Sadhana

Each morning I get up and go to the roof to do asana before it gets too hot/buggy. That’s followed by a seated practice in the meditation room. 

Then we have breakfast, clean up and head to the ashram. Usually we walk, but occasionally Vijay is on the route and takes us there.

Once you arrive, you put your shoes away, wash your hands, and (if it feels right) prostrate to Gurudev / his padukas. 

The devotees who’ve stayed behind have been busy at the ashram while he’s been away — cleaning, updating and painting, etc.  Visitors have been few and far between.

Usually, after sitting for awhile, you will be given a small paper bowl of prasad (fruit and, occasionally, a sweet). After consuming it you go outside and dispose of the bowl. Then you wash your hands and rinse your mouth before sitting down again.

Today we went upstairs and sat in the Lahiri Mahasaya* room, and later in the Pahari Baba room. Both are so sattvic. The mind became fully calm.

After our sit, the devotees served us a lovely lunch. Then we wove our way back home thru the heat, Jal Mahal tourists and auto-rickshas. 

We had a rest, and then got up to find  the vetiver blinds on the ramp outside our room going full blast. Above the blinds are are small hoses that throw mist on the natural materials; it has a wonderfully cooling and humidifying effect (plus it smells good). 

 I’ll try putting up a video on of it on Facebook.

* * * 

The Lahiri Mahasaya*  room has the same image of Lord Shiva as the one I first saw in Sri Dharma’s studio, back in 1999.

Jai Guru!