Winter Tour 2009: Overview

The 2009 Winter Tour consisted of about 15 participants, most of whom were from Illinois or Indiana, but also included representatives from as far away from the US Midwest as Colombia, South America (via the Canajoharie school), Texas, and Washington DC! With ages ranging from below five to above 40s, and length of time as a Sahaja Meditation practitioner ranging from a handful of years to a lifetime, this was a very diverse group of people who got together to escape the harsh Midwest winter and spread the joy of Sahaja Meditation to the southern states.

Here's a brief overview of the itinerary and activities:

• 12/23: The gathering of participants in Indianapolis IN
• 12/24, 25: The long drive to Atlanta GA, where we celebrated Christmas
• 12/26 - 28: Two nights in Panama City Beach FL
• 12/28, 29: The journey to, and a great time in, Mobile AL
• 12/30: Spreading the word in Columbus GA
• 12/31: Spreading the word in Atlanta GA, and New Year's celebration
• 1/1, 2: The long drive back to Indianapolis IN, and dispersing of participants

(please follow the links to more details for each leg of the trip)

During the course of the Winter Tour, we were fortunate enough to have had the opportunities to distribute large quantities of flyers publicising online meditation classes and relevant local classes, and to enable kundalini awakening / self-realisation to numerous people:

• Panama City Beach FL: ~25 Realisations; ~1100 flyers
• Mobile AL: ~40 Realisations; ~550 flyers
• Columbus GA: ~50 Realisations; ~550 flyers
• Mobile AL: ~65 Realisations; ~1000 flyers

After a journey of over 2000 miles and 10 days, participants returned to Indianapolis exhausted but satisfied at the successful completion of yet another Winter Tour.

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Winter Tour 2009: The End

The first day of 2010 dawned bright and sunny, an excellent start to the new year.

Still tired from the late night, we still were woken up relatively early in order to have breakfast, freshen up, pack, and load ourselves into the vehicles for the long drive back to Indianapolis.



We were looking forward to being back home, but at the same time we were a little sad that the Tour was now at an end, and that we had to leave the hospitality of the Atlanta collective.

The drive back was long but uneventful.

By the time were reached Indianapolis, we were back down to about 10 participants. Still wired from the drive, and from the Tour in general, we spent the night recording ourselves dancing to various Indian songs, much to our amusement.

The next day, we visited a nearby family in Indianapolis who had recently had a baby. We then dispersed and went our separate ways back to West Lafayette, Chicago, Bloomington-Normal and Springfield.

The Tour had come to its end.

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Winter Tour 2009: Atlanta GA and New Year's Celebrations

In the night of December 30th, the Winter Tour arrived once again in Atlanta GA. This time around, our host was Aunty Ruby, who had hosted the Christmas Puja a week before. She had an abundance of food waiting for us, and we all tucked in with great gusto. Most of us felt too tired to sleep, but sleep we did, for we still had one last day of the Winter Tour the next day!

The last day of 2010 dawned brisk and chilly. It started out in an amazing way, though, with a realisation given at 6:00 am at the Marta train station! It just goes to show that opportunities present themselves everywhere, it really is up to us to recognise them, and act upon them!

After morning meditation and breakfast, the Winter Tour participants together with some local yogis went forth to tackle the greater Atlanta area (Decatur, Alpharetta and Dunwoody), again focusing on malls, strip malls and retail outlets. The reception in Decatur seemed particularly positive: people were so receptive in that area that pretty much whoever the yogis talked to got their realization.

This was New Year's Eve, though, so by the time 5pm rolled around, most places were closing or closed. We all returned to Aunty Ruby's buoyed by having given over 60 realizations and having distributed over 1000 flyers.

We then turned our attention to celebrating the New Year.

There were immense vibrations...


... followed by much singing and dancing to usher in the new year:

Two qawwalis in particular were sang with great gusto -- Meri Mata Ka Karam and Chalat Musafir -- to the enjoyment and participation of all present.

By 2:30am our energy finally petered out, and 3am saw most of the household fast asleep, with snores a-plenty! The next day held a long drive back to Indianapolis, so we couldn't sleep in too late, unfortunately!

(Many thanks to Gaurav for contributing to this write-up!)

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Winter Tour 2009: Columbus GA

The Winter Tour arrived at the house of Guru and family in the late hours of December 29th.

Image credit: derived from MS Office clip art

It was a very crowded scene that night, with sleeping bags spread around pretty much every surface of the floor in every available room! Sarika did an excellent job catering to our food, drink and accommodation needs, and is to be commended for all her effort! We woke up the next morning refreshed and of good cheer, re-energised to spread vibrations in Columbus!

Once again, we split into two groups.

