There are moments when I find myself between what was once familiar and what has not yet taken form. In this space, expectations fill me up as I try to make sense of what has happened, what is coming and how I want to meet the new. 

That’s how the coming of spring feels, with its promise of warmth and renewal, yet still carrying the chill of winter. When will spring arrive and who will I become? Who will I have to say goodbye to and who will say hello? 

The wider world seems to be holding a similar tension of the unknown. News headlines arrive, with uncertainty and news of suffering, stories still unfolding, outcomes not clear. It is a season of subtle tension, when my world seems to hover between endings and new beginnings. 

I’ve noticed a similar rhythm on my yoga mat as I move through surya namaskar, the Sun Salutation, met by a challenge I have a hard time naming. It isn’t always the postures that challenge me, but the transitions – the brief moments when one pose has not yet released and the next has not yet fully arrived. Like when I hover in plank before lowering to my belly, or reach my arms up before standing in tadasana, the Mountain pose. 

These in-between moments require a willingness from me to be present and let the new arise, to greet change, even though leaving something behind feels tender.

Resistance to Change: Opening to Possibility 

“Even ordinary changes in life are often resisted because of the uncertainty of the unknown. When the unknown is encountered, the intellect, together with the emotions, puts up a struggle to eliminate it or explain it away.” Swami Radha

Resistance arises in moments of transition. Muscles tense up, mind clings to the familiar, the little voice that says “not this!”. Who is it that’s speaking? What part of me resists change and discomfort? 

It’s a part of me that’s trying to keep up with the changes around me, holding on to what feels safe and pushing back against the uncertainty of the next moment. And yet, even in that hesitation, there is an opening – a space where curiosity begins to stir. 

Swami Radhananda’s words offer some guidance: “In the clearing of the mind, we connect with some inner wisdom and can let go of resistance, which opens us to possibility.” 

So, I focus on my breath, close my eyes and acknowledge the hesitancy, inviting the breath to guide me through. As I soften into the exhales, I feel a sense of opening in my mind. Paying attention to my breath helps me accept the in-between and to look forward to the change that’s coming. 

Namaste to the Past: Accepting Change with Gratitude

In an attempt to embrace change and transition in what feels to be an ever-changing world,  I practice Namaste to the Past, or parsvottanasana. I start in Mountain pose and bring my hands together behind my back. I feel an opening in my shoulders and chest, a sense of bravery and confidence fills me. 

I step forward with my right leg and begin to lean forward, in gratitude. My hands remain together behind me – a quiet acknowledgement of where I’ve come from and who I’ve been. 

With each breath I am reminded: the past has shaped me, and spring lingers around the corner with the promise of renewal and blossoming. I still cling to the familiarity of the past and feel intimidated by the unknown. There is fear that the new season will bring changes I’m not ready for. 

Yet, my feet are steady on the ground, a firm foundation that supports me in the pose. Slowly, I lift my upper body to standing and step my left foot to meet my right, stepping into the new. The transitions in this pose sing like a song: a melody of letting go, a harmony of gratitude and a gentle rhythm of courage. 

Foundation and Stability During Life Transitions

This transition shows me that as long as I have a strong foundation, I will be able to step forward and greet what awaits me. But what is the foundation that supports me in times of challenge and change? 

Lately, I turn to two powerful anchors: my breath and community. From this place, facing transitions becomes less about resistance and more about acceptance -knowing that change is a natural rhythm of life, not a threat. 

Swami Radha offers a helpful reminder: 

“You have to learn to accept the good and the bad, just as you do with the weather. Can you change the weather? The weather is a marvelous lesson. You can complain about how cold it is, how rainy it is, how it’s this, that and the other. But you can’t change it. So it’s better that you fit yourself into the weather and take as little notice of it as possible: “Well, it’s raining today. So what? It has to rain. Otherwise nothing grows.””

Following her wisdom, I try to accept the good and the bad, both in the news and in my daily life. I remember that I can’t control what happens in the world, just my part in it. So, I lean into my breath and the support of loved ones as I step toward a new spring, with gratitude for this life. 

A Simple Yoga Practice for Navigating Change. Practice parsvottanasana and ask yourself: What is my foundation? How do I greet change in my life now?

