Guest guest Posted November 4, 1999 Report Share Posted November 4, 1999 Hi Folks... (warning long rambling letter) I wanted to tell you about the incredible experience I had last weekend at the Kundalini Yoga Fall Festival in Millis MA, October 30th... i went all by myself as i didn't know anyone else locally who is into yoga as i am... The festival was so special to me on several different levels, as you will see as i go on... i have to mention to you that I am the manger of an e-mail list myself called "Catch The Wind" which is a list of Donovan (yes from the 60s) fans... and my story ties in with both Kundalini Yoga and Donovan so my list also got a version of this story as well... hehe Donovan, because of my fan list, and with working with him as his faculty assistant for his workshop "Music and Myth" at the Omega Conference in NYC 1998, has kept in touch with me... and i have met his family on a couple of occasions... they are such beautiful people... =) anyway... the first i had ever heard of Yogi Bhajan was from a story that Donovan told his students at Omega in 1997.... as in introduction to his song "Happiness Runs".... For its spiritual feeling i guess, the US Sikhs have kind of adopted Happiness Runs as one of the songs that they sing at their gatherings... I think the story goes that Yogi Bhajan and Donovan happened to be at a restuarant in LA at the same time.... and one of Yogi Bhajan's company recognised Donovan and went to talk to him and then brought him over to introduce him to Yogi Bhajan. "this is the man who wrote the song we sing at our meetings" Yogi Bhajan thought a minute and said "Happiness Runs?" Donovan... "yes, that's my song, I wrote that" Yogi Bhajan scratched his beard then said "Well... i'm not going to pay you any royalties...!!." (i wonder who laughed the loudest?... hehe) Anyway.... Family week workshop at the Omega Institute in 98 (i didn't attend this time but Don invited me to come and visit him)... i was kind of in a "down period" then (no need to explain, we all go through them) and Don knew about this... and i guess he must have told Linda (his wife) about how i was feeling because inbetween a break of one of his classes she came up to me and talked to me for awhile about different things to help with dealing with negative emotions... one thing that she mentioned was Kundalini Yoga... at the time i had been studying Hatha for 3 years... but this was different she said.... something you had to experience to understand.... when i got home i tried to find a place locally that taught Kundalini yoga... but couldn't find anything... until about 6 months later when someone at my work started to date a Sikh.... so i took my first Kundalini yoga class in March of 1999, and have been going almost weekly ever since.... So when i heard that Yogi Bhajan was coming to the Ashram that i attend classes at.. i felt this was something I had to experience... there were probably about 500 or so folks there... i arrived around 10am... mostly everyone was wearing white and had their heads covered in cotton cloth .... they served us Yogi tea and we all gathered under a huge tent in the crisp fall morning air.. that was scented with pine and fallen leaves... i hardly ever connect with nature this time of the year but was so glad i braved the morning chill for this... after two wonderful yoga teachers (whose names escape me right now) our third teacher came onto the stage... her name was Gurumukh Kaur Khalsa..."yoga teacher to the stars" as she is being called recently in articles in Yoga Journal and even in a special on spirituality on E!... she has had students like David Duchovny and Melissa Enthridge. she had this wonderful presence and really inspired us to work hard at our yoga set... so much so that i litterally collapsed into the deep relaxation part of the class... a large GONG was played during deep relaxation...VERY LOUDLY... i guess the point is, if you can relax through that intense noise, once the noise stops, it is even more relaxing....hehe ...i am not sure... the gong player ended his gong with a slow heartbeat type rhythm which seemed to blend into some music that was begining over the intercom.... which to me sounded alot like the begining of Donovan's "Deep Peace" from his last album Sutras...(must get for anyone who is spiritual!!).... boom boom......boom boom.... boom boom...... boom boom...... and in fact it WAS "Deep Peace" being played loudly over the intercom for 500+ people lying in "corpse pose" attending this yoga festival.... and you can bet little tears of relaxation streamed down my face.... it was so exquisite to hear such a familiar voice in such a crowd of unfamilar faces... and i wondered if anyone else there but me knew who was singing??? the music really helped to comfort me... and at that pointi really knew i belonged there.... After that class i felt i had to meet the teacher... i just had this "feeling" about her... so i waited in a small line to meet with her... and when it was my turn she smiled at me and grabbed my hands (something Donovan does with his fans too.. hmmm) and she said to me "hello!.. you are so beautiful!.."... i was completely startled and didnt know what to say... i don't take compliments too well hehe... so we introduced eachother she asked me my name.. what i did for a living etc... and then i said to her..."i wanted to thank you for the wonderful class, i tried to keep up as best i could..... and i noticed... you played Donovan at the end..." "yes!.. his music is so wonderful for this..." she said... "and i heard that you lived in LA... so i had this "feeling" that perhaps you know Don and Linda...." "why yes i do... i know the whole family... Linda comes to my classes.. i am her teacher" I told her that it was Linda who intoduced me to Kundalini Yoga... small world.. we talked about Don and Linda for awhile... how she is staying with her daughters in Malibu, and that her daughters take class too... she said Don and Linda and her had toyed with the idea of forming somekind of "workshop" about Yoga, guided meditation and Music.... (oh and for all those people who know about the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck NY... she will be doing a workshop there next year.. you can bet i will be attending!!!) it was just so amazing to meet someone who also was close to them but from so far away... "well" i said.. "if you see Linda and/or Don... tell them that Erika says "hello" and that i send my blessings...." "I'm going to see Linda this wednesday.. i will definately tell her that i met you!!" so you see.... Happiness does run in a circular motion.. hehe... Linda introduces me to Kundalini Yoga... and from all across the US Linda's teacher come out to the place of MY teacher.. and teaches me... and we meet... and a message will go back to D and L....world gets smaller.. =) after meeting with her.. i felt so open... i started to talk to strangers... something this shy girl never does... I felt more at ease there..and felt inspired to try even harder with my yoga... i have to say that taking her class and then getting a chance to meet her was the highlight for me... but i cannot over look Yogi Bhajan's presence there too... at the end of the festival he gave a talk about the upcoming millenium change... and he was exactly how i thought he would be... very comical, but also very serious at the same time.. so much so i never knew when to laugh or not... hehe he gave us three different exercises which i don't think i could even begin to explain in an e-mail without you being able to see me demonstrate it...hehe positions we had to hold for 11 minutes as he yelled at us and called us wimps for not keeping up...."its only 11 mins... then its over and you can do whatever you want with the rest of your life!!!" hehe... so true though isn't it? i cannot remember everything that he said, as i think it was more something that effected my spirit more than effected my intellect if that makes any sense... it was more about energy exchange... sometimes it was very hard to understand him... because if his accent... or perhaps his age...but you almost didnt need to hear his words.. .just his energy... when i was leaving the ashram i saw my teacher and told him that i had a wonderful time... he said he almost didn't recognise me as my aura was so much bigger... i wish i could have seen what he saw.. but i guess i didnt have too since i was feeling it anyway..... anyway... thanks for letting me ramble... hope it wasn't too long for you... this is a very rare thing from me.. hehe Sat Nam Akire...Erika Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 1999 Report Share Posted November 9, 1999 Dear Erica, Thanks for the review of the yoga festival. It was fun reading about everything. Sat Nam, RAttana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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