Play Ashram Guidebook
Welcome to Play Ashram!
Ashram, by definition, is a "hermitage, monastic community, or other place of religious or spiritual retreat." The Sanskrit root, "śram" means “making an effort”--in this context, an effort toward spiritual liberation!
Play Ashram (incorporated as Ishvara Ashram & Yoga Church) is a Kentucky based spiritual community that is open to all. Our mission is simple: To hold sacred space and to provide support, tools and resources for those who seek metaphysical learning, spiritual growth, transformation and alignment with the Divine. We do this according to yogic and other earth-based spiritual principles and practices. The “Play” in our name reminds of the image—common to many classical Indian religious philosophies—of the unfolding of the manifest world as the “play” (Sanskrit līla) of the Divine. Seeing ourselves as intertwining threads in the Divine Play helps us to take the gift of our human life most seriously, without taking ourselves too seriously.
We offer classes, workshops, weekend retreats and—at the heart of our mission—we facilitate short term residential ashram retreats and open ashram sessions for our community members at our home base outside of Berea, Kentucky and in other locations in Tennessee and Ohio. Play Ashram open ashram sessions, including meals, accommodations, daily practices, workshops and activities are offered to our community on sliding scale, meaning we invite our community members to contribute as their heart informs and as their finances allow. Many other workshops, classes and retreats are open to the public and are offered on gift economy, sliding scale, or as ticketed fund-raising events. Ticketed events serve a dual purpose of introducing new folks to ashram life and to our growing community, and they provide some of the financial resources needed for Ashram administration and provisioning.
We believe every human being needs and deserves opportunities to disconnect from the stresses of modern daily life and to experience restoration, healing, and spiritual growth in a loving, supportive environment close to nature.
In day-to-day ashram living, we integrate a consistent routine of spiritual practices including selfless service (karma yoga), meditation, yoga āsana (postures), nature connection and daily fire pūja (ceremony). Additionally, we offer a variety of retreats, workshops and classes facilitated by gifted, experienced guides, and we provide support for those wishing to perform personal sādhana (spiritual practice), which might include a day of silent meditation or prayer. In our community we deeply value the principle of Play as a means for learning and growth: things like making music together, dancing, rock climbing and or simply splashing about in the creek are part of our spiritual journey.
We believe this type of retreat benefits those who attend, and that its effects ripple back out into the world, as resident guests return to their daily life with a renewed connection to the natural world, to their own true and divine nature, and to their life’s deeper purpose, bringing a higher vibration, more love and heartfelt intention to their home, work and local communities.
In the first five years of its existence the ashram “popped up” in various locations around the Red River Gorge. Throughout that time our hope was to find a permanent home for Play Ashram in the Appalachian region of Kentucky and to operate year-round. And so it is with awe and gratitude that we find ourselves, as of January 2023, home-based in the Clear Creek Valley’s Clear Creek Farm & Schoolhouse outside of Berea, KY. We believe this is a divine partnership and that this land is a powerful spiritual and energetic vortex. By holding sacred space and time here, we bring transformative healing energy to the surrounding land, to the region, and to the world.
The Rhythm of Ashram Life
For us ashram isn’t a place, exactly. In accordance with its Sanskrit derivation, it’s a state of being in which we collectively “make an effort” (śram) to co-create a space for healing and spiritual transformation. We find that there is a deep cellular relaxation that takes place when living close to nature, according to yogic principles in a predictable rhythm of daily spiritual practice.
This section of the Handbook introduces the main elements of Open Ashram. Open Ashram is a designated period of time, anywhere from several days up to 6 or 8 weeks, for Play Ashram members and their guests to gather and co-create that healing and transformative space. Ashram space is Open in three respects:
Participants come as they can, and leave when they must, in accordance with their obligations in the world: there is no requirement to be present the entire period.
The daily schedule provides for plenty of unstructured time.
There is a spaciousness and ease in our physical setting—the buildings, the woods, the creek, the open grassy areas—that we can, as the days go by, palpably sense and gradually incorporate into our own being: thus we open inwardly and we open out to each other.
The Daily Rhythm
The table below outlines a typical day in ashram life. We say “typical” because in practice we adjust it by mutual agreement—sometimes almost daily, in response to the weather or to align with other non-Ashram events taking place at Clear Creek.
