Sahaja Yoga in Florida

Southeast Seminar - St. Augustine, FL

2009-04-16T22:59:00.006-04:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

!! Jai Shri Mataji !!

This past weekend, around forty-five yogis from the Southeastern collectives gathered together for a most joyous seminar at a cozy beach house in St. Augustine, Florida. The beach, which was truly gorgeous, was in walking distance from the house. The sand was as soft as flour. The breeze was refreshing as was the water. We foot soaked in the mornings and evenings. Some of us also enjoyed kite flying and swimming.

The décor of the beach house also set the mood for a very relaxing weekend. With all the windows opened, we received a wonderful ocean breeze in every room. The house was decorated with beautiful shells and charming lighthouses. With every step, we were reminded that we were living on the beach.

One of the highlights of the weekend was a very inspiring Growth Team presentation. Even though some of us had heard a good part of the presentation before, there was always something new for us to learn each time it was presented. One of the most important points made was that yogis need to be in tune with their own vibrations in order to best guide the seekers through meditation. With this new format of presenting Sahaja Meditation, the presenter must be fully “present” in all senses of the word.

Another highlight of the weekend was a wonderful Easter Puja celebration. It was such a nice feeling to prepare for the puja with so many brothers and sisters. Everything was done smoothly and effortlessly. The bhajans were tremendous, and the deep silence was felt within us all.

This seminar was revitalizing in so many ways. It helped us to reconnect with our brothers and sisters from other collectives as well as re-unite with those from our own. Above all, this seminar helped us to remember what we are truly here to do: to give realization and spread the message of Mother's Love.

We are eager to host another seminar in St. Augustine or any other place in the Southeast.

Until then, enjoy the pictures!

With love,
The Southeastern yogis

Sahaja Yoga in Florida: Realize America Tour 2008 - Florida

2009-04-16T22:58:00.000-04:00

Sahaja Yoga in Florida: Realize America Tour 2008 - Florida

Realize America Tour 2008 - Florida

2008-07-29T14:08:00.004-04:00

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

NBC Health & Fitness Expo, Miami Beach, May 2007

2007-06-01T22:10:00.000-04:00

This year, the Florida Collective had an opportunity to give realization at the NBC 6/Telemundo 51 Health & Fitness Expo at the Miami Beach Convention Center on May 19th and 20th. This event was our largest event ever, where almost 900 people received their realization! Yogis from North and South Florida, as well as a yogi from New York joined us. We were around 30 in number, but that still was not enough to accommodate all the seekers. We were giving realization non-stop. Some of us even had to eat lunch around 3 or 4pm, because of the number of seekers inquiring about the meditation. We also had T-shirts made for this event. One lady liked the shirts so much that she wanted to know if she could buy one from us!

It’s always interesting to see where the organizers of these events decide to place our booth. This was our first NBC Expo, and we were situated right in front of one of the stages and adjacent to a food vendor. We were a bit concerned as to how it would work out, being especially close to the stage. But, it always manages to be a success, no matter where we are placed, or what we may think would be the best location for us.

Also, the food vendor next to us was actually giving away free samples of ‘Success Rice’ (that was the name brand). And, as the name suggests, having the food vendor next to us did bring us success. As people were grabbing samples of rice, they automatically turned towards our display board, read it, and realized that they would like to know more about it. The samples of rice were enough to get them sitting down, yet small enough to get them started quickly.

As we became more comfortable with our surroundings, we started grabbing more chairs to accommodate the crowds. We also got some chairs from other vendors who weren’t using them. It was nice to see us extending out to the middle of the walkway. It looked like we were taking over the place! The fact that we were stretching out so much brought us even more people. There were so many seekers interested to know about Sahaja Yoga, that we actually ran out of flyers by the end of the second day! We also got a chance to sing “Jogwa” on stage; this also brought more seekers to our booth.

The music was pretty loud; however, the stage was one of the things that attracted the people, so we got seekers from that aspect. The music also proved that meditating can be simple and easy, and you don’t necessarily need a quiet place in order to feel your inner peace. Many people were amazed that they were able to achieve a sense of peace despite the noise.

