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Autumn Retreat 2011  
From Wednesday 13th April until Sunday 17th April the Shiva ashram held the autumn retreat, Know Who You Are: Living from Shiva’s point of view. The focus of the retreat was to encourage us to take a higher perspective, seeing the events of life as a divine play of consciousness and helping us get in touch with the divinity within. Retreat participants came both from Australia and internationally and were a very harmonious and engaged group of people.
On Thursday and Friday mornings there were self-inquiry sessions with Devi Ma. These were very entertaining sessions as Devi Ma guided us through our inner worlds. The sessions were enlivening and sometimes humorous as people shared their inner world discoveries and experiences. Many retreatants enjoyed the yoga classes in the afternoons, as well as the chanting workshop on Thursday. There were also opportunities for personal pujas in front the murti of Bhagavan Nityananda in the meditation cave.
Every evening we had the great joy of Satsang with Swamiji Maharaj. The program began with a chant followed by a talk from Swamiji in which he referred to dharana’s from the Shaivite text, Vijnanabhairava (or Divine Consciousness). One of the highlights was when each person present was given a piece of chocolate to eat slowly while focusing on the experience of their inner world. It was very entertaining to listen to the shares of their different experiences. On another evening, Swamiji referred to Patanjali, a yogic text in which he discussed the sutra 2:16 which states, ‘The pain that is yet to come, can and should be avoided’. Each Satsang evening ended with a meditation which allowed us to absorb the wisdom of the teachings. The retreat concluded with a blissful Intensive in which Swamiji gave shaktipat (or the awakening of meditative energy).
The autumn retreat was a great success with abundant Shakti and love.
 
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