-Katie Taher

A Sacred Beginning (1988)
I first met Swami Sukhananda in the summer of 1988.  It was long before we both became Swamis. We were Jayne Boys and Susan Oughtred in those days. She had just spent 11 months at Yasodhara Ashram, having taken part in the YDC, then staying on to offer Karma Yoga. She came to us from a job in the Civil Service in England, and after a month on the course she took an abrupt turn, quitting her government position in order to go deeply into Swami Radha’s teachings and explore her vision of supporting Swami Radha’s work in Europe.

Answering the Call in England
As Jayne began her journey home, she stayed for a few days at the Calgary Shambhala House (as the Centres were named then) where I was the director. We made a warm connection during her brief stay and I drove her to the airport with the hope of meeting her again sometime in the future.

Arriving back in England, Jayne quickly began to contact bookstores letting them know about the availability of Swami Radha’s work and Timeless publications.  As well, she invited everyone she knew to come to the satsangs she was offering on Sunday evenings in her home on Roper Road, Canterbury. Hatha Yoga was and is an integral part of her own practice and quite quickly, a large following of students was coming to the Hatha classes she was offering.

Once bookstores became aware of our publications, Jayne made contact with a distributor and agreed a contract with them to distribute Swami Radha’s books and recordings in the UK. All this in her first few months back home. She also kept a store of books and recordings in her home to sell to people who came to the classes she was offering and to ship to people in Europe as the interest in Swami Radha’s writings grew.

That was a start, but Jayne wanted to spread the word further. She began submitting articles about the Ashram and Swami Radha’s teachings to the Yoga magazine, Yoga and Health. She wanted people to know, ‘hey, there’s an incredible place to go to deepen your practice of Yoga, and deepen your understanding of the sacred teachings.’ She also wrote engaging articles for the Ashram journal, Ascent, describing how opportunities were opening up for her in England and Europe as she dedicated herself to Swami Radha’s work.

The First Radha Centre: A House Dedicated to the Light (1990)
Swami Radha, very pleased with what Jayne was doing to support her work, asked me in 1990 to go to Canterbury to dedicate Jayne’s house as a Radha Centre – the first one.  At that time, I was the President of the Friends of Radha Foundation, which oversaw all the houses in Canada and the USA. I was pleased to be able to go to Canterbury and meet her again.

Up until that time, the houses of Swami Radha were called Shambhala Houses. As a result of Jayne’s house being dedicated to Swami Radha, within a year, all the rest of the centres in Canada and the US were renamed “Radha House” in honour of Swami Radha’s 80th birthday in 1991. 

When I arrived, we had a celebration with her students to honour the fact that, along with everything else Jayne had been doing in that first year and a half, she had completed all her book reflections and could now return to the Ashram in the summer to take further Teacher Training courses. I was delighted to be able to give her the certificate showing she had completed the YDC and the reflections.

It was wonderful to see what Jayne established in such a short time in England, and to witness her deep caring for the students who were attracted to the nectar of the teachings. I also found, when I arrived, that Jayne had gone back to university to take teacher training so that she could support herself in order to continue to make Swami Radha’s work known.

Expanding the Circle of Light (1993)
I returned to Canterbury again in 1993 on my way to spend a year in Linz to help open a centre there. At this point, Jayne had received encouragement from Swami Radha to build a conservatory on the back of her home – full of light, looking out over her garden. We had a big celebration with all her students and friends to formally open the space to all.

During that short visit, we set up a booth in London at the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival, a huge interdisciplinary event showcasing Yoga, New Age, and a considerable number of other offerings – there were literally thousands of people in attendance for the week it was open. We showcased Timeless books and videos of Swami Radha, which we played on a small TV. The traditional photo of Swami Radha was in the forefront of the booth, and again and again, people stopped and looked at her, making comments about the kindness in her eyes, then staying to watch videos, look at the books (we had lots of sales) and take pamphlets about Radha House Canterbury. It was a tremendous opportunity to spread the word to a large and diverse group of people.

