David Daniel's Blog, page 20
December 4, 2018
Passing the Torch
Four years ago my father passed away. Even though my father was 80 years old, it happened very suddenly. It was Halloween and some trick or treaters decided to deposit some of the chocolate they had collected on the ground near my parent's home and my father became worried that his dog might eat some of the chocolate and die. Instead, something far more ominous happened, it was my father who would perish from that fateful choice. My father, 80 years old and not the least bit agile, decided he was just the person to pick up the candy off of his lawn.
At the time my parents lived on a large sloping hill that was challenging to navigate even for someone 40 years younger than my father, but he decided he was up to the task. As he was picking up the candy, he lost his balance and he began tumbling down the hill and in a maneuver that would be impossible to recreate, he hit his head on the one 2 X 2 piece of concrete that rested at the bottom of the hill. One care flight and a surgery later and my father was gone six days after his fall.
Getting the call that one of your parents is about to pass away is one of the most surreal moments anyone could go through. Even though my father was 80 years old, it was still a shock to get this call. One moment my father was here, and the next I was flying back to Iowa to determine how long we would keep him on life support. The flight home was a blur and even the time at the hospital is only a vague memory. I remember the doctor telling us that there was 0% chance my father would recover. Even the most optimistic among us saw no wiggle room in this diagnosis.
I was always very close to my father and we had lengthy talks about what to do if my parents were ever in the situation that my father found himself at that moment. He was crystal clear: do NOT keep me alive. I knew my mother could never say the words that would facilitate the end of my father's life, so I gathered everyone together and as a family we made the decision for my mother; we would take my father off of life support. Because of my long talks with my father and his explicit wishes, I was completely at peace with the decision. I knew he had reached the end of his life, and it was time for him to move on to an elevated state of being.
The family gathered around my father as the hospital staff prepared to unplug him from the machines that were keeping him alive. I asked the doctor how long this would be and his response was vague.
"It could be twenty minutes or it could be several hours," he said, and then after surveying our horrified faces he added, "but most likely 20 minutes."
My father had his entire family surrounding him; his six children and my siblings were all there along with a few of their spouses, multiple grandchildren and his wife of 53 years huddled around his bedside. In an macabre twist of fate, my brother-in-law was in a hospital bed two doors away from my father battling cancer who would die 5 short days after my father. It was a strange time indeed. We would lose two family members in less than a week.
After the hospital staff removed the tubes from my father, his breathing became very shallow quite quickly and I think we all knew it wouldn't be long before my father passed. I remember holding on to my mother as she braced herself against me while I held my father's hand until the end. When my father finally took what appeared to be his last breath I said very solemnly to the group assembled, "Well, he's gone." In a instant, the moment sank in for me that I would never again speak with him. There was a moment of deep sadness but then, the sadness was broken as my father, ever the perfect straight man and comic foil, proceeded to take a huge deep breath (known as the last gasp) and my comedy instincts kicked in. I said, "He's back, everyone. Just like Jesus!"
Laughter filled the room. The tension of the moment was completely erased. The laughter was so loud that the nursing staff, who had left the room to give us privacy, raced into the room wondering what had just happened. Smiles were everywhere and as laughter filled his ears for the last time, my father passed away peacefully. Every single person he loved the most stood by him while laughter and joy filled the room. I know my father couldn't have hoped for a more beautiful death.
It's a surreal moment to lose a parent. Suddenly, they are gone and each time I would reach for the phone to call my dad to catch up about some small thing going on in my life, I would have to remind myself that he was gone and I would put the phone down. I didn't experience the sadness that some people have told me they experienced after their parents died for two reasons: 1) I had already told my father how much he meant to me in nearly every phone call we ever had. 2). I knew my father hadn't really died, he had simply transformed into his most beautiful and divine spiritual self.
Time passed and life moved on because no matter the impact a person makes on another's life, once they are gone we all must get back to living. Two months after my father's passing, I sat down to begin the novel that I would dedicate to my father. I wrote the novel in about a year and then I placed it in a drawer for nearly three years before I finally retrieved it. For some reason, whether it be fear of rejection or just a general lack of faith, I allowed the novel to lie dormant with little real intention to ever release it.
That is, until lately. I had moved to a new place in my life. I finished my second book, White Tantric Yoga: 40 Day to Divinity and through the beautiful power of Kundalini Yoga I came to a divine place of peace and fulfillment in my life. I met a beautiful woman who enriched my life (I have always known my father brought her to me from his new elevated state of consciousness) and I began to live more fearlessly. My fear around the "failure" of my novel had dissipated and had been replaced by a new confidence that I was required to release this book.
I spent this last month proofing the manuscript and preparing the book for release. December 7 my father would celebrate his 85 birthday. It seems like he was here just a few days ago. To honor his memory I feel the most fitting celebration would be to release the book that he inspired.
And with this, I announce the release of Blue Pearl on December 25, 2018, for Christmas symbolizes new beginnings. I do this in loving memory of my father. He will always live on through this book because it was he that asked me, when I was 16 years old, to write and write well. This one is for you, dad. I hope it makes you proud. Rest in peace, Beautiful Light, I will see you on the other side.
www.daviddanielbooks.com
At the time my parents lived on a large sloping hill that was challenging to navigate even for someone 40 years younger than my father, but he decided he was up to the task. As he was picking up the candy, he lost his balance and he began tumbling down the hill and in a maneuver that would be impossible to recreate, he hit his head on the one 2 X 2 piece of concrete that rested at the bottom of the hill. One care flight and a surgery later and my father was gone six days after his fall.
Getting the call that one of your parents is about to pass away is one of the most surreal moments anyone could go through. Even though my father was 80 years old, it was still a shock to get this call. One moment my father was here, and the next I was flying back to Iowa to determine how long we would keep him on life support. The flight home was a blur and even the time at the hospital is only a vague memory. I remember the doctor telling us that there was 0% chance my father would recover. Even the most optimistic among us saw no wiggle room in this diagnosis.
