Namaskar
May 17, 2009
Welcome to our Sri Santosh Puri Ashram Newsletter Blog.
om namo narayan
Here we share Latest News of updates couses, Schedule 2011, Ganga puri’s US and EUROPE yoga workshop tour. Please feel free to visit all of our sections above.
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Hari Om
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One reaches a stage i life when the past events bring a void in ones thinking and one feels a empty in spite of most of the relations and material needs in life in tact. Well at least i felt that way. The obvious reaction is to turn to your self. The best i could think of was to take a yoga retreat. I reached my friend Google and it directed me to a site where the site name was Sanatana Society but the email address was yogashram. I must say that being an Indian and Arya Samaji by upbringing i was not fully aware of Sanatana Dhrama ( enough of proof that i am not even a true Arya Samaji) . This prompted me to write to them requesting my admission to course called Yoga Retreat. I saw the confirmation 10th May at 1PM and and i took off for Haridwar where this Ashram at 2 PM, reached rather late at around 10 PM and before landing up at such an odd hour, gave a call to Acharya Ganga Puri from the Hotel reception before checking in and he told me to land up in the Ashram. To avoid any further delay i skipped the dinner and landed up at the Ashram at 10 30 PM. Ist thing i was told “ Aap Bhojan to karenge “. Well my hunger told me to eschew the decorum and my immediate reaction was, YES. I realised on the 2nd day , that the dinner time is between 6 PM and 7 PM and they had to especially operate the kitchen for me . Such is the welcome you get there .
Ganga Puri asked me about the purpose of my visit , i told him briefly what i could think of immediately instead of getting into a philosophical discussion on the void and emptiness. He took it in and then he told me that the schedule starts at 4.30 in the morning but looking at me , he thought it would be difficult for me to get up at this time. So he eased me by saying that try , it is not compulsory.
This was true because what the world looks like at 430 in the morning , i don’t know. I have seen sunrise only when i had not slept the whole night and the earliest i rise is 630 in the morning. Well to my surprise , i was up and about at 4 15 AM in spite of sleeping at around 12 in the night. This one can attribute to the energy the Ashram radiates. Well , i followed the routine religiously for the entire period of 10 days , expect the IIIrd day when i could not sleep till 2 in the morning the whole night. I had an excellent sleep thereafter when Ganga Puri gave me a easy solution ( this i am sure will help me save money on the sleeping pills , i pop up).
After a bath one follows the routine of morning Puja at the holy place where Mataji has been maintaining the fire for the last over 40 years which makes the place very pure. The next ordeal for my stiff body was to sit cross legged ( Sukhasana) for a period of around 30 minutes. I kept shifting the postures ( Mataji was quick to observe my stiff body and any given opportunity she would remind me to get rid of it) . I was very happy with myself when i could sit through the entire Arti in the morning on the 10th and the last day without much of a problem.
The attraction of Ganga river in the back yard made it very clear to me what to do next after Arti. So i was ready to go for a stroll in the morning. I could not resist asking permission from Mandakini , to take Mangalam a handsome golden brown Labrador ( with traces of St. Bernard) and Sitara, the most friendly German shepherd i have seen, for a walk. Mandakini gave the consent immediately. The excitement in both Managalam and Sitara was apparent and even i was very happy. They followed me to the gate but when they saw Mandakini not following them , they quickly back tracked leaving me heart broken. Anyway , a quick decision was taken and Ramu accompanied them and they came along with Kumkum Tilak on their forehead giving them a divine look. I have yet to come across such a friendly walk as most of the dogs on the way seem to have known them and quite a few passerby also knew them by name. The ones who did know them were slightly sceptical of the such huge dogs. But i guess , the friendliness which they radiated made them feel comfortable and nobody panicked and ran away. This became my schedule for most of the days , i felt very happy as in a few occasions when neither Ganga Puri, Mandakini nor ramu accompanied but they came along. Another achievement for me.
After the walk , the next in schedule was in the Meditation and Yoga Hall. I must admit that it was embarrassing for me there as the stiffness made me the worst performer inspite of the fact that all the other participant were from the western world. But i continued and atleast learnt the Asanas. Ganga Puri was kind enough to teach me certain Sukshama Asanas as he could make out that it is a long road i have to travel before i can remotely claim that i practice Hatha Yoga. I have been given certain Asanas to get rid of my body stiffness ( my biggest issue) and i have taken a vow that i will not visit the Ashram again, if i don’t practice it regularly . This is one Area where i could not make a significant progress but have a consolation from Ganga Puri that this is a time consuming process .
