It was one of the sweetest rooms I have ever been in and has long lingered in my mind. A moderately-sized room, simply furnished, in the Ashram of a great Saint in Ganeshapuri, India. The whole Ashram was permeated with his meditative energy or shakti and was quite remarkable, but this one room had a special impact on me. The saint had created a sitting/meditation room dedicated to the feminine aspect of enlightened being. It was full of pictures of women saints and Goddesses. Supposedly, only women were allowed in his room but often the male Ashramites would sneak in, inexorably drawn by the presence of pure, sweet feminine energy. When I first entered the room, I felt so at home as though in my mother's loving arms. The vibration in the room resonated deep within my being and psyche. I felt a harmony and vitality that sang within my soul. I visited the room again and again and would slip into a sweet meditative state that was uniquely womanly.

I have visited many Ashrams, monasteries and sacred places both at home and abroad, and have had profound experiences of the enlightened state of consciousness in holy places from all traditions. But this sweet room attached itself to my psyche and gradually grew into a dream. I wanted one day to make such a place within the Ashram where I resided.

I wanted to create a space which would reflect enlightened feminine being. It would be a place of grace and beauty, of motherly nurturing energy with an aspect of wild untamed spirit. It would be sweet and strong, lovely and powerful.

In the fall of 1996 we completed the Shoshoni temple. It was a two-year project of lovingly hand-crafting a larger temple to house the Gurus and Deities of our meditative school. Bhagawan Nityananda is the central figure. He is the root Guru of our school. When Sri Nityananda's murti moved into the new temple, his former small Shrine was vacant. I asked my husband, Sri Shambhavananda, if I could have this small Shrine for a Women's Shrine. He also wants our daughter to be aware of how beautifully enlightenment manifests in feminine form and gave his blessing. He said the Inner Self is neither male nor female but has a unique beauty in all the various ways it manifests. We both agreed that it would be for women and men, as men also benefit greatly from pure, loving feminine energy. Men need loving mothers, too.

I have always loved sacred art. I was educated about this special kind of art by my first teacher, Swami Rudrananda, affectionately called Rudi. He taught me that sacred art is not mere statuary or painting but is a time/space link or connection with the enlightened state of the Deity or Bodhisattva. His home was filled with extraordinary antiques, spiritual pieces and sculptures from India, China, Japan and Tibet. Many of his students said they could hear the statues moving and talking at night. I know I have always felt better, uplifted, when I am around sacred art.

Years later, I studied thangka painting with two gifted thangka painters and they taught that thangka painting is creating a sacred environment for the Deity, Bodhisattva, or Guru to move into. First you paint the sky, then the landscape and offerings. Its something like building a home for the enlightened being. Then you paint the body of the central figure and lastly you paint in the eyes. The eyes are always painted last as then the figure comes to life, is awakened. Having painted a number of thangkas now, I have experienced this personally. It's your painting until you paint in the eyes, then it no longer belongs to you. It is the deity's home. He or she takes over. It's a liberating experience for an artist as it begins with you, but where it ends is in the spirit of the being represented. Any flaws or errors that you may have made seem to disappear as the sacred art takes on its own life.

Haunted by the sweet spirit of that room, I have over the years collected special feminine Goddesses for them one day to reside in my "dream come true". I began the Ma Shrine with two thangkas of Tara. To the left, White Tara with seven eyes, the "third eye" located on her forehead and the other four on the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet. These eyes allow her to look upon beings in every realm of existence with clearsighted wisdom and heartfelt compassion. Green Tara is to the right. Green Tara is the embodiment of enlightened activity. She is the mother of the Buddhas of the past, present, and future.

Wrathful Deities address two aspects of spiritual practice. They protect and guide practitioners on the path and guard against obstacles. Vajra Yogini, the Diamond practitioner, represents the wisdom of the inseparability of great bliss and emptiness. Kurukulla is also called Vajra Yogini as magnetizer of passion. Her basic function is to bring benefit by arousing passion and then transmuting it into desire for liberation. Parvati, also known as Shakti, the dynamic aspect of Consciousness or Shiva, stands on the windowsill of the picture window and there are pretty chochkes here and there. A porcelain flower arrangement that had belonged to my husband's mother, an antique silk embroidered window-hanging with birds and flowers, ginger jars and little pretties. I thought the whole environment should reek of feminine beauty.

