On February 28^th, 2010, I posted a blog article entitled “The Teja Challenge” in which I challenged people to give up their addictions to harmful substances for one year in exchange for me sending them Reiki healing energies each day. Recently I became inspired to revisit and revise that challenge. This new challenge will include the substances from the original – tobacco, alcohol, ganja (also called pot/weed/marijuana), and other drugs – as well as any other addictive substance or activity, such as spending too much time on the television or computer, overeating, obsessive worrying, and futuristic fantasizing.

All addictions stem from a lack of self-love. Once you really, truly begin to love yourself, you then experience your whole being, including your physical body, as a temple for your soul. When you really love yourself, you will no longer choose to engage in addictions that are harmful to your body, mind, heart, and soul.

It has been more than 3 years since I quit drinking alcohol. I no longer even have a glass of wine with dinner, because I do not like how alcohol makes my energies feel so tweaked. Once I began doing regular, daily spiritual practices and I became more sensitive to energies, I began to really like how my own energies feel, without any alterations. I like how present I feel now that I no longer put mind-altering substances into my temple body.

Alcohol, tobacco, ganja, and other drugs interfere with spiritual purification and with the body’s natural healing processes. The way to free yourself from addictive substances or behaviors is to set the intention to really love yourself, and then choose the path that will lead you to that self-love. Once you dedicate yourself to really loving yourself, the way will open up for you.

This revised Teja Challenge is one way to begin the healing journey of freeing yourself from addictions. Here are the terms of this challenge ~

~ You will agree to give up tobacco, alcohol, ganja, and other drugs (and any other addictive substances and/or behaviors), for 3 months, during which time you will read my pocket book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living (copy included in this challenge), and commit to doing daily spiritual practices, with the minimum requirement being a twenty-minute silent meditation each day.

~ I will agree to send you Reiki healing energies by distance each day, and I will be available for guidance on spiritual practices by email, as needed. (For people who need a lot of extra email support, an extra financial donation may be necessary.)

~ For this healing process, a sliding scale love-money donation is requested: between $22-88 per month, so for 3 months, between $66-$264. To take The Teja Challenge (Revised), please go to the Store on this website, and pay by using the “Donate” button. (10% of every sale and donation on this website goes to Amma’s charitable organizations. www.amma.org) After you make the donation, please send me a message through the Contact page on this site, letting me know that you are agreeing to take the Teja Challenge. Please include your email address and whether you would like your copy of Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living in the print or e-book version. (If you’d like the print version, also include your mailing address.) I will then reply with an email containing the Terms of Agreement and a request for you to email me a recent photo of yourself.

Regular, daily spiritual practices help develop self-love. One of the spiritual practices that has helped me the most on my journey to self-love is Cultivating the Witness, that part of ourselves that objectively watches everything we are. Once we begin to witness, allow, and accept all parts of ourselves, then we begin to love ourselves unconditionally. I have found this process to be incredibly rewarding. It is my intention to assist many others in sparking the healing inner Light into a blazing Fire of Self-Love that radiates out to more and more beings.

May all beings everywhere know the Bliss of Freedom from all addictions! If you have addictions, consider taking The Teja Challenge today!

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of red feather tree lights by Teja Shankara. Photo of Teja by her son Gabe.

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Photo by Ashley Marie - CC license

We create our realities with our thoughts. Cultivating the witness, that part of our minds that objectively watches everything we are, allows us to clearly see all of our thoughts. Through the power of watching our thoughts, we gradually change the way we perceive the world. We shift from viewing the world as a serious court of justice to seeing this universe as a joyous playground. Like gleeful children, we get to play and celebrate during this lifetime we've been given. On the playground we enjoy ourselves fully, even if sometimes we scrape our knees or get our hearts broken! No matter what pains we go through, we can't let the heartbreaks keep us from opening up and having a good time on the playground.

