himalayas Archives - Kevala Foundation

Grace of Divine Mother: Magical experiences in himalayas

admin — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 08:22:48 +0000

We often wonder how events unfold in their unique ways. The words of Ramana Maharishi keep reminding me that “Events are happening and we are witnessing”. This has been a deep realization that has allowed me to ‘let-go’ and ‘surrender’ to the scope of events that occur in my current journey.

The dangerously beautiful Himalayan road journey
We had embarked on an Himalayan expedition to the remotest lakes, caves, monasteries and peaks of Himachal Pradesh and were returning to Manali from Chandratal lake. On the way, we encountered the most precarious roads carved out of crystal rock mountains, proving to be intensely challenging for the drivers and their cars. The road appeared non-existent and was studded with multi-hued stones glistening in the sun. To add to the challenge were the gushing waters from melting snow, streaming through our road ways. To make matters worse, all our cars had been battered with intense fortnight long Himalayan road journeys. Our drivers had warned us that they had no more spares for replacing any flat tyre, which seemed a very likely threat on this terrain. If one were to seek help from any rescue team, we would have had to spot one about 50 miles long away. With lack of a mobile network, we risked losing track of our friends travelling in 4 cars, each at a varying pace. Our safe return to Manali was paramount as we all were excited about celebrating our last phase of the journey with some fun and live music in cafes of old Manali.

Prayers and surrender come easily and naturally in these situations. The drive seemed good enough to invoke surrender even in hard core atheists. Such was the grandeur of the mountains on view that it showcased true ‘heaven-on-earth’. Our eyes feasted on these impossibly beautiful snow laden peaks, reaching to the clouds, and expressing its creative existence so uniquely. It was a mystical flow of nature in its splendor that was beyond description. The words ‘dangerously beautiful’ came close to expression as we watched low over-hanging rocks almost caressing our cars while rivers streamed down ferociously from snow laden mountain ranges onto our only highway to Manali.

A freak accident and flow of Divine Mother’s grace
For those who trust in the Himalayan spirit, the journey that we underwent would be an eye-opener and a deep remembrance of the grace of the divine Mother that flowed to protect, guide and heal us. One such incident unraveled itself while we were mid-way through our journey. We encountered a powerful river stream that intersected the road that we are driving on. The large stones that studded the path, threatened our car’s ground clearance. I suggested to our driver, Rakesh that we would step out and clear the way. As expected, our car’s front tyre got jammed in between two rocks and we watched in wonder as Devika lifted a huge stone out of the way demonstrating tremendous innate strength. The energy that flowed through her was a sight to behold. As our driver managed to steer the car out of trouble, one of the cars in the convoy drove past. I strolled behind the car and gave it a push to move it out of a dangerous pothole. Little did I know what was in store for me as all I did was in good intent to help the driver to steer the car out of the danger zone. Everything seemed alright until I felt a sudden blow on my right knee. It sent a shockwave that rose like a bolt of lightning into the brain. It then occurred to me that the car wheel had spun viciously and kicked up a large stone. Unfortunately, I just happened to be positioned in the stone missile trajectory. For a moment, I felt a numbing sensation and I limped slowly to the side of the road. I rolled up my jeans to take a good look at the injury. There was a red bruise on the side of my right knee cap. It seemed to be growing. For a moment I felt foolish that I was caught so unaware and felt a deep sense of urgency to sort this injury. I realized that my presence and active involvement in the journey couldn’t be disrupted. There were a lot of exciting times ahead to be celebrated in Manali.
I closed my eyes and took one long deep breath. A powerful inspiring idea passed through my mind and I steadied myself, all fired up to sort out my knees. A feeling of intense urge running through me, I sprinted to our car which was parked about 150 meters away. Thankfully, the sudden rush of adrenaline did ignite the flow into the knees. I didn’t feel any noticeable pain. As I sat in the car, I was enveloped by my concerned friends who were showering me with empathy and compassion. Cold compress pads and crepe bandages were offered. But deep within, I knew what would work for my knees. I closed my eyes with deep intent arising from within. The deepest longing was to surrender to the divine Mother and seek the cosmic rays to heal instantly. I closed my eyes again and switched into zero-field awareness, focussing on the pineal gland. Many memories flooded me as I had previously experienced phenomenal transmissions through the pineal gland leading to instant healing within. A wave of calming energies ushered me into deep restive state. Timeless and thoughtless, these restive moments came alive when I felt a rush of energies in my right knee. It was circling around vigorously and I felt a ball of fire. It must have lasted only a few moments but it felt so intensely complete. When I opened my eyes, the knee felt light, and surprisingly the reddish bruise mark had vanished. There was no swelling and it appeared as if there had been no injury at all.As expected the flow in my knee enabled me to focus entirely on celebrating the Himalayan journey ahead.