7:00am - 8:30am: Morning Practice (e.g., Meditation, Asana, Pranayama)
9:00am - 10:00am: Breakfast and Cleanup
11:00am - 2:00pm: Karma Yoga (usually in the form of work projects around the farm or within the larger Clear Creek community on 2 or 3 days per week)
2:00pm- 6:00pm: Play Time (Inner Spiritual Contemplation or Co-created Soulful Play Activities, Hiking, Energy/Bodywork Sharing, etc…)
6:00pm: Dinner and Cleanup
7:30pm - 8:30pm: Evening Fire Puja
8:30pm - 10:00pm: Contemplative Time (Song or Free Expression Circles, Story Telling, Divination, Journeywork, etc …)
10:00pm: Silence begins and is practiced until the conclusion of breakfast the next morning.
Components of the Rhythm
Morning Practice and Evening Fire Pūja are the back-bone components of our spiritual life together. Accordingly, everyone makes the utmost effort to be present for these events, unless illness or an urgent outside responsibility necessitates staying away.
At Morning Practice it is customary for a member to offer to lead others in a gentle āsana sequence that is accessible to everyone, including beginners, followed by some prāṇāyāma (breathwork) and perhaps a guided meditation. There is ample space, however, for people to engage in their own sequences, so “parallel practice” is encouraged and is quite common. You will notice a wide range of practice: some people might have quite a vigorous āsana practice; others may tend more toward seated meditation; sometimes a person is tired and may spend the entire time resting in śāvāsana (“Corpse Posture”)!
The Evening Fire Pūja (ceremony) is a powerful way to continually align with the most pure aspects of the innermost self. We offer to the fire all of the things that no longer serve us, and honor its primordial power of metaphysical transformation and healing. As the fire transforms the wood into light and heat, so we aspire to become a more luminous manifestation of the Divine.
Breakfast and Dinner are prepared by a rotating set of volunteers. Everyone helps with cleanup, although some people volunteer on a rotating basis to supervise the process. In order to keep cleanup manageable when the group is large, each of us brings our own “mess kit”—a plate, bowl, cup, silverware and cloth napkin/bandana are suggested—to ashram and takes care of the cleaning and storage of it. After Breakfast there is usually a discussion to plan the schedule for the rest of the day.
Afternoon Play Time and evening Contemplative Time, being the least structured components of the day, mirror the spaciousness and ease of our physical setting. During these times members may offer to lead or guide activities for others. Most days, there are outings to the creek and/or nearby hikes. A member might offer to lead a session on a particular variety of yoga, tai chi, or other movement practice. Bodywork exchanges can take place. It is a 10 minute walk to the little lake at Wood Betony, and sometimes there are kayaks or paddle-boards available for use. Feel free to bring your own water toys, stand up paddle-board, or other ways to enjoy the water. Keep in mind that participation in group activities offered during Play and Contemplative Time is always voluntary. You may prefer to journal, meditate, read, or practice on your own during these times.
Contemplative Time activities are relatively quiet, so as not to disturb the rest of those who retire early to bed.
Throughout the day we take up the attitude of seva (service), in that we strive to be alert to whatever needs doing. The closer we look, the more we become aware of the great many tasks that have to be done to keep ashram flowing smoothly! Typical daily tasks include:
Ongoing help with meal preparation
Clean up after meals
Gathering dry firewood and kindling
Setting up the wood/logs before fire ceremony
Emptying garbage cans daily
Upkeep of outdoor showers and composting toilets
Foraging wild edibles for meals (nettles, chanterelles, etc)
For the larger and more structured tasks, we volunteer early and often. For the little things, we develop an “eye” for which of them need doing or for who might need some extra help.
The Karma Yoga period, which typically involves specific work-projects around the farm, is an extended manifestation of our seva-attitude and is also our most concrete expression of support for the Clear Creek setting.
