Kamal Tolia & Lotus Healing Seva Group

Joy and Celebration was in the air as Lotus Healing Seva Group celebrated its 8th Anniversary in November 2013. To mark this milestone, as is our motto, we immersed ourselves in Seva big time!  Wherever there was a LHSG member in the world, we gave of ourselves selflessly ….. healing and touching people, sending unconditional love, and empowering people with Reiki. 

A big Thank You to all my Lotus Healing Seva Group Healer Friends, Thank You for all that you do …..

Read on then ….. for our contributions from across the globe ……. 

Kamal Tolia

Canada

1. The seva that I chose was to go to the park next to where I live, for 8 days, and to bless the water and mother nature, and to say Ho’opono’pono.

I thought to do this seva, as I couldn’t do any other healing. In Canada you can’t put hands on a person without the right certificate. They are very strict here.

I try to go to the park as much as possible, as I find the energy there is pure and calm.

We are all connected. The people, the water and nature. So by praying and healing mother earth and the water – it’s praying and healing to all.

I didn’t manage to go every day, because of the cold weather, and the pains in my leg. On these days I bilocated to the park. Every night I sent healing again. It took a lot of healing. Especially the water. Ho’opono’pono helped a lot.

I felt great to do this small seva, as I felt it is very powerful. It gave me a lot of positivity, hope and faith that every small seva is important and can make a change in this world. 

I feel so much better now. I keep on sending healing every night to the water and mother earth.

I’m so proud to be a part of LHSG. The group gave a meaning to my life.

Thank you Kamal, and thank you my LHSG family.

Lots of love and Light, You are all in my heart,

Ayala LHSG Canada, Toronto

2. I sent healing for 2 weeks to all the trees that have lost all their leaves. 

·        This is my experience of giving rekki to trees that i am sharing with u all.         

·        1) First as i started giving rekki for trees it was feeling like they are crying as their leaves have been shreded and they are without protection, feeling too much cold & rain.·         

·        2) As after 2 days atmosphere became so pleasant as we ca see sunday.·         

·        3) Trees were enjoying the weather and they were happy.·         

·        4) But as last day of rekki 25th Nov, 2013 i was feeling as they are saying don’t stop giving us your rekki. so i haven’t stopped giving rekki to trees till now. As the day’s are  cold and sunny and at the most enjoyable.·         

·        LOVE AND LIGHT,

·        Bharti Sharma LHSG Canada, Vancouver

3. 3. I chose to send Reiki to all professors in the world.

Lucie LHSG Canada, Montreal  

India

1. Kolkata

*  On 6th of November 2013, Arpita Banerjee,  Diyaa Punjabi, Manisha Bahrus and I went to Shantidaan for our 8th Anniversary seva. It was a wonderful experience. yes we were there several time before but giving healing to them is first time. We have donated quite a bulk thing as per their requirements,like juices, oilcloths, wafers, phynoil, sooji etc.

Then we have gave Reiki healing by holding babies in our arm or touching the todllers. All of them took beautifully, and it is immanence pleasure to give them healing. I felt like a complete human being after touching them.

Thank you  very much aunty for giving us the opportunity to touch a soul by touching them…Thank you very much and love you a lot. And one more great thing happen today that both Deeptorshee and Yatish (Arpita’s son and Manisha’s son respectively who are young Reiki channels …) gave healing to them by their own wish. Also, 

Also, from 1^st – 30th November, 2013 We are giving blessings to the terrorist all over the world. Nowadays act of terrorism become Cancer to our world..people are become so restless, power hunger that they forgot the Humanity. We LHSG Kolkata Group , Diyaa (Mumbai) , Sanskriti (Surat) have decided to give our healing and blessings to those people so that they can find peace within themselves, and stop doing harm to our mother earth. Although we all know 1 month time is very little therapy to stop the spreading of this cancerous terrorism, but we have done it with our faith to Suprem God , Reiki, and to our loving LHSG. 

