Day 20 Studio Diemen met Sjereb Shakti

Rise up, it's the time of the lord and remember love is here! Today, no problem to rise up, I went to bed early after some beautiful meditations and slept in the yogastudio, which is always special, as the energy is very powerful.

Also the shower is fine, í'm the first one to use it... Having my period means a hot shower, in stead of a cold one, so besides the cleansing effect, having my period is a gift.

I realize more and more that doing yoga is also work, it's my new work, but it doesn't feel as work has felt before. Yeah, I know, I'm getting up at 4.30 in the morning and do the sadhana, which takes 2,5 hours.. that's hard work... thinking about it.. but doing it.. it's the best thing to do.. i even miss an after sadhana meditation...;-) which i used to do the 40 previous days, as a triangle meditation, which means that at the moment I was doing this meditation, 2 of my studymates from the level II training were doing the same meditation.

Being with Sjereb Shakti, who is the fundament of the kundalini Yoga association in the Netherlands, gives me a deep connection to the earthly things, which is good after losing first my laptop and after that my bike keys (in a way it is funny, the police has checked all the bikes and they put a sign on my bike, 'bravo, you locked your bike very well', well i know that... I hope Ton, my bike repair man, can open it...), my jacket and maybe more...

I just bought myself some new gadgets, the newest macbook air and also an Imac, for my office. The macbook air is really a gift, so nice, so light, beautiful. I love beautiful stuff, as a libra. I've always had a hard time admitting that, but I do feel great surrounded by natural beauty. Really, that is something which is very interesting of this trip, to feel the different energies on the different locations and how the affect my mood.

What else did I learn so far... I experienced that love is everywhere. I already knew that, but to experience it, that is something different and I'm very grateful for that. Realizing that, means also to me that I don't need to go somewhere to get. It really makes me long for home and I had not had that in live before, so that is very special.

Day 19, Blijburg beach with Celine

No wind in Blijburg, the beach of Amsterdam and the place to plant my roots, as I saw during a meditation earlier this trip. The sunset is beautiful while we do the evening meditations. 11 minutes Har, the prosperity meditation given by Yogi Bhajan for 2008, reminded by Siri Sahib. The water turned into gold, the muskitos where there, but they didn't bite us, as they knew we were sending out good vibes and love energy.

The sadhana is beautiful, peaceful, the sun is rising, the birds are singing together with us as we chant the mantra's a capella, since my ipod is empty, but actually i like it very much. When we return from the sadhana, the energy in the house is very tensed. Celine's son had been outside at 6.30 in the morning in his pyjama's, looking for us but he couldn't find us... Luckely her friends were there to open the door for him. Back to reality within a sec.

Day 18 Harmien and Jos Amsterdam

Woke up in the arms of Amar, my Indian friend and it was a bit hard to leave... Why am I doing this tour, why do I have to get up so early, can't I skip one day... I was asking myself, just for a second (and another one...)

Today I'm going to the home of Harmien, with whom I've done the teacher training and her husband Jos. It is a very know place for me, I've been doing many times the sadhana here and what makes it special is that by coming to there place, also Jos joins us and that gives them an oppurtunity to share this beautiful experience and deepen their relationship. It's a blessing to be able to give them this present.

Day 17 Siri Sahib, Amersfoort

power.. master touch.. time flies.. wauw.. I ended up at Siri Sahib's place. Again I was at the right place at the right moment, as he always does on Monday evenings one hour of meditation, and you know what, he does the same meditation, I got from Guru Dev to do the rest of my live, to have the things come to you (and not run after them... hihi, this is why no teacher has given me the assignment of doing 40 days sadhana on a different location.. I gave this assignment to myself...), Ajai Alai.

The hour flies, we do three different mudra's and it is great. Also the sadhana is very powerful, watching Siri Sahib use his lips during Wahe guru reminds me of the little details, which really make a difference. A spiritual warrior, full of trust and a true teacher. It recalls on the teacher within myself and I'm glad we did an early sadhana again, starting at 4.30. It does make a difference...

Day 16 Guru Preet Kaur Hengelo

Today the ambrosial hours are extented... I woke up at my dad's place, just before the alarmclock, as every day... but I snoozed just a little bit... waking up at 5.25... so a quick shower and i jump in my car, to drive for an hour from Hardenberg to Hengelo to do sadhana.. It might sounds crazy, well compared to the distance I drove the day before (all the way from Berlin to Hardenberg), I'm there in notime. Guru Preet just finished the level II week, prosperity and I really liked to b in her energy... So we do the whole thing, take our time, and I go very deep into the meditation. I get the answers where I've waited for and realize again that meditation is work... I've never been able to see it that way before, but it's all you need...

