Jugat Guru Singh and Sadasat Simran Singh (Chardikala Jatha) share their thoughts on the relationship of Sikhi and Yoga. Many of us who are Sikhs don’t realize the many close ties and things in Sikhi that are in fact Yoga. Many Sikhs think of Yoga in a negative way because they associate it as a Hindu practice, or that the writings in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib say that "yoga is bad" when in fact this is a total mis-understanding and most of the time taken out of context.
This is a video excerpt from the 2007 Jaap Sahib Course in Espanola, New Mexico.
The Baisakhi celebrations were yesterday were wonderful! It started with a delicious breakfast for the whole sangat hosted by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur at the Ranch and then from there we had a larg Nagar Kirtan procession all the way to the Gurdwara. Here are some pictures from yesterday’s vaisakhi celebrations.
Spring is here and summer is just around the corner! Summer time in Espanola has so much energy and there many different events that happen in the summer and lots of people coming from all over the world. I’ve blogged over the years about one of the events which is called "Summer Solstice Sadhana" and many people have expressed interest in coming. This is a full week Spiritual camp (June 19 – June 28) where over 1,500 people from all over the world and all different religious backgrounds come together to meditate, pray and uplift each other. It’s a truly unique event that I never miss. At SikhNet we close the offices for the week and we all participate. I find that it is a recharge for the soul and helps carry me through the year.
If any of you have been thinking about coming to the Summer Solstice event and are not able to pay the normal registration fees you can sign up for one of the financial aid scholarships which is a discounted price based on financial need and also a service scholarship which is even less. Applications for financial aid scholarships are due by April 15th and only a limited number of scholarship applications are given.
Please come…If you feel called to join us this summer for a totally different experience!
Also check out Khalsa Youth Camp which happens after Summer Solstice and is a great camp for the younger kids. My son goes to it every year and I used to go when I was younger too!
Here is a cool article that someone wrote about their experience of waking up in the early morning and participating in the daily sadhana at the Summer Solstice event that happens every year here in beautiful New Mexico. If you have been thinking about coming it’s definitely not too early to start planning! Join us June 19 - 28, 2008 and participate in this awesome event that is sure to give you a totally new experience, along with many familiar ones! (If you plan on coming let me know :)
By Tommy Rosen (Bhagat Singh)
It is 2:45 a.m. during the week of Summer Solstice in the mountains outside of Espanola, New Mexico, and I am awake in a tent watching my wife, Kia, sleep for a few moments longer. This is the third year that we have come to this powerful land with well over a thousand people, Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike, from all over the world.
Any minute now, a man with a long, white beard, wearing a turban and playing a guitar, will walk every inch of this land repeating his early morning wake-up song, “Rise Up,” at the top of his lungs.
