I created our Vowed Order because I saw so many yogis who wanted to give more of themselves.  Why did they feel that way?  They had already figured out that when you give more of yourself, you get more of your Self.  In this way, yoga works like everything else.  When you give, you get more than if you merely try to receive.

No one has to take vows to do Svaroopa^® yoga or meditation.  You can study with me for free, or you can dive into the tuition-based immersions and courses if you want more.  You can come and go as frequently or infrequently as you like.  I welcome you with all my heart whenever you give me a chance to connect with you.  I’m delighted to see you!

But those who want more need to be met where they are at.  The power of your yearning touches my heart.  I will help you fulfill it completely if you allow me to do so.  That’s what I got from my Guru.  He gave me what I wanted.  He gave me God.

Nothing else would satisfy me.  I already knew that by the time I met Baba.  I’d tried everything else and proved it didn’t work for me.  Most swamis have a checkered past, which is one reason we understand others without judgment.  I wanted God but couldn’t find him anywhere.

Baba showed me that God is everywhere!  That includes inside as well as outside.  And inside is the closest place to find God – an intimate and intensely personal experience.  That was what I wanted.  That is what I got and live in now.  

You’re not going to get there unless you apply both your head and your heart.  Vows engage both fully.  From the moment you take the vow, you are changed.  That change grows in you, blossoming like a flower, expanding you into your own inherent Divinity.

But a vow is not enough by itself.  You can make a vow, anytime and anywhere, all by yourself.  It’s powerful.  I highly recommend it!  But when you’re in a Vowed Order, you share your depth of commitment with others in the same process.  That makes it an inside-outside and an outside-inside process, which is necessary if you want to make it all the way.  Any part of yourself that you leave out of the process isn’t going to shine with light.

Being in relationship is such an important part of life.  However, if your yearning is strong, your nearest and dearest may not understand you.  The other vowed yogis do.  They meet you there.  That means sometimes you are laughing together, and sometimes crying together.  And sometimes you push each other’s buttons.  Then you turn around and help when someone needs help.  It’s real.  It’s life.  And it’s all about God.  This is what I call yoga.