Nityananda Shaktipat Yoga 2024 Weeklong Retreat

Nityananda Shaktipat Yoga
2024 Weeklong Retreat
by Kambra McConnel

Sat Chit Ananda Guru Ki Jay

Find Joy Right Where it Is

Throughout the 2024 Weeklong Retreat, titled “Now is the Time to Drown in the Ocean of Joy,” Kedarji spoke in depth about how to find Joy right where it is.

He uttered that to find the Indescribable Joy of the Self, first you have to want it, and second, you have to look for it right where it is—within you.

Kedarji went on to share the point of wisdom that there is no “outer world” because we actually experience people, places, things, situations and circumstances inside, within our being, in Consciousness, reflected on the internal screen of the mind. Therefore, each of us is responsible for where our mind goes, and for the worlds that our mind creates when we superimpose based on the world of our inner impressions.

It is essential to rise above the many distractions that the mind engages in daily mundane existence. And it is only possible to rise above them—to have pure vision—through the Grace, Blessings, and spiritual leadership of an authentic Shaktipat Sadguru, and by the vigilant self-effort of practicing the methods instructed in our Nityananda Shaktipat Yoga approach.

Kedarji reminded us about daily spiritual practices and methods that we can use to dismantle the false notions of an outer world, duality, and diversity. We must engage in these practices and methods in order to see through the “sales pitch” created by so many distractions today, including the internet, advertisements, gadgets, and entertainment based on fear, greed, lust and romance, instead of love or honor.

And with great Joy, we attendees directly experienced all of this for ourselves!

For example, one attendee spoke about how her practice of journalling ultimately revealed that she had not been in the habit of choosing to reach for Joy. This breakthrough showed her how important it is to engage in continuous daily spiritual practice rather than simply reaching for our methods once in a while, as needed.

Another attendee said she has struggled with accepting the understanding that there is no outer world. Yet, while chanting as a group during our retreat, she experienced a breakthrough of feeling complete unity…no separation…she saw everyone and everything as God…when all voices merged and became One during the chant.

So, when we dive into our daily spiritual practices, hold the highest understanding that there is no outer world, and embrace the Truth that we are the Self, that we are One with God…it becomes infinitely easier to interact without creating or attaching to expectations about people, places, or things.

And then we can see everything as a Play of the Shakti, see everyone as God, and experience indescribable Joy, Love, Peace and Content no matter what appears to occur around us. What Grace!

Supreme Love

Kedarji shared that the Saints and Sages of steady wisdom in our Siddha Lineage define Supreme Love as Love for God; Supreme Love is the only way to love unconditionally, even when boundaries to interacting are necessary.

According to the wisdom of the Siddhas, to experience Supreme Love, holding the highest understanding that there is no outer world allows us to embrace the Truth that Love is experienced inside our own being, within   Consciousness. So, there is no need to go looking for something that you already are—I am Love, you are Love, so there is no need to seek Love outside of ourselves.

Kedarji quoted utterances of Sri Narada to elucidate the qualities of Supreme Love, and he said that the primary essence of Siddha wisdom is to see God in each other—that God alone exists. Then, when we hold this understanding, we will experience Supreme Love in any relationship or interaction because we will not choose to create separations where none exist…we will not get caught up in distractions, expectations, superimpositions, our senses, or false notions fueled by the restless mind.

Kedarji spoke about the real obstacle to Supreme Love: to mistake infatuation for Love. Infatuation is connected to believing the false notion that we have to find Love outside of ourselves. But Love is not connected to bartering or trading; it is not connected to the false notion that if a relationship goes well, then we can call it Love, but if it does not go well, then we cannot call it Love.

And with great Joy, attendees discussed these points of wisdom.

For example, I shared that I have become so tired of acquiescing to popular culture’s false notions of Love, and focusing on Supreme Love has improved all of my relationships to the point where now, I only want Supreme Love, and to learn how to Love unconditionally. Another attendee shared how focusing on Supreme Love helps her embrace Joy instead of cynicism and helps her establish healthy boundaries in relationships.

Drown in Joy

Kedarji uttered that there is truly only one state worth living in: the state of uninterrupted Joy. Kedarji reminded us that Happiness is a spiritual state that is not connected to people, places or things. In fact, seeking happiness outside of ourselves is not happiness at all—rather, that is the act of seeking satisfaction. And satisfaction is not sustainable because we eventually become discontent or unhappy with being content.

So, to drown in Joy, it is essential to keep the best and most useful inner and outer company, particularly by observing where our minds go and by stopping the mind from wandering into thoughts that are not useful.

For this to happen, Kedarji reminded us to practice methods such as journalling, contemplation, the principle and practice of the Arc, and other practices for witnessing the emergence and dissolution of our thoughts, all of which our Siddha Lineage has instructed for millennia to rein the mind in and bring it back to focus on the present moment—the only place where change can occur.

All attendees shared experiences about how these methods and practices help us drown in Joy.

For example, one attendee expressed gratitude for an expansion of her spiritual Witnessing Awareness that arose after she followed Kedarji’s instruction to journal and contemplate a list of thoughts that cause her awareness and emotions to contract. Based on this effort, she was shown how pervasive her habitual thinking had become, and how she can always redirect the energy of her mind to higher, more useful understandings, in any moment.

