Sitting in the Kripalu Samadhi Mandir during Morning Arti, I am absorbing the quiet sacred magic, peace and depth of community.
For decades, the families of Malav, India, the rural village surrounding the Mandir, have risen each morning in devoted sadhana. With unhurried reverence, they gather flowers from the temple grounds and farm, gently adorning the murtis of Saints, Sages, and deities. They do this without asking for or expecting anything in return. Complete Service to their beloved Guru.
This is the resting place of Swami Kripalu, a beloved Saint whose presence continues to guide hundreds of thousands. A Saint’s body is not burned in India, as their energy continues to transmit the teachings they carried with them in life.
The devotion woven into daily life here opens the heart of anyone who arrives. Each time, it brings me to my knees in tears and humility. Bapuji, as he is affectionately called, is the Guru to my beloved Guru, Yogi Amrit Desai, who at 93 has been a disciple since he was 16, a mere 77 years. Dedicating his whole life to his Guru.
It reminds me of the adage: dig one well, and dig it deep.
The magic of community and devotion is how Yoga by the Sea feels to me, a deep well of love and dedication, reflecting the community that has supported, nurtured, celebrated, grieved, and grown together over the past 20 years.
Anyone who has crossed the threshold in the Heart of the Creek, or felt this field extending outward through our teachers, words, music, workshops, gatherings, events, tours, hands-on healing, counselling, movement practices, socials, or newsletters, has touched this well, participated in digging the well, and nourishing it’s very existence.
Love Hasu and All your Friends at Yoga by the Sea.