Day 15 near the pont of Uwe and Karo

I wake up and see the light shining trough the window, the sun has already risen a little bit... Time for the cold shower and the meditation. Uwe and Karo are still sleaping, so today I'm going to do the meditation with the trees, the deer and the kookoo near the pont with all the little frogs. I've met Uwe and Karo yesterday when Uwe was walking alongside the road and needed a ride. I was just on the point that I didn't like this whole tour anymore and wanted to go home... So when I saw a bold man walking in the sun alongside the road, I realized why I was driving there, in the middle of nowhere, an hour away from Berlin, where I didn't go, eventually... The green energy set kept me away from the big city, I guess...

I do the yoga quickly and the mantra's I sing in the car, as it is cold outside and I really want to go home. So I take all my stuff, my clean clothes and leave this beautiful place on earth, realizing that if I want to be on such a beautiful place, I have all the oppurtunities to establish it myself, so no more running away, the time to take responsibilities has come and the time, the desire to plant my roots, from deep inside, has come and I allow it to be there and I enjoy that it is there. The butterfly, the aniimal with whom I very much relay to, is going to find itself a place to be.

Day 14 in the field outside Blessendorf

I left hamburg with mixed feelings. I had a great time and tomorrow their is the posture workshop of guru prem and this big sadhana at ardas is also very tempting to attent, during this tour i feel it is important to stick to the rules, every another location and i already was not as strikt to that rule i also want to move on and go to berlin.

In the car listening to sat hari singh the japji i again have to cry, well. i don't know if it is crying, but tears are just running down my cheeks, although the vision is very clear. It feels like these are healing tears. I take a rest at a beautiful location, near a slot, which is used for offices at the moment.. nice place to work?? I do the afternoon meditation, Aadays, tisai aadays and enjoy the sun. Time to continue, still doubt in my mind, shall I go to Hamburg or to Berlin... Then I realize that my plan was to go to Berlin, so I'm going to Berlin. All these other oppurtunities are there, and it is ok that they are there... there just not on my way. It gives peace to realize this. I drive on these small roads, enjoy the nature, the green grasses, the fields, the trees and after a while I'm tired. Berlin is still 140 km away and I realize that I'm not going to make it. So I remember the talk I had with Justwant this morning, about sleeping in the tree and I know that that is the way I'm going to spend my night, outside in the fields, close to the deer, the birds and all the other animals, underneath the stars. I find a little road, just outside Blessendorf, I follow it and feel blessed. To come to Blessendorf, I first passed Heilgeist, or something, so this is the right place for me to spend the night and have my little adventure. I'll tell my grandma later...

The viewtower is a great place to spend the night, and the moment I enter, I allready see a deer running on the field... Ajai Alai, good night!

When I wake up, I get what I had dreamed of, two deer playing with eachother.. Just a little to far away to film, but I could see with my eyes.. so this was especially for me and I loved it. Reading Japji, the meditation of the soul, out in the nature, is a special experience. The set is quick, green energy is all around me and inside me... Mantra's I sing in the car, as it is cold outside and the farmers are starting there day.

Day 13 Ardas yoga centre hamburg

all night kirtan in the ardas centre on the 31st of May...so they allready expected me to be there as my spiritual name is sat kirtan. I'm just a bit early but very welcome. The teachers from the ardas centre all have done their training with karta singh in france. It's where i'm doing my teacher training at the moment and when we meet within 5 sec we are as close as sisters and brothers. It feels like coming home.

My heart is so open and when i return to the centre to participate in a class just before going to sleep i run into students who follow a class of nia. I end up experiencing this and i love moving and working with the body, i'm greatful for this experience, edgar thank you for having me in your class.

In the ardas centre they have sadhana every day nd on saterdays they have a special one with breakfast and a yogi bhajan movie afterwards. Alltough we, justwant and me, do the sadhana in the small room for me it is time to move on and head for berlin.

During breakfast we shared our experiences nd talked about the wish to live in an ashram with everday sadhana healthty food nd it is great to feel the power of this groupconsciousness.

