Category Archives: Messages & Wisdom

February 2020

Mata Shakti Ashram Posted on by

This is my favorite painting at the North Carolina Museum of Art: “The Siene at Giverny, Morning Mists.” Go visit it if you haven’t yet! This was painted by Monet in 1897. The amazing thing about this painting is that for two years, Monet rose at 3:30 am, to catch the mists and fog clearing from the river at different times and in different lights. In the yogic tradition, we refer to these hours before dawn as “The Amrit Vela”, the sweet time of day when all is quiet. A great time for meditation! I recently wrote this poem, as if the painting is speaking to us:

“Amrit Vela”
There’s so much happening
In this museum,
In this world,
This universe.

I am a point of stillness.
I watch everyone
Coming in and out
Quickly.
Occupied by their own Minds.
Commenting. Analyzing.
Let’s just stop all that
Please

Just
Sit
Down
(yes there’s a seat here, that’s no accident!)
Allow my colors into your eyes.
Weep if you must,
Feel
the Fog, the trees,
the Quiet.
Swim in my pastel waters.
Rest, my dear,
In this peaceful space.
Allow me to feed your Soul.
Awake to the beauty
While others are sleeping.

HarDarshan Khalsa, January 10, 2020
Thank you for allowing me to share this with you!

Service Opportunity
Mata Shakti Ashram welcomes your support! How can you help?
Time and Talent: help with yard and garden maintenance, upkeep of classroom and workshop/training spaces, vegetarian raw food prep, help with social media and technology. Talk to your friends and personal community about Mata Shakti Ashram, for we are truly “grass roots”!
Finance/Funds: Donations of money to assist Mata Shakti Ashram pay the overhead cost for the current space, pay guest teachers, and provide some scholarships to those in need. Let us know how much you are willing to pledge monthly or yearly over the next year to 5 years, as we prepare the non-profit status. Every donation will receive a class pass to share with a friend to acquaint them with the ashram.

Thanks to Kevin Millar, Lisa Brown, Sahej Anand Kaur, Jennifer Pittman, Lindy Hoeft, Joni Liebel, Michelle Hill, Sat Inder Kaur and Karta Purkh Singh of Kansas City’s Param Tirath Ashram, Elke/Keval McCalla, Ranpreet Kaur, Shirin Negmodjanova, Connie Boston, Mary Radulescu, Barbara Lynn Freed, Updesh Kaur, Florence, Wasalisa Davison, Harbhajan Khalsa, Param Terath Kaur and Ashley Jackson, who have already given their support!

Stay tuned for an open house, and contact HarDarshan for more information: 919-257-7814 or hardarshan@matashaktiashram.org

Cultivating Peace

Mata Shakti Ashram Posted on by

We live in challenging times, when peace seems to be elusive.
How can you, as one person, make the world a more peaceful place?

Here are three steps:
1. Peace really does begin with YOU.
If you don’t have peace in your own mind, there can’t be peace in your world. How can you cultivate peace within? It begins with awareness. Perhaps you notice that sometimes your mind is churning over a problem like a hamster on a wheel. In Kundalini yoga philosophy, we recognize this phenomenon as a “mental intrigue”. The brain and its connection to the (wanna be) all powerful ego, believes that if it just thinks about something long enough, it will “figure it all out”. This simply isn’t so! Once you recognize that you are in a mental intrigue, drop it! Tell yourself that this process will not bring you peace, and take some time to meditate and get yourself into a more neutral state. You may find that the more you make this a habit, the more that real answers to your problems arise from a place of peace. Something you may want to try that helps with finding your peaceful place within, also relates to the next step. See if you can carve out a place in your home that is a restful sanctuary – a place to meditate, reflect, and be quiet. This could be as large as an entire room devoted to your spiritual practices, or perhaps just a small shelf in a corner near a comfy chair or meditation pillow. Having a physical place to go when you want to create peace in your mind can help. This space can have something like an altar in it, that contains images that are uplifting to you – a cloth of your favorite color, spiritual/religious images, devotional reading that uplifts you, a candle, a flower, etc.

2. Once you feel that your inner space is more peaceful, take a look at your “outer space”.
 How does your home, your office, your car, feel to you? Is it cluttered? Is it dirty? Does it make you feel overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, or does it bring a smile to your face? You don’t need to spend money to create a feeling of joy in your physical space. Just giving things a good cleaning, getting rid of clutter, and perhaps reorganizing, may be all that’s needed. If you are happy to walk into your home and your office, if you feel peaceful driving your car, you are making your own little corner of the world peaceful. Then inviting others into your spaces will also help them feel a sense of happiness. Including art, photos, items, etc. that are inspiring can make a big difference in your outlook.

3. Once you have created peace in your mind, and peace in your physical surroundings, you will find that peace rippling out to the world around you. The smile you give a stranger at the market may give them a lift that they pass along to the next person they meet, and so on! Don’t underestimate the power of your own peace to affect the world around you.

 

HarDarshan Kaur Khalsa, LPC, helps people find peace through transpersonal psychotherapy, Feng Shui home consultations, and the practice of Kundalini yoga and meditation. You may learn more about her: www.matashaktiashram.org, www.sacredlistener.com, www.sacrednest.com, or contact her at (919) 257-7814 or hardarshan@sacredlistener.com

 

Cultivating Seeds of Joy

Mata Shakti Ashram Posted on by

Green Tara

Summer is a time when we begin to see the fruits of our labors – flowers, fruits, and vegetables. What began as tiny seeds are maturing into beautiful things. Summer is an expansive time, where we feel and see growth everywhere!

Our thoughts and behaviors can also begin like small seeds, but with nurturing, can grow into vibrant parts of our lives. When you nurture a worry or a negative thought, it can grow into something larger than you first imagined. Some have said that worrying is “praying for what you don’t want!”

So, how do we nurture our most positive thoughts? Start with intention! Often our thoughts of worry constrict us not only mentally, but also physically. Try beginning changing your thoughts with a simple long, deep breath! Deep breathing supplies the brain, and every other part of your body, with health giving oxygen.

Second, bring your awareness to the present moment! Are you thinking about something that has happened in the past? That cannot be changed! Are you worrying about something that might happen in the future? It hasn’t happened yet, and may never happen! Notice what is in this moment, now. Hear the birds singing. Feel the breath in your body. Appreciate what is around you!

This brings us to the third step in cultivating seeds of joy: Gratitude! It has been said that the secret to happiness is an attitude of gratitude. It is hard to feel depressed when you are noticing everything that you are grateful for. Try writing down at least five things you are grateful for before you go to sleep at night.

The fourth step in cultivating joy is to connect with your own innocence. Feel your most pure intentions within yourself, and stop beating yourself up for not being “perfect”. Striving to do your best with pure intentions is a beautiful thing. If you make a mistake, remind yourself that you did your best and meant well.

To put these four steps together into an affirmation:
“Breathe deeply in the present moment with innocence and gratitude.”
Remember this daily, and breathe in joy!