An uprising rush of immense gratitude flowed towards the Mother. My deep connection with this ‘Ma Shakti’ has always been intense. Ma has showered me with healing, compassion, cosmic gifts, and kundalini rising whenever I needed them the most. The true essence to wings to freedom is to absorb the grace of the Divine Mother and Shiva which keeps us enthralled on such mystical journeys to the abode of gods in the most sacred spaces on earth.

Himalayan paradise in pristine glory enroute Chandratal
The Himalayan range is blessed with heavenly lakes which are so mystical and rewarding that it attracts light beings and genuine devotees to pay its respect to sacred energy hubs. Chandratal is one such lake which exudes the magnetic charm that is so divine and rare. The grace of Kunzum Mata, the shakti goddess is so resplendent in these spectacular snow laden mountain ranges and lakes. Our trek route to Parasol camp near Chandratal was truly the most thrilling encounter of the Himalayan magnificence. If there is ever a paradise, it’s here, in this pristine, untouched grandeur of high snow covered peaks. Our eyes feasted on visual tapestry that was beyond all description. It seemed like the gods wanted to show us their sacred playground. The sun was gentle, and the gentle breeze kept us going. The clouds rolled into many patterns and the peaks kissed the purest blue skies. There are only few places on planet earth that have been blessed by great rishis, yogis and mystics. The Himalayas has been the abode and a sacred yogic laboratory ever since it peaked to its readiness. Human interventions have often spoiled the purity of nature’s bounties. Thankfully these beauties have very little access to tourists. Only few daring trekkers make it through such routes which are remote and challenging.

The Himalayan way of uplifting trust
We had our fair share of challenges enroute to our campsite. The snow melting from these peaks had gathered into a ferociously flowing mountain stream. It gave us no option but to cross this stream to reach our camp site. We had to locate an easy access to cross the river, which was about 20 feet in width. We threw small rocks into the river to check its depth and also make it easier to navigate. We had to take the risk and make the crossing quickly, as being at campsite before dark was crucial. The temperature would drop drastically and the winds would blow mercilessly. To make it worse, there were so sign posts for the campsite, which forced us to rely on our intuition alone, to locate the easiest access point to cross the stream. Thankfully, Amritaji identified a spot amidst the river which she deliberated was easy enough to cross. We formed a human chain to make sure we could take on the gushing stream.
As expected, there was an incident at the mountain stream that ignited us into a super alive state. One of our team members froze in fright. She just couldn’t gather herself to be able to cross the stream. I had perched precariously on a rock as the icy water stream drenched me. My voice and hands tried to reach out desperately to my friend in distress. Every effort was made to shake her out of her fear and to gently urge her to make one leap of faith. Our friends Mattu, Amritaji, Aravind, Peewee and Harpreet, went on an overdrive to motivate the lady in distress to make one valiant lunge and everything would click into place. Hands, prayers and concerned voices reached out to her in deep compassion. The river stream had caught us all by surprise by its intensity. We had no rope, harnesses or life jackets. Just an unshakable trust in our human grip to get the lady to jump onto a safely embedded rock. The high drama lasted about 30 minutes until each of us had safely made it across the stream. We looked into the vast sky and thanked the Divine Mother and those mountain spirit goddesses for giving us an intense lesson on ‘trust’.