We had so many nice stories to share with each other. One story had to do with some of the Miami seekers. As of now, we don’t have a center in Miami, yet a good number of seekers were coming from there and asking about a center closest to them. A few ladies sweetly asked us: “If I start practicing this for some time, I would be willing to find a place in Miami to hold meetings! Can I do that?” I’m sure we will have meetings in Miami soon, as it has been the desire of many yogis and now is the desire of many non-yogis too!

Here are some experiences that a few yogis had during the expo:

“I was amazed at how fresh I felt the whole weekend, despite how busy I was talking to people and giving realization. I had very little sleep the night before, but it didn’t disturb me. At home, if I get such little sleep, even doing a little housework would make me feel so tired. I guess that’s the beauty of doing Mother’s work!”

“During the first afternoon of the fair I got to work on an elderly lady. She was a very cute and dignified looking person. Her eyes were very alert, and she seemed to get into meditation without much effort, despite the many distractions around us. She obviously felt it very well; her Kundalini rose strongly. The next day she returned with her daughter. I recognized the lady from the previous day and went over to her. She greeted me like an old friend, and then asked to be worked on once more.

The first lady I gave realization to on Sunday got it nicely and strongly, a couple of catches washed away relatively easily. She felt it, and said it was just what she had been looking for. I explained to her how I had felt the cool breeze coming out of her fontanel bone area, and how I felt a blockage at her heart at first. She interrupted me and said: ‘Oh, I am not surprised; I had a stroke a couple of years ago.’ I continued telling her that the other blockage I had felt was in the lower abdominal area on the left hand side. Again she interrupted me and said: ‘No wonder, the doctor had found a cyst there, but had decided not to operate as long as it did not bother me!’ I don't usually tell the people coming to get their realization what catches I feel, but with this lady it came up spontaneously, and it seemed to give her a deeper understanding of the amazing potential of Sahaja Yoga.

One family, a husband and wife with a young child, came along. It was easy to convince them to sit down and try it. The lady was hesitant because of the demanding presence of her young child. But the little girl was very cooperative: we gave her a chair right next to her mother; she climbed up on it and just kept watching - for almost five minutes. All three of them got their realization. The child didn't need more than just a check over her head - she was cool!

One man was standing watching with a smile of maybe slight ridicule. He got talked into trying the experience without much explanation beforehand. He sat down, closed his eyes and opened his hands. I worked on him for 5 - 10 minutes. He didn't seem to want to open his eyes at the end. When he did, the expression on his face had changed completely: he looked serene and touched by what he had felt. He asked many questions about Sahaja Yoga and listened attentively. He wanted to know how to connect with this knowledge more permanently.

It was all together a wonderful experience! I met people from Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, Peru, and Iran and from several states in America.

The last person I got to give realization to at the end of the fair on Sunday was a younger lady. When she came, she was out of breath. She said she was trying for several hours to reach the fair, the stormy weather and other obstacles had kept her away. Our booth was the only one she got to attend. She got her self realization easily and strongly. She relaxed, and said she was grateful for the experience. She said this was all she needed from the fair!”

Jai Shri Mataji

The Fruits of our Mother

2007-03-12T14:14:00.000-04:00

On March 3rd and 4th we had the pleasure of giving realization during the Asian Cultural Fair at the Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead. We had always heard about the Fruit and Spice Park, but we never had a chance to go there since it is pretty far from where we all live. But, now was our opportunity!

The drive itself was pleasant. It seemed as though we had gone to a different state all together! Suddenly we were surrounded by farms and nurseries of all kinds. We knew we must be getting closer to the Fruit and Spice Park. It was in such a remote area that we were wondering who would show up for the fair.

Well, lo and behold the fair was packed with people. The weather was gorgeous as it usually is in March. The yogis had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful day, sitting on the green grass sipping fresh coconut milk and eating freshly picked strawberries.