Thank you,

Love you

Arpita LHSG, India, Kolkata

INDIA SLIDES

** Today i have finished giving blessings and healing to all the underprivileged children of India as my personal gratitude to our Group for 1 month from 1^st – 30th November.From my very childhood have noticed that anytime i saw street children i felt like crying, didnt understand then…but slowly slowly i could make out their pain their suffering. I have seen my father buying food if a street child ask for money.so it continues in me also.Now my heart cry for them but i cant reach out to everybody physically. by god grace and your blessings now i am able to send Reiki to them and i am very much sure that Reiki will take care for everybody’s highest good. Have felt enormous energy of pink light coming out of my hand every time i gave healing to them and my eyes were fill with tears of joy. This seva have given me the peace in me which i required most. Thank you all.

Love you,

Arpita. 

2. Surat 

Aum n Namastee!

  My name is sanskriti punjabi and I am a member of  “LOTUS HEALING SEVA GROUP” in India. On the occcasion of the 8’th anniversary of our group my share of sewa was giving out distant healing to terriosts so that they stop doing such harsh acts and their hearts are filled with love and compassion towards all …The energies flowed to no limit..May all of them be filled with love  and light n may this world become second heaven!

            I even gave out blessings to my neighbours a society of 80 appartments…Of which i was fortunate to give out healing to  five people ..

1. Mr jagan pardesi…An old man who has multiple health problems..specially his bones..He always took in alot of energies n was relieved mentally…Always looking forward to my next visit..

2. Mrs Sangita pardesi..one of her leg was parralized n few sessions of reiki n she could move her leg n walk arround…This is the power of reiki…which so many doctors could not cure reiki played its role…Thanks to reiki…

3. Samay punjabi    SINCE Childhood has been asthamatic…The moments he is ill he looks forward for reiki…He has this assurence that reiki is going to heal away all his problems..

4.NEXT  is a little 7 yr old girl who is weak at studies…disintrest to look into books…Few reiki sessions n now she has devloped intrest in books…yet another reiki miracle…

5..mrs meena taarachandani had hyper acidity..Dint know what reiki is all about…But readily accepted  the energies…After half an hour she gave me a call saying what magic hav u done tatt since three days even after getting injections for acidity there was no relief but the touch made such a difference…All thanks to reiki…

6..A little girl 3 yrs old having asthamatic cold n cough all the time named Siddhiksha Nahata.. Being so small yet redily takes in the energies wonderfully…Still has the problem but calms down when given healing…

 I am really fortunate to be a part of the Lotus Healing  sewa Group  and celebrate our 8’th anniversary together with my healer family doing selfless sewa  under the guidence of our guru our leader mrs kamal Tolia…Always learnt so much from her n learning everyday…

          Apart from this I donated  grocery to a womens home at surat.. just a little contribution to help the women and children who are homeless…God bless everyone…May every human be filled with the emotion of spreading selfless love n light towards the society towards nature towards animals …love n light to all…

Sanskriti Punjabi, LHSG India, Surat

3. (a) Mumbai    

I had decided to give booster Reiki attunement to those who wanted as recently I completed Master’s level.

I got a few members who wanted to have attunement from me thus giving me a chance of Seva. It was a good opportunity for seva as well as practise.

I divided all of them into 3 groups and did my job.

It was magical during the attunement period which can’t be expressed in words.

Whatever I was taught, I did the same and felt the same as was discussed during the course and hence I was happy.

Also got feedback from few that they felt the attunement and that made me happy. 

My 2nd seva was to water the plants with blessed water. This seva was done by my daughters Palak and Maitri and me, together.

Maitri gave healing to friends, Palak gave Reiki to water then watered the plants along the way to her college with the Reiki water.

Kirti, LHSG India, Mumbai

(b) Mumbai  

  I sent Reiki for a month, to all the sexually abused children and women in the whole world.

Vimal LHSG India, Mumbai

(c) Mumbai

I sent healing for 15 days to all the creatures living under ground as they have been disturbed due to the climatic changes that have occurred due to the abuse of mother earth.

