Chakra and Awe

I am busy. I’m busy in my job, I’m busy in my personal life, I’m busy in my brain. I found that I needed something to slow it all down. I found Yoga and Meditation. My involvement in those things recently led me to a workshop sponsored by the Healing Arts Yoga Center here in Fredericksburg. Ren Fields, Director of the Center, led twenty of us on this 2 1/2 day adventure to discover more about ourselves. The workshop was held at the Satchidananda Ashram (also known by its more pronounceable nick-name “Yogaville”) in Buckingham, VA. Situated on the banks of the James River with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a majestic backdrop, the ashram and surrounding grounds encompass over 700 acres of serene, wooded landscape. The Ashram, renowned throughout the world, promotes a system of beliefs encouraging all religions, all races, and all nationalities to focus on the principles of peace, selfless service and healthful, balanced living. At the center of this environment is the LOTUS Shrine. The shrine is shaped like a lotus flower with petals flowing upward and painted in hues of pink and light blue. The interior is circular with a large granite lotus flower in the center. From the center of that a single band of light flows upwards across the ceiling then branches out and down along the exterior walls to many separate altars. Each altar celebrates a specific religion and displays a devotional statement taken from it’s ancient texts. The statement reminds us of the light inside each of us that creates our common bond. To honor the environment visitors are asked to be silent and no photos are to be taken inside. People come here to meditate, share in the positive energy and learn the teachings of the now deceased Guru Satchidananda. The Workshop covered the subject of the 7 chakras - the energy centers of the body -- The concept of chakras underpins yoga’s philosophical system and spiritual energy practices. The promise is that meditative focus on the chakras will help to combine the human body and mind into a single unit. My hope is this practice will help to quiet my busy mind. The subject matter challenged my typical Rationalist approach and gave me much to think about. It broadened my perspective and encouraged my openmindedness. My friend and fellow Yoga Teacher Trainee, George had been here before. He helped me to keep the subject matter and the entire environment in perspective. We are two men in a female dominated area of study. Both of us in stressful, authoritative professions by day – we find some quiet and meaning through the practice of yoga. We bonded very quickly. He and I share a common sense of humor, which sometimes ran counter to the beliefs of the ashram. Although respectful to the environment and our fellow students, we found trouble while making jokes at dinner during a devotional speech and were scolded by a Swami. I claimed ignorance of the ‘no talking’ policy. George had been there before, so I blamed him. I know I shouldn’t have… but seriously, who wants to be in trouble with a Swami? Awareness came to us as we were quietly poking fun at a group of ashram visitors who were clearly on their own dyed hair, tattooed and pierced path. We realized in that moment our childish and judgmental ways were being confirmed. Although we had come along way just by choosing to be in this environment, we still had a looooong way to go if we were hoping to achieve true enlightenment. That realization, however, didn’t stop either of us from irreverently sharing the humor found in intestinal gas created by a vegetarian diet (especially tofu) or encouraging others to kiss our collective first chakra. All 20 students in our group felt and heard the peaceful message of this place, we only had to look within ourselves to know its validity. Truth is One, Paths are Many. Namaste