Here is a bit of news from the fun I'm having lately on the Tejaswini Playground ~

~ I am most excited to be one of the organizing priestesses for the Goddess Temple of Ashland, a healing sanctuary for men, women, and children that will open in Spring 2011 on the Jackson Wellsprings Land, in a dome donated by Asha Deliverance of Pacific Domes. This Sunday, December 19^th, we will hold our first fundraising event to raise funds for a $3,000 wool liner that we need to keep the dome warm and dry. At this Winter Solstice Gala, I will be inviting Lalla, 14th Century North Indian mystic, to speak her poems through me, accompanied musically by my friend Vivek. (Lalla poems translated by Coleman Barks.) We will also lead a short Om Namah Shivaya chant, since that mantra was close to Lalla’s heart.

(Event information for locals: the Lalla poetry transmission will be just one act among the many delightful music and dance performances. There will also be wonderful items for sale, including handmade gifts and desserts. December 19th, Jackson Wellsprings Community Room. Doors open 4:30pm. Performance Art Show begins 5:00pm. $5 Donation at door. Festive Dress Encouraged.)

~ Today is the last day of my Radiance Rising pocket book sale, although I will be extending the sale price for the Winter Solstice Gala on the 19^th. Today you can still order them for half-price, at just $5 per copy on this website.

~ It has been exciting lately to receive book orders from around the world, thanks to that international matrix of pen pals, also known as my Facebook playground! I so enjoy all the wonderful sharing that goes on there. Here’s something I posted recently that people liked:

“When I got in the shower today, there was a spider in the tub… I helped the little guy to safety several times, but he was determined to keep jumping back in where he could drown… reminded me of how many times my Gurus and guides have tried to help me, only to watch me insist on the near-drowning routes!”

~ If you haven’t already joined, please go to my new page on Facebook: “Teja Shankara Books” and hit the “Like” button at the top. I appreciate your support.

~ I totally love writing the articles for this Teja Blog. Recently I noticed that I was posting the 100^th article of the year! I continue to write, with an increased inspiration for articles flowing in, as if the Universe is saying, “THIS is what you are supposed to be doing!” Indeed, I am receiving more positive feedback that the blog articles are touching chords with people. If you enjoy them, please share the links with friends. Recent article titles include: “Celebrating my Grandma’s Birthday”, “Shout Loud and Wake Up Hanuman-ji!”, “Teja in Amma Field”, “Amma gave me two more apples!”, “Spiritual Practices at the Post Office”, “Driving in the Elements to see Amma”, “My Near-Death Experience at 4:22am”, “Amma is Deepening my Bhakti”, “Flowers, and Apples, and Hugs! Oh, My!”, “We Are Always Alone AND We Are Never Alone”.

~ In November I traveled south to spend time with Ammachi, who is one of the world’s top ten spiritual leaders. Amma (which means “Mother”) is popularly known as the “hugging saint.” I had a really amazing week (which I’ve published several blog articles about), with one of the highlights being all the connections I made with so many beloved souls. I felt so home there, being so completely immersed in my element. I witnessed all the internal growth and progress I’ve made since I was there last June, and I felt incredibly empowered, strengthened, encouraged, and inspired by all the teachings and blessings I received. Here is one of my favorite teachings from the week:

One of Amma’s dear Swamis said that the tiger’s nature is to get hold of the head, and once it gets hold of it, it never lets go. Then he said, “Amma is a Tiger and She pounces on our egos!”

~ I returned from that Amma pilgrimage with renewed enthusiasm and Bliss in my heart, but then very soon I witnessed myself going into a bit of a contraction. (To read more about the inevitable spiritual process of expanding and contracting, please read my book Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living.) The contracted state arose due to the cold winter weather, the stress with my sons’ schedules, and the karmic lila with an earthguy, but I am happy to say that I kept bringing my attention back to the service that I intend to offer (as a Light Worker who cheerleads for spiritual practices), and I gained clarity about needing to keep my psychic channels open so that financial support can flow in. I realized the importance of me staying open to potentialities unfolding as they are meant to, which means spending a lot of time alone in sadhana (spiritual practices), so that I am guided to the right places at the right times.