I was always very close to my father and we had lengthy talks about what to do if my parents were ever in the situation that my father found himself at that moment. He was crystal clear: do NOT keep me alive. I knew my mother could never say the words that would facilitate the end of my father's life, so I gathered everyone together and as a family we made the decision for my mother; we would take my father off of life support. Because of my long talks with my father and his explicit wishes, I was completely at peace with the decision. I knew he had reached the end of his life, and it was time for him to move on to an elevated state of being.
The family gathered around my father as the hospital staff prepared to unplug him from the machines that were keeping him alive. I asked the doctor how long this would be and his response was vague.
"It could be twenty minutes or it could be several hours," he said, and then after surveying our horrified faces he added, "but most likely 20 minutes."
My father had his entire family surrounding him; his six children and my siblings were all there along with a few of their spouses, multiple grandchildren and his wife of 53 years huddled around his bedside. In an macabre twist of fate, my brother-in-law was in a hospital bed two doors away from my father battling cancer who would die 5 short days after my father. It was a strange time indeed. We would lose two family members in less than a week.
After the hospital staff removed the tubes from my father, his breathing became very shallow quite quickly and I think we all knew it wouldn't be long before my father passed. I remember holding on to my mother as she braced herself against me while I held my father's hand until the end. When my father finally took what appeared to be his last breath I said very solemnly to the group assembled, "Well, he's gone." In a instant, the moment sank in for me that I would never again speak with him. There was a moment of deep sadness but then, the sadness was broken as my father, ever the perfect straight man and comic foil, proceeded to take a huge deep breath (known as the last gasp) and my comedy instincts kicked in. I said, "He's back, everyone. Just like Jesus!"
Laughter filled the room. The tension of the moment was completely erased. The laughter was so loud that the nursing staff, who had left the room to give us privacy, raced into the room wondering what had just happened. Smiles were everywhere and as laughter filled his ears for the last time, my father passed away peacefully. Every single person he loved the most stood by him while laughter and joy filled the room. I know my father couldn't have hoped for a more beautiful death.
It's a surreal moment to lose a parent. Suddenly, they are gone and each time I would reach for the phone to call my dad to catch up about some small thing going on in my life, I would have to remind myself that he was gone and I would put the phone down. I didn't experience the sadness that some people have told me they experienced after their parents died for two reasons: 1) I had already told my father how much he meant to me in nearly every phone call we ever had. 2). I knew my father hadn't really died, he had simply transformed into his most beautiful and divine spiritual self.
Time passed and life moved on because no matter the impact a person makes on another's life, once they are gone we all must get back to living. Two months after my father's passing, I sat down to begin the novel that I would dedicate to my father. I wrote the novel in about a year and then I placed it in a drawer for nearly three years before I finally retrieved it. For some reason, whether it be fear of rejection or just a general lack of faith, I allowed the novel to lie dormant with little real intention to ever release it.
That is, until lately. I had moved to a new place in my life. I finished my second book, White Tantric Yoga: 40 Day to Divinity and through the beautiful power of Kundalini Yoga I came to a divine place of peace and fulfillment in my life. I met a beautiful woman who enriched my life (I have always known my father brought her to me from his new elevated state of consciousness) and I began to live more fearlessly. My fear around the "failure" of my novel had dissipated and had been replaced by a new confidence that I was required to release this book.
I spent this last month proofing the manuscript and preparing the book for release. December 7 my father would celebrate his 85 birthday. It seems like he was here just a few days ago. To honor his memory I feel the most fitting celebration would be to release the book that he inspired.
And with this, I announce the release of Blue Pearl on December 25, 2018, for Christmas symbolizes new beginnings. I do this in loving memory of my father. He will always live on through this book because it was he that asked me, when I was 16 years old, to write and write well. This one is for you, dad. I hope it makes you proud. Rest in peace, Beautiful Light, I will see you on the other side.
www.daviddanielbooks.com
Passing the Torch
Four years ago my father passed away. Even though my father was 80 years old, it happened very suddenly. It was Halloween and some trick or treaters decided to deposit some of the chocolate they had collected on the ground near my parent’s home and my father became worried that his dog might eat some […]
November 23, 2018
Through Gratitude We Can Change the Worldi
As Thanksgiving approaches and another year winds to a close, I find myself incredibly contemplative, pondering all that I have been given. It is so easy to get wrapped up in what is “wrong” with our lives that oftentimes we fail to celebrate what is incredibly “right” with our lives. For me, there are so many things that have aligned perfectly and I understand that all of these things that are bringing me so much love and joy are also former intentions of mine that have manifested into my material world.
Seven years ago, I vowed to change the my life and the way I thought about it as I embarked on a path to reclaim my destiny. It wasn’t easy. I was faced with major life decisions that were incredibly difficult to implement. I struggled to end a marriage that wasn’t working for either of us. We both knew our hopes and dreams were no longer in alignment and we worked very hard to separate in a way that was loving and kind to everyone involved and to make the transition as easy as possible on our two children. One of the proudest achievements of my life is that we did this successfully and we now co-parent two children and we do it with almost no drama and very little disagreement.
My journey didn’t end there. I still had an enormous amount of self-work to do as I embarked on a new life as a single man. I did all of the things that newly single people do to try to matriculate back into the single scene. I dated, drank wine, sat lazily around in the afternoons on my balcony overlooking the city with very little ambition to achieve anything, and generally reveled in this newfound freedom I had desired for so long.
It was all necessary. I needed it. I longed to find my true self again and part of that process was to disengage from many of the things I had been doing in my life and to carve a new path. It literally took a couple of years. I would rise in the mornings and go to have my morning coffee while I read every spiritual text I could get my hands on and I would write. I wrote a novel while I would sip my morning cup of coffee and I people-watched and drank in the experience of feeding my soul. After finishing my novel, I discreetly placed the novel in a drawer to sit for nearly four years (The Blue Pearl will be out Christmas 2018) as I contemplated my next steps.
