<3-warming holiday stories

[Ripa Ajmera]

Dear Mitras,

Hope all are having a happy and healthy holiday season! I wanted to share a couple recent experiences from visiting my family in Toledo, Ohio over Thanksgiving...

My mom made me visit my doctor there and get blood tests done at the clinic she used to work at. I told her I didn't think it was necessary, but decided not to resist and went. When I mentioned studying Ayurveda, how it is yoga's sister science, and a complete system of medicine from ancient India that revolves around the principle of the five great elements to Dr. Lopez, he was inspired to learn more and asked me to write down some info for him. I mentioned it could be really valuable for him to be able to offer ways for patients to actively promote their health thru Ayurveda, in addition to treating diseases, which he really resonated with. 

When I got my blood tests done, I shared with my mom's former colleagues about Ayurveda and they likewise felt inspired. The woman who drew my blood shared about how she had actually wanted to study naturopathy (instead of western medical science) but didn't have the courage at the time to pursue something so unknown. She was really happy I am choosing to be a pioneer for this and also asked me to write down some info about Ayurveda for her. 

The next day, my high school friend Melissa reached out to me to reconnect and told me how she decided to quit medical school (with the option to resume in a year) because she was so disillusioned by it and tired of the superficiality of her life in Chicago. She wanted to pursue writing instead and lead a quieter, more authentic, spiritual life...I shared my experiences with violence growing up, internalizing it through anorexia, wearing so many masks (ego manifestations) to please everyone else in the past and learning how to free myself of all this through the knowledge I've gained from studying Yoga and now Ayurveda. About learning to stand up for myself and speak my truth in a compassionate way to my parents, irrespective of whether they would like to accept it. Because I now know I can't love anyone else unless I love my self, and the more I love me, the more my definition of who I am expands into the capital "S" sense of the (higher) Self that encompasses all and excludes no one. Because we are ultimately all one. I shared how I studied at a top undergrad business school in NYC, but decided long ago that I would dedicate my life to service, and how life has a way of responding to our deepest intentions in the form of the right people who lead us to the right places at the right time, which happened for me during and even before business school. How when the student is ready, the teacher appears.  

I told her about Vedika, its satsangha, how I think it could be a great support to her as she makes changes. I ended our time together by transmitting the "Karagre Vasate" morning prayer and its empowering message of actively and responsibly taking life into one's own hands, of greeting each day with the intention of being an instrument for knowledge, abundance and creativity. Apparently, her brothers used to tease her about her hands, so she used to feel ashamed of her hands and found this prayer healing and strengthening. She texted me the other day saying she has looked at her hands every morning upon waking up and told her brother how "they are her hands and she wouldn't change a thing about them" when he teased her recently. She thanked me for helping her start a new chapter of her life, saying she got a job, is not angry with her parents despite the fact they are not supporting her and is researching flights to come to California and take the 2-month (and quite possibly, 1-year) course! 

Really brought home how important it is for us to dare to share our experiences with others, as we never really know whose life we can touch and who might be receptive and ready to benefit from the messages of our great Rishis.

With love,

Ripa

[Ranu Pandey]

Dear sister Ripa,

Thank you sooo much for sharing your recent experiences from your family visit in such a beautiful and articulate way!  It is very  inspiring to see how transformative your dedication and love for yoga, ayurveda, and vedanta is to your own life and to others who cross your path.  I love that you are conscioulsy living your life in alignment with the wisdom principles and you are modeling for us how to walk the spiritual path with practical feet!!!

 

Cheers to you and to us for continuing our individual and collective journey and putting forward the very best we have to offer each and every day.  Please continue to share with us, your companions and friends.

 

With love,

Ranu

[Ripa Ajmera]

Dear Sister Ranu,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share with you all, which strengthens my conviction in the path I have chosen to follow.

Love and Gayatri Blessings to Us All,

Ripa

[Ripa Ajmera]

PS - I can't even count (but am writing about) the many times and ways Shunyaji has encouraged me to die this year. A beloved teacher and mentor of mine from Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, India named Jayeshbhai said to me during our first meeting that "When the ego dies, the soul awakens." 

Learning to die a symbolic death every day is what continues to give me the strength to let go of what needs to be let go of, the courage to reclaim what needs to be reclaimed and the wisdom to hold onto only that which is eternal and changeless. One of my favorite quotes on death comes from Steve Jobs, which I thought I'd share with you all:

"Almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

[Hema Patankar]

Dear Ripa,

Thank you for sharing these shimmering gems of inspiration. It seems your intention, your sankalpa, to share your experience for the benefit of others is so strong that it has a life of its own! As I read your stories, the image came to mind of you showing people an amazing fire, warm and stunningly beautiful, its crackling filled with wisdom, and you showing them that there is space for them too to sit close to the fire to be warmed, loved, inspired, transformed, to listen to its special messages and be lit up.

May you all be blessed again and again.

With love

Hema