On Saturday, June 16, with joy in our hearts, we arrived in Portland, Maine. Coming from various points, we converged on this beautiful northern state, meeting up at the first public program on the itinerary: the Poland Springs Stress Free Zone. The park is historic: it was a spa and resort in the 1800's., with the water of the Spring used for healing.
The source water, which travels throughout the entire country, has spiritual roots as well: the Latin motto for the source water translates to "Wisdom is a Gift from God." No wonder the place had such nice vibrations! Jane and the other local yogis did a fantastic job putting together an interactive exhibition about Sahaja Yoga in the main building of the park.
Sitting in a circle of chairs set up nearby under a tree, we yogis waited to give realization. Things moved at a relaxed pace, which gave us a chance to really talk to people: ladies from the Inn nearby, a woman who had driven 2 hours to reach us, local teenagers.
Later everyone went for a swim in a local lake, and then hugely enjoyed a delicious meal prepared for us by Jane and her daughters. By this point we were really starting to feel our hearts open, just enjoying the warmth of each other's company. Then came another treat, as Jason, just back from Vaitarna, played us some music on his sitar. It was amazing, as he has only been studying for about 6 months! It was a satisfying ending to Day One of this magical event.
On to Boston…. traveling together now in the official RealizeAmerica van, we started really feeling like a tour. The van carries not only yogis, but also media materials such as tour posters, brochures, and t-shirts, as well as chairs and banners. The next program on the agenda was Realization in the Boston Commons. This time local yogis provided a snappy-looking canopy with lots of chairs, looking very inviting, and the chairs were often filled with all kinds of people representing this diverse part of the country.
At first people rushed by, too busy to look at the pamphlets offered by the yogis, (a classic Boston response is "no thanks, I'm all set") but after a short meditation the vibrations started to flow, Jason started to play his sitar, and things started happening. From motorcycle enthusiasts who somehow knew about the Kundalini, to Hispanic teenagers, to visiting Indian professors: all came to visit us under our canopy and feel the light of their Spirit. There are so many delightful moments at events like this; a teenage girl, thrilled to feel cool vibrations emerging over the top of her head; the sight of a ten-year-old with closed eyes, sitting deep in meditation.
When one of the yoginis expressed surprise at the depth of spiritual knowledge her visitor had, he replied, "There are more of us out there in America than you can imagine." What can we do, but thank Mother from the bottom of our hearts for the opportunity to reach out to people here in this way?
After the program, the yogis headed out to Castle Island, a beach on the coast right next to Boston. Here we talked, ate, and footsoaked in the Atlantic Ocean. As the meditation ended, Shri Ganesha seemed to appear in the clouds above the water. It was an auspicious omen, as the vibrations seemed to melt over the city like honey, refreshing everyone with the hope of connecting to more and more people, that they too may recognize our Mother, feel the love that comes from true collectivity, and worship with us at Her Lotus Feet.
Jai Shri Radha Krishna, Shri Adi Shakti Mataji, Shri Nirmala Devi, Ki Jai! |
