Krishna Das

"Chanting is a way of getting in touch with yourself. It's an opening of the heart and letting go of the mind and thoughts. It deepens the channel of grace, and it's a way of being present in the moment."

(Krishna Das)

Last night we had the incredible experience of seeing Krishna Das in concert right in the heart of Stockholm. What more can I say? It was absolutely wonderful. Finally after all this time I had the chance to see him live. He takes the audience on a incredible journey through devotional sound and song. The chants vibrated through my entire being. Moving and transformational in many ways.

Thank you, Krishna Das!

"It is love that brings meaning to our lives. The path of love goes right through the middle of every heart. No one is locked out. No one is turned away. No one is unworthy. The love that lives within each and every being is Bhagavan; it is Ram, Buddha Nature, the Atman, the Great Goddess, the Self, the One. It is who we are - our own True Nature, radiant and shining like a million suns."

- excerpt from, Flow of Grace, by Krishna Das

Repetition of the Name and reciting prayers like the Hanuman Chalisa are at once the path and the goal. They are the path when we think we are separate and we are doing it, but with deeper realization we find that Love has been waiting inside of us all along, pulling us into Itself. Just like a statue that slowly emerges from a slab of marble as more of a block is chipped away, we begin to experience Hanuman's inner form as our practice deepens. It already exists within. We are just removing what's covering it. As our focus and attention increase, the form comes alive within us.

It is Love.


- excerpt from, Flow of Grace, by Krishna Das

"Hanuman brings with him all the beautiful qualities of strength and gentleness, courage and fearlessness, love and compassion. More than that, he throws out all our old moldy furniture; all the unwashed pots and pans, all the old dirty clothes piled up in the corner, all our stuff, our selfish little secrets, and all we hide form ourselves and others - all the mold and dirt we have gotten used to living with! He doesn't give us time to clean up from him - he does the housecleaning himself, going from room to room throwing stuff out the windows, as we follow him around and say, "Oh no, not that too!" Once Hanuman has moved in, then we are truly ready to begin the practice of repeating the Divine Name: Ram. The Name is a mystery. It is said that God and His Name are not different. This is not the simple mechanical repetition of sounds, but a deep and ancient path to Realization. It is the transmission of awareness of the presence of God within us."

- excerpt from, Flow of Grace, by Krishna Das

"Taking refuge is a subtle and important concept. When we sincerely take refuge in a "higher power," it is an implicit recognition that we need help. More than that, it is the recognition that help is available. This is the beginning of developing real faith - not blind faith, but faith based on our own experience. It is opening to the realization that things are not the way we think they are, and that someone is there to help us - someone who knows what is to be known."

- excerpt from, Flow of Grace, by Krishna Das

Flow of Grace

Cover via Amazon

"Many people fantasize about going off to a cave somewhere, far away from "the world," where they imagine they will find peace of mind and live in some state of bliss. But the truth is that the cause of our unhappiness lies within our own hearts, so no matter where we go, we take it with us. That's the bad news, but it's also the good news. If it is true, it means that everything we see in the supposed outer world is really a reflection of - or a reaction to - our own state of being. If we look around and see anger, fear, and suffering of all kinds, it is the result of the way we see, not what we see. Of course, horrible conditions exist, but being stuck on a superficial level, we can't see what underlies them: the vast presence in which all things have their existence. It is because of this incomplete way of seeing that each of us suffers in our own personal way."


- excerpt from, Flow of Grace, by Krishna Das

"Sacinandana Swami says that Hanuman is "an example of discovering our forgotten potency." Up to the point where he crossed the ocean with one big leap, he was not aware that he had this potency, but because he wanted to do seva (selfless service), his potency came out, empowered him, and proved that the word "impossible" is a word not existing in a devotee's dictionary. This quality of unlimited inner strength can only be awakened when it is in the service of Love. God is love, and when we align ourselves with that love and act in the service of that love, anything is possible."

- excerpt from, Flow of Grace, by Krishna Das

No matter what. Whatever time zone - I seem to wake up at dawn. My body comes alive, and tells me...okay let's get to work. But, I'm still a bit jetlaged, wanting to sleep at odd hours, preceded by a bit of dizziness.

Surprisingly, practices have been smooth - no kinks or unusual tightness that come with travels. I think it may be partly due to the fact that I haven't fallen to the wayside with my diet, which is easy to do with traveling. Since doing the panchakarma in India, keeping my body in balance has become essential priority #1. Making choices at the level of cause and not effect has been a key realization to me in the last several months.

Got the paperwork sent off today, and have a huge weight lifted off my shoulders now that that's done. Next - sit and wait - here is where I cultivate patience. Ha! Fun times.

Ashtanga Yoga Classes

aNot sure how many from the Columbus area read my blog. However, I'll be teaching Ashtanga yoga classes & privates in the tradition of KPJ for the following months I'll be in the area. Classes will be in a warm and low key setting, while being guided in a thorough, light manner.

If anyone is interested please contact me via email. peaceloveyoga@gmail.com.