During both days, almost 200 people received their realization! The traffic flow was unstoppable. As we got busier, we kept our explanation of Sahaja Yoga to a bear minimum. Ultimately, we asked the seekers to hold out their hands, close their eyes and ask their mothering energy within them to ‘please grant me my self-realization.’ And, people felt the peace almost instantly!

It is always a joy for us to see people feeling the peace and joy of their Spirit. Even though we were far south, we met people who lived in many of the areas where we currently hold weekly meetings.

The highlight of both days was when we got up on stage and gave a 5 minute presentation to about 100 people. Not everyone received their realization, but many people were open to trying it and ultimately felt the cool breeze! It was a great opportunity for us.

We look forward to participating in many more events in the near future!

Jai Shri Mataji,
Florida Collective

Spreading Mother's Message of Love in Naples, FL

2007-02-28T10:12:00.000-05:00

It all began on Realize America Day, July 29 2006, when my brothers Anjan, Ramesh and Kartik came to join me on the wonderful journey in Naples. It started with a joyful sentence: "I feel in a quiet state of peace," said Anjan.

Spreading Sahaja Yoga has been a tremendous and beautiful task in this small town. Since Realize America Day, I have started giving meetings at a local Community Center. I begin the meetings with a small introduction and present Shri Mataji's talk about the knowledge of the roots and Her incredible message of truth. Afterwards, I give them Self-Realization.

During my regular meditations at home, I ask the Almighty to give me the art of pure divine knowledge in order to spread Her message of truth. For the last few weeks, I've been feeling a bit down because of some personal situations, and I asked for love and a sign of Her company in my heart to calm me down. When all of a sudden, I opened a magazine called "Knowledge of Reality" where there was an excerpt on Shri Ganesha Puja. This short, yet amazing message said: "Put one's attention on problems and having the faith that the Divine Power will work it out will solve all your problems." Suddenly I was in a complete state of peace and joy; there were no thoughts at all!

It's an awesome feeling knowing that our Mother always wants the best for us. This is what She said in Her New Year's message to us:

"I CONVEY MY LOVE AND BLESSINGS TO ALL MY CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. I WISH YOU COMPLETE SUCCESS IN YOUR DEDICATED EFFORTS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ELEVATING, ENLIGHTENING AND UNITING SPIRITUAL MESSAGE OF SAHAJA YOGA.
WITH PURE AND EQUAL LOVE FOR ALL, YOU WILL SUCCEED FULLY IN YOUR NOBLE MISSION."
-MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI

All that I can say is AMEN!

Here are some extraordinary experiences from some of the regular seekers at the meetings:

A lady, by the name of Diane, came to know about Sahaja Yoga through the internet. She read an article about two astronauts that practice Sahaja Yoga. She was quite enthusiastic about coming to the program; I talked to her by phone the first time and gave her directions to our center. She arrived early to the first session. At first, she was a little bit skeptical about Sahaja Yoga, as she didn't feel vibrations. I told her not to worry and to try it again at home.

The next day she called me back saying that she felt electricity on her fingers and was thoughtless!

Another boy felt a gentle, breeze-like sensation on his palms and felt very relaxed. His mother added that every time she comes to the program she feels more vibrations. They have started practicing together at home.

There is also a family of three that come regularly. At first the mother told everyone that she was seeking something that would give her an experience of peace and fulfillment. Learning about the first chakra, I read about the qualities of Shri Ganesha and why he was to be worshiped first. Smiles were the only thing we could see on our faces.

Jay Shri Mataji!!!

With love,
Jean Paul

1st Children's Program in South FL!

2006-12-08T11:06:00.000-05:00

We had been wanting to start a Sahaja Yoga program for children for quite some time, and last month it became a reality!

There were 6 children between the ages of 5-12, along with their parents. Little did we know, the program was just as fun and informative for the parents as it was for the kids!

We started with a short meditation, and then Irina taught them about the location of all the chakras on their bodies and the corresponding location on the palm of their hands. She focused mainly on the Mooladhara chakra, and at the end of class, she handed out a short quiz on the material that was covered.