Saraswati is the four-armed Goddess of knowledge and music. In two hands she holds a veena, an Indian stringed instrument. Her one upper hand holds a sacred book, the other confers blessings. She is depicted with a graceful peacock. Saraswati is revered in both the Hindu tradition and Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She is the Goddess of learning, music, speech, poetry and the creative sciences. Saraswati represents Shakti in a mild or benevolent form whereas Kali represents Shakti in her fierce or wild form. Prayers to Saraswati bring artistic inspiration. Our Saraswati radiates a heavenly presence throughout the Shrine. The Shrine is also home to a lovely Durga. She rides a lion and appears in peaceful form, but is clearly a woman of both love and ferocious strength. Astride her lion, she vanquishes all enemies to Self-realization. Durga stands with Kali the great consumer of obstacles, Laxshmi the Goddess of true wealth (the wealth of the spirit) and Uma the primordial Goddess.

Setting up the Shrine was a wonderful experience, placing so many feminine Bodhisattvas and Deities in one place, to be used only for meditation. I now have a deeper appreciation of the purpose of a temple or Shrine. In a Shrine or temple, we enter the home of the Gods and Goddesses exclusively. It is like entering into their world, a loka or heavenly abode. When I sit in the Ma Shrine I rest deep into my being and invite all the Goddesses to come abide in their new home.

The feeling in the Shrine is as sweet and motherly, loving as I had remembered from so many years ago. As I sit, I have the feeling of being enveloped in the arms of the perfect mother. My cares and worries melt away. I can almost feel the Devis saying "There now, don't worry, everything will be all right." I can feel the enlightened mothers of all time responding to my calling them and often when I've completed meditation, I can barely stand up to stagger out the door, an intoxicated state of love saturating my being. I often bring my daughter; she loves the small Ma Shrine. When we arrive, we both light incense, wave lights and ring bells. Then she sings and dances as I sit in quiet contemplation. In truth, I made the Ma Shrine for myself and my daughter. It is my personal sacred space. But such a place should not be kept to one's self. The Ma Shrine is open daily from morning to evening for guests on retreat at Shoshoni.

If you would like to set up your own Shrine at home, we at Shoshoni would be happy to supply information to assist you. We also have some Devas and Devis like Ganesh and Tara in our bookstore. We believe that every home with a God or Goddess helps to bring harmony and blessings into the home environment and to the community.

Svaha...

Sri Shambhavananda with group at Yajna

The morning dawns crisp, clear, and bright. I rouse myself from my cozy slumber to attend the morning fire ceremony called yagya. As I walk toward the fire pit I pause, tasting the sweet mountain air and drinking in the lovely colors of the wild flowers surrounding the Ma Shrine. Fellow guests and the resident Yogi s of Shoshoni have taken their places around the fire pit. They sit on thick woolen blankets in a large circle. There is a quiet, mystical feeling in the air. I am greeted by one of the Yogis and offered water to wash my hands, another smiles and hands me a song book. The area feels ancient with the primitive ceremony of the fire and new with the visiting guests, many of whom have never attended a yagya.

Shankar invites us to throw our cares, tensions, and karmas into the fire to be burned with the ancient slokas and verses we will sing. The ceremony begins with offerings of flowers, fruit, and incense tossed into the fire. We all join in singing the verses which have been passed down orally for thousands of years from the ancient rishis. I find myself drifting in and out of the chant. As I have the idea of throwing my karmas into the fire, I sink into a deeply peaceful place in myself. My thoughts are quiet, and I feel an increased awareness of the harmonies of the chant. I feel the verses wrap around me, giving me a soulful comfort and washing away what feels like years of cares.