Kamini, LHSG India, Mumbai 

  4. Bengaluru

I have been healing nature ,the trees ,flowers,plants,sun, moon,stars along with the 5 elements.Connecting with the consciousness and healing all souls with blessings.. Shall continue as long ,during my meditations ..!!! Shall continue for a long term healing of 6 months .Started a month ago… on 1^st October 

Sarita LHSG india, Bangaluru

USA

For my contribution, as I did last year, I gave Reiki to the healers themselves. I’m not around a group to partake in group activities so I felt that this was the best way I could join into the group etherically. I also wanted to collect small donations to contribute towards a cause for Children (ex. there are many programs like/similar to the UNICEF children’s program). Since I am so far away, I wasn’t sure how else to be a part of the bigger picture but I wanted to contribute in some small way to a better world.  

 I set aside 10th of November to 10th December but I will continue to send healing to the LHSG members until the 14th of December at least.  Some days the energy is very strong for 2 minutes and then subsides into a light glow.  Other days, it pulsates very lightly for a long time and I find myself eventually dozing off.  I sense an etheric bubble of love that emanates more love and light than I can possible send into it. It’s a different feeling all together that I wouldn’t know how to explain.  It feels like it’s a journey of growth for the members and all I can do is really contribute and be a part of it. I relish the feeling though because I emerge out of it full of enthusiasm and find my chakras automatically balanced.  

For the contribution, I’ve collected $51. However, I’ve decided that I will collect more money  towards the worthy cause, and donate it most likely through LHSG Kenya. It’s all well and good that I wish to donate to a children’s foundation here, but I feel that the LHSG is my home group and I know that you will always send it where it is needed with love and light.  Love and Light to all! 

Zareena LHSG USA, NY

UK

The LHSG UK Group held 2 events.

1.  The UK group marked the celebrations of the 8^th Anniversary of Lotus Healing Seva Group on Sunday 24/11/13 by holding a healing session in the afternoon. 

Each member had pledged that they would bring someone unexposed to healing on that day; The intention being that we would spread tspan style=”font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: ‘Times New Roman’,’serif’; mso-fareast-font-family: ‘Times New Roman’;”he healing experience and touch more souls to share the immense beauty of healing. 

All in all, there were 25 beautiful souls present; Mala tried to push the walls of the cute but tiny living room wider to make room but to no avail!! However, everyone seemed to be very relaxed, content and comfortable   in an atmosphere that some described as magical!!

Of course it would be when we were graciously blessed by the presence of all our Masters,Angels,Doreen Virtue,Kamal Tolia and Bena Shah- The room was buzzing with spiritual electricity!! 

We began with a guided meditation by Doreen Virtue, followed by one of the ‘I Am’ meditations by Kamal Tolia to get us in the ‘zone’!

This was followed by the Lotus Healing Seva healing protocol. 

The patients started arriving and the healers assumed positions!

Two of the ladies who were new to the whole experience but had very recently attended a reiki course with Bena were amazed at how in tune the healers were with each other whilst treating the patients and no verbal communication was required, adding to the magnetism of the whole set-up.

The participants felt ‘charged up and connected to the Universe and Beyond’!! (quote by one of the patients)

Another patient said they felt pain free after the healing for the first time in years and her knees felt attached to her legs so she was able to walk in a normal fashion!

Others had backache-now gone!

Another with abdominal pain now much reduced – and many more testimonials that we as healers are used to hearing but always fantastic to attain!

The group members felt a great sense of achievement at the success of the day and collectively, we had raised £121 for our cause. 

We then had a picnic/buffet with cakes made and brought by Lekha and Joan(her lemon Drizzle cake is the best EVER!!) and tea, with snacks  and a whole variety of edibles !! 

The  healers treated each other with more healing after the patients had left and there was a great feeling of bonding and togetherness.  

Lets share more of these sessions and more frequently!! The LHSG members that did this seva were Bena, Lekha, Mala, Neha, Savita, Villas, Indu, Manoj, Hansamasi, Bina, Bharti, Mona and Joan. They were joined by their  healer friends Radhika, Jasu, Shaila, Bachu and Sonia. 