I began practicing random acts of kindness through an initiative my daughter, son and I started called the Secret Blue Butterfly (www.secretbluebutterfly.com). Once a day we would do a random act of kindness for someone and then leave a Secret Blue Butterfly card letting them know the Universe left them a special gift because “they are loved and admired by the Universe.”
We created a website and began showcasing our secret acts of kindness on social media channels and before we knew it people in more than 60 countries began writing in to receive their free butterfly cards so that they too could spread love and kindness. By creating this initiative and moving into a place of gratitude and giving my life started to change. An entire universe opened up to me as I had the honor of witnessing people from all over the globe participate in changing the world by doing random acts of kindness in their corner of the world. And through it all I discovered that by doing kind acts for strangers it was I that began to heal.
I had the honor of traveling overseas to Europe and the Balkans to perform a USO Tour for the United States Military. Seeing the sacrifice that these men and women make each day so that I could live my life in complete freedom was humbling. I came to a clearer understanding that life was not about me, life was about “us.” For the first time in my life I began to see the importance of serving others while at the same time giving myself everything I needed so that I had something to give.
This is where I think a lot of us misunderstand giving. We have been told for a long time that we are supposed to give to others at the expense of ourselves when in fact, it's just the opposite. We give first to ourselves and we feed our souls of all that we need SO THAT we can then give back to others. I have always equated that giving is a lot like the oxygen mask speech flight attendants give before taking off before a flight. “Place your mask on your face first and then help others with their mask.” Why do they say this? Because if we can’t breathe then we will pass out and not be able to help others. Just like giving: we give to ourselves first and be able to breathe BEFORE we can give back to others.
My heart began thawing after years of keeping my guard up and before I knew it divine synchronicities
began occurring. I met my true twin flame, Adi Bachan Kaur, on a magical first date in Paris at the end of my USO Tour (soon to be told in my new book We’ll Always Have Paris). Adi opened up my heart even more and not long after we met she encouraged me to begin practicing Kundalini Yoga, playing the gong, and eventually teaching yoga classes with her to give people the skills to claim their most beautiful life.
If anyone had told me any of this would happen even five years earlier I would have told them they were crazy, but it did happen. And it happened because I began thinking about how I could make someone else’s day just a little bit brighter by being more loving and kind to them. I began thinking about how one kind act could change someone’s world and by doing so I changed my world. It’s not a stretch to see that this is how we can change the entire world.
The only thing that is necessary is that we take the first step. We hold the door open for someone, smile at someone, buy someone a cup of coffee, give a compliment, or we do the most beautifully human thing anyone can do for another human—we LISTEN to someone when they need it. We don’t listen to respond, we listen to truly hear them.
Through the people who loved me the most, oftentimes when I felt wasn’t completely deserving, my heart thawed, and I was exposed to a new way of looking at life: How can I serve? This one question, when truly investigated, is the gateway to a new way of living. This one question is the liberation we seek. By giving, we receive and usually the dividends are far greater than the initial investment. This is a Universal Law. I don’t understand it fully, but it is a reality that fuels our advancement.
I am thankful. Thankful for the journey—every morsel of it—the good, the bad, the indifferent. Each stage was necessary, every person a beautiful co-star or featured extra in our movie called Life. May each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving and may the light of love shine on the road to your destiny.
Sat Nam!
Seven years ago, I vowed to change the my life and the way I thought about it as I embarked on a path to reclaim my destiny. It wasn’t easy. I was faced with major life decisions that were incredibly difficult to implement. I struggled to end a marriage that wasn’t working for either of us. We both knew our hopes and dreams were no longer in alignment and we worked very hard to separate in a way that was loving and kind to everyone involved and to make the transition as easy as possible on our two children. One of the proudest achievements of my life is that we did this successfully and we now co-parent two children and we do it with almost no drama and very little disagreement.
My journey didn’t end there. I still had an enormous amount of self-work to do as I embarked on a new life as a single man. I did all of the things that newly single people do to try to matriculate back into the single scene. I dated, drank wine, sat lazily around in the afternoons on my balcony overlooking the city with very little ambition to achieve anything, and generally reveled in this newfound freedom I had desired for so long.
It was all necessary. I needed it. I longed to find my true self again and part of that process was to disengage from many of the things I had been doing in my life and to carve a new path. It literally took a couple of years. I would rise in the mornings and go to have my morning coffee while I read every spiritual text I could get my hands on and I would write. I wrote a novel while I would sip my morning cup of coffee and I people-watched and drank in the experience of feeding my soul. After finishing my novel, I discreetly placed the novel in a drawer to sit for nearly four years (The Blue Pearl will be out Christmas 2018) as I contemplated my next steps.
I began practicing random acts of kindness through an initiative my daughter, son and I started called the Secret Blue Butterfly (www.secretbluebutterfly.com). Once a day we would do a random act of kindness for someone and then leave a Secret Blue Butterfly card letting them know the Universe left them a special gift because “they are loved and admired by the Universe.”
We created a website and began showcasing our secret acts of kindness on social media channels and before we knew it people in more than 60 countries began writing in to receive their free butterfly cards so that they too could spread love and kindness. By creating this initiative and moving into a place of gratitude and giving my life started to change. An entire universe opened up to me as I had the honor of witnessing people from all over the globe participate in changing the world by doing random acts of kindness in their corner of the world. And through it all I discovered that by doing kind acts for strangers it was I that began to heal.
I had the honor of traveling overseas to Europe and the Balkans to perform a USO Tour for the United States Military. Seeing the sacrifice that these men and women make each day so that I could live my life in complete freedom was humbling. I came to a clearer understanding that life was not about me, life was about “us.” For the first time in my life I began to see the importance of serving others while at the same time giving myself everything I needed so that I had something to give.
This is where I think a lot of us misunderstand giving. We have been told for a long time that we are supposed to give to others at the expense of ourselves when in fact, it's just the opposite. We give first to ourselves and we feed our souls of all that we need SO THAT we can then give back to others. I have always equated that giving is a lot like the oxygen mask speech flight attendants give before taking off before a flight. “Place your mask on your face first and then help others with their mask.” Why do they say this? Because if we can’t breathe then we will pass out and not be able to help others. Just like giving: we give to ourselves first and be able to breathe BEFORE we can give back to others.