Silent Time extends from 10 pm until the close of breakfast, usually around 10 am. During this time we refrain from all unnecessary speech; any necessary logistical communication—“Where do they keep the dish-rags?”, etc.—is carried on quietly. The practice of silence cultivates peace for spiritual practice and supports rest in the ashram community. It is also lovely to enjoy breakfast together in silence, basking in the subtle exchange of energy that marks silent friendship. Observe your own inner experiences during the silence. If it is difficult for you to practice in this way, we invite you to notice why and what may be coming up for you.
Core Practices & Agreements
The Ashram is a place for internal contemplation and sādhana as well as healing and deep inner work. For the benefit of the community and the atmosphere of purification and meditation, we ask that you familiarize yourself with our core practices and adhere to certain agreements during your stay in ashram:
Our Core Practices
Compassionate and Conscious Communication: Practicing empathy, reflection and awareness of feelings and needs of oneself and others. Speaking with honesty, and using precise and accurate language.
Consent: Applied to oneself and others, including the land and non-human beings.
Courageous Self-Inquiry: Taking responsibility for oneself, one’s own experiences, emotions and one’s actions (shadow or parts work).
Connection to the Natural World: Cultivating right relationship with the land and all beings.
Self-Guidance: There are no Gurus in the Ashram, in the sense that no lines of spiritual authority are established among us. A Play Ashram member might function as a teacher or spiritual authority in his or her life outside Play Ashram, but that authority is not exercised in ashram itself. When we offer to lead group activities, we do so only as inquirers sharing with our peers a set of ideas or practices that are alive for us.
Our Basic Agreements
We acknowledge that many in our society and in our community suffer traumas that manifest in dis-ease in the physical, mental and emotional body, including misuse of and dependencies on various substances and activities. We agree to support each other by refraining from using or offering drugs and alcohol, sugary or processed food items, and other potentially problematic substances in our sacred space and time together.
We agree to practice consent and compassionate communication in our interactions with each other, including asking before entering another's physical space (e.g., hugging or touching) and asking if another is willing and able to hold space for us prior to being witnessed or heard.
We agree to respect and show kindness to all staff and other guests attending or visiting the ashram and to the other farm residents and guests of Clear Creek Farm and Schoolhouse.
We agree to practice Karma Yoga during ashram, participating in daily chores and tasks in the spirit of service by approaching and completing tasks with intention and attention, showing up on time for “work” and imbuing our work with love.
We agree to cultivate the practice of Silent Time, which extends from10 pm in the evening through waking up, Morning Practice and breakfast. The Silence is broken at the end of breakfast. If we happen to be off-site when evening comes, we return to ashram quietly and hopefully no later than 10:00 pm, so as not to disturb others.
We recognize that at ashram we may meet people whose culture or manner of practices differs from our own. Welcoming such encounters as profoundly auspicious, we agree to respect all beings and to treasure differences along with similarities.
There is a spaciousness and ease in our physical setting—the buildings, the woods, the creek, the open grassy areas—that we can, as the days go by, palpably sense and gradually incorporate into our own being. To help ourselves along in this process, we agree to refrain from:
cross-talk or conversation during practices and during the fire pūja;
distracting ourselves with cell phones and similar devices during yoga practice, meals and mediation, and during group activities and workshops.
Because Morning Practice and Evening Fire Pūja are the backbone of our corporate spiritual life, we agree to attend these sessions. As much as possible we try to be on time, as late arrival can disturb the practice of others. Indeed, we work on developing the habit of coming a bit early so that we may enter into this period of shared practice in a graceful and relaxed way. If we find that for some reason we are frequently unable to attend the shared practice-periods, we simply consult with a person who is staffing the retreat in the assurance that a solution may be found.
Someone who has not experienced a Play Ashram event that includes orientation activities for new members is nonetheless welcome to Open Ashram as the guest of a Play Ashram member. As guests we undertake to uphold the same agreements as regular members do, knowing that we have the extra benefit of a host on hand who can help us adjust comfortably to the ashram routine.
Last but not least we agree to hold the foregoing agreements gently, lightly, and kindly, with common sense, moderation, non-judgment, and good humor—and above all with compassion for others and for ourselves.
Thank you for upholding these Agreements. We hope that you enjoy your time in ashram and we look forward to sharing that time with you! OM Śānti.