Mala Tolia, LHSG UK

UK Slides

2. Reiki Seva at the Om Shakti Centre for the elderly

On 9th December, LHSG UK went to Om Shakti centre to introduce reiki to the group.
There were 50 people plus volunteers.
Bena, Mona, Bharti Mala, & Anita went today.
I gave a talk about reiki & its benefits.There were few questions from the audience like how many treatments should be given & how can i learn the course.
Today we only had four healers. All the girls did us proud,they gave healing to 32 people.
Some of them have added their names for long term requests.
5 people already interested in doing the course.
Some of them gave very positive feed back after the treatment & would be ringing to book further treatments.
Over all feed back received from Ranjanben & Chandra ben (the organisers) everyone enjoyed it. Only one complaint from the men …. you should have more men healers.
The whole event went very well & Om Shakti centre will contact us again in january to book further session for their wednesday group.
Thank you all for sending healing for our event’s great succsses.
Love & light.
Well done MONA, BHARTI, ANITA & MALA.

Bena Shah LHSG UK (in charge)

The Netherlands

1. We sent Reiki for a month to all those affected by the Westgate Shooting. We finalised our celebratory action for LHSG’s 8th Annivesary on 21st november. Our family gave Reiki to our intention (healing to all those affected by the Westgate shooting) after which we lit up our wishing balloon with the intention. It flew off beautifully into the chilly sky. See the picture attached where Bob is letting go of the balloon just as it takes off with the hot air inside. the picture was taken by my son Jamie.

My family and I chose to do seva for the Westgate victims and all those affected as we still feel very connected to Nairobi, Kenya. As you know, westgate was a place frequented by us and right next to Jamie’s school. This was our seva for the LHSG’s 8th anniversary. We used to live arround the corner of Westgate and visit the place daily. We were enormously shocked, angry and affected by the event and followed it on youtube with tears in our eyes. The seva and meditation helped us to deal with the shock and the helplessness of witnessing such a horror from afar and not being able to do anything about it. The seva helped us relief our own emotional stress while also helping those who could need a little help. 

The main insight I got while doing the seva was that if I we’d truly feel our own love and light vibrations inside and be fully aware of them, we can share them others and even use it as a blanket to cover whatever tragic event. So it felt like we were uplifting the vibrations surrouning the location of Westgate, which was a symbol for all those affected and those who passed away. 

During the meditation chain, I felt a strong connection with the terrorists and felt their humanness. I felt a concern and even love for those individuals as I empathised with their pain. This confused me a bit as I don’t want to identify much with those who kill but it does make me realise that we are all the same as human beings. What I felt throughout the meditation, surprisingly perhaps, was pure love and compassion for the terrorists. Somehow my anger at them transformed into a deep understanding of their pain. I told them I was sorry they had suffered so much in life and I felt the healing go directly to them. 

 When we experience pain we can work with it (digest it) or leave it undigested. Even so, the emotion will still want to be released and it will ultimately express itself as violence. That’s how I understand it.

Thank you for continuing to engage us all in these seva acts! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to contribute this way!

Love and Light,

Krista LHSG Netherlands, Holland

2. When I received an email from Aunty Kamal to do some form of seva to celebrate LSHG’s 8th anniversary, I had just seen a horrifying clip on the slaughtering of foxes, rabbits and dogs for fur. Being an owner of 2 beautiful dogs, I thought it very fitting, to send healing to all our beautiful animals on our planet that are butchered and killed for our endless lust, greed and hunger. I therefore committed to send reiki through Laika and Mishka, my 2 border collies, in fact my babies, as we have no children, twice daily till the 31st of December 2013.

My experience and feelings over that last 4 weeks sending Reiki through them has been an emotional roller coaster for me but interestingly enough, for my dogs, who are generally hyper active, they were calm and subdued during the healing process, knowing intuitively that they were a channel for a greater purpose.

The first ten days of my practice, I felt physically, a lot of heat in my hands and at the same time I felt a lot of violent and paradoxical emotions and thoughts: anger at the greed and cruelty of humanity and then anger, shame and confusion within me too, after all I eat meat and I wear leather as well! Gradually, I was able to convert this anger, shame and pain into love, peace and healing and I observed that the reiki energy transformed itself into a feeling of spirals going through my hands and often one if not both of my dogs would fall asleep. I felt that the pain, and fear in the animals, in the process of being slaughtered, was being lifted, and I felt also that the day is near where humanity will awaken and that we will all stand up and shout, “stop with all the madness, we are one, we are love!”