My heart began thawing after years of keeping my guard up and before I knew it divine synchronicities
began occurring. I met my true twin flame, Adi Bachan Kaur, on a magical first date in Paris at the end of my USO Tour (soon to be told in my new book We’ll Always Have Paris). Adi opened up my heart even more and not long after we met she encouraged me to begin practicing Kundalini Yoga, playing the gong, and eventually teaching yoga classes with her to give people the skills to claim their most beautiful life.
If anyone had told me any of this would happen even five years earlier I would have told them they were crazy, but it did happen. And it happened because I began thinking about how I could make someone else’s day just a little bit brighter by being more loving and kind to them. I began thinking about how one kind act could change someone’s world and by doing so I changed my world. It’s not a stretch to see that this is how we can change the entire world.
The only thing that is necessary is that we take the first step. We hold the door open for someone, smile at someone, buy someone a cup of coffee, give a compliment, or we do the most beautifully human thing anyone can do for another human—we LISTEN to someone when they need it. We don’t listen to respond, we listen to truly hear them.
Through the people who loved me the most, oftentimes when I felt wasn’t completely deserving, my heart thawed, and I was exposed to a new way of looking at life: How can I serve? This one question, when truly investigated, is the gateway to a new way of living. This one question is the liberation we seek. By giving, we receive and usually the dividends are far greater than the initial investment. This is a Universal Law. I don’t understand it fully, but it is a reality that fuels our advancement.
I am thankful. Thankful for the journey—every morsel of it—the good, the bad, the indifferent. Each stage was necessary, every person a beautiful co-star or featured extra in our movie called Life. May each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving and may the light of love shine on the road to your destiny.
Sat Nam!
November 20, 2018
Through Gratitude We Will Change the World
As Thanksgiving approaches and another year winds to a close, I find myself incredibly contemplative, pondering all that I have been given. It is so easy to get wrapped up in what is “wrong” with our lives that oftentimes we fail to celebrate what is incredibly “right” with our lives. For me, there are so […]
November 17, 2018
The Art of Yoga Nidra
As the gentle winds blew in from the Sea of Cortez, Adi and I arose early for our first morning of Yoga Nidra training at Prana Del Mar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The sun had yet to creep up over the horizon as we started our day at 3:45 a.m. for our morning Sadhana and as we walked to the Sun Room for our morning yoga and meditation, one glance upward revealed a sky that was shimmering with stars. A meteor shower was in the forecast so the chances of seeing a shooting star or meteor streak across the sky was a very likely possibility and I found myself staring intently skyward in the hopes of seeing one of these rogue stars make an appearance.
This is the very testament to looking to the stars in order to see magic. Prana Del Mar has magic in every grain of the sand that blankets the ground around this beautiful property. Prana Del Mar is a little hideaway in a remote part of Cabo that was created to give yoga practitioners the opportunity to recharge their batteries so that after a week of self-caring these same teachers could then return home and pour from the illustrious “cup of prayer.”
This is why Adi and I came here. To recharge. We had been giving to others by hosting gong events, 5 a.m. Sadhana each week at Adi’s Yoga Studio and even giving free health talks at Tarrant Area Food Bank to help people on their way to a healthier lifestyle. We were both tired from all that we had been doing and I knew that our ever so important “cup of prayer” was becoming dangerously low and we were running out of the necessary “juice” to share with the world. This led us to Prana Del Mar.
The weeks leading up to this getaway kept me so busy that I had little time to even consider what the coming week would bring me. I find that this is oftentimes the best way to approach a trip—expect nothing but be absolutely prepared for divine magic to occur. As we entered the Sun Room that first morning for yoga I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the facilities at Prana Del Mar. Eric, the owner, and his staff had done a remarkable job creating a space for practicing Yogis and Yoginis to escape from the hustle and bustle of the daily lives as teachers. Every detail was tended to by Eric and his staff so that each of us had only one job—fill our “cup of prayer.”
Beautiful Buddha, Ganesh, Vishnu and Krishna artifacts decorate the elegantly created yoga rooms and each room is stocked with tealight candles to add ambiance to the room. For our trip, the Sun Room had the added bonus of having 12 gongs of various persuasions standing at attention and waiting to be activated with the power of sound to heal anyone near this powerful sound current. These 12 gongs, provided by Master Kundalini Yoga and Gong Teachers Mehtab and Guru Karam, would provide the soundtrack for our upcoming week of Yoga Nidra training.
On our first morning and every morning thereafter, Adi and I began our morning Sadhana practice at our traditional 4 a.m. time. The serenity of the space made our practice each day extra special. After a morning yoga Kriya, Adi and I played these 12 beautiful gongs as we listened to the Aquarian Mantras and chanted out to the ocean beyond that could easily be heard crashing to the shore. For each gong crash we administered the ocean countered with its own pranic force that was easily as powerful, if not even more so. The gong is a truly beautiful instrument in that it activates a healing sound current that can strengthen the central nervous system and purify our consciousness by revealing our shadow self—to be investigated and then healed—transforming our spirit and elevating us to live as our most pure and authentic Highest Self.
Sound too good to be true? I used to think so too—until I experienced it in my own life. The power of the gong was the reason I came on this trip. After coming to understand this divine power just a little bit more, I agreed to travel with Adi out of the country to study Yoga Nidra and to learn more about how to incorporate the gong into the practice. If you had told me a year ago I would be doing this I would have had to resist laughing directly in your face. But here I was, on a spiritual quest in a desert located right by the sea, loudly playing the gong each morning and chanting until the sun rose to start a new day. A conundrum to say the least, but Kundalini Yoga and the gong have turned everything I used to believe to be true and turned it on its ear and in doing so presented me a new way of experiencing life—as a conscious participant.