The Mantra as Protection and Blessing (1995)
In 1995, I had returned to Canada from a time in Europe. That summer, Swami Radha asked me if I would go to England again for a few years so that Jayne could come to live at the Ashram to deepen her experience of Ashram life and living the teachings in community. 

Then, there was a wonderful opportunity.  On September 8, 1995, Swami Radha offered a Mantra Pronouncement, open to all who wished to take part. There is a story of Krishna who, as a young child, lifted a mountain like an umbrella to hold it over the people of a village to protect them from a terrible storm. One hundred twenty-eight people came from all over to bow before Swami Radha, and receive the Hari Om mantra. It seemed to me that this is what Swami Radha was doing with the Mantra Pronouncement, offering the Mantra as a vast protection for all who were receptive.

 Jayne was receptive and had been at the Ashram for the summer. She called her school principal, telling him she would be late returning to her teaching job and he gave her unequivocal support. The other person who was at the Ashram then was Danuta Karpinska, a long-time student and supporter of Radha House Canterbury. Both received the Mantra, and so another step was taken in solidifying the Teachings in the UK and Europe.

Jayne and I returned to Radha House, Canterbury, that September and lived together for the year 1995/96, when she then moved to the Ashram. On November 30, 1995, Swami Radha passed into the Light, her work complete. Jayne and I flew out for the special ceremonies taking place at the Ashram the week after her passing.  Students and devotees from all over the world came to honour Swami Radha and her legacy

Giving the Teachings a Lasting Form
Flying home to the UK, we read over the Charity application Jayne had written for the entity now called The Radha House Association (RHA). It was accepted in 1996 and so Swami Radha’s works and teachings now had a form to contain them in the UK.  

I remained in Canterbury holding the teachings there until 1998, when Jayne returned again to carry the Teachings forward.  

A Life of Steadfast Devotion

It has been gratifying and deeply touching to see Jayne’s ongoing commitment to keep her goal and her promise to bring the Teachings to Europe. In 2013, Jayne deepened her promise when she was initiated into the ancient order of Sanyas as Swami Sukhananda Saraswati. 

Swami Sukhananda’s dedication has inspired and encouraged a strong group of devotees to help carry the work forward and some have taken the steps to Mantra Initiation. And so the work in Europe continues to expand with many holding the Teachings and the Light.

Jai Swami Sukhananda/Jayne Boys, bearer of the Light…May Swami Radha’s work continue to grow.

–Swami Jyotihananda

There is the old Buddhist parable about Kisa Gotami, a grieving mother whose only son has died. In her anguish, she asks the Buddha to restore him to life. He instructs her to bring him a single mustard seed from a household untouched by death. As she goes from door to door, she discovers that every family has known loss. Through this realization, Kisa Gotami comes to understand the universality of death and the truth of impermanence, allowing her to accept her grief and find peace.

Her story keeps returning to me whenever I face grief in my own life. I have always loved this parable because it demonstrates our common humanity — our shared suffering of grief and our ability to love deeply.

Recently, in our small community on the East Shore where the Ashram resides, we had two community members whom I was honoured to call friends pass away within a few days of one another. They were well-loved and cherished. Both held the qualities of true compassion, kindness and deep love for their family and community. Their lives touched many people and there now hangs a collective grief in the air as we all find our way through this loss.

These passings, along with other griefs I have experienced, always bring me back to an exploration of love, and to the spiritual teachings on impermanence that help me meet grief with compassion, rather than resistance.

Swami Lalitananda’s words remind me: “Death is a gift that is born with life. In yoga, we don’t ignore the fact, but invite it in to help us live life with awareness.” (The Inner Life of Asanas)

What Does Love Ask of Us in Grief & Loss?

This is a question I am living with deeply right now as I say goodbye to my friends, watch my children find their own paths, and sense that my aging dog will soon no longer be by my side. With my heart broken open, I am often uncomfortably exploring impermanence. I see that it does not diminish love, but instead reveals its depth.

It was in the presence of this love that the Ashram residents gathered to chant Hari Om, a sacred mantra practice, as one of our community friends prepared to move into the Light.

As our voices moved together in devotion, I felt the vastness of love, the place where we are all connected in Divine union. I envisioned our friend flying high above the lake, in instant joy, knowing a love far greater than I could imagine and wrapping Light around everyone. 

