Sahaja Yoga Flourishes over Martin Luther King Weekend in South Florida

Thursday, January 23, 2003

On January 18th and 19th a divine cool breeze descended upon Florida bringing near freezing temperatures to the South Florida Folk Fest. These unseasonably cool temperatures did not deter a group of dedicated and determined yogis in Fort Lauderdale to spread the word about Sahaja Yoga. Hundreds of flyers were handed out and more than 50 folk fest participants from around the USA received their self realization.

While folk music and contra dancing abounded on stages throughout the park, vendors were showing their wares and Shri Mataji was working through Her instruments to explain what Sahaja Yoga is and to raise the kundalini of willing participants.

The most beautiful part of this weekend experience was the sweetness and gratitude expressed by the participants after they received their self-realization. They were so moved by the experience and so surprised to see that a booth for Sahaja Yoga would be clustered among the sunglass and music CD venders, chair-massage therapists, animal activists and clothing vendors. Never did they expect to find what they were searching for among those booths. They were also surprised and relieved to learn that there is never a charge for Sahaja Yoga meditation.

To prepare for this event, a vendor booth was reserved, a sandwich board was build, posters were printed, "Ask me about Sahaja Yoga" buttons were donned and flyers were printed for distribution. Ideas for all of these techniques were gathered during the back-to-back pujas in LA last fall and helped to make participation at this event successful.

The folk fest took place during the holiday weekend designated to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, the African-American civil rights activist that is best remembered for his moving speech beginning with the words "I have a dream…." His hard work and dedication brought inspiration to his followers while his accomplishments have made an enormous difference in the lives of African-Americans everywhere.

The Sahaja yogis of the Florida Collective have a dream, too. Our dream is to spread Sahaja Yoga by giving self-realizations, thus honoring Shri Mataji, to inspire by example and make a difference in the lives of the people that we reach.

Jai Shri Mataji
Judy Langelier, West Palm Beach, Florida