For the 9th year, I attended the Kundalini Yoga Festival in France. This international event takes place in the beautiful countryside. It was such a blessing to walk on earth (instead of paved roads) for the 8 days of the festival.

I furthered my studies of Sat Nam Rasayan with Guru Dev Singh, played percussion with Sada Sat Kaur (here is a small portion that was captured on video), in the bazaar I sold all the ceramics I brought, made new friends and saw old ones from all over the world.

There were 2,500 people in attendance this year, the biggest ever. Most of them use the camp-site. Since I'm not a camper, I usually stay in a small shared room and use the communal bathrooms. However, this year since I didn't register early enough, the first 3 nights I was in a dorm room with 49 other women. Since I was first on the waiting list for a smaller room, I ended up in the chateau where the VIPs stay. It had a private bathroom with only 3 other women, one from Brazil, a Swiss woman and another from New Mexico. I was very grateful for how that worked out.

It's a 10 to 12 hour drive from where I live to the festival, but the time passes quickly with good friends. The French countryside is so beautiful and the highways are much better than in Spain. This is a photo I took where we stopped for our picnic lunch on the way home.

Sat Nam Rasayan Retreat with Guru Dev, Perugia, Italy

The photo is of Guru Dev Singh Khalsa at the Sat Nam Rasayan retreat in Perugia, Italy 2009 with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa at his side. He's holding the mug I made for him in his hand. He has one of the best collections of my mugs on the planet.

In December of 2009, I had the privilege of attending the annual weeklong retreat with Guru Dev in Italy for the 5th year in a row. For years it was held in the spiritually charged town of Assisi, but for reasons outside of the organizers' hands, this year it was in Perugia.

About 350 practitioners and teachers from all over World get together to deepen their understanding of Sat Nam Rasayan. I think Guru Dev once lovingly referred to attendees as his "guinea pigs" because it is there that he works on perfecting the terminology for SNR and ways to teach it.

I followed two clients for a series of sessions over the course of 4 months for the the written part of the 2nd level exam. The second part of the test is a healing session given in front of Guru Dev. Like when I'm giving a SNR session or work in ceramics, I centered myself in the heart chakra before and during the test. Later I asked for a meditation practice to continue deepening my healing ability.

My ceramics booth there nearly sold out. My "Tierra" line was one of the most popular, along with my sacred symbol necklaces and essential oil burners I'd made.

Gurmukh, the teacher I study with whenever I'm in the Los Angeles area, made a surprise visit and taught a few dance-filled kriyas. I enjoyed the change from a very inward, contemplative and meditative state to an ecstatic and energetic one. Both types of energy are needing in healing and in life. Gurmkh had arrived to help Guru Dev celebrate his birthday. To read an interview with Guru Dev and for more information about Sat Nam Rasayan visit LA Yoga Magazine.

Sat Nam Rasayan

What is Sat Nam Rasayan?

Originally from India, Sat Nam Rasayan® is an ancient healing system that uses a heightened, meditative state of consciousness to heal. The energy of the universe helps you relax, heal physically and emotionally during a private session.

Sickness, in SNR, is described as a tendency of the body to react. The reaction can be a pain, emotional problem or a serious illness. Through SNR sessions the healer finds and dissolves blockages, allowing the self-healing powers of the body to activate so that one lives in a more balanced and clear state.

During a session of SNR the client lies down comfortably and the healer gently rests his or her hands on the person's arm or head while entering into a deep meditative state and remains silent in this state for 20 minutes. The healer and the patient share a state of deep peace from which the healing source is tapped into.

Each SNR practitioner has his or her own personal way of worki ng. I tend to work through the heart chakra and generally use either the elements (water, earth, fire, air) or colors to heal with.

My first healing session with Guru Dev Singh

Besides the two level tests and teacher training for SNR, there is no "initiation." I had an unusual experience that confirmed my connection to SNR the first time I had a private session with Guru Dev Singh. Guru Dev was given the title of Master in SNR by Yogi Bhajan.

The session was at the annual International Kundalini Yoga Festival in the French countryside, which I've attended nearly every year since I moved back to Spain in 2001. My session with Guru Dev was on the second floor of a beautiful building on the grounds there. He asked me a few questions, then I laid down on (a/some?) sheep skins face up with my eyes closed. He was sitting beside me with a few fingers gently resting on my arm in a meditative state. I tried to relax but I was nervous, being with the Master for the first time. Then I felt something on my ankle. Next, I felt it wiggling up my leg and I wondered if I was imagining it. When the feeling got to my thigh, I opened my eyes and lifted my head--staring at me was a little lizard. I thought "I'm on the second floor of a building and there's a lizard on my leg--that's different." Moving my head brought Guru Dev out of his meditative state. He looked at me and followed my gaze to the little creature on my leg. He said something like, "Ah, my little friend has been here with me all week, but it has never gotten so close to anyone, let alone rested on them."

The lizard has been one of my totem animals since childhood. I had lizards for pets before I was interested in cats or dogs and I always felt an affinity with lizards. I often decorate my ceramics with lizard motifs. In native American cultures, the lizard is the keeper of ancient secrets and lives in "the dream time," a state of being similar to the meditative state I am in when giving a SNR session. Just like lizards, who are very sensitive to vibrations of the earth, have amazing hearing and sharp eyesight, practicing SNR utilizes aspects of what can be called enhanced perception.