In that shared devotion, I realized some of what love asks of me in very tangible ways.

Love asks me in grief to open to the Divine, to come together in community and ritual when the weight is too much for one heart to hold. Love asks me to spread the Light to others and witness what radiates back. Reminding me that grief, when held together, becomes something bearable, even meaningful.

It asks me, too, to let go—to allow my children to find their own way. I have to reach deep for this, still seeing myself holding them in my arms, promising I would never let anything bad happen to them. Love is asking me to trust. 

Where Love Leads Us in Grief

Love from these griefs is leading me to presence, moment by moment, in everyday life. 

I get down on my knees and pet my dog like the goddess she is. I look at my friends and family with a renewed sense of awe and appreciation. I’m putting down what is not important, not quite fully there yet, but like Kisa, learning to put away the mustard seeds.

It is in this unfolding, ordinary devotion that I begin to see Divine Mother’s work in action — the force of compassion and caring that quietly sustains life. Swami Radhananda’s words echo:

“What is Divine Mother’s work? She is the force of compassion and caring, so needed yet so often unrecognized in our world….When you can see Her life-giving rays even in desperate human tragedies, you begin to understand how much there is to learn and how fragile our existence is. It’s important to give wholeheartedly back to life. A different vibration of gratitude is set in motion, a clearer way of looking at the world and the mystery it holds.”

This is what I am still learning to live and to keep asking. And it feels like a question best held in community.

May we come together — in grief, in joy, in the sacredness of the ordinary.

A spiritual practice for coming together in the Light: 

Hari Om

–Nicole Plouffe

This episode can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music or YouTube.

Dear Reader: Shortly after writing this blog, two amazingly courageous women of the East Shore community in which the Ashram is situated, passed away. Janet Wallace, creator of Barefoot Handweaving and community organizer for artisans, businesses and non-profits alike, died peacefully Jan. 3 after living valiantly with ALS. Sadly, our dear friend Megan Rokeby-Thomas died suddenly on Jan. 6, following Janet into the Light. The owner of Ladybug Coffee, Megan was an extraordinary leader and activist for the community, who exuded such qualities as compassion, joy, kindness and determination, always putting people first.

I feel honoured to have forged strong friendships with these two women while working together on community issues. I hold the learnings from their courage and love in my heart. This reflection on courage is dedicated to their beautifully-lived examples.

Courage to Change: Weaving Qualities of the Heart

What better time than now–the start of a new year–to consider what kind of person I want to be going forward? To take time and reflect, what changes do I want to make? 

As you read this, 21 participants enter the three-month Yoga Development Course at the Ashram. It takes courage to step aside from day-to-day life for this inner exploration. 

I think about bringing a fresh perspective to my own reflections—as a 73-year-old woman in a new stage of life—knowing that we all hold the potential of courage within us.

Looking for examples of courage in my life, I am fascinated by how a theme of mother emerges: From my spiritual mother, Swami Radha, going to India and returning to Canada in an orange robe—a symbol for her commitment to live on faith—in the 1950s… To my birth mother starting a new life with two young daughters after the death of her husband by suicide in the late 1950s… To my own choice to not have children for medical reasons, despite my husband’s and my plan to start a family in the 1980s. 

As part of my own story, I recall a work associate calling my decision courageous. For myself, it was the only choice if I was to honour what my heart and inner wisdom said.

Living with a Courageous Heart

Is courage in fact a quality of the Divine feminine?

Courage has a well-known connection with heart, through language with the Latin and French meanings of the words ‘cor’ and ‘coeur’. In yoga the lion’s pose speaks of being lion-hearted. In our lives, it emerges as both the power of strength and the softness of vulnerability.

Swami Radha summarizes Kundalini Yoga for the West as “a foundation for character building, courage and awareness.” Looking within its pages, I find courage in the 5th chakra—the level of consciousness of my namesake, Gauri. In this place of surrender and listening, she says “the aspirant has become courageous and forgiving. The feelings (refined emotions) are now truly a stepping-stone toward compassion.”

