Monday 11 July 2022

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Stratford, Caledon/Ontario

With the Younger Gen

Today we drove to the lovely city of Stratford, home of many theatrical productions. However, the group I’m with, the Bhakti Academy, and the group we were joining, the Bhakti Yoga Club leaders really had set to participate in workshops that had nothing to do with live theatre.

My role in this weekend-long program, held at Quality Inn, was to facilitate the two bhakti youth-groups in a “Nine Devotions Workshop,” something I’ve executed in the past and which is still appreciated. These nine actions in Krishna Consciousness are vital in keeping practitioners in a steady and more firm hold on the life of bhakti. We began the workshop with the exercise of listening intently. Gabriel began with the guitar, so that’s what we first heard. His strumming on his guitar set the tone and the tune for the maha (or great) mantra. The response to the tune by all the others after my lead was reflective, and I believe it ended up stirring up the introspection that we were looking for. Indeed, attention was on the sound, which is not ordinary, sorry. Our teachers and our ancient Vedic texts tell that the sound is holy and that it’s God directly.

The remaining seven devotions were also interactive; everyone kept quite alive for the session, held in the morning.

By the afternoon, we found ourselves in Caledon, a town in gorgeous rolling hills, and also known for its monster homes. The unique location where we landed, both groups, was at the home of Vishal and Yashomati. They keep gir cows from India on their farm. They, the couple, and the cows are a charm.

May the Source be with you!

5 km



 

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