Sahasrara Puja Seminar in Florida!

Great joy was felt during the Sahasrara Puja seminar. Yogis from all parts of Florida and also Atlanta made the journey to Miami to enjoy the collective bliss of their brothers and sisters. Yogis from Northern Florida were the first to arrive on Friday evening. We had not met some of the yogis since the last International Puja in the US, and others we were meeting for the first time.

Saturday morning greeted with our local South Florida yogis. It was really nice to see everyone, both new and old, here for our first Southeast Seminar! After a nice bagel-breakfast, were headed off to the meditation room, where we were guided through a beautiful meditation. As we placed our attention on each of the deities of the chakras, we were able to have a really deep and joyful meditation. We then watched the Australian DVD, where Shri Mataji talked to the brides and grooms as they prepared for their marriages. She also told the story of Shri Ganesha’s birth, and we watched Shri Mataji as She carefully gave names to the newly-born realized souls of Australia. As soon as the video ended, we were eager to start singing bhajans. What was especially nice to see was when some of the more established yogis helped the newer yogis pronounce the words of the bhajans before we got started; it really helped them feel more comfortable with the words.

After a quick lunch, we sat around and discussed various topics, like What is a Puja, What is Attention, and just a basic review of Sahaja Yoga principles.

The discussion ended with an invitation to the beach for a collective footsoak! This was what everyone, especially the out-of–state yogis, were looking forward to, not to mention the smiles on the children’s faces. So, we all squeezed into a few cars and drove down to the beach. Unfortunately, we couldn’t meet up all together, but everyone managed to enjoy themselves to their fullest. When Adam, from Atlanta, reached home, he was soaking wet from jumping in the water with all his clothes on! But, who could blame him? The water was really tempting.

After all the cars reached back to the home base, some yogis took showers to freshen up before the evenings Bar-b-que! From chicken to salmon, our mouths were watering with each smell. As I walked through the house, I noticed 4 groups of yogis all engrossed in their little own world. There was the singing group, in the meditation room. They were all the yuvashakti, and they were unstoppable. They were so engrossing in the music that they didn’t notice anything around them. Then there was the laughing group, where whenever I’d pass by they would break into laughter. Apparently, you had to be there. Then there was a discussion group, where some yogis were discussing various important issues at great length. And, in the patio, was, of course, the Bar-b-que group. Actually, Anjan was the one doing all the bar-b-queing, while the rest of us were just sitting around enjoying the quiet evening together – and eagerly awaiting the delicious food.

After the bar-b-que, we headed for bed rather quickly as Puja was the next morning.

Some of us woke up bright and early to prepare the puja items. It was such a joy to clean silverware, decorate the altar, and prepare prasad with all the yogis. The puja was especially nice. By the end of the puja all our faces had changed with a sweet glow of peace. The newer yogis were thrilled to have been part of such a grand experience.

This was the first regional seminar in Florida and we hope to continue such gatherings again very soon.

Jai Shri Mataji!