~ In addition to keeping my mind focused on spreading the Light, I also uplifted my state through adorning my temple cottage with bright, colorful decorations, including a faux fir tree that shines next to me as I type.

~ I love giving Reiki energy healings at Ashland Holistic Health. I feel so blessed to be a vessel for all the healing Love that passes through me into the receivers.

~ The weekly Radiance Rising Circles are as sweet as ever. On November 29^th we celebrated the one-year anniversary of these circles. Last week we finished (for now) our focus on death, and next week we will celebrate the Winter Solstice.

~ I am looking forward to creating delicious vegan holiday meals. I’ll share some of the recipes soon on the Teja Blog.

~ I’ll close this month’s newsletter with a quote from a talk Amma gave last month:

“We have the capacity to Witness – that strength/power is within us – it is just a question of focusing our mind to cultivate a witnessing attitude… Understand the nature of the world and its objects: once we see that the world is constantly changing, then we will find the center within us – finding the center within us is witnessing.”

May you find the center within you during this time of Light-filled festivities. May you enjoy the playground of your life.

May all beings have food, clothing, shelter, peaceful sleep, and spiritual upliftment each day.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Book cover design by Gaelyn Miriam Larrick. Photo of Teja bundled happy by Vivek.

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I just returned from the post office, which was a scene in stark contrast to my little cottage temple world. While my colorful shrine is lit with holiday lights and I sit cozily sipping hot chai and eating fig cookies while I write, there are people standing in the post office line surrounded by ugly walls and stressed-out employees. When I entered the line (to ship out copies of my pocket book ~ Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living), I noted that there were only two counters open with about twenty people in line, so I took off my sandalwood mala and began doing my mantra japa practice that I received from my beloved Guru, Ammachi. (The photo with this article was taken of me on Amma’s land in California, November 2010.)

As I silently chanted my mantra, the man in front of me began coughing loudly, so I immediately invoked the Reiki Guides and asked them to send Reiki healing energies into all the people in the building. As soon as I did that, the man turned around and started talking to me, telling me all kinds of things. As I listened, the witness part of my mind was telling me that he opened up because I sent the healing energies out. So, while saying my mantra, sending Reiki energies, and listening (to a person who I suspect has some mental illness), I was also cultivating the witness! Talk about multi-tasking sadhanas (spiritual practices) in the midst of worldly life!

By the time this man’s turn came up, I had broken into a full-body sweat because he had told me that the doctor said he might have emphysema, but he thought he had pneumonia. ‘Great,’ I thought, ‘thanks for spreading the pneumonia germs around.’ Feeling a little bad about my attitude, I then asked the Reiki Guides to protect my aura and boost my immune system! Who knew that so much could happen in just thirty minutes at the post office?

The woman behind me in line commended me for being such a good listener. She sweetly told me that I had just done my good deed for the season. I’m not so sure. Does it count as a good deed if inside you are having a mini-anxiety-attack?

When it was my turn at the counter my anxiety increased, because the other employee went on break, and so the long line behind me was all waiting for me to send my packages. The postal worker told me that five employees recently retired and they aren’t going to replace them since they don’t have the money. She said that the U.S. Postal Service lost nine billion dollars last year. Whoa, that is intense, eh?

Upon returning home, I immediately took a very hot shower, consciously intending to release that bit of stress from my system. Having said that, I cheerfully look forward to my next book orders and the subsequent post office trips. Who knows what spiritual practices I’ll do the next time I’m there…

May all beings have food, clothing, shelter, peaceful sleep, and spiritual upliftment each day.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja taken in the Light of Amma’s land by an Amma devotee.

