Realize America Tour 2008 - Florida

We, in Florida, had an unforgettable time hosting the Realize America Tour. It was the first time the tour came to Florida and hopefully will not be the last. Yogis from Florida were nearly fighting over where the tour would be staying; everyone was eager to host them. The tour began in South Florida on July 15 and ended in North Florida on July 22. The tour consisted of around 16 yogis, with many yuvas from Seattle, L.A., N.Y., and other parts of the U.S., and even from the U.K.

On the first night, we had a Havan to remove any obstacles in our way of the success of the tour. I think it was one of the most powerful havan's I have ever experienced. At that point, we had around 16 tour participants plus 15 yogis from the Florida collective – the largest gathering Florida had ever experienced! The night was incredibly powerful and peaceful.

On July 17th and 18th the participants gave realization at The Kid's Fitness Festival in West Palm Beach where almost 600 children from the ages of 5-13 got their realization, along with some camp counselors and parents, too. What better way to start the tour!

On the evening of the 18th, we had a Public Program at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale with live musical accompaniment from Steve Day, Amrith, Angela, Shankar, Anjan, Elizabeth, Sujata and two Latin musicians that were hired to play along with the team. It was a real treat for both the yogis and the seekers of Florida. All in all, we gave realization to around 22 people that night.

The days just kept getting busier and busier with more and more joy and love all around. On the 19th, we booked a room at the Miami Beach Convention Center and had two Public Programs during the day and a Music and Meditation Concert in the evening. During the two Public Programs, around 30 people got their realization, and 24 more got it at the Music Concert. Some of the seekers that came to the Public Program during the day also joined us at the Music Concert and were in a real state of bliss. The music and songs were chosen in such a way as to lead the audience through their journey of seeking 'peace, balance and bliss' – our advertising tag line. An explanation of the songs was given beforehand to help the audience better connect to the music and the overall experience of the meditation. We had a beautiful variety of Indian classical vocal and instrumental music, The Kumbia, Scottish and Irish melodies, and World Music. “Namaste,” “Rise,” and “Somewhere” were a few of the many highlights that evening. Our highly Latin audience particularly appreciated the Latin flavors provided by Angela and the Latin musicians.

On Sunday, July 20th, we celebrated Shri Guru Puja at Steve and Flurina's house. It was a truly heavenly experience from the beautifully decorated altar to the vibrant chorus of music filling the air. It felt like a national puja.

On Monday, July 21th, the tour headed for Tampa. On Tuesday the 22nd, we had a Public Program at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library, where 26 people got their realization, many of which expressed interest in coming to the follow-ups. When the tour wasn't holding a program or giving realization, they were busy flyering, clearing themselves through dips in the ocean, singing tons of bhajans, and just having fun together.

On Wednesday, July 23nd the tour started for Atlanta. It was very hard to part with them. Our homes felt so empty. As we all started cleaning up, we found a number of items that the tour left behind. That was our sign that they had to be back - soon!

I highly recommend the tour visit your city, although I also want them to come back to Florida again next year! It was a truly heart-warming experience for all yogis involved.

I'm missing all of them so much. I call them nearly everyday just to find out what they're doing.

We wish them all the best as they work their way through each city spreading vibrations and creating a path for Sahaja Yoga in the South.

Jai Shri Mataji!

The Florida Collective