Guest Blogger Lily Goodale discusses the Sacred Chant Retreat with Snatam Kaur, Guruganesha Singh and Ramesh Kanaan 2010.
We are Back from Costa Rica. My 2 sisters and I. It was amazing from the moment we set foot in Liberia to the first warm breeze that blew across our bodies. We arrived a day early to the Blue Spirit Yoga Retreat in Nosara.
This was such a treat because we got to meet Snatam in a more personal way. This retreat was built by Stephan, the man who founded Omega. It was simple in architecture yet so impressive.
It sits high on a hill overlooking the turtle reserve on 4 miles of beach. This beach is known for it's surfing.The retreat is open and airy and the vast studio with teak wood floors sits on the 4th floor with a panoramic view of the mountains and ocean.
Facing west we witnessed jaw dropping sunsets over the pacific and facing east each morning at sadhana we were bathed in golden light as we watched the sunrise over the mountains. I knew I was in the right spot from the first moment Snatam opened her mouth to sing Ong Namo . Hot tears streamed down my face as reality struck me that I was actually listening live to this most angelic passionate and deeply devotional woman.
There were 85 of us from all parts of the world, Sweden, Mexico, Poland and France to a name a few, and when we all began to chant with Snatam, the power of her combined with us and mantra, took us to a new realm. Some of the highlights were walking miles on the practically deserted beach collecting sand dollars the size of donuts, watching pelicans diving into the clear blue waters and frigget birds soaring also in the early mornings the beach would be crowded with buzzards awaiting the fisherman's morning catch.
From day one the evening Kirtan with Snatam and Guru Ganesha was pure bliss. There was hardly a night I did not find my self weeping with joy as these powerful mantras were sung to us with such purity, humility and connection. Snatam and Guru Ganesha are truly in the flow of the one divine voice with God. 11/2 hours of this before bed each night...
The classes were all varied I'd say most on the challenging side. Our teachers ranged from Snantam's husband, Sopurkh Singh Khalsa, who guided us through vigorous pranayama exercises and guided us to powerfiul and uplifting group meditations. One of which had us holding hands and seeing ourselves siting along a sacred river as we became the waves and chanted along with Snatam's world chant sound. It was amazing, the energy that circulated through all of our bodies.
We had classes with Guru Jot's husband and very rigorous classes with Har Gobind Singh. We did pool meditations with Ra Ma Da Sa, and anyone needing healing could float in the middle of the pool as we sang and chanted to them. We had a day of complete silence where we as a group built a mandala on the beach.
Courtesy of Ananda Foley
We did laughing yoga on the beach. We sang the Adi shakti mantra to a girl who came from Poland solely for this purpose, as she was in her 120th day of pregnancy. We all sat in a circle around her doing celestial meditation.I was blessed to be sitting next to a 6 year old girl who knew all the words and made me so proud to be part of yokids, yoga for children. This little girl confirmed my path.
We had early morning Sadhana every day with Snatam, her mother Prabhu Nam Kaur, Guru Ganesha and his wife. Each morning the music was so beautiful. Each person's Sadhana was different and all so moving. I found myself with hot tears rolling down my cheeks as my soul soared out of my body and my spirit was so uplifted it was busting from within it's Physical home. We did Riaaz vocal exercises everyday with Guru Ganesha and then the biggest treat was to learn the Gurmukhi to Sunia with Snatam's mother.
Courtesy of Ananda Foley
Singing it verse by verse, call and response. The food was also out of this world. Heaps of fresh fruit , yogurt, yogi tea, beans , lentils , Mung beans, Tufu scrambled, raw beets and carrots cooked in wonderful spices. Every time we sat down our plates were heaped with The purest and healthiest bounty of foods.
So with 6 days of sunshine, 98 degree weather, a beautiful beach and too cool funky town of Nosara, this stunning retreat and the gift of being in the presence of these divine vehicles of God's mantras, it was worth more than anything I think I have ever done.
If you have a penny saved up in your pocket, save it for Snatam and Guru Ganesha's next Scared Chant retreat. You will never regret it. Also Spirit Voyage onwers Karan Kaur and Har Gobind Singh annouced the first Woodstock of Kundalini Music to be held September 17 2010 in West Virginia. It will be a gathering of all the Kundalini greats, singing and chanting and dancing and camping and yoga!!!
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Thak you for writing, so nice to read a synopsis of this amazing experience! Awsome photos too (-:
Looking forward to seeing you and everyone else again at Spirit Fest!
xxoo, Nav
Would have loved to have attended looks like an amazing time !! Thanks for sharing