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A few months ago, I had the opportunity to give Reiki healing sessions at the Peace Village Festival in Ashland. One afternoon, after giving Reiki for a few hours, I was dancing barefoot in the sunshine when I met a stunningly radiant soul sister named Graell Corsini. She was preparing to move from Mt. Shasta up to Ashland, so we excitedly exchanged cards, and I had a ‘knowing’ that this would be an important and inspiring connection.

Indeed, in the short amount of time that I have known Graell, I am already incredibly inspired by her enthusiasm. It is so beautiful to meet another visionary sister on the Light Worker Path… In Mt. Shasta, Graell was the owner and Artistic Director of The Flying Lotus Movement Center and of the AvaSha Goddess Temple, and now she has received guidance to create a Goddess Temple in Ashland.

So, on the November New Moon, a circle of local and visiting women gathered to begin planning for Ashland’s first Goddess Temple, a sacred sanctuary that will provide the community with the spiritual nourishment of the Divine Feminine. I am so excited to be part of this creation. Sitting in that circle of powerful priestess women, I felt deep gratitude.

We visualize the Goddess Temple opening in the Spring of 2011 on the Jackson Wellsprings land. That healing space will be open to men, women, and children, and we envision that there will be dances, meditations, spiritual counsel, and many other delightful offerings.

In addition to helping promote the Goddess Temple of Ashland (via avenues such as Facebook), I also look forward to leading circles of spiritual practices in the Temple…

Jayanti Mangala Kali! Victory to the Auspicious Mother Kali!

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of women gathered to plan for Ashland Goddess Temple by Teja Shankara.

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Yesterday I didn’t have anyone scheduled for Reiki energy healing sessions, but I needed to go by Ashland Holistic Health to pay my November rent, and I also needed to go to the post office to mail off some copies of Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living. (This pocket book makes a great holiday gift and it is on sale for just $5 through December 16^th.) Since it was an incredibly glorious autumn day in Ashland, I decided to play hooky on my other work (i.e. finding large corporations to order hundreds of pocket books as inspirational holiday gifts for their employees)…

… And instead, I went walking about the town, accomplishing my errands on foot. During my two and a half hour journey, I enjoyed a vegan deli lunch in the sunshine outside the food co-op; bought myself a little gift at a shop that is going out of business after more than 30 years; and then found myself heading up to the Japanese garden in Lithia Park. The light shining through the colorful leaves was absolutely stunning. After snapping several photos, I sat on a stone near a pool, eating some dark organic chocolate and gazing into the red leaves reflecting on the water. While breathing in deep gratitude for this life, I felt renewed inspiration igniting little fires in the cells of my body.

As I walked home, I felt open to new potentialities manifesting in my life. I also giggled to myself that I felt quite like a satisfied tourist, even though I’ve lived in this town for 17 years!  I reflected that it is good to get out and go on spontaneous little adventures sometimes… and just then, the thought popped in my head: ‘go get a decaf. soy mocha!’ The logical part of my brain immediately responded, ‘no, there’s not time – I need to get home since the boys will be returning from school soon.’ But the thought got louder, on repeat…

… So, I stopped in Noble Coffee, but when I saw that mochas cost four dollars, I almost turned around and left! I guess I hadn’t treated myself to a mocha in years, and they didn’t used to cost that much money… But the ‘voice’ insisted that I get it anyway and just donate more money to Ammachi this month… So I got the decaf. soy mocha and sat at a table outside. I had to take a photo, because the artful design on the mocha’s surface delighted me so much… One time when I was at Amma’s ashram in Castro Valley, California, she talked about the importance of entertainment and laughter. As I thoroughly enjoyed that cuppa’, I thought that Amma would probably approve of me treating myself to that moment of joy.

May you also take some time to treat yourself to little moments of joy.

May all beings everywhere have food, clothing, shelter, and peaceful sleep.

May all beings know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photos of autumn sunshine and cuppa’ mocha by Teja Shankara.