Particulars of Our Setting
Locational Logistics
There are many small considerations involved in maintaining the ashram village and Great Hall at Heart Hollow, the farmhouse, the schoolhouse behind it, and other common areas outside, and these considerations vary with the season, the specific area(s) and structures of the farm we are inhabiting, and the nature of our gathering. As a rule, we review them at the beginning of any gathering and often certain logistical information will be posted (for example, instructions for use of the composting toilets, outdoor showers and guidelines for food storage and other camp kitchen considerations). If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask another community member.
It is also important to know that there are many other residents of the farm and the surrounding land - human and non-human, with whom we adhere to the same practice of consent that we offer each other. In addition to familiarizing ourselves with personal residences and any limitations around where we roam, we agree to tread lightly, mindfully and with great reverence and respect for all the Land and it’s life, taking care not to create imbalances that could disrupt the many rare and precious ecosystems that we are so fortunate to spend this time with. Guidelines around farm residences and general use of the Land will be reviewed in Orientation.
What to Wear
Please dress in the way that most supports your spiritual practice and that keeps you comfortable. You may find that when you wear clean clothes made of natural fabrics then your practice feels more refined.
In summertime the Clear Creek valley can be surprisingly moist and cool at night, so bring extra layers of clothing when camping outside.
We are fortunate to be in a location with considerable privacy. In keeping, however, with our core practice of Consent (see above), we ask consent before disrobing in the presence of others. For certain activities such as cooling off or rinsing off in the creek (please no soap or detergents in the creek!) and for the sauna, consent for nudity is usually worked out explicitly by the group at the beginning of an ashram activity or gathering. For situations that aren’t covered corporately in advance, please remember to ask for the consent of the individuals who are around you before disrobing.
Fire Puja
Introduction
Fire puja is an ancient Vedic practice that reaches back into Shamanic times. Fire puja pits were discovered in the Indus Valley civilization in homes, showing that these rituals were conducted by families themselves, likely on a daily basis. In these hymns, we invoke social welfare, as well as personal health, abundance and vitality to fuel the journey on the spiritual path. The hymns also describe the Divine as the self-illuminating, all pervading Source.
The fire puja is sometimes described as a powerful vision of the transformation process. We see the elements of earth (represented by the herbs) and water (represented by the ghee) transformed by the radiant power of fire and air. The result is the fragrance and essence that rises up and pervades the atmosphere. This is a powerful representation of the transformative power of tapas and sadhana, as well as of the ultimate transmutation of all elements back to the ultimate, formless Brahman.
The fire puja also evokes alchemical energies which were commonly worshipped in Vedic times: Radiant energy (Sun=Surya Fire=Agni Light=Jyoti), Electrical energy (lightning or the electrical impulses of the brain=Indra) and Generative power (generative energy=Soma). In Ayurvedic terms, these correspond to the wholly positive vital energies Tejas (pure aspect of Pitta), Prana (deep and stable form of Vata) and Ojas (wholly positive aspect of Kapha), respectively.
The low tones of the ancient, highly vibrated mantras is often felt as grounding, though the fire is dynamic. Offering herbs/ghee is also a way of surrendering anything (troubling thoughts, emotions, etc) we want to offer up for transmutation into the fire. Participating in the ritual is healing, and is said to send healing aromas and purified prana to all the surrounding area.
The version of the Fire Puja that we are practicing at the Play Ashram is an abridged version of the ancient ceremony.
Note: The following text and mantras are from Anand Prakesh Ashram in Rishikesh, India.
Opening Prayers
Om bhoor-bhuvah svah, tat savitur-varaynyam
Bhargo dayvasya dheemahi, dhiyo yo nah prachoda-yat
Evoking earth, sky and the heavens. Let us bring our minds to dwell in the radiance of Divine Truth. May truth inspire our reflections.
Tune hame uttepanne kya paalane kare raha hai tu.
Tujse hi paate prane hum dukhiyo ke kashte hareta tu.
Tera mahane teje hai chaya hua sabhi sthan.
Srishti ki vastu-vastu me tu ho raha hai vidhyaman.
Tera hi dharte dyane hum mange te teri daya.
Ishvar hamari buddhi ko sreshte marge para chala.
Datta hamari buddhi ko sresthte marge para chala.
