The Newsletter of Alandi Ashram and Alandi Ayurvedic Gurukula

Agni The Newsletter of Alandi Ashram and Alandi Ayurvedic Gurukula 2
picture, ask him to bless you with a dream or intuition
of his love and presence, or come to the little
temple at Alandi Ashram for his darshan.
My Healing Journey
Bea Enright, Yoga Teacher
May 2000. I knew something was wrong, very
wrong. It was the first evening of the Advanced
Yoga Training at the Y of the Rockies. Although I
live in Boulder at 5500 feet, I found at 8000 feet I
could hardly breathe walking up the road from dinner
to Wind River Lodge. I felt light headed, weak
and winded. Every 10 feet I had to stop to catch my
breath. What was going on I thought about going
home, but decided to stay. That night I opened
Pilgrimage to the Mother and by Wednesday I had
called Alandi Ashram and made an appointment
with Alakananda. As I told my roommate Joan, I
know she’ll be able to help me.
The further I read in her book, the more I was convinced
that Alakananda would uncover what was
wrong with me and she would know what to do. A
few days later I met with Alakananda. The first
thing she said to me, before reading my pulses or
doing any diagnosis was, “Are you always so pale
There’s no color in your face!” Her words struck me
as peculiar, as we had recently returned from the
sun and I thought I had a tan. “No, no you are
much too pale.”
Alakananda questioned me carefully, listened
attentively to all my symptoms and explanations,
then checked my pulses, tongue, gums, eyes, etc.
When she finished her examination, she said, “I
think you are extremely anemic and I think you've
been this way for a long time. I want you to go to
your primary western doctor and have blood tests
done today if possible.” And she wrote out exactly
what tests I should have. “And I want to have the
results of the blood work as soon as it’s available.”
When I saw her again a few days later, she was
concerned. I explained that after a stool test that
was positive for blood in the stool, my other doctor
referred me to a gastroenterologist for a colon procedure
the following week. Alakananda said,
“You’re in the hands of your western doctors now;
their tests will find out the reason for the anemia.”
I sensed that she knew more than she was speaking.
The colonoscopy revealed several benign
polyps and a cancerous tumor. Throughout this
time I was aware of Alakananda’s presence, peaceful
and loving, especially during my daily meditations.
I asked if we could do a healing ceremony at
Alandi before my surgery and she and Terra and
Felicia met with me for a fire ceremony.
After surgery Alakananda gave me a special diet
and regime to follow. I was so impressed with how
my healing was going that I asked to study
Ayurveda with Alakananda in the fall. In the past
seven months, I’ve changed my diet; become more
involved in the mission of Alandi, To Open Hearts;
I’ve done Pancha Karma and all my family members
have seen Alakananda in clinic, reporting positive
results. I’m grateful to Alakananda, Alandi
Ashram, and Ayurveda.
News Briefs
Temple Activities: Spring got off to a wonderful
start with our night long celebration of
Mahashivaratri. Twelve gallons of Panchamrit were
poured over the Shiva lingam, at a cost of $200.
Attendance at Monday night Shiva bathing continues
to grow in numbers and enthusiasm.
Ramanaumi (Lord Ram’s birthday) was celebrated
with chanting of Ram Nam and stories from the
Ramayana. Agnihotra and meditation continue on
a daily basis and are open to participants. Please
call to confirm time.
The Alandi Ashram Vision Retreat was a huge
success. Members of the community gathered to
share their visions for Alandi as we grow from a
family to a village in our endeavors. Participants of
the retreat volunteered to work on committees to
support the ashram in such areas as: fundraising,
education, spiritual activities and residential community.
Boulder Co-op Market now has over 500 members,
possibly the largest pre-opening membership
of any co-op to date. The impressive number shows
the strong need for a co-op in Boulder. To be among