It started about two years ago, with lots of new FaceBook friends from India. At first I didn’t know if they were residing in America or in India, but correspondence with several of them told me that they are finding me from their home in yoga’s native land. Now half of my FaceBook friends are Indian. How sweet!

I asked an Indian, “Why are they visiting SVA’s website and friending me, an American girl, who owes everything to their native land.” He said, “They have a spiritual hunger, which is not available in their Westernized lives.” How true. East and West have met and switched sides, each looking for what the other has.

I experienced this first-hand last week in Ganeshpuri. In our retreat, I gave 2 hours of teachings every day, but those satsangs were limited to retreatants alone. Yet the tradition of public satsang is very strong, so I offered two special satsangs for village residents and other visitors (as well as retreatants).

It was such an honor to be able to give back! I could offer them Nityananda’s teachings, though in a foreign language because I don’t speak Marathi. Yet they clearly got benefit from my English discourse, nodding and smiling at the right places. When they came to me for darshan, a few of them let me know that they didn’t speak English but they got something anyway. Of course! It is Nityananda’s Grace; Baba always made that clear to us. I’m merely serving that river of Grace in the best way that I can.

One couple from a nearby city (4 hours away by car) delayed their return home. They’d planned on leaving at 10 am, but satsang wasn’t until 4 pm, so they waited. Leaving satsang after 6 pm, I knew they would not arrive home until quite late, so I was concerned for their welfare and grateful for their attendance. Someone had given me a gift of Nityananda’s photo, so I pressed it into their hands. They were deeply touched and asked for a photo of me as well. I gave them each a mantra card.

So I gave them the mantra, in the sacred town of Ganeshpuri, on a mantra card printed in America, with teachings in English – when the mantra came from Nityananda. Full circle. How it touches my heart to be able to give back.n