Writing is art. It is a soul being born, the unique words flow into being. The sentences choose themselves, a gift falling in from the mind and either. Instead of paint, the medium is connection, observation, feeling, reflection and presence.

This form of expression is both a mystical and alchemical process. Besides an objective key to spirit, it is a way of sharing viewpoints, love, beauty, hope, inspiration, vibration, healing and concepts. For me writing can also be a way for me to step outside of myself to see my process with objective fresh eyes. I is like editing a book for someone else as opposed to trying to edit your own book after working on it for hours. It serves as a step back.

I believe it is partially through writing that I learned that quality of stepping back mentally from situations in my life to see the whole wide picture, motives, truth and it has in part honed my ability to read situations. It is like Quora only the questions are answered by yourself. Some sadhus do this by observing silence. Writing, if you think about it, is a way of being deeply present with self to allow what has been listened to to manifest. I am grateful that as I grew I always kept journals to sort through my experiences. The cumulative practice pays off so I can now edit others writings as well as hone my own.

Meditation enhances the ability to receive inspiration and clarity because it is like soil for seeds. The birth of the pen to paper comes in at first through silence. I used to work in a darkroom for many hours. I would be in the dark in order to process up to forty rolls of film. I would play music and just feel the rolls of film as I placed them onto the cartridges. It was such a tactile presence. The deep focus opened my mind and poetry would come through. As I then developed the film it gave me more time. I would write in the dark. Once the process began it would continue outside of the darkroom.

With the distractions of the day and responsibilities it is now harder to carve out time to just be. This is one of my practices. It brings me joy to open my heart creatively.

I am trained to do a deep healing with Rudruksha malas. The purpose is an overall regenerate session. First is to prepare the body to receive, them to clear any negative energies and finally to add nectar. These loving sessions utilizes the energies of Shiva.

Tonight I had a session and in the last aspect my body was burning up on fire with the energies coming through. The receiver however felt cool.

No healing is ever the same as each person is unique, like a river flows so does a being. Even the same person is never the same twice. Similarly the practitioner will also have different energy.

Right now I am feeling such a deep sense of peace and and can feel every cell and molecule of self. There are waves and waves of warmth as in love flowing. My third eye, crown chakra and throat and heart feel deep pulsations of loving pranic energy. The waves of contentment continue!

It is time for a deep sleep now.

I don’t talk about offering this type of healing often but I should because It is really a treat to receive even as the giver.

Do you know what it is to know? It is a form of sensing where through the body, tuning to how it feels and sitting with self, answers come.

This is something that has always been developed in me. In fact I did not realize that this was something not everyone could tap into. I can step back energetically as if zooming out and see whole pictures of situations. I know who I should introduce to each other as in friends because I feel vibratory rates. I know truth when I see it and the opposite of that. I know what resonates!

When I say know I don’t mean like knowledge from a book. This is direct. It relates to the feeling body and the more it is trusted in the more it turns on. It is just running! I know even what to say to people to uplift. It isn’t really from me. It just drops in. Like making art or writing poetry.

I know vibrancy as in health. I have known on several occasions when someone will pull out from a coma. I know things like if someone is being underhanded with me. I can tell honesty. I know when someone else has the same type of knowing and feeling as I do. This is useful because when I teach Pranashakthi I want to teach people who have a skill set. I attract these people naturally. I know who has the gift.

As part of my medical intuition I know what type of pain a person is in, the density and other subtle things but I get information just by speaking to a person that I could not have received except by direct transmission. I know what technique within the main umbrella of healing that will be effective.

I am interested to hear how knowing operates in your life? Do you just know when to change lanes or to stop at a light because someone is going to run it? Do you bring the right item to a potluck in both the right amount and the right item? Do you know where the parking spots are? Tune in and consider this. It is a sensing we all have!

Photo by Andrii Skaliuk

I gave myself a step away from electronics to be present with my family visiting from Oregon and Northern California. My oldest sister invites us all each year and although I have missed a few I am so grateful for the kindness she extends each year. Everyone including my mother, all of of my siblings and nieces/ nephews were here.

It was lovely to reconnect with everyone as often I am in India at this time!

Being off internet was precious! The silence at night of no cars. Sometimes I stay up late just to have that peace in San Francisco. Bit it never really gets quiet.

My father had written us, his daughters, a letter to be shared with us when he passed to spirit. The purpose was to recount his life in case we had questions. My mother brought this for us to read this weekend. He has been gone for years so it was nice to receive this.

I knew his life was not easy. He came from poverty living without running water and electricity for part of his childhood. His parents did not have the full capacity to care for him, working hard and drinking, so he largely raised himself. Experiencing suffering of poverty, he and his siblings fended for themselves and experienced neglect, he had a sensitive heart. At one point he even lived in a chicken coop.

I am touched that he shared his vulnerable history. That he had concern for us because he had questions for his own parents when they passed. I was glad that this letter was not given to me when the transition was recent. Although I believe in reincarnation losing a parent is not easy. It was much easier to read this a few years out.

