Saturday night I attended a potent fire circle. As the drummers began drumming, I danced slowly around the fire, silently inviting Agni Deva, the Hindu God of Fire, to be present and conscious in the fire. I reflected on my personal intention for that night by the sacred fire: to ask for purification so that I can experience the Oneness with Lord Shiva, who is Pure Consciousness and Bliss. With hand gestures, I also asked that the fire energies of purification go out to all the beings in all the worlds for healing in the Whole.

While dancing barefoot on soft clover around a sacred fire under the stars and moon, surrounded by trees, I delighted in the bells that adorned my ankles that evening. Then, during a break in the drumming, Lalla suddenly came through me. I called out, “Through the illusion of time and space, I invite Lalla here… we are in medieval Kashmir by the One Fire…” And then Lalla used my voice to call out eight of her Love poems. I will share two of them here:

Lalla, you’ve wandered so many places
trying to find your husband!

Now at last, inside the walls
of this body-house, in the heart-shrine,
you discover where he lives.

                    ********

Don’t be so quick to condemn my nakedness.

A man is one who trembles in the presence.
There are very few of those.
Why not go naked?

The ram of experience must be fed
and ripened for the sacrifice.

Then all these customs will disappear
like clothing. There’s only the soul.

Lalla lived in 14^th century Kashmir. At age 24 she left her husband and family, and wandered around North India, naked, singing love songs to God. (Lalla: Naked Song, translations by Coleman Barks, Maypop Publishing.)

When I returned to my cottage that night, the sound of the bells jingling on my ankles filled me with such bliss that I did not want to take them off. I felt like a child who just wants to swim for a few more minutes after the parent says it’s time to get out of the lake. I just wanted to hear those jingles a few more times…

… I did finally take the bells off my ankles, but the next morning I put them back on! As I reflected on that evening by the fire, I remembered what my spiritual brother Howie said to me when he first saw me that night: “You are really freeing your voice!” Amazed that he saw that at first glance, I said, “Yes, I’ve really been enjoying leading the chants at the Monday evening Radiance Rising Circles.”

Through the illusion of time and space, I’m sure Lalla also knows that I’m freeing my voice, which is why she came through me so strongly that night. I am bowing to the Universe in intense Gratitude for that experience of channeling Beloved Lalla.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of bells on Teja’s ankles by Teja Shankara.