India continues to call me....

....and I keep choosing to answer the call!  My latest visit was to Southern India, on my second pilgrimage with my meditation teacher. It was another wonderful immersion into contemplation, ceremony and reflection.

My spiritual seeking began in earnest with Chris, soon after my father died suddenly of a heart attack at home when I was 20. I had no idea he had heart problems – such things were not discussed by men of my dad’s generation. Being home alone with him at the time was confronting and awful. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so alone, except for the night (and subsequent days, weeks, months) after Chris passed away.

With Chris’s support to help me process my grief he introduced me to some esoteric philosophies and teachings. We read many books, listened to tapes and CDs and attended workshops and seminars. I found solace in the new ways of thinking and was gaining a different perceptive on “the big picture”.

I was raised Presbyterian, faithfully attending Sunday school every week. Even playing piano for singing hymns and teaching Sunday school for the younger children when I was about 11 or 12. I think I did it because it made mum proud. That was up until her death a couple of months before my 13^th birthday.  I lost my faith in organised religion. Why was my mother taken from me, from my dad and brother?

I didn’t realise it at the time, but this was the beginning of an existential crisis for me.  And it lasted a long time....

For twenty years I continued to question the meaning of life. Funnily enough I kept encountering people also searching. Some were work colleagues, there were a couple of clairvoyants thrown in the mix too, people I met randomly, and opportunities for personal growth and introspection, particularly during our caravan park years.

Fast forward to when yoga came into my life, in my 40s.  I think from my first class I realised there was “something interesting” about the practice.  Looking back now, I’m sure it’s the subtle shifts in energy and perception that sets yoga apart from other forms of exercise. For most people yoga is a wonderful physical practice - exercise and stretching, that allows them to move with grace, feel stronger, be more present on a day-to-day basis and ultimately find calm and peace in a sometimes chaotic world. 

That was me! Until I discovered that yoga was more than asana. It’s a non-sectarian comprehensive practice encompassing the poses, philosophy, meditation and self-discovery. Commonly defined as to join, to yoke or to unite.... Yoga is the ultimate union of the self with the Divine (God, Universe, Nature, Unified Field – insert your own word!). Yoga can be seen as an art and a science of healthy living to achieve lasting bliss, liberation from suffering. (Yes please!!)

Attending yoga retreats with some amazing teachers, opened my eyes and mind. I started to find parallels with yoga philosophy and the esoteric teachings I’d investigated earlier. I found that interesting. There is also common ground of insights with other religions. As I’ve continued to search and learn I realise that the source of this knowledge is the Vedas (said to be over 5,000 years old), the Upanishads and other ancient texts.  They provide valuable insights into the history and philosophy of yoga.

There have been times in classes where I’ve had intuitive thoughts. One such instance happened while I was lying in Savasana in Tryphena Hall. Savasana, corpse pose, the relaxation pose at the end of every class is an essential part of yoga practice and can help develop self-awareness and a witness consciousness. On this day I’m comfortably settling down on the floor after a strong class and feeling very relaxed. I become aware of a voice saying you are going to train to be a yoga teacher. Hmmm, as if......was my instant thought...that’s crazy and it’ll never happen. But...the seed was sown. And I’m grateful I followed that voice!

Meditation and concentration are integral to yoga and can be practiced on and off the mat.  Over the years I’ve practiced different forms of meditation but always thought I “wasn’t doing it right” and struggled. My uh-ha moment came when I learnt Vedic meditation in 2021. It’s an off-shoot of Transcendental Meditation as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – my teachers teachers’ teacher....lineage is foundational! This lineage dates back thousands of years. After 24 hours I knew I’d finally found a meditation practice that was right for me – it espoused to be effortless....and it was! Primarily it’s a stress-releasing practice, using a mantra to lull the mind, and fall into a quiet space. But sometimes it’s a noisy mind talk session – and that’s good too. I found it so different to other meditation styles. How do you still the mind? Having no expectations during a sitting is liberating!

Twice a day for 20 minutes for a life-changing, stress releasing outcome.... perfect!

My spiritual growth continues – a trip to India helps! I’m sure if he was in his body, Chris would be soaking up the energy of hundreds of years old temples, receiving blessings from enlightened teachers and giving offerings to the fire beside me.

He is there in spirit....

 Namaste,

Julie x