This is the quest that Adi and I traveled thousands of miles to take part in—a quest of spiritual growth and divine partnership. A quest that will most assuredly lead us around the world to future events, meeting like-minded people who long to spread joy and love in every corner of the globe. You may wonder why we would do this. Because if we don’t do it, who will?
These were the thoughts that were racing through my head while we played the gong on that first morning during the Amrit Vela hours. As the Aquarian Mantras drew to a close, the sun began rising over the sea creating a majestic canvas to begin our first morning of training. I had no idea what to expect with this training, but I would soon find out.
After a quick breakfast, Adi and I settled in for our orientation with Mehtab and Guru Karam, who would be leading this workshop. Adi studied with both of these teachers during Level One Kundalini Teacher Training at Yoga Yoga in Austin. I could see she felt right back at home as we settled in for would be three straight days of extensive training.
Yoga Nidra is a practice that allows the practitioner to be guided into deep relaxation, taming the overly active mind with a calming guided meditation. The process allows for deep emotional healing and when coupled and powered by the sound of the gong it provides a pathway for the participants to release negative patterns and neurosis, liberating the self on the pathway for their intended destiny. The requirement is that the entire process is a co-creative process where both the facilitator and the participant work together through a guided meditation. The facilitator guides the participant who agrees to stay awake while exploring the deepest recesses of his or her consciousness.
The process is more challenging than it sounds because it is very easy to get so lost in it. Many people will find themselves drifting to sleep only to be awakened by their own cacophonous snore. I know this because I was one of these unlucky saps that was betrayed in front of a room full of people by an unexpectant snore blaring through the walls of the Sun Room. Less than ten minutes into Yoga Nidra and I was in La La Land, traipsing through the recesses of a dream state. I eventually awakened by my own orchestral trumpet section and then sheepishly continued the practice in an awakened state. I was only out for a moment before I regained consciousness and continued my journey.
Each morning before training, Adi and I would rise at 3:45 a.m. and practice our morning Sadhana, followed by breakfast with the entire congregation of Yoga Nidra aspirants. We would have a wonderful breakfast, sharing conversations as we all overlooked the sea watching whales breech out of the sea making their way south for the winter. The majesty of these divine specimens added to the already beautiful and divine week of spiritual growth.
For the first three mornings we engaged in many hours of training as we all formalized our techniques and in the evenings we were the recipients of Yoga Nidra led by Mehtab and Guru Karam. On the fourth and fifth day everyone was required to perform a practicum for our fellow students to earn our advanced certificate in Yoga Nidra. Adi and I led our practicum on the first day of training so that we could spend the rest of the week enjoying Cabo.
The final night turned out to be a magical night that would have seemed exceptionally cheesy had I heard about it secondhand, but because I was there to experience it I dove in head first and felt absolute joy pulsating through my body on the last night. After our final session of Yoga Nidra led by Mehtab and Guru Karam, they told everyone to get on their feet as they began playing the Turtles’ “Happy Together” and then said, “Everyone dance.”
And dance we did. Twenty-five grown, responsible adults jumped to their feet and began dancing like it was a high school prom as the Mexican tequila sunrise decorated the evening sky with a tableau that was painted by God Herself. To say it was divinely inspired would be an understatement. If it were a movie the entire ending credit sequence would have rolled through the entire scene. Even my most cynical side couldn’t find an objection to this beautiful moment that was like a scene from a John Hughes film. It was, in a word—magical.
The entire week was magical. For a solid week we fed our bodies, our minds, and most importantly, our souls. And why did we do this? So that we can go back to our homes and begin to help people heal whatever it is that is ailing them in their lives. We did it so that we can go spread love, hope and kindness to our communities and to bring a ray of loving light to a world that so desperately needs more love.
This is how we change the world. This is our mission. We feed our souls by doing the things that bring us that effervescent joy that is contagious and we illustrate to others that peace and joy are not only possible, but they are indeed our birthright—a birthright that we must claim by caring for ourselves, by loving ourselves and by realizing that we are the change we seek. Salvation lies in self-love and only we can claim it. Only we can activate the portal to our Highest Self, which is waiting anxiously for us to remember what we have long since forgotten: we are loved, we are protected and we are the perfect reflection of the divine.
This is conscious living. This is what love looks like. This is hope, salvation and grace all rolled up into one big yoga mat on the shores of the Sea of Cortez. This is the legacy of Prana Del Mar 2018.
Sat Nam!
This is the very testament to looking to the stars in order to see magic. Prana Del Mar has magic in every grain of the sand that blankets the ground around this beautiful property. Prana Del Mar is a little hideaway in a remote part of Cabo that was created to give yoga practitioners the opportunity to recharge their batteries so that after a week of self-caring these same teachers could then return home and pour from the illustrious “cup of prayer.”
This is why Adi and I came here. To recharge. We had been giving to others by hosting gong events, 5 a.m. Sadhana each week at Adi’s Yoga Studio and even giving free health talks at Tarrant Area Food Bank to help people on their way to a healthier lifestyle. We were both tired from all that we had been doing and I knew that our ever so important “cup of prayer” was becoming dangerously low and we were running out of the necessary “juice” to share with the world. This led us to Prana Del Mar.
The weeks leading up to this getaway kept me so busy that I had little time to even consider what the coming week would bring me. I find that this is oftentimes the best way to approach a trip—expect nothing but be absolutely prepared for divine magic to occur. As we entered the Sun Room that first morning for yoga I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the facilities at Prana Del Mar. Eric, the owner, and his staff had done a remarkable job creating a space for practicing Yogis and Yoginis to escape from the hustle and bustle of the daily lives as teachers. Every detail was tended to by Eric and his staff so that each of us had only one job—fill our “cup of prayer.”
Beautiful Buddha, Ganesh, Vishnu and Krishna artifacts decorate the elegantly created yoga rooms and each room is stocked with tealight candles to add ambiance to the room. For our trip, the Sun Room had the added bonus of having 12 gongs of various persuasions standing at attention and waiting to be activated with the power of sound to heal anyone near this powerful sound current. These 12 gongs, provided by Master Kundalini Yoga and Gong Teachers Mehtab and Guru Karam, would provide the soundtrack for our upcoming week of Yoga Nidra training.