We managed to complete the long walk to the ‘Parasol camp’. We had smiles on our faces as we walked victorious, braving through the spine chilling winds and a truly eventful day. Our life at Parasol camp came alive, as we celebrated with world music . We aptly renamed our tent as “Chandra Bagha Mountain View Spa” where we tried to rejuvenate our travel weary bodies. We bumped into the sprightly ‘Bhishen Thakhur’ the owner of Parasol Camp who remarked that we are a happy bunch of free spirited explorers, and he was honoured to host us.

The next morning turned out to be rather chilly. We began our Himalayan yoga with purest intent as we welcomed the sun from behind the clouds. Our Surya Yoga practice had a magical effect on our bodies and also inspired a warm sunny morning. We headed to the exotic Chandratal Lake after breakfast. The scenic pathway was shrouded with rare mountain flowers and blanketed with expansive grasslands. Our excitement of being at this mystical lake heightened with stories of its visitation by higher beings.

Shiva Shakti Darshan at Chandratal Lake
We reached the exotic Chandratal Lake before mid-day. The azure coloured water, reflecting the snow laden peaks instantly ushered us into reverence and devotion. There was an air of mystique that surrounds this sacred water body. I bowed down into deepest surrender, praying to the Mother to show us all a glimpse of her ethereal presence that was protecting this heavenly space. We began our journey to walk around (parikrama) the periphery of the lake. Gripped by inner silence, every step was a revelation of a rare, cosmic transmission flow that was permeating through. The excitement was palpable and I could feel the body slowing down, until at one point, it just stopped mid way through the walk. I began to sense a strong pull upwards and the inner voice prompted to look into the mountain to the west side. It became evident that the mother was ushering me to receive a darshan (direct vision). Tears of gratitude flowed profusely as I witnessed the image of the Mother projected on ‘Chandra Bagha 14’, a stunningly majestic snow clad mountain towering over the west side. I waited excitedly for everyone to gather around and then pointed to the mountain. The mother had been generous as always and the projection lasted long enough for all to capture in their longing eyes and cameras. The image began to change shape and soon we witnessed the projection beam turn into the magnetic features of ‘Shiva’. The elemental forces had chosen sacred geometry of the mountain shape and aligned the projection to fit into the crowning glory at the summit point. The sacred energy that emanated was truly palpable as we stood transfixed in an immersed state. Chandratal was shimmering as we celebrated this rare sighting with highest reverence and gratitude.

Gods watching over us
Himachal Pradesh is called the land of gods and rishis. It is so intensely palpable and evident in every mountain stone, rolling streams, master flow in remote caves, endless magnetism of snow laden mountain ranges, beautiful pahadi people, innocence on the faces of its children and the village folk with purity of nature in boundless spectacular bounty. There is so much to absorb. There is an endless learning opportunity that is constantly on offer. Nature follows its laws. However there is room for compassion for the devoted beings that have the ability to surrender unconditionally. Our journey ‘Wings to Freedom’ to the Himalayas never fails to amaze us with its extent of possibilities. There is always a magical twist that comes along to reveal a magical encounter. We have been enriched in many ways to discover the indomitable spirited warrior that can take on the Himalayan challenges that surface when we least expect it. The extent of surrender is heightened at the summit of such peaks and the peak of godliness is in extracted and absorbed awareness within.
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Dr.Pradeep Ullal is a celebrated himalayan yogi and founder of kevala foundation, a celebration center of awakening and liberation.

www.kevalafoundation.org
201, Mallenahalli Post, Bindiga Village,
Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India
Location: goo.gl/QEiUyZ
Mob: +91-8277661125/ +91-8088059063
Tel: +91-7022171627

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The right attitude for the Himalayan altitude

admin — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 11:55:06 +0000

Himalayas is one of purest magical and magnetic mountain ranges on planet earth. Regarded as the spiritual engine of the world, it has attracted yogis, mystics, sages, rishis to explore the heights of its sacred offerings. These phenomenal rocks, streams, caves have witnessed millions of years of spiritual evolution. Interestingly, Himalayas is the most spectacular rock formation which was under the sea. The phenomenal range stands together as the longest piece of crumpled earth stretching over 2500 kilometers. If one would watch carefully, the peaks of these stunning mountain ranges are in a formation like folded hands, as if it bowed into a perpetual salutation (Namaskar Mudra) in reverence to the mystical Lords of the elemental forces and beyond. A deep urge to surrender to nature happens naturally in such a profound setting.