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Tonight is the fifth night of Navarathri, a nine-night Hindu festival that celebrates various aspects of Shakti, the Divine Feminine. At the Radiance Rising Circle last night we chanted to Durga and Kali (two powerful forms of the Divine Mother), and I read some teachings of Anandamayi Ma, a blissful mystic and sage who lived in India 1896-1982. She said, “Whether you worship Christ, Krishna, Kali or Allah, you actually worship the one Light that is also in you, since It pervades all things. Everything originates from Light, everything in its essence is Light.” (Women of Power and Grace: Nine Astonishing, Inspiring Luminaries of Our Time, by Timothy Conway, Ph.D., the Wake Up Press, Santa Barbara, CA, 1995.)

That reminds me of a passage from Reiki Master William Bagley’s Reiki Guide: “Light is not solid. Yet its pervasive and radiant quality is deeply satisfying. Love is light. It can touch our hearts everywhere and anywhere. We relax into this light and become light.”

I felt that deeply satisfying inner radiance during the circle last night, and also during a small home kirtan that I hosted Friday night for the first night of Navarathri. With fresh red roses in a vase next to Goddess Durga’s image, I relaxed into the bliss of chanting (singing) “Jaya Jagadambe ~ He Ma Durga” which means “Victory to the Mother of the Universe, ‘O Mother Durga.” I played harmonium, my son played violin, and a few friends played bells and drums. Just as we finished the last chant, I heard my son crunching a snack, and I heard the delightful sound of a baby breastfeeding. The little one in attendance had enjoyed the music so much, but he had grown tired and was ready to be nursed to sleep.

As I blissed out on the sound of a mother nourishing her child, I finished the last note on the harmonium, and I said quietly, “Gratitude to the Divine Mother who nourishes us throughout our lives: when we are babies, with breastmilk; when we are ten-years-old, with veggie booty; and when we are older, with chanting the Divine Names.”

My teacher, who I named “Basil” in my memoir, The Rita Lila: A Western Yogini’s Journey to Bliss, once described the key qualities of the Divine Mother in this way: “She is always present, always nourishing, and always interested in our well-being.”

This morning when I first sat down to work, I looked out the window above the computer and saw a fawn trying to get under its mother. The mama deer hesitated – no wonder, since they were in the middle of the street – but then she surrendered and let the babe have a little nourishment… until the next car drove up! Unfortunately I could not get my camera out fast enough, but I did sit in Gratitude for being gifted with that moment of witnessing the sustenance of the Mother.

May all beings be nourished by the Light of Shakti. May all beings experience the Love and Warmth of the inner Radiance.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of deer in Lithia Park by Teja Shankara.

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Yesterday my dear friend Judy and I attended a World Peace Prayer circle. It was a very nice gathering, and afterwards she joined me for a little kirtan (call-and-response singing) at my temple cottage. I played harmonium and sang “Shiva~Parvati, Namo Namah” and she sang the same back to me while playing a drum. We ended our chant session with a sweet chant to Sita~Ram. I could feel the healing sound vibrations buzzing in the room after she left, and I felt so grateful that my life is now filled with so much God.

I turned on my new Reiki CD, “Reiki healing WAVES” by Parijat, and enjoyed cooking myself a tasty vegan dinner. When the food was ready, I said out lout, “Dinner’s ready, honey,” and then I answered myself out loud, “Okay, honey!” Do you ever joke out loud with yourself like that?

When I sat down to eat, I was delighted by the taste sensations, so I took a photo and planned to write out the recipe, but then I got distracted by a 3-hour skype video call with my dearest soul sister Ananda. This morning I don’t recall the exact amounts of the ingredients, so I will just share how I made the vegan tempeh dinner, and you can adjust the amounts to suit your tastes.

First, if you remember to marinate the tempeh earlier in the day, it tastes better, but if not, then just marinate it while you’re cutting the onions. Tempeh is a fermented soybean food, and I have read that it is a healthier option than tofu. It has a really wonderful nutty flavor, too.