I am so grateful that the call to seva on Lotus Healing Seva Group’s 8th anniversary forced me to commit and focus on a daily basis to send reiki to the animals. The daily practice has converted a prayer learnt by heart – into a wordless intention and every time one of my dogs comes up for a cuddle I know that healing is sent out to the universe and a part of my consciousness is awakening.

Love and Light to my spiritual family,

Laika, Mishka and Fareen LHSG Netherlands, Holland

Fareen giving Reiki to Laika and Mishka for healing all anmals in the world …

Kenya

I chose to give reiki to water everyday for a week and pour it into the pond at Braeburn school because there had been a lot of damage done to the lake, which has vast number of animals, birds and fish life. The water cabbage had been removed and the water was suffering.

I really enjoyed doing the seva and actually felt very connected to the lake and the wildlife in and around it.

My insights were just to ask the water and wildlife for forgiveness, and to appreciate it more often.

After I finished the seva I felt that I could send reiki to the lake more often.

I also go to Karura Forest once a week and give reiki to the trees, I chose this seva because I really love Karura, it’s one of the magical serene places I go and feel so rejuvenated there.  What I experienced while doing the seva was a lot of beautiful silence and nature sounds. I experienced so much divine presence there, and felt like I was receiving reiki. My insights are to trust more and when asking for protection I always receive it- since I take my dogs, I am always afraid of other dogs attacking us, and even though there were some brief incidents, we are always safe and protected.

What I felt after every session in Karura is blissful joy and more connection.

Alex LHSG Kenya

 The Kenya Thursday Group carried out three events.

1. We gave Reiki healing to over 80 old people, workers, and Sisters of Nyumba Wa Mzee in Kasarani and carried out an Eye Screening Camp for them. Medicines and reading glasses were donated to them and 10 cataract operations will be carried out in January 2014. Further, LHSG has adopted the home for their eye care from now on.

 2. With the support of LHSG members worldwide and friends, we held a 24 hour Healing and Prayer chain for all who died and all affected by the Westgate tragedy. 

3. We held a Reiki training camp for 42 young girls and boys aged 10 – 18 years from the Mukuru Sinai slums in Nairobi. We also donated Food items, clothes and books to them.

Read also the special Seva carried out by Monica which she has dedicated to the 8th Anniversary of The Lotus Healing Seva Group.

1. Seva at the Little Sisters of The Poor Old People’s Home in Nairobi

* I arrived at the Venue with an ‘open mind’ to do the seva that you had very kindly brought to our attention.   

My first sight of the 67 very aged men & women, was very humbling.  Here were people who were all helpless, homeless, family less and yet lived in the laps of God (a home so cleanly kept, gardens manicured, a Peaceful Church to house the worshippers with Stations where Mother Mary and Jesus statues oozed with love and grace).   

They sat, cleanly spruced, sitting in rows, on their wheelchairs, in their chairs, awaiting anxiously to be healed, healed of their pain, of their lack of sight, of their lack of hearing, of their lack of movement, and the miracle of God.  They sat in waiting, not pushing, not pulling, rather waiting their turn, and even helping their colleagues with translations and understanding.  They knew we were there with good intentions, and they received it with open hearts and smiling faces.  They felt the heat through our palms and our eyes and returned the feelings with love and gratitude.  What did it teach me then ?… 

(1)       I did not want to be their age.  But Yatinder said you cannot choose ‘not be that age’.  What you can choose is to die in dignity !!

(2)       I saw pain, and yet there were no complaints.  They accepted and appreciated..  We, who have it all, ever see it and appreciate it ? 

(3)       The Head Sister said, what the aged needed most, were ‘touches and smiles’, the rest would come in their own time…  

I know over time, this experience will sit at the back of my mind, but for the moment, I want to remember those special eyes, those special hands, that looked at me and that touched me and my soul !! 

God Bless you all… Much love and light

Nuri LHSG Kenya

** Visiting the Old Age Home wasn’t a new idea for me as I Have been doing it in the past but going and giving Reiki to the residents of the home was an experience beyond words. 