The children also learned how to feel each others vibrations. Afterwards, they had snacks and worked on a Word Search game that my daughter Sonia had prepared with Sahaja Yoga terms.

The children really enjoyed themselves. They are looking forward to December's class which will focus on the Agnya chakra and include a 'Secret Santa' gift exchange. They are also planning to make hot chocolate and Christmas cookies.

We hope and pray that all the children get established in Sahaja Yoga and feel Mother’s Love in their hearts.

Jai Shri Mataji!
Mina N. Mansukhani

Rehabilitation Center in Boca Raton

2006-11-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

Every Wednesday at 10:30am, Apurva Puranik from Boca Raton, FL holds meetings at Whitehall, the Rehabilitation Center where she works as a Social Worker. She cares for elderly patients, who are between the ages of 80 and 90. The specific group of patients that Apurva holds programs for are part of a Transitional Program, which is a program that helps patients get back to a more independent mode of living.

At the time the management came up with this Transitional program, they wanted to incorporate a relaxation technique, as well; that’s when they remembered Apurva! She had done an 8-week course at this facility some months ago, so they thought she would be the best person to handle this program.

In addition to introducing her patients to Sahaja Yoga and Shri Mataji, she incorporates breathing techniques, too. She chooses not to use a candle or Shri Mataji’s photo. All in all, she wants to keep Sahaja Yoga simple for them.

Apurva sees a new group of patients every week, as they go back to their homes on a weekly basis. At the end of her classes, she gives the patients Sahaja Yoga flyers and encourages them to tell their families about Sahaja Yoga. Most of her patients have cancer, and she has received positive feedback from all of them. Some patients even ask her to come to their individual rooms and guide them through meditation.

As a result of all the positive feedback from her patients, Apurva wants to ask her management if Sahaja Yoga can be used on the other, less functioning, patients, as well. She is planning on making this suggestion during the next Care-Plan meeting at her facility.

Hispanic Heritage Health Fair in Weston!

2006-10-26T14:43:00.000-04:00

On a nice, pleasant day in the middle of October, where the cool breeze was preparing the seekers of truth for a most beautiful union with Divine Love, Latin Americans from Weston, FL gathered together at the Weston Regional Healthcare Hospital to learn about their healthcare options at the Hispanic Heritage Health Fair. Little did they know that they would be receiving the best healthcare option of all: their Self-Realization.

The Hispanic Heritage Health Fair’s main objective was to inform people about a better quality of life. The Health Fair targeted Latin families in Weston and gathered more than 800 people. The event was sponsored by Mujeres Latinas Impulsando Mujeres Latinas (MLIML) or Latin Women Empowering Latin Women.

We were very pleased to be part of such a worthy event. Among the vendors providing free information about medical insurance, blood pressure and cholesterol tests, were the Sahaja Yogis. It was a large enough fair that we got many seekers of truth flocking to our booth, but also small enough to be able to gather almost each and everyone by their hand. While some yogis were directing the seekers to the booth, others were waiting to give them realization at the booth. As each seeker approached the booth, we asked them: “English or Spanish?” We pointed to one side of the booth for English and the other side for Spanish. Most of the people were health oriented to begin with, which helped us to start a conversation about Sahaja Yoga.

This was one of our most successful events after a long time. Usually Sahaja Yogis have to distribute dozens of flyers until a few vendors even look at our booth. This time the majority of vendors were ready to leave their responsibilities at their own tables and receive the knowledge their Spirit was longing for.

Thankfully, with this fair, we hardly had a chance to breathe or even eat our lunch. After 12:00pm the booth next to ours started serving lunch. More people started coming to our shady area to sit and eat, and after some time they realized that their nabhis were still not satisfied. So, after a nice lunch, they too got their awakening. Some media people also got their realization and expressed their interest in having us in their newspapers or magazines.

All in all, it was very nice collective day, which gave the yogis and the seekers a lot of joy. The yogis were also happy that this would bring more seekers to the new Spanish program in Weston. We hope that more people will discover the beauty of Sahaja Yoga and become a part and the parcel of the Ocean of Love created by our Beloved Mother.