Sauté two small sweet onions (chopped in strips) in toasted sesame oil. Once the onions soften, add the tempeh (cut in strips), along with its marinade (toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, a little water, garlic powder, ginger powder, black pepper, orange zest). Cover and let cook for ten minutes, then turn tempeh strips over and put chopped kale on top with the juice of about one-fourth of the orange. I put about 4 big Russian kale leaves and stems. Cover and let cook for about ten more minutes. Serve with rice. I made a combination of brown and wild rice that was really delicious with this vegan tempeh dinner.

Let me know how your version turns out!

May all beings have food to eat each day.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja’s vegan tempeh dinner by Teja Shankara.

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Photo by Ashley Marie - CC license

We create our realities with our thoughts. Cultivating the witness, that part of our minds that objectively watches everything we are, allows us to clearly see all of our thoughts. Through the power of watching our thoughts, we gradually change the way we perceive the world. We shift from viewing the world as a serious court of justice to seeing this universe as a joyous playground. Like gleeful children, we get to play and celebrate during this lifetime we've been given. On the playground we enjoy ourselves fully, even if sometimes we scrape our knees or get our hearts broken! No matter what pains we go through, we can't let the heartbreaks keep us from opening up and having a good time on the playground.

Here is a bit of news from the fun I'm having lately on the Tejaswini Playground ~

~ By far, the most fun I’ve had lately was collaborating with my sons to create a video. One Sunday afternoon we transformed our temple cottage into a video production studio, and many hours (and much chocolate) later, we uploaded our video to YouTube. It is my yogini version of pop-star P!nk’s song “So What.” Dedicated to all broken-hearted beings out there, it is short, sweet, and delightfully uplifting. Please enjoy it by clicking on this link: Yogini Tejaswini's Parody of P!nk's "So What."

~ I also wrote a short blog article about the video: "Parody Video of P!nk's Song So What"

~ My most exciting news is that I am now offering Reiki sessions two half-days each week at Ashland Holistic Health, office of acupuncturist Jenn Collins. The space is warm and calm, and the energy feels great. I am filled with Gratitude for how easily and effortlessly it lined up for me to be there. With each session I give, the Reiki energy is getting stronger, and I am experiencing the preciousness of each human body. I feel so blessed to be a Reiki practitioner.

~ The Monday evening Radiance Rising Circles are ever evolving, as those who attend help shape what I offer. It is a co-creative, spontaneous arising of shared spiritual practices. Lately the format has shifted to chanting first, then silent meditation, and then more chanting. It was predicted ages and ages ago, that during this age the practice of kirtan (call-and-response singing) would spread to every village on earth… the reason being that during this age of hypocrisy, density, and greed, singing is the easiest way for us to connect with the Divine. That certainly is my personal experience!

~ I continue to enjoy blogging so much. Please enjoy my recent articles on Reiki: “Reiki Meditation on Mt. Shasta”  and “Reiki by the River”  as well as my latest article on veganism, entitled “Why Eat Vegan?”

~ After I wrote “Why Eat Vegan?” I sent the following message to our local food co-op, and asked them to print it in their next newsletter:

Greetings! I've been an Ashland Co-op shopper since 1993 when I moved to town. I have been a vegetarian for many years, and one year ago I shifted to eating a vegan diet. There are many reasons to go vegan, a few of which I outline in my blog article “Why Eat Vegan?”

Did you know that livestock production contributes more to global warming than all of the cars and trucks combined? And do you know that eating meat causes unnecessary suffering to the creatures? No matter how "humanely" or organically the meat is produced, the creatures still suffer.

Sometimes when I enter the Co-op, I am so offended by the smell of dead animals cooking, that I have to go straight to the aromatherapy oils and put them under my nose. I would love to see the Co-op, at the very least, join Paul McCartney's Meat Free Monday campaign.

