Sheeattle Sikh Camp
01 Aug 2011 4 Comments
in life, meditation, mountains, spiritual
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
Recently I had a wonderful weekend filled with Cherdi Kala at the Seattle Sikh Retreat!
It rained the first day
http://seattlesikhretreat.org/index.html
You may be wondering why Seattle is spelled so strangely in the title, well, if you sound it out, that is how someone with a thick Punjabi accent says Seattle.
Strangely, this was my first Sikh event that was put on my Indian Sikhs. It was just awesome to be around a bunch of Punjabis for three days.
The camp was set in the beautiful forest of western Washington. There was not enough down time to just sit and stare at the trees and water and sky.
there were narrow paths through the trees
Sometime you should watch geese as they float along. They bob their heads in a really cute way to push themselves forward through the water
The water was SO clear
Beautiful blue skies and water to match
This just takes my breath away
The reflections, the colors, the sunrises were magical
So, apart from the beautiful nature around me, I met some wonderfully warm-hearted people who I feel I can now call my spiritual brothers and sisters.
Sujot Kaur wanted us to take a picture of her because she matched the Guru that day
The theme of the camp was centered around Art and related to that theme we had some cool workshops where we were told to think outside the box and just CreAte!
The art workshop was the first one, great way to kick start the camp
Awesome workshop on the history of warfare in Sikhism
We learned some practical self-defense tactics like how to get out of a headlock
The camp also had a large focus on the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, meditation, kirtan and morning prayers. If you are interested in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred text of the Sikh tradition you can access the entire book online here: http://www.granthsahib.com/main.php
There is just so many good things I could say about this camp. I just had a blast being in the woods for three days with my Sikh brothers and sisters meditating, playing music, being silly, playing sports, and just relating about life! It is always comforting when you meet people who have similar mindsets as you, who understand where you are coming from. I guess it can make me feel like I am less alone. Ultimately, we are all alone, but it is nice to know there are others out there living a similar spiritual path, and feeling the same alone-ness that I am. So, in a way, we are all united by our ultimate loneliness.
Hargobind and I on the drive home. I've always liked pictures of reflections.
So a little update on Argentina, I am leaving August 29th from home and will arrive in Buenos Aires at 9:20am on August 30th. Also, I finally found my reading list and there are 5 books under required readings. They said to bring our notes. 
I’m not even halfway through “History of Latin America from Spanish Colonization to Alfonsin”. I will keep ya’ll updated on Argentina updates. As the program is approaching, SIT is sending me more and more information about my program and specifically what I’ll be doing. I’m so stoked!
I am here!
29 May 2011 3 Comments
in Gandhi, life, meditation, mountains, new mexico, spiritual Tags: mountains, spiritual
Hello Reader,
I am writing this blog to document my journey through this life. I consider myself a spiritual being having a human experience.
“There is no God higher than Truth” Mahatma Gandhi. I strive to live a life of truth. To live one’s truth is the most beautiful thing.
It is my goal to always remember that and to remember that we are all interconnected, we are all one. I am also a globe-trotter so many posts will be about my experiences abroad. I love to soak in new places, people, cultures. I love to write to express myself and share what I have learned through my experiences.
The clear blue sky is beautiful, but so are the rainstorms
Tenting in the mountains
Next journey I have coming up is really somewhat of a pilgrimage. I am going back to New Mexico. From aboutthe age of seven I have been going there every summer for a kids Sikh camp up in the serene Hemez Mountains just outside of Espanola.
The highlight of Summer Solstice is three days of White Tantric Yoga
Yoga Class under the Tantric Shelter
These days I go for Summer Solstice, a gathering of beautiful souls to be uplifted by one another and the beautiful land of Ram Das Puri which is a sacred area of the Native Americans.
We get up for Sadhana, early morning yoga and meditation at 4am. It is such a beautiful experience to meditate while the sun rays peak over the expansive mountains and illuminates that great blue sky. Days are filled with catching up with old friends, making new ones, music, Kundalini Yoga, good food and selfless service (seva).
There is something about those mountains and the collective intention of everyone there to uplift themselves, a comfortable calm settles in my heart. Every spring my self yearns to be reunited with my greater spiritual community and those mountains.
I am excited.