Sunlight breaks through the clouds revealing a bright day; for me it exemplifies how the yagya has removed the clouds from my mind and reveals a new brightness within me. A hummingbird joins our circle and passes from singer to singer as though observing the chant. As the chant closes, I notice how much lighter I feel. We all come forward to receive a blessing of ashes from the sacred fire on our forehead and a sip of sweet yogurt drink which is called prasad. I leave with a fresh appreciation for ancient ritual. I take with me a sweet feeling of calm in my heart and mind.

experience of the morning yajna
– by Faith Stone

Early morning arati, waving of candles and incense begin the day at Shoshoni. Guests are welcome to join the resident Yogis in the dawn practice of a beautiful Sanskrit chant if they choose. This is followed by a silent meditation and then a healthy and delicious breakfast is served in the main lodge.

There is time for a morning hike in the surrounding mountains or a walk around the grounds. Many guests use the time at Shoshoni to deepen their spiritual life with a visit to the Shoshoni Temple for meditation.

Later in the morning a pranayama class (Yogic breathing for relaxation and mental clarity)is offered followed by morning hatha yoga class. A meditative chant precedes the noon meal. Our menus are delicious international vegetarian meals and many of our own creations. The dishes are healthy and delicious. The afternoon is open for relaxing, reading, hiking to the Buddha Rocks, or visiting the Ma Shrine. There is a sunny reading room in the main lodge and tea is always available. Our bookstore is also open in the afternoon, stocked with books, yoga wear and gifts.

A wonderful dinner follows the evening program and time to visit with other guests and the resident Yogis.

A deep relaxation session or mantra class is held later in the evening. This class is designed to send you to bed leaving all worries behind, or you can choose to snuggle close to the fire on chilly evenings in the reading room. The Ma Shrine is also open for quiet contemplation.

Throughout the day, you'll breathe pristine alpine air, heavily scented with pine in the colder months and wild flowers in the summer. You'll love the stunning natural beauty of our high country retreat and the healing vibrations of our spiritual refuge will envelop you.

Visitors to Shoshoni often ask, what it's like to live here? It's incredibly wonderful! We live in the ineffable beauty of a lush mountain valley. Every season has its own exquisite loveliness. Spring and summer are abundant with wild flowers, perfectly pure mountain air, warm days and pleasantly cool nights. Fall and winter are introspective, quiet times when resident Yogis delve into the depths of inner discovery.

The Shoshoni staff is a warm and loving Sangha (spiritual family). We live, work, play and practice sadhana (spiritual study) together. Our common desire is to grow spiritually. We have the wonderful advantage of a remarkable resident teacher to assist us. Sri Shambhavananda is one of the most loving, patient, and shakti-charged teachers one could hope for. Whether for a weekend or a year Shoshoni is a wonderful place to be !

- Faith Stone

The title Maha Mandaleshwar means the Head of a Circle (Mandala) of Swamis. It is a title of great respect given to spiritual masters in the yogic tradition. One who is called Maha Mandaleshwar has been elevated by his peers to the highest level of traditional spiritual guardianship. Niranjani Akhara is the oldest, largest and most active organization of swamis and sadhus in the world and Shambhavananda is one of the first Americans in history to be awarded this title

HH Sri Shambhavananda is an American-born meditation master who has devoted his life to serving those seeking true spiritual growth through the ancient disciplines of yoga. He is a blazing flame of inspiration, and a constant source of spiritual energy for his students. He challenges the idea that spirituality is somehow removed from the world we live in, teaching that all the myriad conditions of our lives can be transformed into great joy through spiritual work.

Shambhavananda has founded ashrams across the world, his largest being Shoshoni Yoga Retreat, an ashram and retreat center located on 250 acres of spectacular pine forest in the Colorado Rockies near Boulder, Colorado. Shoshoni serves as a dynamic hub for the loving sangha (spiritual community) that Shambhavananda has nurtured.

Shambhavananda and the Shambhava School of Yoga have also been serving the local Boulder community for thirty years by offering spiritual teachings, places of sanctuary and training programs in hatha yoga and meditation at Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram. He has published two books, Spontaneous Recognition and A Seat By the Fire. Both are compilations of satsangs, traditional question and answer sessions, which is his favorite teaching method.