The residents were all waiting for us all when we reached there a little later than 9am. They were all dressed up and fed by then and were free to get a dose of reiki treatments as well as eye check ups by the very qualified doctors who joined hands with LHSG for the day. 

We began with hands on healing to all of them and then one by one they were taken for the eye tests. I couldn’t help but admire the thought and effort  put up by Kamal and Raj towards making this possible as many of them indeed needed some eye care with some of them nearly in a stage where they require cataract surgeries.  

We began with the very old ans sick people who were o wheel chairs and then proceeded with the other residents. The morning was well spent in attending to the elderly and then after a quick lunch we gave reiki to the members of the staff working at various section of the home and then as and when the Sisters would be available we gave the healing as well and needless to say, they all simply loved the experience.  

I felt we got a double gift on our anniversary celebrations as we saw a double pleasure on the faces of the residents of the home who were very happy with the hands on healing as well as the check ups. 

visiting such places always acts as eye openers and reminders of what life turns out to be for some and I cannot help but express my gratitude to the Almighty for not only giving me an able body, a happy family, a comfortable living standard but also for making me able to help and be service to others. 

Love and Light

Monica LHSG Kenya

*** Today’s experience (at the old people’s home) has been a wonderful one in a long. long time. It was so enervating! 

When we arrived there, we  found the old people dressed in their Sunday best, waiting patiently for us. Their quiet acceptance of Reiki was a lesson. May God bless them! As they queued for their turn at the eye specialist there was no noise, no unruly disturbance, no out of turn demands. They generally accepted whatever was in store for them with equanimanity.  For them it was a patient acceptance of life’s lot.

I was equally impressed by the attitudes of our seva group. Each wanted to do something. And each came forward, without fuss, quietly, doing what was required at the moment. This matured charity, working selflessly, for good of human suffering, without any ado, was recommendable.
The experience was spiritual, cutting through various religious affiliations, with the prime intention of ‘service’.
May this spirit continue!
With good wishes

Jayanti LHSG Kenya 

Photos slides EYE CAMP

2. Reiki Training Camp at Mukuru Sinai slum, Nairobi 

In celebration of the 8t h anniversary of Lotus Healing Seva Group we had organ/pised a reiki camp in the Mukuru slums on the 25th November. 

             Kamalji ,Monica, Dee, Lata, Bindi, Jean and myself went with Martina to Mukuru to her institute called  “Outreach Kenya”.It was lovely to see 42 children from the age groups from about 10-18years old waiting eagerly for us to teach them Reiki! They were so receptive and it was a pleasure interacting with them. They were very happy also with the lunch and donations (food items, books and clothes) we carried for them. 

  It was a beautiful feeling to be able to  do this  wonderful seva and empower  more people specially children! I am Grateful to the universe and to you Kamalji for guiding us on this path! 

Love n light! 

Mamta LHSG Kenya

Photos slides MUKURU

 

Monica’s Special Seva 

Each year the month of November brings us some joyous Seva moments as we celebrate the Anniversary of our very young LHSG.
Thanks a lot for showing us all the path to our own progress and helping us understand a renewed way of celebrations by caring and sharing.  I am ever so grateful to you and to the universe for guiding me to come under your tutelage.

While the group members all over the world contributed with their service to the society and nature to Mark the 8th Anniversary of LHSG we in Kenya also did our bit collectively. However as a student always strives to follow the principles taught by the teacher and put them to practice I am trying to do the same. I know I have a long way to go and thankfully your deeds keep inspiring me always to perfect myself

As my humble and sincere dedication to the knowledge achieved by being attached to the group I have decided to move a step further by denouncing material gifts as far as possible. On this last day of November I have made this pledge to honour our Anniversary.  This is how I will be doing it.

1. My wedding anniversary is on the 2nd of December. I will be taking packets of milk, breads and sausages for the Aged residing at the Old Age Home in Kasarani. Then from December till February 2014 Haresh and I will be supplying milk to the home thrice a week, every week.

2. Three of my brothers celebrate their Anniversaries in December. I have pledged that their gift from my side would be the supply of milk similarly for a month each under their name.