On top of Tsakha Peak, with views of Kinnaur Kailash

Majestic in its splendour, it has been home to the most exquisite flora, fauna and ancient civilizations. As an endeavour to heighten the spiritual journey of Kevala soul family members, we embarked on our third edition of expedition (Wings to Freedom-3) to Himalayan destinations that took us to the remotest villages, caves, peaks, rivers and unchartered terrains of Himachal Pradesh, the land of Gods and Rishis.
Driven by indomitable spirit and powered by practice of Himalayan kriya yoga, our team were gearing up to brace up to the Himalayan challenge. The team composition of 17 aspirants were passionate and interesting to say the least. Our age group ranged from 21 to 66 years old with varying levels of wanderlust and adrenaline rush. The challenge posed by high altitude, shifting terrain, sub-zero temperatures kept us supremely alive and alert to rise above the ordinary states of fatigue and anxiety. It was vital to keep the spirit in a state of celebration and support each other as a close-knit family while many of us were going through intense physical and emotional challenges.

The 15 day odyssey ushered us through the remote and spectacular valleys and snow laden mountain peaks of Kullu, Banjar, Kinnaur, Spiti and Lahaul. Gearing up to the Himalayan expedition was a challenge. Most of them arrived for the trip from Dubai where temperatures were hovering around 50 degrees centigrade. The switch from sea level to high altitude is a shocker that one has to accept. Busy work schedules and heavy road traffic scenarios meant very little time for mountain fitness training.

When I greeted them all at the Mohali Airport in Chandigarh, I could feel all of their deep intent, cheerful and positive attitude to face the challenge. I assured them that we would commit to dedicated kriya practice in Himalayas to fine tune the breath, lung power, endurance and strengthening techniques to ease the trekking journey.

Interestingly our kriya intensive sessions took shape at sunrise when the outdoor temperature was hovering at 5 degrees centigrade. Thankfully we managed to inspire everyone to push themselves well enough to generate enough firepower within through intensive breathing techniques like ‘agnisara’, ‘akhanda sudharshan kriya’ ‘kundalini kriya’ and ‘surya nadi bhedhana’.

Any technique is as good as any philosophy if it can’t be applied at the point of need. Hence the core focus of our Himalayan kriya yoga session was to apply it during our uphill trek, which seemed the prime challenge.

We may assume that our preparation is good enough to face the Himalayan challenge. However it takes tremendous sustained grit, determination and high spirited state to rise above the unpredictable scenarios that crop up. More importantly, it would only be wise to surrender to receive the blessings of nature Gods if we have any inclination of accessing the inroads to those remote mountain peaks. The Himalayan spirit is kind of playful in its offering. One would never know what would be the right ‘gear’ for a trek. The mighty winds could blow you away in one instance or the sun could pierce through urging you to discard all your thick jackets. Dressing in layers would mean, you would carry your jackets at some point. Discipline comes more naturally in these high altitude treks. Drinking more water would mean, you would have to develop bladder retention capacity or keep searching for secluded open-air toilets.

Thankfully, we had enough trust and drive to submit to the power of true surrender to the Mother Nature. The guiding spirits allowed us to bask in its expansive bounty and derive the best of views, and pleasantness in weather when we needed warmth of the sun, or a caressing breeze. The grace flowing through was evident. We felt welcomed by nature spirits everywhere we set our foot upon. The elements of wind, sun and rain seemed to be in right proportions for keeping us excited and progressive in our journey. The sun peeked out of thick clouds when we offered our deepest prayers and warmed us with brilliant solar flares, flashing through murky skies. Our soul family gathered excitedly to explore the science of surya vigyan, kriya yoga, nada yoga, and rishi vigyan. Everyone got to realize the true power of himalayan kriya yoga as we it enabled us to derive the energy booster effect whenever we needed it the most.