On our first morning and every morning thereafter, Adi and I began our morning Sadhana practice at our traditional 4 a.m. time. The serenity of the space made our practice each day extra special. After a morning yoga Kriya, Adi and I played these 12 beautiful gongs as we listened to the Aquarian Mantras and chanted out to the ocean beyond that could easily be heard crashing to the shore. For each gong crash we administered the ocean countered with its own pranic force that was easily as powerful, if not even more so. The gong is a truly beautiful instrument in that it activates a healing sound current that can strengthen the central nervous system and purify our consciousness by revealing our shadow self—to be investigated and then healed—transforming our spirit and elevating us to live as our most pure and authentic Highest Self.
Sound too good to be true? I used to think so too—until I experienced it in my own life. The power of the gong was the reason I came on this trip. After coming to understand this divine power just a little bit more, I agreed to travel with Adi out of the country to study Yoga Nidra and to learn more about how to incorporate the gong into the practice. If you had told me a year ago I would be doing this I would have had to resist laughing directly in your face. But here I was, on a spiritual quest in a desert located right by the sea, loudly playing the gong each morning and chanting until the sun rose to start a new day. A conundrum to say the least, but Kundalini Yoga and the gong have turned everything I used to believe to be true and turned it on its ear and in doing so presented me a new way of experiencing life—as a conscious participant.
This is the quest that Adi and I traveled thousands of miles to take part in—a quest of spiritual growth and divine partnership. A quest that will most assuredly lead us around the world to future events, meeting like-minded people who long to spread joy and love in every corner of the globe. You may wonder why we would do this. Because if we don’t do it, who will?
These were the thoughts that were racing through my head while we played the gong on that first morning during the Amrit Vela hours. As the Aquarian Mantras drew to a close, the sun began rising over the sea creating a majestic canvas to begin our first morning of training. I had no idea what to expect with this training, but I would soon find out.
After a quick breakfast, Adi and I settled in for our orientation with Mehtab and Guru Karam, who would be leading this workshop. Adi studied with both of these teachers during Level One Kundalini Teacher Training at Yoga Yoga in Austin. I could see she felt right back at home as we settled in for would be three straight days of extensive training.
Yoga Nidra is a practice that allows the practitioner to be guided into deep relaxation, taming the overly active mind with a calming guided meditation. The process allows for deep emotional healing and when coupled and powered by the sound of the gong it provides a pathway for the participants to release negative patterns and neurosis, liberating the self on the pathway for their intended destiny. The requirement is that the entire process is a co-creative process where both the facilitator and the participant work together through a guided meditation. The facilitator guides the participant who agrees to stay awake while exploring the deepest recesses of his or her consciousness.
The process is more challenging than it sounds because it is very easy to get so lost in it. Many people will find themselves drifting to sleep only to be awakened by their own cacophonous snore. I know this because I was one of these unlucky saps that was betrayed in front of a room full of people by an unexpectant snore blaring through the walls of the Sun Room. Less than ten minutes into Yoga Nidra and I was in La La Land, traipsing through the recesses of a dream state. I eventually awakened by my own orchestral trumpet section and then sheepishly continued the practice in an awakened state. I was only out for a moment before I regained consciousness and continued my journey.
Each morning before training, Adi and I would rise at 3:45 a.m. and practice our morning Sadhana, followed by breakfast with the entire congregation of Yoga Nidra aspirants. We would have a wonderful breakfast, sharing conversations as we all overlooked the sea watching whales breech out of the sea making their way south for the winter. The majesty of these divine specimens added to the already beautiful and divine week of spiritual growth.
For the first three mornings we engaged in many hours of training as we all formalized our techniques and in the evenings we were the recipients of Yoga Nidra led by Mehtab and Guru Karam. On the fourth and fifth day everyone was required to perform a practicum for our fellow students to earn our advanced certificate in Yoga Nidra. Adi and I led our practicum on the first day of training so that we could spend the rest of the week enjoying Cabo.
The final night turned out to be a magical night that would have seemed exceptionally cheesy had I heard about it secondhand, but because I was there to experience it I dove in head first and felt absolute joy pulsating through my body on the last night. After our final session of Yoga Nidra led by Mehtab and Guru Karam, they told everyone to get on their feet as they began playing the Turtles’ “Happy Together” and then said, “Everyone dance.”
And dance we did. Twenty-five grown, responsible adults jumped to their feet and began dancing like it was a high school prom as the Mexican tequila sunrise decorated the evening sky with a tableau that was painted by God Herself. To say it was divinely inspired would be an understatement. If it were a movie the entire ending credit sequence would have rolled through the entire scene. Even my most cynical side couldn’t find an objection to this beautiful moment that was like a scene from a John Hughes film. It was, in a word—magical.
The entire week was magical. For a solid week we fed our bodies, our minds, and most importantly, our souls. And why did we do this? So that we can go back to our homes and begin to help people heal whatever it is that is ailing them in their lives. We did it so that we can go spread love, hope and kindness to our communities and to bring a ray of loving light to a world that so desperately needs more love.
This is how we change the world. This is our mission. We feed our souls by doing the things that bring us that effervescent joy that is contagious and we illustrate to others that peace and joy are not only possible, but they are indeed our birthright—a birthright that we must claim by caring for ourselves, by loving ourselves and by realizing that we are the change we seek. Salvation lies in self-love and only we can claim it. Only we can activate the portal to our Highest Self, which is waiting anxiously for us to remember what we have long since forgotten: we are loved, we are protected and we are the perfect reflection of the divine.
This is conscious living. This is what love looks like. This is hope, salvation and grace all rolled up into one big yoga mat on the shores of the Sea of Cortez. This is the legacy of Prana Del Mar 2018.
Sat Nam!
