The Healing Energy of Guru Ram Das

Three years ago I attended my first Guru Ram Das chant.  I lived in San Antonio at the time and just completed level one teacher training in Austin.  I drove and hour to Austin the night before the chant and slept at a friend’s house.  I love to chant and meditate, so this was right up my alley.  The energy was dense and sweet.  I drove home that morning in the pouring rain and felt changed somehow.

From that point on my life wasn’t the same.  Having a vata and consequently flighty nature, I was never quite sure of my purpose.  After my first Guru Ram Das chant though, my purpose revealed itself to me clearly.  Flash forward three years and I now live in Austin and this is my second time planning the birthday celebration.

This time I had a different experience than years past.  This is my first year planning the 11-day lead up to the long 2.5-hour chant.  As I planned the 11-day lead up  a month in advance, I felt the energy of Guru Ram Das working through me.  This continued and intensified into the 11-days before his birthday.  He worked through me in subtle ways: I noticed the energy as a vital attention and consciousness with my everyday interactions and choices.  On his birthday, during the chant, I helped with administering students.  Rain poured down and we greeted each person with towels. Despite the rain many of us gathered in sacred space to chant.

Instead of chanting, I remained in the lobby with my friend Jap Bhagat.  We began a flowing, healing conversation that fully engaged us both.  When Guru Karam came out of the main yoga studio we both realized that we talked nearly the whole 2.5 hours!  The content of our conversation was in the flow of the healing energy of Guru Ram Das.  The content of our work was outside the yoga studio, not within.

It goes to show that spiritual energy may be experienced in many forms.  For me that morning it was delivered in the form of a conversation.  May we all be blessed to see the many forms the divine takes shape.  

Love & Light,

~Dharampal Kaur

The Austin Yoga Festival

On October 8th & 9th the yoga community of Austin gathered together for the first Annual Austin Yoga Festival!  The festival was conceived by Russell Burns who thought Austin ought to have a yoga festival.  With over 44 yoga studios in Austin alone, I couldn't have agreed more!  What is remarkable about the festival is Russell's decision to showcase local yoga teachers and kirtan artists.  The other remarkable aspect is that he worked to put it on completely for charity.  The energy flow of the festival was embued with the essence of seva, selfless service.  All the teachers got a chance to shine, meet other teachers and studio owners.  I had the opportunity to play kirtan and teach kundalini yoga to a new group of people.  Thank you Russell and all of his support team for all your work.  I'm so excited to experience it next year.  Here are some pictures from the festival:

Finding Guru Dev

In Kundalini Yoga, we begin class by tuning in with the Adi Mantra.  It's a way to join together in one vibration before we begin our practice.  Chanting 'Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo' tunes us into a particular frequency and is a way to tell our cells, 'Yoga is about to happen'!  The translation of this mantra ranges from simple to poetic.  Translated directly it means 'I bow to the subtle divine wisdom, the divine teacher within'.  There is a deeper understanding of the mantra.


Ong Namo means I call upon the creative consciousness.  Well, what do we call upon the creative consciousness to do exactly?......We call upon it to reveal 'Guru Dev'.  Guru Dev is not a person but a divine force that moves us from the darkness into the light.  When we tune in with Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo during our yoga practice we are saying, I call upon the ability to see the essence of Guru Dev as it is revealed to me.  Guru Dev can take any form.  It could be in the form of a challenging relationship, circumstance, or interaction with nature.  When we can recognize the essence of the creator working for us to provide the necessary situations and challenges on our path, we can more effectively work through them in a way that is in alignment with our personality.


However, the essence of the divine doesn't always have to be a challenge.  The support of the universe can appear to us in many ways.  Today I found Guru Dev in the form of a James Brown video.  After a long weekend of teacher training, I found myself at a low energy level.  I attended a one-on-one session at the Apple Store and the trainer showed me this video.  The energy level of James Brown immediately woke me up and made me smile.  It made me remember what my yoga practice is all about:  finding the truth about oneself and shining!  James Brown did it in 12" clogs!


It's good to keep an eye out not only for the challenges that will make me grow, but also for the joy that makes my spirit soar.  The James Brown video is posted below.  Enjoy.

I am The Wellness Muse

Welcome to my blog titled, "The Wellness Muse”.  It's here that I post eureka moments, recipes & experiences accompanied by video and music to document tools for wellness.    Happy reading!

To check out the site go to http://www.dharampalkaur.com/