You are the giver of life and you take care of us. You inspire us and remove obstacles from life. Your presence is everywhere and you are within everyone. You exist everywhere and in everything within nature. We meditate on you and we receive blessings from you. Divine, give me pure intellect to move me forward towards enlightenment.
Lighting of the Fire
Note: The following mantra is repeated at least five times as the fire is ignited and grows strong - one for each of the cardinal directions and one for the center.
Om a-yanta idhma atma jata-vaydastay-nay
dhasva vardhasva chayddha varda-ya chasman praja-ya pashubhir-brahma varcha
sayna anna-dyayna samaydha-ya svaha.
Idam agna-yay jata-vaydasay. Indanna mama.
Om. O Pure Consciousness, you are the essence of knowledge and are in every corner of the earth. My soul is your fuel. (Just as samidha, fuel for fire, burns radiating light and warmth, similarly may I live promoting true knowledge and friendship in the world.) Oh Agni, bless us with food, cows, Divine bliss, children and grandchildren. Help us in our spiritual growth. This oblation is for Agni-the Jatavaydas, the knower of everything. This action is not for myself; it is for the whole. (Pure Consciousness manifests as everyone and everything. )
Gayatri and Mahamrityunjaya Mantras
Note: One of the following mantras is repeated 21 times (or both mantras are repeated 11 times each), with each repetition ending in "svaha" and the offering of samagree to the fire.
Om bhoor-bhuvah svah
Tat savitur-varaynyam
Bhargo dayvasya dheemahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachoda-yat
Evoking earth, sky and the heavens
Let us bring our minds to dwell
In the radiance of Divine Truth
May truth inspire our reflections.
Om Tryambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandanan
Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat
We meditate on Shiva, the three eyed-one Knower of past, present and future, who permeates and nourishes all like fragrance. As, in due time, the stem of the cucumber weakens and the gourd is freed from the vine, so release us from attachment to the material and liberate us into the eternal.
We then devote some time to silent meditation and spoken prayers.
Closing Prayers
Note: The following mantra is repeated 3 times, with offerings of samagree each round
Om sarvamvayi purnam svaha
Let this entire yagna of mine be complete.
Note: the following mantra is repeated three times:
Om purnamadah purnamidam purnat purnam udachyate
Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavashishyate
Om. That is full/complete perfect. This is full complete/perfect. Perfection arises from the perfect. Taking the perfect of the perfect, it remains as the perfect alone.
Om tejo’si tejo mayi dhehi
Om viryamasi viryam mayi dhehi
Om balamasi balam mayi dhehi
Om ojo’si ojo mayi dhehi
Om manyurasi manyum mayi dhehi Om saho’asi saho mayi dhehi
Om dyauh shanti-rantariksha-gvang shanti
prthivee shantirapah shanti-roshadha-yah shantih.
Vanas-pata-yah shantih vishvay dayvah shantih
brahma shantih sava-gvang shantih
shanti-ray-va-shantih sa ma shantih-ray-dhi.
Om shantih, shantih, shantih.
Om, May there be peace in the Sky and in Space.
May there be peace on land and in the waters.
May herbs and food bring us peace.
May all the personifications of the Divine bring us peace. May the Divine bring us Peace.
May there be peace throughout the world.
May the peace be peaceful. May the Divine grant me such peace.
Om! May there be peace (physical), peace (mental), peace (spiritual).
Final Praises
Note: These are praises for Sanatana Dharma, Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, the Rishis, Mother Earth, the Cow Mother, Mother Ganga, and a blessing for today’s happiness. Called out by the priest or facilitator with response of "Jaya!" by all. Jaya is loosely translated as "victory".
Bolo satya sanatana vedic dharma ki … Jaya!
Mahayogi Sadashiv bhagavan ki… Jaya!
Yogiraj Sri Krishna bhagavan ki… Jaya!
Maryada Pururshuttan Sri Ramachandra Bhagwan ki… Jaya!
Satchidananda bhagavan ki… Jaya!
Swami Dayadanda Saraswati Maharaji ki… Jaya!
Yogrishi yon ki… Jaya!
Bhoomi Mata ki… Jaya! Gau Mata ki… Jaya!
Gange Maiya ki… Jaya! Aaj ke anand ki… Jaya!
