Ananda Kanan Winter Retreat, MO, 01/03/08

My family and I just spent a wonderful vacation up north, first stop, a few days in the charming, European mountain town of Eureka Springs, AR then onto Willow Springs, MO where we celebrated the New Year in true yogic style.

The Winter Bliss Retreat was one of the most peaceful ones yet, with angelic kiirtans and deeper meditations day and night. We had the honorable presence of a wonderful Prabhat Samgiita singer, Arunji Jacobson from NY. He is the proprietor of the award winning Long Island Progressive School. Not only did he share blissful Prabhat Samgiitas, bhajans (with his sweet daughter by his side) and rhythmic kiirtans, he humored us with stories of how kiirtan can affect the lives of others in the most unexpected ways...

Our cultural programs, as always, reflected songs, dramas and dances from around the world. A note-worthy Mexican folk dance was lead by my dear sister Amrita with several compadres. Sister Lagima and Dada Pranesh sang a revolutionary Haitian song; and yours truly participated with Prabhat Samgiita; a Brazilian duo with Dada Pranesh; and a social song in Spanish that had my Latino brothers and sisters cheering for more! My little Prashanta, now 6, nicely accompanied me on the tabla, charming all with his 'Zakir Housain-like' expressions.

I left the retreat gaining a deeper sense of sadhana and what it means to honor our spiritual practices. While there, I challenged myself to sit longer and go deeper into the realm of meditation. I am always grateful for the time spent at this magical place.