Here is my writing assignment for Module 1, describing how I came to know the Kali Mandir:
I grew up in the 1970’s a very small seaside town in the south of England, UK, called Swanage (where, incidentally, Usha Ma lived in a complete coincidence - more on that later!).
My parents were devout Sufis - my name growing up was Habiba. Seven times a day my Dad, a poet and scholar on the work of Sufi poet Rumi, would go to our prayer room to pray.
Needless to say, I really just wanted a Western name, ham sandwiches in white bread in a plastic container (not home made brown bread in a paper bag with some vegetarian spread: incidentally this is what I love now!) and a ’normal’ family, this was obviously never going to be my karma …I chose to change my name to Claire when I was 10 years old. I moved out and went off to study dance in London at 16 years old.
In the mid-1990’s I was dancing in New York and was told about a yoga studio. On arrival at Jivamukti I walked in and was immediately at home. A fusion of sacred texts, intellectual theory and vigorous asana. These teachers were chanting (something I remembered from my childhood), reading Rumi in class, playing brilliant music and had an altar with photos of saints. Monday nights were singing led by a dude called Krishna Das who talked about a saint called Maharajji. He played a cassette of him chanting Ram Ram - transfixed I realised this was the guru mentioned in my Mum’s blue book called Be Here Now that I found weird and interesting as a child. Somehow, this has all made sense at every step. Fast forward to 2015, having been a yoga teacher for 15 years, immersing myself with teachers in India - and I’m told about a temple in Wales called Skanda Vale that has a 6 feet tall Kali Murti!
While there on pilgrimage, one of the monks discusses his brother who is in the film industry in Los Angeles. He told me there was a Kali temple near Los Angeles, “you should go". So next time I went to LA I drove down with my husband and young daughter. On walking in, it was the second time I knew I had found ‘home’. My heart. In the garden: pranams to Maharajji! Then chatting to Usha Ma, we realise we had Swanage in common, in fact, 'the man in the yellow jeep' is a friend of my family growing up. She is also from Vienna, where, I have an affiliate yoga studio where I trained all the teachers and travel there every year to lecture and know it very well. Oh all the synchronises, all Ma’s work.
I will gladly and happily travel over oceans to be with Ma, and be with Hanuman or Maharajji devotees. With my sacred spiritual family, past present and future. With beloved Satsang. When you surround yourself with honest, holy and loving people, the ripple brings a pulsation of continual positivity and faith that brings the same back - and we have enough energy to serve in any adversity. I feel my whole live has been blessed with love, support and generosity. Thank you, Ma and all at Kali Mandir.
Claire Missingham
Claire,
What a great story! Your journey to Ma and Kali Mandir is similar in many ways to mine. I began practicing yoga and after a few years met my partner whom I am still with, Durga Devi. She had been turned on to yoga through a chance Jivamukti yoga class in Colorado and afterwards went to Rhinebeck New York and took the Jivamukti teacher training. When she came back she was chanting all kinds of sanskrit things and I remember telling her that I will never get into chanting.
Today we both offer puja every day and chant lots of Sanskrit mantra and prayers. Durga still teaches Jivamukti even though the Jiva center is New York is gone now. We did have the great pleasure to meet David and Sharron several times.
We were also very fortunate to be with Bhagavan Das several times who introduced Ram Das to Maharaji and Ram Dass introduced Krishna Das to Maharaji. Bhagavan Das used to offer kirtan at the early Kali Pujas I think before Kali Mandir was founded, back in the early days of what came to be Kali Mandir.
Several years ago we went to Woodstock New York for the big Jivamukti week long events they used to hold and actually provided the sound system and ran the sound for Krishna Das and Bhagavan Das during their kirtan at the end of the week. The event was purposely made to be small, only around 100 people so it was very intimate. Durga Devi and I ended up playing with Bhagavan Das that night.
And through other auspicious things I found my way to Kali Mandir and here I am today!
Nice to hear of your journey. It is so amazing how Ma brings her children together. I am so grateful for everyone at Kali Mandir for organizing all of this and bringing it all together.
My partner Durga Devi has been to Kali Mandir. We are friends of Lopamudra and Kamalakanta as they have been to our yoga studio here in the Detroit area several times and offered puja to Ma. I have never been there but am hopeful to get there sometime this year if travel is permitted.
Jai Ma,
David Shiva Das
Ram Ram David Shiva Das. What coincidences! Amazing... I was involved with Jivamukti 1997 - until 2005 in NYC (it was down near 2nd Ave) and feel so blessed that this was my introduction to yoga. I'm hoping to be back in California in late July: I hope one day we can all cross paths!
Hi Claire,
Thanks for sharing your story. It's a good story. It is great to hear how people happen upon Sanatana Dharma in the West. I had to smile when you mentioned that you wanted to be 'normal' when you were a kid. And here you are another 'weird' devotee of Ma Kali. Funny how life works out. It seems we can't escape our fate ; - ) I had a similar reaction when I first when to Kali Mandir. It felt like home and a place to spiritually unpack one's bags and rest a while.
Yogesh
Dear Yogesh,
Yes I gave up trying to be 'normal' and have embraced this as the new normal! Feels better that way. Far more peaceful. Sending love from London!
Jai Ma! Dear Claire Ma...
So wonderful reading this...Thank you so much for sharing!
And your whole last paragraph had me tearing up!...😌...We here feel so blessed to have encountered so many wonderful devotees...Ma is so very gracious to us all...
Jai Jai Ma! 🌺
Thank you for sharing your story. I relate a lot to struggles with religion of origin, and then finding that in some ways I've come full circle. Maa's doing is always astonishing.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful journey to Kali Ma!