What I received from this is an understanding of my life and experiences I had. I feel for the young boy who was my father and my uncle who is still living. It also illuminates the hard work of my own mother. Times these days in some ways are more progressive and luxurious and in others much more complicated (constant stimulation of the brain and overused or electronics).

I was not aware this set of writings existed, though my father was a prolific writer and I know he kept journals.

I am grateful! I knew many of these stories but to read it all in one sitting was like talking to him again.

I am grateful!

I have two feral cats that live near me. They always know when to come spend time with me. They used to be so shy now they let me approach them. It’s a love bond! ✨🧡✨

Pranashakthi is such a versatile system of healing. Last year in India I started working with light therapy in connection to this modality. When combined it amplifies the light. The cartridges are of liquid and water is a conductor so the energy flows very nicely! There are also crystals and flower essences within. It is really clearing!

Different colors emit a different vibration. They each feel differently. I will post some still photos to demonstrate what I mean. I am so grateful for Pranashakthi!

In 2004 I was seeking solace within this City it was a time of rapid shifts and deep inner work! Word of mouth from a friend at my ceramic studio brought me to an Iyengar yoga class a block from my house in a community center called Goat Hall. Tony, the teacher was my friend’s roommate. A woman from the class became my friend. Aurora’s parents used to frequent the Yoga Society in the Mission so she had been going for years. She invited me to go to yoga.

My first teacher was Hariharananda. He looked like a yogi from the Himalayas. He would chant an invocation to begin, followed by three hours of hatha and end in Yoga Nidra (a guided meditation intended to embody self, deeply relax, and be present with true self. It is a form of awakened sleep that is restorative). Hari became my primary teacher.

I practiced with Hari several times a week. I also met Jerome who played harmonium. I cried when I first heard it. He taught Jivamukti and incorporated music in his class.

Why I reiterate this story of finding the ashram is because it demonstrates how grace and blessings come about.

Hari had known Brahmananda Sarasvati, the founder of Yoga Society. Ramamurti Mishra was his given name before he met his guru Bodhisattva Baba Bhagavan Das. Brahamananda was an incredible being. He started the daily Agni Hotras in the Mission. Besides being a Guru he was a neurosurgeon, a healer, worked with sound vibration, Sanskrit and he wrote many spiritual books about cosmic consciousness and many spiritual topics such as mysticism. Though he has left the body his teachings live on through his ethereal presence, his books and recordings. Ram Gopal has a weekly satsang on Wednesday where he plays recordings of his teachings.

I began slowly learning about Sanskrit from this influence and met Dr. Sharma a renowned Sanskrit scholar. His wife Annapurna is a living saint and we became close right away.

The sister ashram in New York founded by Brahamananda has a connection to this ashram. I was in love with Kirtan at this point. Kamaniya and Keshavacharia who had lived at Ananda the Monroe ashram came time give a concert when they were through town. We became friends and they recommended Bhaktifest a festival in Joshua Tree. It was a brand new festival for yoga and Kirtan. I went!

This was just what I needed. I met beautiful beings I still know today and was inspired to buy a harmonium. So many things happened at this juncture I cannot remember the exact order. I met Kankana Banerjee my musical Guruma. She is a master of Hindustani Classical. I then took Jai Uttal’s Kirtan Camp.

A year later in 2012 I met Sri Yogacharya Arun Kumar my healing guru. He showed up at the ashram when I asked for a strong form or healing to help my father. This was not announced but I got guidance to be there. Learning healing and teaching followed. This changed my life.

I was offered Kirtan satsang in 2013. Shortly thereafter I met my band mates.

So the plan is an unfolding. Grace comes but it is a surprise who shows up. This year I have been blessed with so many new friends from the Seva with Shivananda and other means. The ashram continues to bring through beautiful people to me. All that I have received from the ashram has enabled me to be in a place of meeting higher vibrational people. I grateful!

Gifts are always showing up for us even if it seems like the world is upside down. It’s a matter of staying on track with self, chanting and leaving the heart open!

Feel to know. Know to feel.

Soft glowing heart.

Inside, the free me knocks

Golden royal expansion radiates

Rays, warm my cheeks

Beyond the mind

To the future -going up – DING

Compassion

Flames Flames Flames

Content knowing 🧡 comfort

Earth 🌍

Grounded earth and soil vibrations

Deep blue etheric waves

Can always be trusted

That one knows me

She calls me to song and freedom

Unraveling my truth

I am everywhere and nowhere

I am someone and no one

I am light

Space Face Place Song Bells

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa

India calls

11/20/19

C. Whitney

I am learning Hindi and Italian simultaneously. I am making ceramic art. Also I am blogging regularly and learning new mantras. I am helping people with healing and teaching also.

My mind is changing from learning languages. Daily writing is also sharpening and singing as well. Those aspects of self. Today the blog is short!

Literally tired.