3. I have informed my brothers and will be informing other family members to discontinue buying gifts and sending to me.  Instead I have suggested to them that on my special days if they feel inclined they can contribute towards a noble cause and consider that as a gift given to me.

4.I am sending Reiki energy to the intention that may everyone around me understand the significance of my decision and move along with me towards a better, lighter, lovelier, caring and sharing tomorrow of our lives.

5.  I gifted a reiki lesson for level 1 to a close friend on her birthday.  She got a great gift as now she is able to do self healing.

Although the action is to be carried on after the Anniversary of our group but the pledge is made in November hence i wish to attach it as my seva contribution to my own growth.

Love and Light
Monica LHSG Kenya

Thank you for reading all this. We value your support! Best wishes for the Christmas season and the coming New Year 2014! Love and Light!

Kamal Tolia LHSG Kenya

 

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There were 8 of us from the Lotus Healing Seva Group Kenya … Raj, Dee, Lata, Nalina, Bubbles, Mamta, Anuradha and myself ! We were joined by Sandy from Nairobi, Raziya from Mumbai and Gita from London for our holy trip to India from September 30th to October 9th 2013.

We started our ‘Yatra’ in Amritsar with the beautiful, beautiful Golden Temple. What an awesome site it was! The queuing up to reach the Gur Granth Sahib was full of anticipatory excitement, which was heightened by the sounds of the shabads from the loudspeakers and being chanted by the people waiting in the queue! Besides the temple there was so much more to see in the Temple grounds ….. The tree where Guru Ramdasji meditated and brought forth the waters of the lake in front of the temple which gives Amritsar its name (Amrit = nectar, sar = lake or pond). The lake’s purity even today was evidenced by the colourful goldfish swimming in it! There was also the miracle bathing waters, a dip in which will cure all diseases …. We walked around the whole complex, touched the walls and the floors in reverence, and meditated as we breathed deeply the holy air of the place.

Day 2 we visited the Jallian Wala Bagh, the scene of the tragic massacre of thousands on April 14^th 1913. Innocent Indians, Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims had gathered for Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year when they were gunned down by the then general Dyer. Their sin? Not allowed to meet in public in groups of more than 3, something which no one was aware of. 100 years later, one can still see the bullet holes in the walls, and the air is still heavy with fear and sadness especially around the martyrs well where many tried to escape and died. We sat down in the grounds and sent healing to all the souls and to the whole place too.

Day 3 we went to the Wago Border post between India and Pakistan. The soldiers looked so tall and strong and their headgear was spectacular! The loudspeakers blaring out one Indian patriotic song after another charged the place with patriotic fervor, which was infectious! It was not long before we were all shouting out at the top of our lungs: ‘Vande Mataram!’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai!’ And standing at the border fence with the Indian soil beneath our feet made us feel even more connected to our India roots.

Our next stop was Dalhousie, A hill station 6400 ft high in the foothills of the Himalayas. It was cold, cold, cold, but at the same time, breathtakingly beautiful. The views were fantastic on the journey and in Dalhousie itself. We literally felt we were in the clouds! The town had a charm of its own, but there was not a single flat street. Each street was either going up or going down! We visited a Mata temple and saw the 80 foot high Shiv Bhagwan Murti on the mountainside! Next we went to a 12^th century Khajjiar Nagdevta (Shiv bhagwan) temple and a place called ‘Little Switzerland’ which resembled the valleys in Switzerland with cattle grazing on the grass.

Then it was on to Dharamshala, a lovely little town tucked away in the hills. The one overpowering feeling one experiences immediately in Dharamshala is that of calm and peace, due, I believe, to the presence of the Dalai Lama and to the chants and prayers of the Tibetan Llamas and nuns who have made it their home in exile. We visited the Kala Chakra Temple, and the other Tibetan temples, where we sat down to meditate and take in the vibrations of love and Peace. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take out pictures in these places. The other places of interest and of spiritual value were the Bhagsur Shiv Temple also from the 12^th century and the magic waters and the Panch Mukhi Shiv Bhagwan outside it and the waterfall nearby.

I have written in brief. It would take many many more words to describe the wonderful sights, feelings and experiences of this yatra and to do justice to its spiritual content. Suffice it to say that it was food for our soul. Each of us came back spiritually, mentally and emotionally enriched, and we are already planning our next trip!