The mystical, magical, magnetic and majestic Himalayas pulled each of us out of our comfort zones. There is an unmistakable charm about Himalayas which brings out the best in every true explorer. The intense urge to surpass the resistances and rigid patterns became apparent as we witnessed extra-ordinary efforts from our friends to take on the challenges encountered during the uphill trek.

We discovered that trek guides could do very little to individually help a group of 17 trekking at varying pace. This situation forced us to rely on our instincts and determined effort to endure through the trek, while we traced the path to the destination and guided others along the way. Many unpleasant situations could have creeped up, but we made truce with the fact that any difficult situation can be diffused just by remembering three important aspects of life (a) We will not go through anything that we truly can’t handle (b) We will get what we have asked for (c) We are exactly where we are meant to be at any given moment.

Interestingly this applies across to most situations in our life. We will not derive an experience unless we explore. An experience can either elevate our awareness or cramp us into fearful situation. The pre-conceived fear is that we will have to go through pain and suffering before we derive a blissful knowing. A daring encounter with the true self can make a powerful impact on our journey.

View of Kinnaur Kailash from Kalpa (balcony of Grand shambala Resort)

We had tremendous revelations all along the way. The mysticism of Himalayas is palpable in its rarified mountain air. The guardians of elemental forces and masters magically communicate through spectacular snow dressing on mountains and cloud formations. The special cosmic rays are available to awaken those that are ready to receive it. We had the honour to witness profound elemental communication at Kinnaur, Kalpa, Gete Village, Spiti, Kha-Nimo and Chandratal Lake. The science of Megha Sandesha (cloud communication) is a thrill to experiment in these panoramic setting that spreads miles across mountains.

‘Wings to freedom’ is a phenomenal exploration series offered by Kevala Foundation. It attracts the most amazing free-spirited beings to celebrate the Himalayan journey in its profound manner. We celebrated and made friends with so many travellers we encountered along the way. Everyone kept wondering how we remain so genuinely happy and smiling. We looked at each other knowingly. We kept reminding ourselves all along that ‘All is well’ when we decide to be happy anyway despite the odds. In himalayan yogic parlance, we greeted each other “Alak Niranjan” and eased up our path with laughter. The wild, free-spirited child in us soaked in the himalayan glory in the way it was meant to be.

Himalayas will always remain an enigma. One look at these magnificent snow laden mountains is inspiring enough to drive away all the journey fatigue. It is so evident that these mountains have witnessed avalanches, blizzards, gusty winds, twisters and yet have remained undisturbed for millions of years. This is called ‘Atal Avastha’. There is no better place than Himalayas to realize the self in the fastest possible way. The sacred space is alive with the spirit of enlightened beings. However it demands supreme readiness and completeness in surrender, which is the right attitude for receiving the peak experience.
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Maha Yogi Dr. Pradeep Ullal is a celebrated himalayan yogi who guides Wings to Freedom journeys to himalayas, while taking a break from the celebration center- Kevala Foundation at chikmagalur in South India

Our Wingers for third edition of Wings to Freedom:
Sandi Saksena, Sylvia Christensen, Vijaya Nair. Amrita ji, Dr. Pradeep Ullal, Monika Agarwal, Arvind Nair. Devika Valsaraj, Lavanya Varma. Ramya Acharya, Bhavinder Singh Gujral (Mattu), Kaveri Krishnamurthy, Bhavani Prasad, Peewee Sanchez, Diego Sanchez, Kristin……

#wingstofreedom #kevalafoundation #pradeepullal #himalayas #spiti #lahaul #himachalpradesh #manali #spiritualholiday #

Wings to Freedom -3:::::: In Gratitude to Amrita ji for making it all happen

Amritaji , our expedition designer, time keeper, who managed to keep us on our toes

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