Vedic dhwani… Om
Namaste (bow to the fire and to each other)
End of Fire Puja
Resources
Mantras
Mantra literally means “instrument of thought”, but from time immemorial this term has been used to refer to a variety of prayers and ritual formulae. From as far back as Vedic and Upanishad times, the view evolved that a mantra encodes mystical energy in its sound structures, and that this energy can be accessed through conscious chanting of the mantra, even when one is unaware of what it the mantra “means” in terms of language. In fact some of the most highly revered mantras in Indian spiritual traditions—including the great seed-mantra Om—do not have a clear linguistic meaning at all! Accordingly, you don’t have to be a scholar to reap the full benefit of chanting a mantra with your entire heart, mind and body.
Here are a few of the mantras most commonly used at ashram:
Meal Prayer
Om!
brahmārpanam brahma havir
brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyam
brahmakarmasamādhinā
Om, śānti, śānti, śāntiḥ
Hari Om!
The Divine is the oblation, the Divine is offering.
Offered by the divine into the fire that is the Divine.
One who contemplates upon all action as the Divine
Approaches the Divine—and nothing else besides!
.
Om Peace, Peace, Peace
Amen!
Note: The above mantra, which is verse 24 in the fourth Chapter of the Bhagavad Gīta, takes its imagery from ritual offerings—such as those we make in the Fire Pūja—and extends it to encompass all action that is undertaken without self-interested motivations. It is meaningful before eating meals because we can see the fire of digestion and the food as the offering. The eater is also the offerer. Aware that eating is an aspect of the energy-exchange that upholds the entire manifest world, we assimilate our food better and we are inspired to dedicate its nourishment to the benefit of all beings. Here is a cogent explanation of the mantra, along with some practice in reciting it.
Akhaṇḍa Mantra
Om!
akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākaraṃ
vyāptaṃ yena carācaraṃ
tatpadam darśitaṃ yena
tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ
Om, śānti, śānti, śāntiḥ
Om!
All Hail to the teacher,
through whose grace is seen
the Abode of the Divine,
Whose form is the entire world,
and Who pervades
all that moves and all that is still.
Om, Peace, Peace, Peace!
Note: In India, this Mantra is often included in hymns of praise to one’s Guru. Even though Ashram has no Gurus, the sense of gratitude in the mantra resonates with us. Here is a way to dance it!]
—----------------------------
Jyotir Mantra
asato mā sadgamaya
tamaso mā jyotirgamaya
mṛtyormā amṛtam gamaya
Om, śānti, śānti, śāntiḥ
Lead me from the untruth to the truth.
Lead me from darkness to light.
Lead me from death to immortality
Om Peace Peace Peace.
Note: This is true prayer—the seeker’s admission of their sense of limitedness and their heartfelt cry for assistance in transcendence. This rendition by Ravi Shankar gives one practice in chanting the mantra.]
—-------------------------
Invocation to Light
Ārdraṃ jvalati jyotiraham asmi
jyotirjvalati brahmāsmi
yo ‘ham asmi bhrahmāham asmi
aham asmi brahmāham asmi
aham evāhaṃ māṃ juhomi svāhā
That Supreme Light which projected itself as the universe like a soaked seed which sprouts — I am that Supreme Light.
I am that Supreme Light of Brahman which shines in the inmost essence of all that exists.
In reality, I am the same infinite Brahman even when I am experiencing myself as a finite self, owing to ignorance.
Now with the onset of knowledge, I am really that Brahman which is my eternal nature.
Therefore, I realize this identity by making myself, the finite self, an oblation into the fire of the infinite Brahman which I am always. May this oblation be well made.
Note: This invocation, along with the free translation provided underneath, occurs near the beginning of a modernized version of the Pañcarātra practices in the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition, see this document.
Red River Gorge Sādhanas
Play Ashram began in the Red River Gorge, and the Gorge holds a special place in our hearts. Many of us experience the Gorge as a powerful place, endowed with vortices and portals for healing and spiritual work. Here are a few sādhanas (practices) that have been identified as ways to work with the deeper healing energies of the Gorge herself.