I may not be there yet as everyday judgments, pride and uncultivated imagination still arise. Positively, though, I ask myself: wasn’t requesting a brahmacharya initiation with the spiritual name of Gauri in itself an act of courage? And likewise choosing to live at the Ashram for the past 12 years?

For all of us on this spiritual path of self-inquiry and evolution, “It takes strength and courage to go against the mainstream of life… It takes courage to say: I want to reflect on my life; I want to clarify what my words and actions are. In this way, leading a spiritual life can be a political act,” Swami Radhananda writes in Living the Practice. 

We Ashram residents happily witness this all the time as guests enter into our retreats or Karma Yoga, and leave with newfound clarity and wisdom, often with resolve to make change.

And sometimes, a significant change we can make is simply to accept what is. Self-acceptance also takes courage—”the acceptance of your physical appearance and of your mental and emotional makeup,” says Swami Radha in Time to be Holy. This seems a fine dance in my own life, determining what needs to change in situations with others and within myself, and when to simply let things be. 

The Power of Speech: Courageous Voice

I’ve needed to learn about using my voice courageously through the years—learning when and how to speak up, and when to let go and focus solely on my own responses. Years ago I trained for a certificate in Conflict Resolution which helped me considerably. I’ve learned that, as Swami Radhananda reflects in Clearing the Air (Living the Practice), “To find resolution is often simple and liberating… This means having the courage to address undercurrents, to speak truthfully in an uncomfortable interaction, or to simply ask, ‘What is happening?’” 

A purple heart stone given to me by someone who I felt the need to challenge continues to remind me of the choice I can make anytime. 

Teaching mantra workshops also reminds me of the power of our speech. For many people, using their voice in chanting mantra offers a significant step toward learning to speak their truth.

I love Swami Radhananda’s description about harmony and have indeed experienced this: “We have to be courageous enough to enter in and to allow what emerges from chaos.” I continually learn the benefit of stepping forward without knowing what might emerge. 

I did this when I was 19 years old and moved from Saskatchewan to Calgary without a firm plan. Decades later, each day gives me opportunities on smaller and bigger—and often more subtle—scales. Swami Radhananda further says: “Change is a natural part of life and change requires that we take risks and face fears. If we don’t risk, we can never transform fears into courage or our obstacles into strengths.” 

As I enter into 2026, I’m focusing on three intentions: simplify, love, trust. I’m eager to explore how I can open up and truly live each of these ideals.

“Courage does not drop into our lap,” writes Swami Radha in the 3rd chakra. I am motivated by this expression. She invites us to examine our fears and to overcome them by cultivating our imaginations and applying our time and energy positively.   

Here is a practice suggestion for your own exploration: 

• Reflect on how you define courage—using key words, associations, examples from your life.
• Consider a situation where you need to use courage to move forward. Do a practice (such as Divine Light Invocation or Mountain pose) and reflect on your next step.

— Gauri

At the Ashram we are in a transition time, which the season of fall is mirroring. Each day there is change—the snowline creeps down from mountain tops, a cool wind stirs up waves on the lake, the golden and flame coloured leaves fall from trees, vibrant against the billowing dark blue grey clouds. 

Reflecting about this time of transition at the Ashram, I recognize we have entered a new season. As elders, many of us have devoted years of service to Swami Radha, the teachings and the Ashram. Swami Radha’s example of selfless service, love and dedication has sparked a deep desire to keep these sacred teachings present and alive in the world.

Working with the next generation, we are all involved in preparing for the change that is coming. For another season in the life of the Ashram.

A steady constant in all of this is the practice of karma yoga—the path of selfless service.  Understanding what it actually means to put the ideals of selfless service into practice is a lifetime’s learning.   

I’ve come to understand that the real work of karma yoga is not so much about the actual work I do, but about what is happening on the inside and how I approach whatever I am doing. What is my motivation? Is my heart in what I am doing? Where am I in putting my ideals into practice? Are my speech and actions benefiting and contributing to the welfare of others, inspiring them to lead a life of service?

Karma Yoga, Swami Satyananda, Yasodhara Ashram, 1983.

Living in a spiritual community intensifies the learning—revealing whatever gets in the way of being kind, considerate, patient, forgiving. It gives a way to put these ideals into action.

Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and Daily Life 

The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Indian spiritual text, has guided me for many years, its teachings woven into the fabric of my life. It is a text that I turn to often—to understand the deeper meaning of life and the path of selfless service—and how to put this into action.

The Gita, which translates as The Song of God, is a dialogue that takes place in the heart —between Arjuna, symbolizing the human self and Krishna, the Divine Self within. The setting is in the midst of a battlefield, the opposing sides symbolizing the eternal battle between the forces of light and dark that take place within the heart of each human being.  

One of my favourite passages is where Arjuna asks Krishna “Tell me of those who live established in wisdom, ever aware of the Self, O Krishna. How do they talk? How sit? How move about?” (2:54)

Arjuna’s question brings the mystical teachings right into the practical everyday world that we live in. How do we recognize wisdom in action?

Krishna speaks of those who live in wisdom as being able to “see themselves in all and all in them, who have renounced every selfish desire and sense craving tormenting the heart“ (2:55).

He goes on to say, “Use all your power to free the senses from attachment and aversion alike, and live in the full wisdom of the Self.”

Like Arjuna, I have wanted to know what it means to be ‘established in wisdom’ – what does it look like in action, in the world and in my own life.  

To those steadfast in love and devotion I give spiritual wisdom, so that they may come to me.  Out of compassion I destroy the darkness of their ignorance. From within them I light the lamp of wisdom and dispel all darkness from their lives (Bhagavad Gita 10:/11).

My questions and desire to know brought me to the Ashram and a lineage of teachers who embody this wisdom through their dedication and example, living lives based on selfless service.

Grace of the Guru – Wisdom Embodied 

When Swami Radha went to India in 1955, she observed Swami Sivananda in his day-to-day life.  She wanted to know how he lived the teachings, how he spoke, how he interacted with people, and ignited the desire to live a life of service.

Through questioning, observing, letting go of her resistance and going beyond her personal comfort she began to see and experience the wisdom, compassion and love that was embodied in Sivananda. Her heart and mind opened and she was able to receive the teachings, and then offer them back to the world in a way that has affected the benefit and welfare of many people’s lives.

Being with Swami Radha was to see wisdom in action. Like Sivananda, she taught through example. She shone the light on my own resistance, pride and attachments to comfort. She opened the way to step into and experience another way of being—my mind and heart focused on serving a higher purpose. 

It is a different time now, but the essence of the teachings is the same. Witnessing the movement of the next generation as they come closer to living lives dedicated to serving a greater purpose brings a deep feeling of joy—to know that these sacred teachings will continue to be present and available in the world. 

Swami Radha would sometimes tell a story from the Eastern teachings about Divine Mother’s compassion. When She saw “how Her people harm themselves through their own jealousy, self-justification, greed, pride and selfishness, She begins to cry tears of sorrow. Her teardrops fall to earth and each one becomes a devotee, willing to do Her work, the highest and most blissful aspiration there is.” – Living The Practice

Divine Mother Prayer: Essence of Selfless Service

Below  is a beautiful prayer to Divine Mother from the Ananda Lahari – The Wave of Bliss that I turn to often throughout the day, to keep focused on the purpose of my work.

O Divine Mother,
May all my speech and idle talk be mantra
All actions of my hands be mudra
All eating and drinking be the offering of oblations unto Thee
All lying down prostrations before Thee
May all pleasure be as dedicating my entire Self unto Thee

May everything I do be taken as Thy worship.

– Swami Satyananda

Swami RadhaTarananda invites Katie to reflect on the advice she would give to her younger self, and together they explore the “sparks” and “threads” that have guided them to where they are today.

This episode can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music or YouTube.

It’s autumn now at the Ashram. A few days after the Equinox the seasons suddenly shifted from a summery warmth to cool crisp days. And now the sun is setting at 6:30 so that by the time I walk to the Temple for satsang it’s dark. Yet, it seems that this change is balanced by the gift of such remarkable sunsets. Tonight, the Western sky was filled with little rippling soft pink clouds with the rays of the setting sun behind the mountains, shining through.