One group would cover as many strip malls and stores in the area close to the library where a beginners program was to start the following weekend. Based on feedback and discussions among the Tour participants, we made it a point this time around to silently keep our attention and praying to Mother to awaken the kundalini of each person who came in contact with us. We approached the cashiers and store managers with the dynamism to spread vibrations and awareness of this beautiful gift of realization. Often people were helpful about spreading the message to their friends and or employees either by passing the fliers along or putting it up in their break rooms or community boards. Occasionally they politely pointed us to the 'no solicitation' rules. Some of us were able to talk to customers 'trying to shop' who seemed welcome to hear more or try the experience, others tried to spread awareness to those in parking lots. Yet each one tried to give the world out there who is also seeking this knowledge in their own way, a tiny little taste of the bliss that could be attained.

The second group focused on libraries and recreation centers in the city. Some of the centers were closed for the weekend/holidays but we collected the required contact information to follow-up with them after the holiday season. We might not have directly talked in detail about Sahaja Meditation but we took the first step towards getting the word out there.

The more important task in Columbus was just to spread vibrations and support the only yogi family in the area. Having enabled about 50 Realisations and distributed about 550 flyers, it is our hope that we helped plant and vibrate enough seeds that would blossom into many yogis and seekers of spirituality in Columbus!

After an extended lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings where we ordered about 100 wings with a variety of dips/sauces, we returned to pack our bags and load up the van for our final destination: back to Atlanta!

(Many thanks to Asees for contributing to this write-up!)

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Winter Tour 2009: Mobile AL

We arrived in Mobile in the mid-afternoon of December 28th.

Image credit: derived from MS Office clip art

The Mobile experience started out a little strangely for the yogis who were traveling in the car: they were pulled over by a member of the local law enforcement, for what seemed like no real reason. From the conversation they had, and his curiosity about the photo of Shri Mataji, the yogis surmised that the cop was probably subconsciously needing vibrations! Satisfied, he waved them off with a big smile.

The yogis in the car then proceeded to check out the local public library for the possibility of holding a program there, followed by printing a fresh batch of flyers. Meanwhile, those in the van sought information on whether we could hold a program at any of the community centers: this would require a meeting the next morning with the relevant office. As such, we all then adjourned for the day to our hotels, nourished our Nabhi with Thai food, and went to bed after a short meditation.

The next day dawned with many yogis reporting feeling "heavy". We had already planned on having a havan that morning, and it went a long way in helping to clear the negativities attacking yogis, to clear all obstacles to a successful day in Mobile.

The larger group of yogis in the van tackled a few strip malls in the busy, more commercial part of the town, with much success. Many people felt the cool breeze, and were beaming from ear to ear at the experience: this occurred in vastly different settings such as a car rental agency and a fast food joint! After lunch they continued for a while longer before heading off to the next destination of the Winter Tour: Columbus GA!

In the meantime, the smaller group of yogis traveling by car started the day by meeting with the administration office in charge of the community centers. The reception was amazing -- our intention was to ask for permission to conduct a program or two in the community centers, but it was quickly determined that their desire was for us to conduct a full-fledged meditation technique course within their well-established community program that reaches pretty much all of the Mobile residents! Being beyond the scope of the Winter Tour, we couldn't discuss much further; however, we offered to show them the technique, so they could feel what we were talking about. All six of the ladies in attendance were blown away by the peace they felt, and one lady spontaneously declared that she was going to do this every day, in the morning and evening!

With radiant faces, we parted ways, having gained permission to distribute the flyers to as many of the community centers we wanted. Thus, the yogis in the car stayed on Mobile until quite late, going from one center to another, in addition to visiting the library again. Realisation opportunities presented themselves as we explained what the flyers were advertising, as the center coordinator would usually express interest in the Meditation. In fact, in one center we spontaneously conducted a self-realisation session for another six ladies!

It was then quite late before this group of yogis made the 4-hour trip to Columbus GA.

It is estimated that about 40 realisations were achieved and about 550 flyers had been distributed during our time in Mobile AL.

It was agreed among all participants that our time in Mobile had been well spent, and deeply gratifying. One phrase that kept popping up during our time there was "Where have you been all this while? I've been waiting for you!", uttered spontaneously by so many people who seemd to be yearning for realisation and peace. We hope that by having planted some seeds during this 2009 Winter Tour, close(r)-by yogis could then look into coordinating with the community centers to offer courses in Sahaja Meditation.

Meanwhile, the Winter Tour continued: Columbus GA!

(Many thanks to Adriana and Tapasya for contributing to this write-up!)

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Winter Tour 2009: 1, 2, 3, JUUMMMMMPPP!!

December 28th dawned a frigidly cold day, but made up for itself by being bright and sunny. The 3+ hour drive from Panama City Beach FL to Mobile AL would only take us about 3 hours, so we drove at a leisurely pace, and stopped at one of the many beaches along the way to enjoy the sun.

Can you tell that we were cold?
Can you spot the odd one out?!?

To the chorus of "One, two three ... juummmmppp!!" a group of more active yogis decided to go for a few jump shots ... and this turned into a photography session full of laughter and fun as jumpers and photographers had to figure out how to best take the desired shots.


All together now... 1, 2, 3, juummpppp!


Belly laughs galore!