Jai Shri Mataji!
The Florida Collective

Realize America - Gainesville

2006-08-31T17:57:00.000-04:00

By Shri Mataji’s blessings, Gainesville hosted its first Realize America Day on July 29, 2006. Here in Gainesville, we are only two yogis, so we asked the Tampa yogis to come and help us in spreading Sahaja Yoga. With the joy of this larger collectivity, we were able to give Self-Realization to the seekers of truth from our town.

Realize America Day was held at The India Cultural and Education Center. They provided us with a nice meditation room decorated with flowers and little, beautiful representations of Shri Ganesha and Shri Shiva.

The first realization session started at 11 a.m., and we were very happy to have one Indian gentleman, who seemed to be a high quality seeker. He felt the cool breeze very clearly on his hands and over his head. At the end of the program, he even showed respect to Shri Mataji by bowing his head in a long, thankful homage.

At 2 p.m. two journalists from The Gainesville Sun came to the program; they knew about the Realize America Day event because of a press release they received. They began by asking many questions about Sahaja Yoga, Self-Realization and Shri Mataji, and they took several pictures of the seekers. However, they did not seem to be very interested in personally getting the experience. But, suddenly, something changed, and they wanted to try the experiment. After getting their Self-Realization, their faces were shining with the Pure Joy of the Spirit.

The last meditation program commenced at 4 p.m., where we had eight seekers of truth. All of them experienced their Self-Realization, and those who did not feel the cool breeze were worked on by the yogis. They helped the seekers by giving them vibrations, balancing their channels and clearing their subtle system. After they were worked on, they were better able to enjoy the vibrations of their Spirit. Before they left, we told them about our follow-up meetings that we had set-up at a local bookstore.

All day we felt the attention of our Holy Mother. Her attention provided us with the energy, the Love and Compassion to do God’s work. Thank you Shri Mataji for the marvelous blessings and accomplished wishes.

Jai Shri Mataji,
Liliana

2006-08-10T17:31:00.000-04:00

When East meets Weston

Thanks to Realize America Day on July 29, we now have weekly meetings in Spanish in beautiful Weston, Florida.

We have been getting many seekers coming from Weston to attend our weekly meetings in Davie, for a few years now. Even though Davie is not far from Weston, when we heard about Realize America, we thought we should definitely start something in Weston. Another reason we chose Weston was that we have a few yogis living there, and they have been longing to conduct programs in their area for quite sometime; they just didn’t know how to begin. But, once we agreed to start, things took off in no time.

We went ahead by looking for a place to hold follow-up programs in Spanish, as we thought that would be harder to find than a venue for Realize America. However, we were happily mistaken, as it happened without much effort. Ultimately, we agreed to have our follow-up programs at a dance studio in a busy shopping plaza.

After finding a place for our follow-ups, we started to look for a venue for Realize America. We wanted a place close to the dance studio, and that is just want we got. After looking at various community centers, libraries, colleges and hotels, we discovered that the Courtyard by Marriott was best suited for our needs.

We conducted an all day event, with hourly programs alternating between Spanish and English.

As soon as the seekers walked in, we started them off with a video of Shri Mataji’s life and how She founded Sahaja Yoga; they were all very receptive to what She had to say. A few ladies were so engrossed in the video that they asked to see it again as soon as it was finished!

Many seekers felt the cool breeze coming out of their fontanel bone…

While others felt the joy in their hearts as they asked, “Mother is this the all-pervading power of God’s Love?”

We were positive that we would get more English speakers, as we did more postering and advertising in English. For the Latin community, we advertised more by word of mouth.

However, when we looked back on that day, we realized that we had only one English seeker, while the rest of the 11 were Latin Americans! How interesting! Maybe it was Shri Mataji’s way of saying that we should put more attention on giving Realization to the Latin community now!

The Latin Americans in Weston are certainly putting attention on Sahaja Yoga. Since July 29, we have had one follow-up in the dance studio with more seekers then on Realize America Day! Our Davie programs have also doubled since then!