As you read through these sadhanas, notice if there is a particular one that feels soothing to read. Listen for the voice of your soul, the voice of your inner guru, calling you to come closer to the land, to the unique quality of the gravitational field that surrounds each of these places.
Angel Windows
Like many areas in the Gorge, this is a very high-vibrating area. There are several different power spots on this short hike (less than a quarter mile).
Rockshelter For Celebrating Wholeness and Aliveness
Bring with you: Prayer mala, meditation mat (you will be seated in an area with fine sand or dirt) journal and pen, altar cloth/bandana, tea light, lighter or matches, image of yourself as a child (could even be on your phone)
As you walk into the forest, you’ll notice a large rockshelter on your left. We have identified this as a place to go when you are feeling the need to let go of the “busy-ness” of life, to deeply ground yourself in the energy of being and not doing.
Personal share from Sarah: After many years of spiritual and personal growth work, I realized that I was quite uncomfortable with the practice of “celebration”. Once I accomplished something, I always wanted to move onto the next thing. I felt uneasy in this place because it doesn’t have a clear goal or objective. It is a place for just being, for gratitude, for non-striving. The sutras advise us to cultivate “santosha” or contentment, which is a flavor of celebration. It means NOT going anywhere, doing anything, or trying to change anything about what is. This rockshelter is a wonderful place to enhance your practice of santosha.
Set up: Create a small altar using a cloth, a candle and an image of yourself as a child, or an image of another small child
Practice: Ground yourself with a few minutes of breath and/or movement. Then bring an image of yourself as a child to your mind’s eye. Surround this being with love and allow yourself to embody the innocence and simplicity of this child. Recall 10 things that you were content with as a child and write them in your journal. Then make a list of 101 things that you are celebrating in your life, right now. Things that you are content with, that you do not wish to change. Breathe into these things, welcome them. Allow yourself to remain in meditation for as long as is comfortable for you, using the energy of this rockshelter to hold you in this place of quiet, simple contentment and celebration for as long as feels good to you. Let the feeling sink into your cells.
Closing: Using your mala beads, say 108 gayatri mantras to “seal” in this energy of contentment and celebration.
Power Spot For Ignition
As you approach the Angel Windows area itself, which is an incredible natural rock formation, you’ll see that there are two windows. The one on the right has been identified as a good place to work with the energy of “ignition” or getting unstuck from a pattern or something that has been holding you back.
Bring with you: Prayer mala, lighter and candle, meditation mat or cushion, journal and pen.
Set up: Light your candle and find a place to sit near the Angel Windows.
Practice: Ground yourself with a few minutes of breath and/or movement. Call in your Spirit Guides, ancestors, and the Gorge herself, to support you in this practice. Sink into meditation and allow yourself to trace the pattern of your stuckness in your heart and mind, welcoming it completely. Pray the welcoming prayer:
When you feel you have welcomed the feeling completely, welcome it even more.
Say “Welcome, welcome, welcome.” Acknowledge that you are not only welcoming the situation, but also the knowing of the divine intelligence of it.
Then say “I let go of my desire for affection and approval.”
Then say “I let go of my desire for power and control.”
Then say “I let go of my desire to change _______ (this situation or myself).”
Allow yourself to rest in this process.
When you come to a pause in this process, get up and walk through the Angel Windows, slowly, asking the rock, the Gorge, to support you, no matter what transformation looks like for you, from this point forward. Visualize yourself stepping through a portal into the unknown, releasing your preconceived notions of what change looks like.
Closing: Using your mala beads, say 108 jyotir mantras to seal in your practice.
Small Waterfall for Physical Healing
Just past the Angel Windows formation itself is an area with a small waterfall. This has been identified as a place to pray for physical healings. It is recommended to come here with one or two other people, and ask them to pray over/with you, if you are in need of physical healing. There is a “pod” rock formation in the nearby rock overhang, shaped like an upside down bowl, where one can stand, before asking for physical healing. While standing in this pod, the rock is surrounding one’s aura. Make a prayer here to release your limiting beliefs about what is possible. Ask the rock to take back the thought patterns that do not serve you. From there, move to the small waterfall for prayer/ceremony.