My gratitude to Raj who planned and arranged the whole trip perfectly! Do read her version of the trip.

 I hope you enjoy the pictures and video clips that follow! If you do not find pictures of some of the things I have mentioned it is because cameras weren’t allowed. If you find too many pictures of one place or scene, it is because we went a little crazy …. :)) !.

Kamal Tolia

Our Amazing Trip! 

It all started by me saying I want to go to Amritsar to say thanks for all going well this year.

“Kamal said I want to go to Amritsar, never been there, sure I will take you !”I said

Well,  it so turned out to be an eleven group trip!

Kamal in excitiment rings telling me my husband says we should go to Dharamshala which is only as far as going from here to Nakuru! 

Out came the google map and it so happened that Dharamashala was about 10 hours from Amritsar. So we decided to go there with a few nights stop over on the way. Make my  trip sent me four options and we choose the one that said spiritual and great sight seeing. 

We all agreed to it so set off this great trip arriving in Amritsar on the 30th September.Having an experience with the flights!(always carry your credit card that you do the flight bookings with!) 

Amritsar the golden temple, the temple built in the middle of the “Sarovar” water with four doors indicating that people from all walks of the world are welcome. In every corner they have prayers going on and a history of each written In English Punjabi and Hindi. 

The next day on the 1st October we got to the temple at 4am. and at that time I had the most spiritual experience when meditating at the tree of healing.I felt I know why I was there and what is my mission in life. I just saw a vision of myself helping old people of various nationalities.

It gave me the greatest happiness. I felt at peace. 

After that day the whole trip was a gift, the next day just shopping and then  Wednesday 2nd we that is Sandy, Bubble and myself wanted to do the 84 stairs of the life cylce. It is said that if at every step you  recite the Japji Sahib and then dip in the well  you rid yourself of rebirth. Well we did not have the time to do the whole JapjiSahib but did the first five chapters which took us from 10a.m. to 5p.m,. without going to the loo, without food or water. Had it not been for Sandy I would have given up half way, at the end I wanted to cry, the feeling of having completed this was a gift. Again while coming back I was in bliss and just in the moment! 

The next day was on route to Dalhousie, and great news our visa for Australia had come through! Now the bigger picture was coming clearer, the creator has plans for me to do some work with the old folks in Australia.The drive to Dalhousie was mind blowing and stopped for lunch and tea. 

Hotel was not as exciting as we thought it would be but the next morning the view was just out of this world, the meditation in the morning made me feel yes we are blessed to be here at this time, what blessings to be able to be in a place which was so beautiful and so close to the creator.

Sight seeing in Delhousie was great and the next morning meditaion of I AM was breathtaking and again to be able to touch the mountains and meditate with them was a bonus. Above the clouds felt like we were in a place that was home away from home, no family, no worries, no responsibilites, just in the I AM MOMENT. 

The next three days the place known as McCloud gunj, the temples, small streets and the people all had the look of happiness.  They had little if you look at financial growth but had abundance of spiritual wealth. Opened their little shops daily and were so happy with what they received. Maybe it is us who have so much think we are happier than them! The meditaion at the temples was just from another world, it felt as though I had no clue where I was and was again living in the moment! 

Then the last three days were spent sight seeing in Mumbai and meeting up with our Mumbai LHSG for lunch. After lunch I was thinking how fortunate we are that we are able to do so much sewa here and so easily meet every week for our meetings. The distance makes the Mumbai group work independently but they are trying and doing sewa in their own way. 

Coming back I have definately felt a shift in me and it has reinforced sewa and living more and more in gratitude. 

I will not for a moment  forget the spiritual growth this trip has brought in me and more so the closeness it has created with the members of the LHSG family. 

love,light and laughter

Raj

 

photo gallery AMRITSAR PHOTOS   DALHOUSIE PHOTOS: DHARAMSHALA PHOTOS: Mamta’s India Trip video 1

 

Mamtas India Trip video 2

http://youtu.be/YsYg-BRHMmI

Dee’s india trip video

 

Lata’s video