Realize America was not just a one day event, but rather it was a day that has taken us to weeks of enjoyment and success in Weston and beyond, and we’re sure it will take us to many, many more.

Jai Shri Mataji!!!

The Realize America Team of Weston

Sahasrara Puja Seminar in Florida!

2006-07-27T11:01:00.000-04:00

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!

Sahaja Yoga Programs in Florida

2006-06-25T09:55:00.000-04:00

General EMail: sahajyog@hotmail.com
Main Website: www.sahajayoga.org

FORT LAUDERDALE

Meeting Locations

South Florida Hindu Temple
13010 Griffin Road
Davie, FL 33330
Wednesdays, 7:00 pm
Tel: (954) 704-8329
EMail: sahajyog@hotmail.com

GAINESVILLE

Meeting Locations

Books, Inc.
505 NW, 13th Street
Gainesville, FL 32601
Saturdays, 11:00 am
Tel: Liliana: (352) 379-4630
EMail: lilypac_99@yahoo.com

NAPLES

Meeting Locations

Vineyards Community Center
6231 Arbor Blvd West
Naples, FL 34119
Wednesdays, 7:00 pm
Tel: Jean Paul: (786) 202-1399
EMail: jeanpaul.cadavid@gmail.com

ORLANDO

Meeting Locations

Tel : Marlene: (407) 891-8971

TAMPA

Meeting Locations

Tel : Manisha Patel: (813) 852-1265 (h) or (813) 770-9214 (c)
EMail: mpatel70@yahoo.com

WESTON

Meeting Locations - IN SPANISH

Jazzercise
16634 Saddle Club Road
(Town Center Bonaventure)
Weston, FL 33326
(On the corner of Bonaventure blvd. and Saddle Club Road)
Saturdays, 4:00 pm
Tel: Isabel: (786) 444-6161
EMail: isagugo@gmail.com

WEST PALM BEACH

Meeting Locations

Palm Beach Lakes Community High School
3505 Shiloh Drive (in the Media Room)
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Wednesdays, 7:00 pm
Tel : Judy Langelier: (561) 687-0330 (h) or (561) 818-8877 (c)
EMail: judyland30@hotmail.com

The Joy Of Giving

2006-05-03T14:45:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, July 08, 2003

This 4th of July, we participated in Mayor Penelas’ Health and Fitness Challenge where we gave realization to almost 80 people at the Amelia Earhart Park in Hialeah, Florida. This is a year-long program that promotes physical exercise, nutrition and stress management. Mayor Alex Penelas seeks to significantly increase health and fitness awareness and education in the Miami-Dade County community.

Throughout the day, there was a constant flow of people coming to get their realization. Even before we had a chance to arrange our tent, people were asking about Sahaja Yoga. There were no Spanish speakers amongst us for the first half of the day; however, we still managed to give them their realization.

With our broken-Spanish, we seemed to have better responses with the Spanish seekers than we did with some of the English speakers. It was really something.

There were a few other types of yogas next to our tent, however we were rather unique according to a Miami Herald reporter, who came to our booth and interviewed some of the people who had just received their realization. The reporter said that she did not go around to every booth in the park, but somehow she felt that there was something special about Sahaja Yoga.

One man who was working for the Mayor asked us if we would be interested in holding meetings in other areas around Miami Dade County; he even offered to put our meetings in the Calendar of Events section on their website.

We all had a wonderful time talking to people about Sahaja Yoga and giving them realization. We hope that the seekers come back to our follow-ups and recognize the beauty and grandeur of Sahaja Yoga.

On this day we learned that Shri Mataji is the Real Doer. Her Love really does go beyond words. Although this understanding is not something new for any of us, it is at this time that it comes up to the surface of our being.

Giving realization allows us to put our faith, our knowledge into practice, and that is when we experience the Joy of Giving.

Jai Shri Mataji!

Sahaja Yoga Flourishes over Martin Luther King Weekend in South Florida

2006-05-03T14:16:00.000-04:00

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