The Art of Yoga Nidra
As the gentle winds blew in from the Sea of Cortez, Adi and I arose early for our first morning of Yoga Nidra training at Prana Del Mar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The sun had yet to creep up over the horizon as we started our day at 3:45 a.m. for our morning Sadhana […]
November 13, 2018
Prana Del Mar
Prana Del Mar in Los Cabos, Mexico is a divine little yoga retreat tucked away on the Sea of Cortez. Upon our arrival in Los Cabos, I didn’t really have any expectations for what was ahead. Adi asked me if I would attend a Yoga Nidra Certification class with her to enhance her credentials and I figured there could be far worse things to do a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving than go to the beach so I heartily agreed to go.
After a short ride from the airport we arrived on the property and were met by Eric, the owner of the establishment. Eric has an undeniably welcoming presence that instantly made me realize I had set my expectations for this destination too low and Eric and his property were soon going to surpass what I thought was possible for this week. Along with Eric, his incredibly warm staff welcomed us for our upcoming week on the property by giving us a preview of this charming, elegant property. Each of us were presented a refreshing glass of cucumber water as Eric began a guided tour of the property. Beautiful yoga and meditation rooms are tucked in perfect locations while the exterior of the property showcases a quaint pool, hot tub and sauna--all offered to assist in delivering the perfect atmosphere to relax and relax deeply from the hustle and bustle of the real world.
Prana Del Mar is located in the desert with breathtaking views of the Sea of Cortez. Wild horses roam nearby the property bellowing cacophonous neys as beautiful breezes cascade across the property from the sea. Every indicator from our inaugural introduction to the property foretold that we would have an amazing week of training and relaxation at this literal “diamond in the rough property.”
After our group tour, Adi and I were shown to our incredibly elegant room looking out to the cacti that dotted the foreground while the sea comprised background coloring it in a dark cobalt blue. After all of the work we have been doing lately with hosting gong events and Sunday Aquarian Sadhana this was shaping up to be the perfect getaway to recharge our batteries. In a word, this was heaven…in a desert.
We quickly unpacked and then we headed back to the main dining hall where more than 20 yogis gathered for our first meal before we would start our Yoga Nidra training in the morning. The dining hall is charmingly situated facing the sea and the balconies that overlook the property are the perfect place to share morning coffee or an evening tea. Inside the dining hall family style tables are set, inviting people to partake in a meal while getting to know soon to be new friends.
This wonderful property houses a chef and a staff that prepare homemade meals daily and the property goes to extraordinary lengths to make sure each guest special dietary needs are met. Our first meal with our new friends was a wonderful menu of fresh garden salad with delightful hearts of palm, cous cous, fresh vegetable medley and for those not vegetarian, grilled shrimp. Adi and I had the delight of sitting next to Jim, a professor of geology at Texas State University, and his wife Gerry, a gong artist and Kundalini Yoga Teacher. We all shared stories as to how and why we all decided to travel out of the country to attend this Yoga Nidra Summit.
For me, I can’t exactly say for sure why I have come other than to support Adi on her journey as a Teacher. I have no immediately plans to implement the training, but I do know that the Universe oftentimes has plans for us that we aren’t aware of. I like to remain open to the possibilities that life offers me so when opportunities arise I do my very best to say “yes” to new ideas and then watch the magic of discovery unfold before my very eyes.
An exciting week awaits at Prana Del Mar. I can’t for sure know how it will be revealed, but this is the beauty of life and this delightful property will be the setting for this week of spiritual manifestation.
Sat Nam!
www.daviddanielbooks.com
After a short ride from the airport we arrived on the property and were met by Eric, the owner of the establishment. Eric has an undeniably welcoming presence that instantly made me realize I had set my expectations for this destination too low and Eric and his property were soon going to surpass what I thought was possible for this week. Along with Eric, his incredibly warm staff welcomed us for our upcoming week on the property by giving us a preview of this charming, elegant property. Each of us were presented a refreshing glass of cucumber water as Eric began a guided tour of the property. Beautiful yoga and meditation rooms are tucked in perfect locations while the exterior of the property showcases a quaint pool, hot tub and sauna--all offered to assist in delivering the perfect atmosphere to relax and relax deeply from the hustle and bustle of the real world.
Prana Del Mar is located in the desert with breathtaking views of the Sea of Cortez. Wild horses roam nearby the property bellowing cacophonous neys as beautiful breezes cascade across the property from the sea. Every indicator from our inaugural introduction to the property foretold that we would have an amazing week of training and relaxation at this literal “diamond in the rough property.”
After our group tour, Adi and I were shown to our incredibly elegant room looking out to the cacti that dotted the foreground while the sea comprised background coloring it in a dark cobalt blue. After all of the work we have been doing lately with hosting gong events and Sunday Aquarian Sadhana this was shaping up to be the perfect getaway to recharge our batteries. In a word, this was heaven…in a desert.
We quickly unpacked and then we headed back to the main dining hall where more than 20 yogis gathered for our first meal before we would start our Yoga Nidra training in the morning. The dining hall is charmingly situated facing the sea and the balconies that overlook the property are the perfect place to share morning coffee or an evening tea. Inside the dining hall family style tables are set, inviting people to partake in a meal while getting to know soon to be new friends.
This wonderful property houses a chef and a staff that prepare homemade meals daily and the property goes to extraordinary lengths to make sure each guest special dietary needs are met. Our first meal with our new friends was a wonderful menu of fresh garden salad with delightful hearts of palm, cous cous, fresh vegetable medley and for those not vegetarian, grilled shrimp. Adi and I had the delight of sitting next to Jim, a professor of geology at Texas State University, and his wife Gerry, a gong artist and Kundalini Yoga Teacher. We all shared stories as to how and why we all decided to travel out of the country to attend this Yoga Nidra Summit.
For me, I can’t exactly say for sure why I have come other than to support Adi on her journey as a Teacher. I have no immediately plans to implement the training, but I do know that the Universe oftentimes has plans for us that we aren’t aware of. I like to remain open to the possibilities that life offers me so when opportunities arise I do my very best to say “yes” to new ideas and then watch the magic of discovery unfold before my very eyes.