Day 12, Nanak Niwis yogaroom instead of gurdwara... Hamburg

today I'm doing the yoga on a different location, as this centre has a gurdwara (where i did sadhana yesterday) and a yogaroom... It feels ok, not to be to hard on myself and although there are many places in Hamburg to do sadhana, I do it another time with Sat Hari singh and Sat Dharm, from Amsterdam, is also there. He tought me how to play, dhan, dhan guru ram das on the harmonium.. which fulfilled one of my wishes during this trip... I do want to learn to play the aquarian sadhana mantra's by harmonium, so if anyone can play them, please let me know or sent me the notes, that would be great... What else is on my list of things I'd love to do during these 40 days?
- experience breathwalk
- join a kids yoga class
- join a shakti dance class
- learn more about the guru, the gurbani and japji (that wish is also filled in, as Sat Hari is very devoted and i love the hukam after sadhana, that's on of the reasons I accepted to be not that strict on myself and do the meditation in the same room for 2 days...) This connection with guru is very strong. I listen to the daily hukam almost every day and I really feel guided by it. Here is the link to it, if you're interested... http://hukam.sikhnet.com/

well, time to move on again...

Day 11, Gurdwara Nanak Niwas Hamburg

Sleeping in a holy place as a gurdwara is something special. I had a very deep experience during sadhana this morning as the music of Sat Hari sing went deep into my heart. It opened a door and it gave my love a change to run freely, so many tears came out... The tears had already been with me, since the moment I left Amsterdam yesterday... I had tears coming and there was nothing I could do, or wanted to do to make them stop. Even though I was crying, my sight was very clear and I know what it means to me... it means that i already have everything my heart and spirit need, all i have to do is open my eyes, open my heart and accept this gift and take my place, take my responsibility... really plant my roots deep into mother earth and establish my place.

Karta Singh told me during the last week of the level II teacher training that I'm the one to set up an ashram in Amsterdam, as the ashram in Amsterdam was the first Kundalini ashram in the 70's... And I'm willing, but also struggeling to accept that task... of course my negative mnd is telling me, that I'm not the person to do this job, someone else could do it much better than me and things like that... but the tears didn't come for no reason.. so let's do some more Aadays tisai aadays meditations and just be open for whatever comes and needs to be done... I'm willing to bow, bow to the infinite...

Day 10, Guru Ram Das Ashram Amsterdam

sat nam, today I'm doing the sadhana in the Guru Ram Das ashram in Amsterdam, the place where I've done my teacher training. Again many things have happened to me since the last sadhana, of course. What I realize is that when doing sadhana and living in the now, I really have to be carefull of what I'm wishing for. I always have this image of traveling light, just a toothbrush and clean clothes for the next day.. but i laways end up carrying so much with me, moreover since I'm travelling by car, which makes it very easy to bring all kinds f things which might be usefull...

One of the things I always bring is my laptop.. a beautiful white yogic mac book. As I'm travelling, I tought it would be a good idea to buy an external hard disk, so in case anything happens to it, I'd still have a back-up. But... I postponed putting the things on the hard disk, as I didn't know how it worked... during my way from home to the Golden Temple I somehow lost my laptop, with all the documents, all the music... everything...

To get over the emotions i felt, i went to the beach, the Amsterdam beach, watched the almost full moon and just layed in the arms of Amar, my sweet friend. It probably goes with the process of starting all over, brand new...

The sadhana with Guru Prem was a welcome, new experience. I loved the music he used, the japji sahib and the jaap sahib and also the idea of doing 10 minutes these postures you feel you're body need, was a gift.

Day 9: Ada's place, Diemen

Thinking back of the sadhana with Ada, it really was an in and out experience. I arrived late (at 23.00) at her place, took a relaxing bath and went to bed, to get some sleep, as sadhana time is already at 5.oo. Sadhana gives me so much energy, that I don't need a lot of sleep and I've become an expert in sleeping deep. The long day was certainly worth it, after sadhana I helped Akal preparing the food in the kitchen of the Golden Temple. After my relaxation and the afternoon meditation, 22 min of Aadays tisai Aadays, to work on the leadership. The effect of it is that it will give you the ability to see beyond the surface, which will build trust and loyalty when used with respect for each person and with focus that moves everyone to reach a goal.

After that I went to the birthdayparty of Osiris. I had a good time, still wearing my new green tulband, which fits perfectly with the yogaset Im doing these 40 days, remember, it is a set for oppurtunities and green energy... It's one of the first times I felt I needed the tulband, as I felt I needed the protection of it after being in the nature for a week as it helps me to stay close to myself.

But back to my experience during the sadhana at Ada's place. I feel blessed that I brought my energy to her place. Ada is a busy Israelian business women, who owns a travel agenc and kundalini yoga helps her to stay focused.

Day 8: Golden Temple Amsterdam

I had to bring my little friend, Adi Shakti, the Tibetan Golden Temple dog, home. So I stayed in Amsterdam and did sadhana in the Golden Temple, on the yogaspot we had created during my 40 days stay. It was very nice to see all my friends and it felt like being at home again.