Autumn Abundance

We have been harvesting for the past several weeks, the abundance of this spring and summer.  In spring the Ashram was covered in blossom. Not a tree or bush was without blooms, which then became fruit and berries. The garden has grown such delicious greens filled with energy and light and daily, the Kitchen creates beautiful and satisfying meals.

I have said over and over to friends, “this summer is just like the old days”, which tells you that I’ve been around for a while! The fact that we didn’t have to suffer from the smoke of forest fires this summer was a marvel and it seemed that in our small corner of Canada we were given a gift, a reprieve, as many fires were burning in the North throughout the spring and summer.  So daily I was grateful for the sunshine and the rain and a summer where it seemed that this year we were blessed.

And now we are harvesting all that has grown, kale, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, apples, pears, nuts, blueberries, golden berries, raspberries, blackberries, saskatoons.  The trees are still full of fruit although we are picking every day and the Preserving Kitchen has been busy chopping, freezing, canning and pickling.

Spiritual Teachings and Gratitude

The abundance here I feel is a reflection of the abundance of Swami Radha’s teachings.  People come to the Ashram as seekers. They come for a personal retreat or for a 5-day guided retreat and over and over as they leave, they come to the Temple at satsang and speak to what they have learned, what they have gained.   

Often, I have tears in my eyes as people speak of understandings and insights that have come to them, speaking of parts of themselves that reveal their strength and devotion. Again and again, guests  speak of gratitude for these teachings, for what they have received and how they want to bring this awareness into their daily life.

What an amazing thing it is to be living here, witnessing this abundance and to recognize this privilege. I turned 81 this year, just before the Equinox. I find myself filled with gratitude for my life and all I have received.  

Challenging Times and the Power of Slowing Down

Yet, I have come through a period of fatigue, suffering from high blood pressure and ongoing infections. It’s been a challenging time, difficult much of the time to see the blessing that illness offers. I struggled with these illnesses, impatient and frustrated that I was no longer the person I was five years ago, or ten or twenty. It’s been a time of learning about acceptance and seeing myself as I am now.  

My friend and teacher Swami Radhananda passed into the Light during this time and I was deeply grieving. It was a time of letting go of my attachment to her, and still holding close in my heart the love I felt. It was also a time of receiving help, and there was so much given to me in so many ways.

This challenging time also created space. I had to step back. I had to slow down. I had to hold on to the Divine Light Invocation (my main spiritual practice). One of the things that we are asked to do as Swamis is to let go. Well, I did let go of teaching, of management jobs – I didn’t want to but the illness demanded it. I had to let go and in doing this I had to start asking who am I, the perennial question of Yogis.

Healing with Poetry: Inner Wisdom 

In the midst of this an amazing thing happened. I began to feel a little stronger and joined a poetry club that my young friend Katie Taher had started. I had written poems off and on throughout my life, but this was different. Each week we had a prompt to inspire us to write. Very quickly I realized that the poems allowed a part of me to speak that was/is intuitive and wise.  

Starting with a word or a thought I found that I entered into a stream that took me to a knowing, that was often unexpected. It became a way to see what my inner being was trying say, how it could help me to understand myself and my life.

I’ve written many poems now and they continue to reveal to me a life that is full of abundance and gifts. This summer I began to realize that all along I’ve been healing. It’s been happening slowly on the physical level, but there is another healing taking place.

It is a healing within, an acceptance of where I am now, and as I look at my life a feeling of  profound appreciation for what I’ve received has emerged. I feel gratitude for the challenges I’ve faced which have asked me to change. I feel gratitude for my friends and family, for my life here at the Ashram. I’m deeply grateful for the gift of being a Sanyasin.

The poetry club here is very vibrant, it shifts and changes, sometimes there are few people taking part and other times many. Right now, there are fifteen or sixteen that come each week. We sit in a circle and each one reads their poem, there’s very little discussion, though often the person will say what inspired them. We listen, we absorb and we honour each other. There is such trust and vulnerability, it is a precious time, full of abundance and harvest.

Writing poetry has helped me to reach into the wise and grateful part of my being and express these knowings. I feel blessed.

