking a course in tailoring.  Saraswathi’s mother died.  It took almost a year - she needed a big change - and left the job.  Senthil (gardener) also needed a big change and now works in a company on the other side of Pondy (doing God knows what).  Another whole group of ladies have joined who can now be trained in a much better, more disciplined manner.  Others are still all here, and the Ashram hums and thrives.

The 12th Annual Day of Yoganjali Natyalayam was a spectacular success.  It was a marathon nine hour programme from 2m to 11pm on June 26th with 300 kids, ten musicians, four light and sound people, ten helpers, two stage assistants, twenty teachers, five television cum photo crew, a Director (me) co-Director (Ananda).  Glorious!  Practice on Friday 5 to 11 pm, Saturday 10am to 9pm and then the 2pm to 11 pm Sunday.  It was a marathon!  You will read about it in August YOGA LIFE.  How these things make the kids grow!

So, onward Yogic soldiers!  Go into your own karmic battles with a happy heart, confident and calm mind - do your best and leave the rest!  Be happy!  Don’t worry’!  Everything from small mosquitoes to Cosmic cataclysms has its purpose in the Grand Design.  How can we small ants know what an elephant is?  We can just crawl around and follow the scent of our karmic trail.  We can love our every day stuff.  Our hot coffees.  Our magazines.  Our letters.  The laughter of our grand children.  The fine turn of phrase which gladdens our heart!  The sublime thought - feeling which occasionally comes our way - the lovely sun rising and setting - the quilted sky - the sounds of wind and sea - the squirrels chasing each other with mad passion across the Yoga deck’s wall!  Surely “God’s small things” are enough to make the heart glow!  And at the end of the day, we must not forget to offer the gift of gratitude (Dakshina) to all the great Gurus - the Rishis - the stars in our skies - who have shown us the way - how fortunate we are!  How fortunate we are!  How fortunate we are!  And bow our heads in thanksgiving for the wonderful treasure of Yogic thoughts, concepts, practices, tools which aid us in this long journey into the Great Glowing Heart of the Self!

Affectionately yours in Yoga,

AMMA

P.S.  Again this year the Yantra course will be held in first three weeks of February from February 3rd.  Why not fly back!  It gets easier every time you make the journey.  Ask Nalini and Hariharan!  As Lena Elo of Berlin said, “We have conquered space by moving easily from Berlin to Ibiza to Pondicherry and back again!  Now we just have to conquer time!”

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