There had been a workshop by Guru Prem, for Los Angelos, USA and everyone was getting together in the temple, to chat. I met Guru Prem that night and as he was given a workshop in Hamburg the coming wknd, that was a sign for my next destination, Hamburg...

Day 7: centre Oostraven, Epe

Today I share the yoga and meditation experience with Devi, whom I‘ve met at the first day of the tour at Amrita's place and Marina. And so, time is something, a system made by mankind, Marina and also Devi where surprised that I'm already there. To not plan

We start outside under the trees, with a great concert by the Epeese birds. Beautiful but not only the birds are there, also some very small flies, whose presence distracts so much, that we decide to finish the sadhana in the meditation room of the centre Oostraven.

What makes it special today, is that we chant the aquarian mantra's acapella, our voices becoming one, realizing that there is one creator who created all.

Day 6: Ikenhiem Wijnjewoude

Day 6, as I couldn't find the Stichting Kirtan on the Harksewei in Wijnjewoude, I ended up on the Natuurkampeerterrein Ikenhiem. And I'm impressed by the beautiful concert of the birds... there are so many... So today I do sadhana together with the birds, Adi and Bert, Tini and Pieter, who are looking at me from a distance, through their camper... Just wondering what I'm doing... 

I realize how beautiful the environment here is and how much I love being in the nature, and is it true that I need the yoga to be able to live in the city. I don't know the answer to that question, I feel that yoga brings me closer to myself and in the nature it is way easier to do that, as there is not so many distraction, but still, I happy I walk my path the way I walk my path... so time to move on again... 

Day 5: Sadhana with Adi at the Tibetan Temple

Today I do sadhana with the most important person this trip, me myself and I and Adi Shakti is laying in my lap. The tibetan monk is doing his own sadhana, he walks across the 'gebedsmolens'. It is a special place, it touches my heart in a way I cannot describe. All I know is that it touches me on a deep level. 

I don't believe in co-incidences any more, the Tibetan monk who guided me through the temple, used to work in the Golden Temple restaurant in Amsterdam, long, long time ago. He used to work with Satya Singh and he remembered his Tai Chi lessons. I listened to his prayer and after that I go play football with Adi and find myself a place in the old boerderij. 

I have to laugh about the sign in the toilet. There are two mantra you've to recite, one for the little and one for the big work, that goes just one step further then the Kundalini Yoga, at least, I've not found a kundalini yoga mantra or meditation which you could recite to help the elimination process, but knowing Yogi Bhajan, there is probably one. The structure, the peace and quietness touches me. 

spreading love and coming back home, that's what i'll take from this visit

day 4: Froskepolle with Jiwan Shakti

Day 4 is again a sadhana outside, in the beautiful nature of Fryslan, lots of birds, water and trees. Today we do in stead of the Aquarian mantra's the love = love meditation by Yogi Bhajan and afterwards I join Jiwan in her meditation for focus, as I feel I'm all over the place. 

We end our sadhana with yoghurt and honey. I really feel at ease when we're together. It was a great experience to teach her students yesterdaynight, meditation on location ;-) and it is hard to leave this great energy. After a massage I do leave her, in the jeep, with the old radio. I don't yet know where the journey ends today. I call centrum Mannaz, there they are not prepared for the sponteneous visit, so I end up driving to Dokkum, to the tibetan centre, as I have Adi Shakti, a tibetan temple dog with me. Arriving there was a whole adventure, first of all the jeep, of which I was so fond, left me almost standing with an empty battery.. I feel left alone by it, the jeep smells, uses way to much gaz and it feels that this the way for me to really let go of the past... 

so go on and live now...

day 3: In my sisters backyard Leeuwarden

The location for meditation is the backyard of my sisters house. It is nice and sunny and the cat of the neighbours is observing us closely. Marijse, the girlfriend of my sis, is joining me, after our talk yesterday. She knows what yoga can do for her soul and in one way she longs for that but it also is very frighting, the unknown... I feel grateful to share this experience with her and I give her 15 minutes extra sleep, as we don't start at 5 but 5.15, because for me still the hardest part of the sadhana is to get out of bed when I wake up, as I do wake up at 4 o'oclock. The other hard part is to stay awake during the chanting of the mantra's.

I think of strategies to get out of bed more easealy, so I don't need to hurry at that time of the day, as it feels not good to worry about time at 4 or 5 in the morning, that can't be the goal... I remember the affirmations of the first day, act now, live now... they need some more practice ;-)

I feel grateful for her courage to go for the challange and be there and experience.