I was lucky to have a one to one interaction with Shri Dhyan Ananda, a New Yorker settled here for the last 30 months ( I could not dare to ask his name which he had in New York). His understanding of Yoga , Kriya and the Sanatana Dhrama was so clear that he gave me the tips which were very relevant to the problems which i face. He was the one whose advice and presence motivated me to follow the Ashram routine religiously. But it remained a desire for me to talk and chat with him . Once i gathered the courage to sit with him but Ist thing he asked me was , “do you have any questions? “. Being a Kindergarten student to the school of Yoga and consciousness , leave alone super consciousness, i went blank . I then went to the excellent Library which the Ashram has and picked up the Idiots’s guide to Hinduism which sounded very relevant to me. I intend spending a lot of time there in future as the library has a rich collection of books and CDs.
The evening Arti would start after the dinner at sunset and the thing which stuck me most in addition to the serene atmosphere which is created and the sweets you get from Mataji as Prasad , was Mangalam and Sitara joining in with houls when the Shankh ritual is done . Their participation in Arti is active but it was not guaranteed that they will get the sweets other than fruits because of their health concerns. One would miss the melodies voice of Ganga Puri when he is unable to attend the Arti because of unavoidable circumstances. Without Mandakini, Arti would be incomplete. I also attempted to join the Arti as there is a printed and translated form of Arti Mantras available for all the participant but became conscious of the cacophony which i was making and preferred to keep quite and recite AUM silently. Mataji again came to my rescue and advised that in case you cannot follow the arti you can concentrate on any Mantra of your choice and explained the practice of Sanatan Dharma which gives freedom to everyone to follow their own path of worship.. This helped me to recite AUM without getting conscious of it
It is rather surprising that inspite of getting up at 7 AM in the morning at home , start feeling tired by 8 PM and lie down most of the time. Here i was feeling fit as a fiddle even at 10 PM but used to force myself to sleep at 11 PM because of my resolve to get up at 4 15 in the morning.
The Ashram is energised by Mataji who radiates love and compassion. Ganga Puri , who whenever free from the Architectural and Interior decoration Jobs for making the Ashram in addition to the responsibility of running the Ashram , would smile on every eye contact and in case you have a question, enlighten you with his in depth knowledge and understanding of Sanatana Dharma and Yoga. It is very apparent that he is a very positive and human being and did not see him criticising anyone. It seems that he has mastered the art of acceptance. The only thing which he can’t accept is the ignorance of people about environment .
Mandakini would ensure that all the residents feel at home and Mataji’s Sanskara of Love and compassion are evident in her, in the evening she would devote time in teaching the kids as Vidya daan , she is the friendliest soul there and if you express a wish , she would ensure that it is fulfilled. I must confess that she was the one who could manage to explain the terms consciousness and super consciousness to me in simple terms.
There is a battery of friendly Sewaks in the Ashram who quitely and efficiently manage the affairs of the Ashram but i could manage to become friendly to one Sardarji who speaks like Haryanavi and is invariably at the gate advising me whenever i would go out. I myself being a Punjabi living in Haryana , he ensured that i do not become homesick. He told me that he is a part of this family for the last 35 years which in itself explains the large heartedness of the family.
My last day in the Ashram , when i was leaving after morning Arti , as a parting gift , Mataji again reminded me that i should exercise for my body flexibility and should pray even if it is for 15 minutes. I was really touched when little Mandakini tried to help me by lifting the huge suitcase which i was stupidly carrying. She gave me packets of Herbal tea which was one of the many desires of mine which she fulfilled. Being a collector of incense sticks , i was very happy to find few packets in the bag.
I being a Finance professional for more than 20 years , am used to only analysis of figures and my writing skills are limited to writing emails or management reports but my experience was so enriching that i could not resist penning down my thoughts. The only purpose of these words is to express my heart felt thanks to all in the Ashram
I have come back very clear headed and i hope and pray that i am able to carry out the schedule. I would not forget the advice of Mataji that not everyone has to follow the life of Sadhu or a Yogi and settle down in Haridwar but in whatever profession one is, one must discipline and take care of ones own body and remember god to have a balanced life. My 10 day experience in the Ashram convinced me that it is possible and one can make ones home into a Ashram like place by following the routine. I have come back well informed if not transformed. I look forward to going back to the Ashram but with a lighter suitcase and a flexible body.