~ By choice (and by destiny, if there is a difference!), I spend a lot of time alone: doing spiritual practices, studying, writing, and so on… during all that time on my “contemplative playground,” all sorts of reflections and realizations pass through me, and I love posting them on facebook and then reading people’s comments. This facebook post is my favorite:

"We create our realities with our thoughts, so we should always think positively, but sometimes our karmas, emotions, and hormones take over, making positive thinking a challenge, at best. During those times i witness my unpleasant thoughts, hold onto the Lotus Feet of God through chanting the Names, and read people's inspiring facebook posts... until things shift... and sometimes i drink some coffee too..."

~ My last bit of news is I finally found resolution with Rama! To read that story, go to the blog article called "Back in Rama Bhakti."

~ I'll end this newsletter with a quote from the Bhagavad Gita, 2:40:

"On this path effort never goes to waste, and there is no failure.
Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear."

May you each enjoy the playground of your life!

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

http://www.facebook.com/tejashankara

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A few days ago I posted a blog article about my potent Mt. Shasta meditation. While sitting on the mountain, I charged up the Reiki healing energies within my being, and I offered deep gratitude to the Universe. I was feeling especially grateful that day, because during our picnic lunch my brother and his wife announced that they are going to have a baby. This was really big news, since they had been trying to get pregnant for two years!

Of course we couldn’t help but wonder if the Reiki energy healing sessions had helped her get pregnant. We probably won’t ever know for sure, but it seems likely that the Reiki may have helped, because I gave her Reiki healings during the two-day ovulation period this time, and this time she got pregnant!

The day after our hike on Mt. Shasta, we took a picnic lunch to Mill Creek Campground, where I gave a Reiki healing session to Kasey again. That was one of the most special moments of my life, and my eyes are filling with tears as I type this. It was so amazing to put my hands on her belly, knowing that my niece or nephew is growing inside. I am so happy for Nathaniel and Kasey, and so grateful that I can be a part of this experience, both as a Reiki Practitioner and as Auntie Teja!

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja giving Reiki energy healing to Kasey (at Mill Creek Campground) by Teja’s Mom.

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A few days ago, about 7,000 feet down from the peak of Mt. Shasta, I sat in meditation while my boys hiked up to the snow line with their grandparents. With a warm stone beneath me, and the hot sun behind me, I was in yogini bliss heaven. As I tuned in to the energies of the sacred mountain, I felt incredible surges of shakti (spiritual power) go through me. I visualized potent mountain energies entering my root chakra and rising up through my crown, while sweet heavenly energies flowed through my crown, down to my root.

I collected some warm stones, communed with a cricket-like being, and energetically charged up the Reiki healing energies and Reiki healing symbols within my being. In that incredibly connected state, I affirmed my intentions to give more and more Reiki healings and to offer more and more Radiance Rising Circles. I also sent Reiki healing energies and Mt. Shasta healing energies to my dear yogi friend, Pete. I silently thanked the Reiki Guides for gifting me with this opportunity to deepen into the experience of being a Reiki Practitioner. For me, as a raja yogini, practicing the healing art of Reiki is just one more wonderful spiritual practice that brings me to the state of Union.

In cultivating the witness, I watch myself expanding through the yoga of giving Reiki energy healings. I witness the positive healing effects that Reiki is having on my being, and I am super grateful to be a vessel for the Unconditional Love Energy that the Reiki Guides channel through me.

When I returned home from that potent Mt. Shasta meditation, it was the evening of Sri Krishna Janmasthami, a Hindu festival honoring the birth of the shimmering blue being who came to Earth about 5,000 years ago to radiate Love to all. I chanted the Hare Krishna mantra while cooking food for my family, and I gave thanks for this wonderful life.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja on Mt. Shasta by Teja’s Mom. Photo of Mt. Shasta by Teja Shankara.

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