Today is a meditation on location day. This afternoon Jiwan Shakti (Saskia) and me will go and do a 'vergader met jezelf' session within Postbank and tonight I'll be given two classes and afterwards Adi and me will stay at Jiwan's place.

day 1, In 'het Bevermeerse bos', Angerlo, the Netherlands

My first day of the tour is at Amrita's place in the woods, where they've created a womanscircle. It's a very save and spiritual place. I was thinking about taking Ishnaan in the pool, but I did not transform my thinking into action. So waste of energy... too bad. I want to learn these 40 days to use my energy to the max and focus on the things that need to be done.

The set we do is to receive, to open the heart and for prosperity. I'm open to receive this gift as I was wondering in my mind about which set I was going to do these coming 40days and now I know, this is the one. As I'm traveling from one place to the other, the level II week at Karta's place doesn't fit in the schedule. This week is the prosperity week, and as I've just started my own company, Invest In Yoga, so prosperity is welcome in my live.

The birds in the woods really make it a special sadhana. I realize that in my heart, I'm a country girl and I get tears in my eyes thinking about myself living in the city. So that's one of the answers I got and during this trip, I'll look for a nice location for meditation ;-)

Many people ask why 40 days? Based on the kundalini yoga technics, it takes 40 days to change a habit, 90 days to confirm the habit, 120 days and the habit is who you are and 1.000 day to master the new habit. One habit I' to change is to postpone things. I want to learn to live and act now, that's why I'm going to be in a new place every day.

so act now, live now!

day 2, Kardingeberg Groningen, the Netherlands

The location for meditation is my mothers studyfield, the Kardingeberg in Groningen... We take at 5 o'clock our ishaan in the Kardingeplas, i feel freedom! This is something I really love doing together with my mom, it reminds me of our trip in Switzerland, when we were standing under these huge waterfalls. The sun is rising and the sky is so beautiful. As a warmup we climb up the Kardingeberg, where we find ourselves a beautiful spot. Behind us is the city Groningen, with the Martinitoren and in front all we see is nature.

The sadhana is peaceful and quiet. We've done the set for opportunities and green energy again, thank you so much Amrita to share this set with me, i'll do it for 40 days. We were both intune, as we were wearing green clothes and again, it is so much easier to connect to the earth and the cosmic conciousness.

It feels so special to share the Kundalini yoga technics with my mom. Adi Shakti, the one and only golden temple dog, is having a great time, she is exploring the surroundings and during the chants of the Aquarian mantra's she has found herself a very good spot right on my lap.

Have a beautiful day, full of love
love = love

Sat Kirtan

The 40 day tour: meditation on location

Every day another location for my meditation! 40 days sadhana tour throughout Europe!

Let me introduce myself, my name is Mirelle, my spiritual name is Sat Kirtan and I teach kundalini yoga. In the kundalini yoga we work a lot with the period of 40 days, as that is the time the body and mind need to adjust to a new system.

Until the 31st of March, besides teaching yoga, I was working at ING as a consultant database marketing and I was starting my company, Invest In Yoga, you deserve it. Within ING I was already combining both professions, the consultant and the yogateacher. I felt my contribution was way larger when I put my energy into the business yoga, that I in my heart there was no doubt to leave the bank and focus on the yoga complety, when I had the oppurtunity. Of course, taken that step, after 7 years, and jump into the unknown, was very exiting.

To give myself some structure, I started from the 1ste of April with 40 days sadhana in the Golden Temple in Amsterdam. Sadhana is something very special, it's the preparation for the chances the aquarian times brings. You wake up at 4 am, you take a cold shower and then you recite the japji, the meditation of the soul, after that you do 45 min of kundalini yoga, to sweat, and then you relax. After the relaxation, you chant mantra's for one hour and after that you start your day.

I do this togheter with yogi's from the studygroup in Amsterdam, Alkmaar, Leeuwarden, Angerloo and when people from Germany got to known of this initiative, they joined us.

After these 40 days, I'll go on tour for 40days, as a present for myself. First the idea was to go to relax in South Africa, but plans are there to change, when a better plan comes. The better plan is to go on a sadhana tour, as I really love it, it is amazing how i've developed my intuition in a short period, wauw.. it's really powerfull stuff.. i think something and an instant later it happens...

Last year I've bought a Suzuki jeep and I've not driven in it yet, so this is the perfect way for me to go through Europe.

My tour start on the 11th of May and will end 40 days later, which is the 19th of June. I don't have a schedule yet, I will follow my intuion and let it guide me.

sat nam

Sat Kirtan