Grab your tea cups!!
BIG TOUR = BIG SUMMARY
Illustration by Kush More (NSW)
Dear Family,
Jai Shri Mataji!
Thank you, Divine Mother, Shri Mataji for giving us the opportunity to spread Your message across the land of Shri Ganesha through the Meditate Australia Tour. Thank you, dear local and international yogis, for all your enthusiasm and support in being Her pure instruments on this collective journey of growth.
For the very first time, the regional and urban collectives have worked together to generate new momentum, in a way that one could never have imagined. At first, the idea of organising logistics for four routes in just a few months seemed insurmountable. But day-by-day, in Her usual mysterious way, Mother strung us together, like notes in a melody, into a beautiful symphony of joyful dynamism. Each yogi, yuva and child found their own unique way – through cooking, organising, advertising, presenting programs, making gifts, raising funds or even offering vibrational support – to contribute to this national happening. Each challenge deepened our surrender and each triumph let us celebrate the power of true collectivity – and all in God’s time, 7 months later, the Meditate Australia Tour was ready for launch.
With over 150 programs held across the 3 weeks, Shri Mataji gave well over 2500 realisations across the nation through her many capable hands. We had 70 yogis on Tour from Australia and around the world, hosted in the care of several local yogis. The project concluded at Wamuran Ashram near Brisbane, with a very special puja to our Mother, in the form of Shri Ganesha and Shri Adi Guru.
We now leave you with quick summaries from each of the four routes, a short finance and marketing recap, a library of photos and our much-loved rap videos!
ROUTE SUMMARIES
Southern Route
3 weeks, 5 regions, 14 yogis, 350+ seekers
Adelaide had given the Southern Route an initial boost to kickstart the tour in the right direction – their desire and dedication pushing us to rise higher. The joy and empowerment of the collective and the tour participants carried onto Geelong which was a particular highlight for many of the MAT members. This was further established in Tasmania where we had successful programs and noticed great potential to rekindle something amazing here, something that has dwindled since the early days of Sahaj.
The Southern Route culminated with back-to-back programs in Melbourne, where we mustered all of our energy to establish a strong presence all around the city. This route, in particular, was more than just about giving realisation, it was about supporting smaller collectives, bonding with yogis and re-establishing lost connections so Sahaja Yoga can flourish in every part of Australia.
Southern Route Rap (“Yogi’s Paradise”)
Eastern Route
3 weeks, 10 regions, 21 yogis, 780+ seekers
We started off in Canberra with a powerful havan, to clear all potential obstacles to the tour before setting out to do programs. One after the other, we kept going. Dances and performances. Seekers coming in, realisations being given. Some who came for one program kept coming to our other ones too! Next, at Wollongong, the torrential rain and strong vibrations gave all of us a much-needed clear out.
We then presented a series of programs across Sydney – Corporate programs with NSW Health, Hornsby Hospital, Baulkham Hills, Ultimo, and Cronulla. We also hosted a concert-style program in Leichhardt with the Cross-Country Route and had an incredible turnout! It was a lovely experience being able to present in collaboration with two routes and the local collective. Once we headed up to Central Coast, it was more excitement and joy as we had already reached a count of 500 realisations!
Programs at Taree/Wingham/Port Macquarie was very eye-opening. It was humbling to receive special praise from the ABC Radio presenter who hosted a program with us on-air. We could really feel a thirst for self-realisation in the regional areas. In the Gold Coast, we were able to give approx 150 realisations in 2 days – our biggest highlight being the Surfers Paradise Beach Markets! Apart from presenting workshops, what made us enjoy this tour was the connections we made and the amount of love we shared with each other.
Eastern Route Rap (“The Wrap”)
Cross Country Route
3 weeks, 11 regions, 19 yogis, 500+ seekers
The Cross Country route had its work cut out nicely between WA, NSW and QLD over the three weeks. We spent our first week on the west coast, welcoming our guests at Gidgegannup Ashram and presenting multiple workshops in Perth and south-west WA. Through meditation and music, we attracted seekers in libraries, universities, bookshops and other community centres. In Margaret River, we had a spontaneous program for little children which left all confused faces beaming with joy by the end. The Perth Townhall featured our “A Mother For All” exhibition to the public for a full week, and a big joyful concert at the end!
We flew across the country that night, joining forces with the eastern route for 2 days of programs in Sydney. In Penrith, we had a full-day intensive program where we taught seekers how to use foot soaks, candling, bija mantras and other clearing techniques. In the Blue Mountains, we did two programs: one at the wild valley art gallery and at the other in Katoomba’s Cultural Centre, before making our way up to Orange and Tamworth.
All the local yogis looked after us and fed us feasts every night! The programs had small turnouts but joyful, earnest seekers. Many mothers, tourists, old & young people and little children received pamphlets and information and most importantly their realization at the mall & during concerts. We also had the chance to sight-see in Orange & experience the different flora and fauna as we travelled through Australia.
Coffs Harbour was light and peaceful, the tropical rainforest brought seekers of the questioning kind. We were happy to be welcomed by the ocean to continue our programs. The weather warmed up as we drove to each program, including musicians in one team and workshops in the other. Many seekers had tried meditation before and wanted to learn to clear catches they felt. Next, we travelled to Toowoomba. On arrival, we had a havan to Shri Kartikeya under a clear sky and the full moon, as we prepared for a big day ahead. The group was split to accommodate back to back programs and pamphletting continued. Our lack of sleep didn’t bother us, the work of spreading joy kept us revitalised.