An exciting week awaits at Prana Del Mar. I can’t for sure know how it will be revealed, but this is the beauty of life and this delightful property will be the setting for this week of spiritual manifestation.
Sat Nam!
www.daviddanielbooks.com
November 12, 2018
Prana Del Mar
Prana Del Mar in Los Cabos, Mexico is a divine little yoga retreat tucked away on the Sea of Cortez. Upon our arrival in Los Cabos, I didn’t really have any expectations for what was ahead. Adi asked me if I would attend a Yoga Nidra Certification class with her to enhance her credentials and […]
November 9, 2018
Going, Going, Gong!
For Adi and me, there is simply nothing better than getting the chance to explore the world. We giddily walk around the house a couple days prior to each departure wondering what our next adventure will bring. We have found that the less we plan our trips the more magical they become, so oftentimes we scarcely know where we will stay once we land. We allow the magic of the Universe to unfold before our hopeful eyes knowing that what She will bring will be far more glorious than anything we could have ever planned.
I write these words on the eve before our next adventure to Cabo San Lucas. Early tomorrow morning we depart to experience an advanced gong training by Adi's Teacher, Mehtab. We will be studying advanced techniques in how to heal both emotional and physical pain through the transformational power of the sound of the gong, known in Kundalini Yoga circles as the Adi Naad. Through the Primal Sound we are able to tap into sound frequencies that strengthen the central nervous system and realign our chakras that enable us to maximize our human potential.
When Adi first asked me to attend a Gong Bath I was skeptical, but I went nonetheless. We drove to Austin about a month prior to her starting Kundalini Yoga Teacher so that we could check out Yoga Yoga Studio. Mehtab was conducting one of his Full Moon Gong Baths that Sunday evening and Adi and I decided to spend the night in Austin and drink in the experience of hearing several gongs played simultaneously while more than 40 people lay in the supine position.
On my inaugural gong experience, when I heard the very first strike of the mallet against the gong I was transfixed by the sound it created. Energy began rising up within me and I could feel "chills" run through the entirety of my body. I was swept away by the majesty of the sound and in my mind I was instantly transported to other realms leaving me wondering what exactly this Primal Sound was doing "to me" and "for me."
It wasn't long after that first time hearing the gong that Adi and I decided to buy our own gongs and we began our journey of learning not only how to play the gong, but we began studying the long history of this beautiful instrument. We came to understand that the gong is a Guru and we actually don't play the gong at all--the gong plays us. We became hooked on the gong and our newfound interest fostered in us the desire to share this experience with as many people as we could. Adi and I decided that we would begin conducting our very own Gong Baths in our community and we invited everyone we knew to join us in this transformational experience. It wasn't long before our Gong Baths were drawing as many as 40 people and we discovered that we had so much more to learn from the Gong Teachers who had come long before us.
With this in mind, Adi asked if I would be willing to go to Mexico to continue our study with Mehtab and to take a Yoga Nidra Certification class with him. Always up for an adventure with Adi, I said, "Yes, And" to her suggestion and tomorrow we hop a flight to Mexico. For the upcoming week, I have decided to write about the experience and chronicle our adventure. I hope you get the opportunity to enjoy the journey with us.
This is as much as we have planned. The adventure awaits and we will witness the beautiful creative expression of this glorious Universe. May you stay blessed and may the light of love shine on your always!
Sat Nam!
www.daviddanielbooks.com
I write these words on the eve before our next adventure to Cabo San Lucas. Early tomorrow morning we depart to experience an advanced gong training by Adi's Teacher, Mehtab. We will be studying advanced techniques in how to heal both emotional and physical pain through the transformational power of the sound of the gong, known in Kundalini Yoga circles as the Adi Naad. Through the Primal Sound we are able to tap into sound frequencies that strengthen the central nervous system and realign our chakras that enable us to maximize our human potential.
When Adi first asked me to attend a Gong Bath I was skeptical, but I went nonetheless. We drove to Austin about a month prior to her starting Kundalini Yoga Teacher so that we could check out Yoga Yoga Studio. Mehtab was conducting one of his Full Moon Gong Baths that Sunday evening and Adi and I decided to spend the night in Austin and drink in the experience of hearing several gongs played simultaneously while more than 40 people lay in the supine position.
On my inaugural gong experience, when I heard the very first strike of the mallet against the gong I was transfixed by the sound it created. Energy began rising up within me and I could feel "chills" run through the entirety of my body. I was swept away by the majesty of the sound and in my mind I was instantly transported to other realms leaving me wondering what exactly this Primal Sound was doing "to me" and "for me."
It wasn't long after that first time hearing the gong that Adi and I decided to buy our own gongs and we began our journey of learning not only how to play the gong, but we began studying the long history of this beautiful instrument. We came to understand that the gong is a Guru and we actually don't play the gong at all--the gong plays us. We became hooked on the gong and our newfound interest fostered in us the desire to share this experience with as many people as we could. Adi and I decided that we would begin conducting our very own Gong Baths in our community and we invited everyone we knew to join us in this transformational experience. It wasn't long before our Gong Baths were drawing as many as 40 people and we discovered that we had so much more to learn from the Gong Teachers who had come long before us.
With this in mind, Adi asked if I would be willing to go to Mexico to continue our study with Mehtab and to take a Yoga Nidra Certification class with him. Always up for an adventure with Adi, I said, "Yes, And" to her suggestion and tomorrow we hop a flight to Mexico. For the upcoming week, I have decided to write about the experience and chronicle our adventure. I hope you get the opportunity to enjoy the journey with us.
This is as much as we have planned. The adventure awaits and we will witness the beautiful creative expression of this glorious Universe. May you stay blessed and may the light of love shine on your always!
Sat Nam!
www.daviddanielbooks.com
Going, Going, Gong!
For Adi and me, there is simply nothing better than getting the chance to explore the world. We giddily walk around the house a couple days prior to each departure wondering what our next adventure will bring. We have found that the less we plan our trips the more magical they become, so oftentimes we scarcely […]
