This review is about an amazing weekend when the ‘Assisi Initiation weekend’ came to England!
Nalini, who has been leading the organization of Ananda UK, invited Uma & Darshan to join us from Assisi to conduct our ceremony and service. Ten people came for their first initiation as Kriyabans:
Melanie and Satya who trained with Nalini; Rohan & Nigel who trained with Leon; Anita, Gill, Melissa, Ramesh, Victoria who completed the Ananda Online course from the US, and Carl who completed the SRF course.
Fourteen qualified Kriyabans also attended included Nalini, Surya, Leon, Sananda, Andrea, Stan, Duncan, Indy, Sam , Shirley, Fiona, Shila & Moi. Many contributed to the organisation of the weekend – the Kirtans, music, photography, flowers, fire ceremony, setting up and window cleaning(!), which all contributed to the smooth flowing and enjoyment of the weekend.
Because of the various training paths and different backgrounds and locations of attendees, many of us had never met each other. Several of us had chatted briefly on Zoom meetings of Ananda UK, where online meditations are now regular features of our calendars, but it was great to meet people in person for the first time!
The location of The Carmelite Monastery was convenient, yet quite isolated in the peaceful Oxfordshire countryside. The vegetarian food was excellent, and the accommodation and room for our events met all our needs.
We arrived from all over the country and settled into our room on Friday afternoon. We had Energisation Exercises outside on the lawn, followed by a short meditation before dinner. After dinner we had an informal welcome and a great Satsang with several instrumentalists in turn – Nalini, Surya, Sananda, Carl and Stan. On many of the songs everyone was singing along, but on the rarer, more esoteric, we quietly listened and maybe, just maybe, will know them better next time. It was a great way to feel inspired and relaxed before retiring to our rooms.
Everyone was together for the 7am three hour meditation, with readings and chanting, before our silent breakfast. We then went our separate silent ways, many of us taking individual walks in the surrounding countryside. We regrouped for a silent lunch and had more contemplative time before the ‘main event’ of the Kriya Initiation Ceremony at 4pm. As in Assisi, everyone wore ceremonial white clothing. Uma led the important teachings of the Kriya techniques – the Kriya Breath, the Maha Mudra and Jyoti Mudra, and as usual, for me at least, there are always one or two snippets to remind us of how to refine our practice, even after a few years of activity. The tradition of the Assisi ceremony was copied for the ‘finale’, exiting to the song ‘Roses to the left, Roses to the right’, through a blessing of scattered rose petals. By popular demand the Satsang was repeated on Sunday evening, not finishing until around 11pm for the stalwarts who did not creep off to bed.
On Sunday morning, there was the usual split of activities: (1) new Kriyabans up early for A Kriya Review practice and mediation, (2) a longer mediation for experienced Kriyabans, or (3) a contemplative time for experienced Kriyabans [namely, a lie in bed, or for the more active, reading or walking]!
We came together for the Sunday Service with a beautiful sermon by Uma. This was introduced by the wonderful chant ‘Call on Him’, and the theme was to ‘pray from the heart to ask for what you need for others and for yourself’ and you will be rewarded – just ‘Call on Him.’ Nalini and Sananda, Ananda UK and Ireland’s two ministers, performed the Festival of Light’. Sunday lunch was a louder chatty affair afterwards, filled with joy and everyone connecting.
And then the afternoon closure, the farewell satsang, with lots of thanks and gratitude offered to God and Gurus, to Nalini and the organising team, and especially to Uma and Darshan for travelling from Assisi to support this event, which we all trust will be the first of many in the coming years.
P.S. A personal anecdote which shows my enlightenment from Uma & Darshan on the journey up from Gatwick to Oxfordshire. On collecting them from their hotel, Uma asked if we could drive through Oxford as Darshan had not visited the city before. We planned to find lunch there. In the car, Uma recounted a memory of a pub called the ‘Eagle & Child’, frequent by famous people including CS Lewis & JR Tolkien, where she had visited many years ago. Within 5 minutes, we accidentally drove past this pub and there was a rare, metered parking space just outside. It was however closed. We sought lunch elsewhere. We looked in Costa Coffee but they have nothing for vegetarians. Next door was a restaurant, which Uma said ‘Looks OK, shall we try?’ ‘No’ I said firmly: it was Five Guys (burgers & chips only). After a hundred yards or so, Uma spots a sign for ‘Organic Deli Café’ down an alley. We blindly follow and go in. Looking at the menu, she announces, ‘Yes we can eat here’, then turning to look at the server behind the counter, she adds ‘I’m vegan’. The chap behind the counter responded quickly, ‘I’m Trevor, pleased to meet you.’ We laughed. I just knew it would be a good weekend.
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Great review Duncan!!