Northern Route
3 weeks, 8 regions, 16 yogis, 550+ seekers
Travelling along the coast from tropical Cairns to Brisbane, we presented Sahaja Yoga workshops to seekers at workplaces, community spaces, galleries, beaches, esplanades and cafes. In Cairns, our programs attracted 300+ seekers in four days! One lady said she had only meant to duck out to get some milk but ended up staying for an entire 3-hour musical program!
Battling a drought of seekers in Townsville, we turned our focus towards self-clearing and vibrating the area with coconuts, vibrated water and a havan to bolster future endeavours. This situation spontaneously helped the touring yogis grow closer and more resilient for the journey ahead. Much to our delight, we then spent our days in Hervey Bay, Tin Can Bay, Rockhampton and Maryborough with some very enthusiastic seekers! The potential for follow-ups seemed so great here, with seekers suggesting venues and encouraging their friends nation-wide to attend our programs. We followed on with a powerful Shri Mahalakshmi Puja in the Sunshine Coast and held workshops with Queensland Health employees before travelling on to Brisbane, for another blitz of programs, all while enjoying the QLD beaches and forests!
At each stop, our hosting yogis welcomed us with such open hearts – offering delicious meals, countless stories, and wraps by the esky-load! Their warmth fuelled our left, and the ocean calmed our right sides for beautiful moments along the way. Indeed, the vibrations snowballed towards the end of the tour, culminating with an unforgettably joyous program at Queen St Mall followed by a humble Shri Ganesha Puja, offered at the lotus feet of our Mother.
Northern Route Rap (“Schmorthern Style”)
Queen Street Mall Program, Brisbane CBD
All routes, 4 hours, 70+ yogis, dozens of seekers
Over the last month, we have all been drenched in pure joy, love, vibrations and invincible confidence as we travelled from all across the country, making our way to Brisbane. All four routes met for a grand finale in Queen St Mall, the heart of Brisbane City. Throughout the day, multiple performances were held and every half hour, when the music stopped, dozens of seekers received their realisation. The state of our souls was indescribable as this work utterly submerged us in Her love. The venue was perfect – magnetising the flow of traffic all around us into an even greater flow. This day was unforgettable and the finale was a huge success that drew the tour up to the highest, sweetest note of divine ecstasy.
The nature of this venue made counting the number of seekers impossible, as some sat in the immersive bubble of joy, while many stopped on the periphery for a quick chat with the yogis. Mother was definitely present this day and her all-pervading love was absolutely immense. Finally, the Guru Puja weekend wrapped everything up in the knowledge of what we had set out to do, announcing plans and programs to continue long into the future.
“The program was in full swing when we arrived and had a welcoming and exciting atmosphere. The format for the afternoon moved between music/dance performances and realisation sessions that were conducted by different MAT members every half hour. Each time we entered a realisation sequence the whole area seemed to go quiet and a bubble of silence came over everyone as a different group of locals received their realisation. It was such a joyful experience to witness and we felt Shri Mataji’s grace flowing through the whole afternoon. Such an honour to be there. Jai Shri Mataji!!!”
– Paul Clarke (VIC)
Finance & Marketing
With the grace of our Divine Mother together with the generosity of our local yogis, we reached our target tour cost of $1,008 per person.
As the four tour routes traversed the country, each and every tour member was treated to feasts that were very generously donated by local yogis, therefore, allowing us to further save money. Once all the accounts have been reconciled we will put up a budget summary on the yogi facing tour page.
All our Print Media and Social Media was very well received by yogis and seekers alike. Our Facebook page is currently sitting at 2460 likes and we have 930 followers on Instagram. Our Facebook ads drew large crowds to programs in regional and urban areas – for example, a three-day campaign in Rockhampton drew almost 30 seekers! We hope to use this experience to further our abilities in spreading realisation across Australia.
Tour Gallery
Just in case these descriptions were not enough, here is a visual collection of special moments from the tour – a folder per route. Please enjoy and share to your heart’s content!
We will be sharing some summaries and photos on our Updates Facebook page too! If you are not following the group already, you can find us here on Facebook.
Jai Shri Mataji!
With all our love and respect,
THE MEDITATE AUSTRALIA TEAM
(Lyn Vasudeva, Andre Maynard, Pranav Rawal, Jahnavi Rawal, Rennie Berry, Nathan Berry, Shaun Premnath, Kartikeya DeValle, Alex Horry, Baptiste Riches, Sadhana Kapodistrias, Madhu Gaikwad, John Davies, Sue Nickson, Kush More, Vimal Nambiar, Bhargav Sridhar, Brett Johnson, Madhavi Muskat, Shivani Williams, Croiagh Foo, Vijaya Bhasale, Jing Yuan Low, Vivian Looi, Madhavi Shete, Akula Smiley, Astrid Fleay, Jenny Zappavigna, Debbie Miller, Coralie Jessop, Madhava Huet, Qasim Rashid, Devindra Payment and every participating yogi/yogini.)
“Your eyes sparkle the same way His eyes sparkle. You all have the beautiful glow on your face as He had. Whether you are small, big or old makes no difference. All the beauty comes to us through the glow of Shri Ganesha.”
(Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi Austria, 1990)