A few of us took advantage of the stop to also do some footsoaking.

Unbeknownst to us, this would be our last opportunity for footsoaking in the ocean.

We then piled back into the vehicles and continued on our way to Mobile AL.

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Winter Tour 2009: Panama City Beach, FL

December 26th was yet another beginning... today would be the final thrust south, and the day we would start looking at self-realisation and flyering opportunities. But first, we needed to get to our destination of Panama City Beach - that meant getting everyone up, packed and ready to go as soon as possible. There were of course delays, but overall we did quite well, leaving Atlanta in the mid-morning.

Image credit: derived from MS Office clip art

After a journey of about 300 miles, we arrived at the service apartments we had rented for two nights. They were really nice and spacious, with an excellent view of the ocean. Upon unloading the vehicles and dumping all our bags in the relevant rooms, it was an almost unanimous decision to head down to the beach for some footsoaking, never mind that it was in the 40s F and the water was freezing!

Cooled down in more ways than one, we then returned to the apartment for dinner preparation while others went shopping for necessary items such as washing detergent, folding chairs and candles. We then had a sumptuous dinner (and chai!) followed by a much-needed Havan to prepare us for the following day.


the view from our rooms
The following day started with a peaceful early morning meditation followed by breakfast. We then divided ourselves into groups and headed out to check places for possible flyering/realization events. The weather was rather dreary, rainy and cold. We stopped at a pier where several people were relaxing and watching the beach. We gave 6-7 realizations, and the vibrations became extremely strong. We felt that the desire of these seekers brought us here.

After that, we headed to an open mall area and divided ourselves in groups of 3-4 people to flyer around. Here we felt a strong sense of love protecting and guiding us. We gave several ‘on-the-spot’ ‘two-minute’ realizations. Many people were very touched and overwhelmed when they felt Mother’s love.

After covering the mall we headed to an Indian restaurant for lunch. The owners fed us hospitably and lovingly. After lunch some of us gave them a brief meditation overview and we all meditated together. A few others went to gas stations/malls/local offices etc. to give realizations. We strongly felt that Param Chaitanya guided us to places where seekers were waiting to be connected. The response from the seekers was very loving and warm. They sensed a strong connection. It touched our hearts.


It is estimated that about 25 realisations were achieved and about 1100 flyers had been distributed during our time in Panama City and Panama City Beach, FL.

In the evening we all went for another collective foot soak at the beach! Later in the night we held a discussion on how the day had gone; our feelings about what went well, what should be done differently, etc. We then performed a small Puja to thank our Dear Mother for the wonders she had shown us that day, as always.


Then we merrily sang bhajans and danced with joy into the wee hours of the morning.

The next day, we packed and reloaded the vehicles: we were off to Mobile AL!

(Many thanks to Neetika for contributing to this write-up!)

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Winter Tour 2009: The drive to Atlanta GA, and Christmas!

As mentioned before, the Winter Tour had many beginnings.

December 24th was another one of them. In a way the Tour started for real on this day, what with the guys picking up the 15-seater van (minus the 4 back seats to make way for our bags!) that was going to be the main transportation vehicle (in addition to a car from Bloomington-Normal IL), loading us all up, and heading off towards Atlanta GA via Columbus IN to pick up another three participants.

It was a long and tiring 500+ mile, 8.5+ hour drive.

Once we reached the house of Ruchi and Shail, however, we felt much better! They greeted us with hugs and smiles, and food and drink, and all was right in the world. We distributed ourselves among the available rooms, and settled in to an exhausted sleep.

The next day was Christmas!

It was also a slow start to the day - perhaps because it was the first day of "camping-out", we were all groggily trying to figure out how to share a limited number of bathrooms with a large number of people! A morning meditation was held for those who were awake, followed by a simple breakfast of eggs, toast and of course, chai.

We also had two new additions to the Tour participants who arrived from Minnesota and DC.

Time slipped away from us that day, but we finally got everyone together in the mid-afternoon, dressed to the nines, and made our way to Aunty Ruby's house for the Christmas celebrations. There was amazing food, a fantastic puja, and even a Santa Claus who graced us with his presence (and presents!).

It was with great reluctance that we left Aunty Ruby's place, gift exchange presents in hand and warmth in our hearts, but the Tour would start in earnest the next day, and we needed our rest.

Georgia state image credit: MS Office clip art

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Winter Tour 2009: The gathering

The 2009 Winter Tour had many beginnings.

One of these beginnings took place on the evening of Wednesday, 23rd December 2009, when about 10 yogis from the American Midwest converged on Indianapolis.

Some were long-time friends, some were totally new faces, but all were welcomed into the home of Viru and Diana, kind hosts to the start and end point of the Tour, and also fellow participants.

We had a long day ahead of us the next day, but we still ended up going to bed late, partly because of late arrivals and long conversations over dinner, but also due to last-minute Christmas shopping that had to be done for the gift exchange that was going to take place in Atlanta! Ooops!

Image credit: MS Office clip art

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