Rock Bridge
This area has been identified as a good place to practice crossing over from one state to another. This can mean working with Death as an ally, or the Ancestors. The rock bridge itself may be viewed as an altar to Death itself. This can also be a good place to go when you are looking for clarity and healing around the process of setting clear boundaries or borders in your life. If you bring a picnic and plan to eat food while you are at the rock bridge, leave a small amount of food out for the Ancestors, on a separate plate, and let them “eat” as well. Pack the food out, and place in compost or feed to animals.
Waterfall Energy Grid
This sadhana is for when you really want to show up in service to the Gorge, to tune into her, listen for what she is asking of you, and what she would like to offer you. Start this sadhana at the Mill Creek waterfall, off Route 11, near Natural Bridge State Park. Begin tuning in with the frequency of the Gorge here. Do not be surprised if you don’t “hear” very much at first. The energy builds as you progress along the “stops” of this sadhana. Spend a few minutes with your feet in the water. Make a small offering of cornmeal and tobacco. Then drive up 11, through Slade, to the Nada Spring and the Nada Tunnel, the entrance to the Gorge. Stop at the Spring (drink some of her water) and the Tunnel and make small offerings of cornmeal and tobacco both places. Continue around the Gorge “loop”, stopping at the waterfall near the Gladie Visitor Center off Route 77. You’ll need more specific instructions for how to find this waterfall. It’s right off the road, though. Find a quiet place to sit and really begin tuning into the Gorge here, again making a small offering of cornmeal and tobacco. These two waterfalls are like blood vessels for the energy flow of the Gorge. Offer yourself to the larger energy that is at play all around you. Complete your sadhana by continuing to drive in a clockwise direction around the Gorge loop and again stopping at the Mill Creek waterfall, thanking the Gorge for all that she offers. (This is about 26 miles of driving, all around the “loop”). If you’d like to practice this sadhana, please ask Sarah for more specific directions/map.
Miscellaneous Inspiration
Play
“What is serious to us is often very trivial in the sight of God. What in God might appear to us as "play" is perhaps what he Himself takes most seriously. At any rate, the Lord plays and diverts Himself in the garden of His creation, and if we could let go of our own obsession with what we think is the meaning of it all, we might be able to hear His call and follow Him in His mysterious, cosmic dance. We do not have to go very far to catch echoes of that game, and of that dancing. When we are alone on a starlit night; when by chance we see the migrating birds in autumn descending on a grove of junipers to rest and eat; when we see children in a moment when they are really children; when we know love in our own hearts; or when, like the Japanese poet Bashō we hear an old frog land in a quiet pond with a solitary splash--at such times the awakening, the turning inside out of all values, the "newness," the emptiness and the purity of vision that make themselves evident, provide a glimpse of the cosmic dance.”
“For the world and time are the dance of the Lord in emptiness. The silence of the spheres is the music of a wedding feast. The more we persist in misunderstanding the phenomena of life, the more we analyze them out into strange finalities and complex purposes of our own, the more we involve ourselves in sadness, absurdity and despair. But it does not matter much, because no despair of ours can alter the reality of things; or stain the joy of the cosmic dance which is always there. Indeed, we are in the midst of it, and it is in the midst of us, for it beats in our very blood, whether we want it to or not.”
“Yet the fact remains that we are invited to forget ourselves on purpose, cast our awful solemnity to the winds and join in the general dance.”
—Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation
Spaciousness
Around her were the austere sky-pointing hills,
And the green murmurous broad deep-thoughted woods
Muttered incessantly their muffled spell.
A dense magnificent coloured self-wrapped life
Draped in the leaves' vivid emerald monotone
And set with chequered sunbeams and blithe flowers
Immured her destiny's secluded scene.
There had she grown to the stature of her spirit:
The genius of titanic silences
Steeping her soul in its wide loneliness
Had shown to her her self's bare reality
And mated her with her environment.
Its solitude greatened her human hours
With a background of the eternal and unique.
A force of spare direct necessity
Reduced the heavy framework of man's days
And his overburdening mass of outward needs
To a first thin strip of simple animal wants,
And the mighty wildness of the primitive earth
And the brooding multitude of patient trees
And the musing sapphire leisure of the sky
And the solemn weight of the slowly-passing months
Had left in her deep room for thought and God.
— Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, pp. 13-14