Poetry as Spiritual Practice 

I encourage anyone reading this to write a poem. Anyone can do it, as we see weekly in the poetry club, over and over. Perhaps you might want to use the title of the blog as a prompt and let abundance and gratitude be the words that guide you as you write. 

Here is a poem I wrote last year…

Emotion

-Swami Jyotihananda

Drawing on her lived experience, Swami Matananda reflects on being in a partnership, living at the Ashram and Swami Radha’s guidance. Swami Matananda shares practices she’s explored with her partner as ways to become more aware of attachments and patterns of dependence. She further highlights the importance of emotional independence and mutual support in any relationship. This conversation is insightful and warm, offering gentle guidance for anyone navigating relationships in spiritual life.

As I settle into September, the days are getting shorter and the morning air carries a little more crispness. This season invites deep reflection, a sense of focus and a reassessment of what it means to be in the world while nurturing my spiritual practice.

Seasonal transitions remind me of the changes happening all around, all the time. Yet, there are threads of continuity that offer steadiness, like the Ashram’s live online classes. 

So much of my daily life is now digital – work meetings, friend dates over video call, emails to scrolling on social media. As with most things, there are both gifts and drawbacks to living in such a digitized world. On one hand, I am able to stay connected in ways that were once unimaginable. On the other hand, these connections can sometimes feel overwhelming or unsatisfying in their depth. 

In the case of the Ashram’s live classes, the experience is profoundly different. While the Ashram is so far from where I live, the online offerings extend the Ashram’s reach further – bringing together participants, students and seekers from across the world. 

Through the online classes we connect, like points of Light coming together in search of community and the joy of shared embodied practice.

Alive and Connected with Community

What feels most special about the online classes is that they are live and alive. These are not prerecorded sessions, but gatherings that unfold in real time, offering interactive spaces where connection and community can flourish. 

The teachers who guide them carry deep love and passion for Swami Radha’s teachings and the Ashram community, bringing in that sense of aliveness. Through their dedication and selfless service, they create workshops designed to nourish and bring clarity. By asking meaningful questions and listening with attentiveness and care, they foster a nurturing, safe environment for people to reflect, learn and grow.

There is something deeply comforting about showing up at a set time to deepen spiritual practice and mindfulness, knowing that others are logging on too. In the circle of sharing, I feel a deep resonance with the group, I feel heard and seen. I am reminded that our journeys are not so different, that we carry similar questions and longings, each seeking meaning in the mystery of life. The teachings reveal themselves as luminous tools and what we create together in these spaces is rich and uplifting. We learn so much from each other

Swami Radhananda writes that “Our divine spark is nourished and encouraged through community respect and personal spiritual practices… That is what community can do – it can support people’s sincere ideals”

The online classes offer a doorway to the teachings and the teachings meet us wherever we might be. Breathing, listening, reflecting and sharing together, we are reminded that we are not alone. 

Opening Doors: Accessibility in the Online Yoga Space

For many, the accessibility of joining from home has opened new doors, making it possible to weave spiritual practice and community into daily life. 

While it may not always be easy to travel physically to the Ashram, the online classes offer access to a spiritual community from the comfort of your own home – opening the doors to more accessibility within the yoga community. 

For those new to the Ashram, these classes provide a glimpse into the richness of our on-site retreats. For those who’ve been to the Ashram, they serve as reminders of the power of the teachings to bring people together, inviting clarity, relaxation and spiritual renewal. 

In this way, the online classes reflect the symbolism of the Temple of Light: many doors and ways for people to enter in and connect to the Light.

Light Connects: Teachings of the Divine Feminine 

In Swami Radha’s final message to the world, she asked us to stay together and to take care of one another – to let the Light guide our lives. These words remind me of the importance of spiritual community and that the Light is always present. The Light shines through, helping us find joy in the simplest of interactions, like a heartfelt conversation in class or a moment of silence we share together online. 

The Ashram’s online offerings are extensions of this Light. Each gathering is a chance to pause, listen and be guided by teachings grounded in the Divine Feminine.

Now is a time to remember that we don’t walk this path alone. Through the Ashram’s live online offerings, the teachings continue to ripple out, uniquely touching each of our lives. 

By Katie Taher