Shaktipat - Svaroopa Yoga

 A Shaktipat Experience
an Interview with Rukmini Abbruzzi
by Priya Lori Kenney
Priya: You recently participated in a Shaktipat Retreat. What is the value of participating in a shaktipat weekend? Rukmini: Swamiji explained what shaktipat is. It’s the a wakening of Kundalini and Kundalini works on us, clearing the blockages that prevent us from abiding in the knowing of our own S elf. When you get shaktipat, it comes with the promise of being Self-­‐Realized -­‐-­‐ in this lifetime, unless you d o something to really mess up. I know of no greater promise. The value of participating in a shaktipat weekend, where you get shaktipat multiple times p er weekend, and even doing this over and over in d ifferent s essions is huge. There is a specific kind of karma that shaktipat clears, called s anchitta karma. It is the karma accumulated through a ll our lifetimes. If each karma were a grain of rice, and that rice filled all of the earth’s oceans, there would s till be rice ( karma) left over. This is what shaktipat clears. There are two other kinds of karma, the kind that you bring with you in order to be in a body, to live out in this lifetime and then the karma that we’re creating with every thought, a ction and word. Some yoga practices teach you how to have a karma-­‐
free life, but it would take a lot of lifetimes to clear all your past karmas doing it that way. The grace of the Guru clears the karma with shaktipat. Priya: What was the structure of the weekend? Rukmini: Friday n ight, the first n ight of the weekend, was a d inner and orientation. It’s always good to s tart with food! Swamiji talked about what shaktipat is and explained how she would be giving it. She had a little video of Baba giving shaktipat, bopping p eople on the h ead with feathers and it showed their reactions. She also had a slide show of p ictures of Baba. Everything Copyright © 2012, S.T.C., Inc, A ll Rights Reserved SVAROOPA® is a registered s ervice mark of S.T.C., Inc a nd is used by p ermission. we d id was b eing d one to make us able to receive more fully. We d id lots of preparation that included beautiful aratis (candle ceremonies) to Muktananda and Nityananda and we a lso did some special chants to prepare us. Those chants are just used for shaktipat weekends and aren’t done any other time. They are really lovely. There are many ways that p eople receive shaktipat while the Guru a lways gives everything. It’s about your ability to receive. Priya: How was shaktipat given? Rukmini: After a ll the preparation, we went into meditation and while we were in meditation, S wamiji went around and gave shaktipat. She gave shaktipat three times over the weekend in two different ways. The first two times she d id it b y bopping us on the h ead with peacock feathers, a very soft touch of feathers. The third time she gave shaktipat was on Sunday and this time it was not individual. Everyone got it at once. She sat at the front of the room and the shaktipat was palpable. It was very clear when she was giving it -­‐-­‐ a wave of blue came towards me and rolled through me. It s eemed more powerful but I’m not sure if it was more powerful b ecause it was the third time or b ecause of the method. allow and to be as receptive as I could be. The feeling when she was giving it was like a shower of blue on me. There was a lso a sense of something rising up within me or me sinking down in, and my Self rising up to her. As it was happening, it was a profound experience. And, I was also aware of the things that were not dissolving! I knew it was ok if it wasn’t complete and that Kundalini will continue to work on me. I was as receptive as I could b e and once she went on to the n ext p erson, the expansion into my S elf just grew and grew and grew. Priya: Are there changes you’ve noticed since that weekend? Rukmini: I’ve worked hard the past 12 years to have meditation b e a part of my life and it hasn’t a lways b een easy. Now, my Self is so close, it’s right there. Receiving shaktipat has given me a trust in the process, and I know that a ll I have to d o is make time for Kundalini to move and whatever happens, happens. I’m not wanting my meditations to b e any particular way. They really vary and it’s ok. Since the shaktipat retreats, it’s ever easier to make time in my life for meditation and the practices b ecause it takes so little, just a few repetitions of the mantra or a few verses of the Guru Gita, and I b egin to shift. That shift is so magnetic. Priya: What else can you tell me about your p ersonal experience of shaktipat? Rukmini: This was the s econd Shaktipat Retreat Swamiji has offered, and I’ve had the good fortune to assist both. Receiving intentional shaktipat is d ifferent each time. Each time Swamiji came to me, I tried my best to surrender to the experience, to Copyright © 2012, S.T.C., Inc, A ll Rights Reserved SVAROOPA® is a registered s ervice mark of S.T.C., Inc a nd is used by p ermission.