My first visit to Isha Meditation Center

I got a mail for inviting for a trip to Isha Ashram organized by Cognizant Isha Meditators group. Shankar immediately responded and accepted the invitation. I had a few things to be sorted out and finally decided to go along with Ranjana. So we paid for me, shankar and Ranjana too. Initially I told, its a fun trip organized by Cognizant to Coimbatore. She also happily accepted to come.

The day, Friday came. We had to board the bus at Tidel park and we were waiting for the bus and by looking out the type of the crowd, Ranjana sniffed a little that its not a big fun trip but to an ashram. She started to nag me and fighted with me and told "I am a liar". But what to do, for some reasons we need to lie to our kids for the good sake. In the bus, they played Isha songs and played Sathguru's awesome speech. Somehow Ranjana slept by the time. I too slept with great expectations.

Morning 9.00AM. Still one more to reach the place and the organizers played a game called "Ping Pong Shoot" and it was so nice and finally a guy called Mahesh became the "Donkey" and he had to play and show what we tell and we all told him to self play the both parts of his Manager and him at the office, like anniyan movie. He did it very perfectly and we could not stop the laughter until we reached the Ashram.

Hey..we arrived at the ashram !!. Some how the silence sorrounding there hugged us. It was so organized and we were given the entry pass in no time. We were asked to have the wonderful Isha food as they serve only brunch and dinner at the ashram and that too they are very much punctual in the serving timings and if we miss to have the food, only dinner would be available. So we literally ran towards the "Bhiksha hall" and I have never tasted such a divine food served in 'vazhai ilai' with Jeera water. Honestly, I never had an experienced such a warmth face of people who served us in complete silence. Ranjana started to become lilttle bit accomodating to the situation and she wondered to see the kids eating there, who studied at OM and Sanskrithi in complete silence. She became little bit shocked to eat some raw food like the soaked peanuts.

Next to visit Dhyanalinga. There was little time constraint and the organizers told that we will visit Dhyanalinga first and to the Theerthakund later. Ok..fine... I got ready myself to see the dhyanalinga. They took us in and asked us to wait at the Mandapam for sometime, until the specific pooja is going to start. Exactly by 11.45 we were in front of the Dhyanalinga and the Nadha gana aradhana started and I am not able to express in words, about what I felt there. It was wonderful..awesome..or peaceful. OMG! This experience is unique. My body became light and nothing came up in my mind except the silence. I cannot explain to anyone, that silence can bring in this much expereince in our life. Ok... time to come out of dhyanalinga..man..i did not wanted to come out at all. Wondered how clean they have kept the place. How many people they should employ to clean it too?

What next...looked up the organizer's face. They said we will have some intro given by a swami there about the ashram and then to shopping within the ashram and then to theerthakund. I could not wait to see the Theerthakund. Ok..sat infront of swami for 1 hour and he told all the information (which i had already seen from the http://www.ishafoundation.org/ ). He told us Sathguru's vision on making the dhyanalinga and the mercury based siva linga in the theerthakund. Meanwhile, i found Ranjana missing and finally came to know through the organizer that the small kids has been sent for the Omkaar chanting... oops..i wondered how Ranjana might have co-operataed for these alone with out me. After some time I saw her coming back and when she looked at me, she literally killed me through her eyes, and the eyes said, why did you brought me here ..kind of...

Ok..I took her to the isha shopping center and bought her some juice (she asked for pepsi, but they dont sell carbonated drinks there..). Then got ready for the theerthakund.

4.00PM... Got the tickets for theerthakund, changed into the temple robe and went inside theerthakund. I dont know to swim, but Ranjana does. She started to enjoy and i touched the water and asked Ranjana, whats the depth and she told that she cans stand. ooohh... i just went inside the cold water.........it was so cold and slowly with the help of Ranjana and the other helping woman there i reached the mercury based shiva linga and touched it for a while and just closed my eyes there for a while. I used to be so afraid of water and will never get into such a kind elsewhere. But here...i enjoyed the complete 30 minutes inside the Theerthakund. Here too, to see the kids and how they enjoy ...i just like to watch them too. I can see a complete change in Ranjana's face too and she calmed herself a lot. I could see that visibly.

4.30 PM. organizers requested us, whether we could do the yoga practice for a while. I accepted. Handed ove the things to Ranjana and just did the practice. The mountaneous environment chilled me and just enjoyed the practice. Wow...happy happyness all over the body.

5.30PM.. organizers surprised us that we would be getting into the dhyanalinga to attend the evening nadha gana aradhana. Great..after the theerthakund, after the yoga practice, this time the dhyanalinga looked very different for me. Participated in the meditation and felt very good. My whole body felt a vibrating felling once we came out. Excellent piece of meditation, infront of the dhyanalinga.

6.30 Sathsang. Very nice to chant with every one together. Just chant aloud...requesting for the peace all over in the world. I just loved it. For this alone, Ranjana was not allowed and she stayed outside for her.

7.00 ..Litereally ran for the dinner towards the hall. Excellent food served in complete silence. Looked up the organizers, expecting to return back to chennai. obviously right? The purpose of going there is fulfilled and had a dinner too..what else.......

7.30 Organizers told, there is a "Linga Seva" which we can attend and it costs Rs.20. We thought one more time at Dhyanalinga. Ok..fine no problem. We went inside..sat there for some time. One of the volunteer came slowly towards me and gave me a broom and asked me , can you clean up this area................................. OMG..now i know the meaning of "Linga Seva". When I turned back, I saw Ranjana already started to clean up the staircase using a brush and could not believe it. Ranjana getting involved!!! One hour just passed by, by completely cleaning up the whole place. Wow.. what a wonderful feeling. Now I know how come they can keep the whole area clean!!!.

8.30 Organizers told to board the bus, and one of our co visitor running towards me, asking whether i am interested in having a glimpse of "Sathugur".. I immediately responded..why not...Myself, Shankar and Ranjana ran with him towards the reception hall. There we saw, Sathguru attending a wedding reception inside the ashram. I was thinking...hmm..only we can see him in such a distance. To my surprise, he took the bride along with him and started to come towards us......... I just can't beleive.. What is this..is this real? The security guys came running towards us and we thought he is going to shoo us away. But to our surprise, the security told in a humble voice, to stand a lil away from the path away. We just obeyed him. Sathguru came towards us. We just did a pranam. To our surprise, he stood near us for a while. Responded us back with a pranam with a smiley face. I came to know the purpose of our visit now. Then he started to walk away from us. We had a great chance of speaking with him. Guess, if we have asked a question or spoken to him, he should have really responded to us. But out of surprise, we did not even able to open our mouth. But I felt, just by seeing him and that too within half feet away, that it self is ok and that itself has made me happy. He is a good soul who does great things to the humanity. I wonder how come in this age, he is so active and doing so many good things to the poor and little kids. Even i do have some kind of thoughts to help kids in poverty and have a feeling of starting a school. Let me see..how things goes in my life.

10.00PM Saw a video clipping of Sathguru's visit to Manasarover. I do remember that i have already seen in the "Travel" channel. Still with the covisitors I watched it and finally we all boarded the bus by 10.30PM and reached chennai by 12.30 PM next day.

Its a worthful trip with great experience. I learnt the significance of silence and understood the power of silence in this trip. Be silent in doing things. Be happy always and spread the happiness. Think always this world should be filled with Joy and Happiness always. I am trying to .........