from Aundie Cushman
To Ācārya:
I first learned about Acharya and the Sadvidya Foundation after fortuitously meeting Kristin. I had moved back to the States with my family after living in Italy for a long stretch. I had been doing Ashtanga yoga on my own and had been reading books on yoga philosophy and stories about Indian saints, which was captivating. Setting up life again in a new place, in Sonoma County, I was interested in finding a yoga class that was about more than just the physical poses. After trying classes at different studios, I found a class taught by Kristin, and I knew I’d found the kind of teacher I’d been looking for. After a month of taking her classes, at the end of one class she announced that she would be going to India for a month. I was so interested and asked her about it. She pointed around the room at other students there who would also be joining her in India. I had to learn more. We agreed to meet for tea when she returned as I had lots of questions and wanted to hear about her trip. In the meantime, she told me about Acharya’s wonderful book, The Sacred Tradition of Yoga, through which I could learn more. Upon her return, she shared with me about BYD in India and the retreats Acharya holds every year. I also learned about the Sadvidya Foundation and the Jivana community, which I could possibly join later, at a certain point in my studies. I continued practicing with Kristin, and when the time came, I had the good fortune to be able to join the Jivana community on the Sebastopol property, where, after asana practice together, we would watch a video of Acharya’s teachings, discuss it, then do chanting and sometimes there would be Ayurveda cooking courses as well. As the year progressed, there was increasing talk among the other Jivana yoga practitioners about the next upcoming retreat with Acharya in India. Kristin invited me to come, but being a busy householder, it seemed doubtful I could get away, and seemed like a difficult and overwhelming trip to take, from what I’d heard of travel in India. But the groundwork had been laid by the community traveling there for decades, and somehow it felt doable, and things started to flow and fall into place to support my going.
After reading about India and yoga philosophy, I was finally able to experience it for myself and meet Acharya in person. I had seen him teach in his videos, but what a gift to meet him in person. I had previously been involved in a different spiritual community in which there had been less than favorable behavior from the lineage leader, so I was, I’d say, discriminating, maybe a bit skeptical, taking a wait-and-see approach. But getting to know Acharya in person, being able to benefit from his insight and knowledge, seeing what a noble person he is, and how truly authentic, humble, compassionate, earnest and devoted he is to the teachings and his students, really touched me. My doubts were dispelled. I loved being on the retreat, attending his teachings and yoga and meditation daily.
“If we focus the mind on something, its ability to grasp the object of our focus expands.”
I came home feeling like a different person; uplifted, energized and peaceful – from meeting him, hearing the wisdom in his teachings, doing the practices during the retreat and later at home, and from meeting fellow practicants on the retreat and hearing about their paths and stories of how they came to find Acharya.
Our in-person local community unfortunately was diminished by Covid, but I was grateful that Acharya began to offer some live talks during that time, and Jivana community meetings on Zoom were very supportive during this time and thereafter. Although due to householder responsibilities, I haven’t been able to return to India or participate in as many online meetings on a regular basis as I’d like, I still feel connected through my practice, and feel grateful for Acharya and all he has created and continues to create, and I hope to have the opportunity to see him again in person before too long. Acharya has devoted his life to imparting these teachings, and I feel fortunate that either providence or happenstance led me to Kristin, and so to Acharya and this community. It’s been a real gift.
Aundie Cushman
“Soon we will discover the presence of a kind of spontaneous joy emerging. When we become conscious of these dynamics and allow them to influence our system, it will help us on our yogic path and eventually guide us toward the experience of Samādhi.”