In these ways, we directly experienced how we can choose to expand our Witnessing Awareness to experience Supreme Love and Joy…and Happiness…in everything, everyone, everywhere.

Conquer the Ego

Kedarji spoke about how to conquer the ego that gives rise to fear, anxiety, unhappiness, and lack of well-being with indescribable Joy and complete Awareness. He quoted sacred texts including Viveka Chudamani, The Crest Jewel of Discrimination by Sri Shankaracharya, the Chidakasha Gita of Bhagawan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri, and The Sutras on the 5-Fold Act of Divine Consciousness by Kedarji.

We were reminded that action occurs in the mind, that thought is action, and that the purpose of spiritual life is to destroy any habits we have of thinking in ways that contract, rather than expand our Awareness of our True Nature as the Self, as God, as Love, Joy, and Peace. Only this is true yoga, and it requires spiritual living and daily spiritual practice as instructed by an authentic Shaktipat Siddha Guru.

Kedarji instructed us to observe and examine our thinking so that we can become keenly aware of how often we reach for thoughts and tendencies that are not useful—for example, how often do we reach for pleasure and pain, and in what ways?

In group discussions and talks offered individually, all attendees shared the tremendous breakthroughs that we experience when we vigilantly redouble our efforts—when we remember to observe our thinking and reach for the highest understandings instead of reaching for pleasure and pain.

We discussed how this especially occurs when we engage in daily spiritual practices from the heart instead of adopting a routine mindset, and when we diligently recognize and let go of fear and distractions, including pressuring ourselves, feeling unworthy, and trying to control situations or outcomes.

So, gratefully, through such examinations, and thanks to the Grace and blessings of Kedarji’s unwavering spiritual leadership, we felt inspired to deepen our practices of changing our thinking and behavior in order to ultimately experience Joy.

How to Face Chaos With Love

Kedarji shared that to face chaos with Love, we need to recognize everything as a Play of the Shakti; to see God’s hand in everything while holding the understanding that everything happens for the best; to keep the mind quiet and free of anxiety; and to take refuge in God and the Guru by not succumbing to fear at any moment, at any time.

By sharing examples from his own Sadhana, Kedarji demonstrated the importance of facing chaos with Love even when he faced what appeared to be mundanely difficult circumstances and had to go inward and reach higher to understand the message.

Kedarji reminded us that to establish a lifestyle in which Indescribable Joy of the Self is a regular, and then a constant, occurrence, it is ultimately a matter of remembrance to vigilantly engage in our daily spiritual practices as instructed, including: japa (mantra repetition), performing meditation, chanting, performing all activities as selfless service/blessed sacraments offered to God, and insisting on finding Joy inside of ourselves without trying to find it anywhere else.

Miracle Intensive: Kedarji’s Shaktipat Blessing

In our 2024 Weekend Miracle Intensive in honor of Shri Bhagawan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri, attendees shared experiences of receiving Kedarji’s Blessing of Grace through the receipt of Shaktipat.

One attendee said that he felt an inward release of pressure and a sense of relief, and he experienced a quieter, calm mind. All attendees said that they, too, experienced stillness and a quieter, calmer mind, either without thoughts, or with a surge of thoughts that eventually dissolved.

All attendees experienced an open heart, deep gratitude, and one attendee spoke about a release of old emotional trauma that had been stored in his body.

Another attendee said that at first, she did not trust the experience of losing herself in meditation. But then she experienced relief of pain and physical discomfort, an ability to breathe more deeply, and she felt that she was able to find her voice in singing and to utilize her lungs in ways that she previously had not been able to use them. She said that the depth of her meditation was something that she had never experienced before, almost like being asleep, but not quite, with a deep calm, quiet mind, peace and silence.

Other attendees, including myself, shared that they were surprised by the how much of the meditation they were able to relax and remain focused on their breath and on inwardly repeating a mantra that Kedarji had given to us. I myself felt laughter spontaneously rise up within me in a wonderful release with Joy and Peace, and I inwardly heard harmonizing notes. Some attendees inwardly saw colors.

In connection with bestowal of his Shaktipat Blessing, Kedarji summarized key points of wisdom about how to drown in Joy.

He elucidated how engaging in our daily spiritual practices strengthens our ability to interact in relationships – we become better friends, partners, lovers, because we become stronger, and can give Love freely, without feeling like we need someone else to complete us. As Kedarji uttered, “If you do not know who you are, then you will become whoever and whatever others want you to be.”

He also spoke about the importance of performing all activity consciously, with one-pointedness and with full Witnessing Awareness of the Play of the Shakti, and about how giving thanks daily to maintain a grateful heart is also essential.

Kedarji concluded by emphasizing that there is only one state worth living in: the state of uninterrupted Joy. And it is entirely possible for anyone to experience by focusing on the present moment in every 24-hour period of daily spiritual practices in Sadhana, while holding the intention to experience as many moments as possible of indescribable Joy.

So, in alignment with Kedarji’s instruction, we continue to ask ourselves, contemplate and examine: “In how many moments during this day can I drown in my Ocean of Joy?”

And then, we can put forth the necessary effort to live in Joy, more and more each day. What Grace!

 Kambra McConnel is the Treasurer of The Bhakta School of Transformation. She sits on our Board of Directors and also volunteers as a certified staff teacher and program leader for Nityananda Shaktipat Yoga.