A rumbling crescendo of primal sound lifted me steadily to a panoramic summit, filling every cell with buzzing, vibrating bliss. Then, gasping, I plunged, like a divinely electrified kid on a roller coaster, into an expanse of ecstatic shakti.

Aaravindha was once again bringing through the powerful, ancient tones of a mantra designed to align us with and heal the elements of creation. And indeed, I was feeling aligned and healed!

52 of us had gathered in a scenic, waterfront hall–an expanse of floor to ceiling windows before us, offering a panoramic view of the evergreen-lined shores of a few of the San Juans’ 170 islands. The five day introductory seminar had drawn a beautiful group of guests from Canada, California, Oregon, Hawaii, and even Germany, to picturesque Orcas Island off the coast of Washington. It was worth the travel, as Aaravindha had created a potent, new recipe of knowledge and experiential participation, leaving some of us wondering if this was indeed an intro, or one of his life-altering intensives! As we sat before flower and deity adorned altars, the aromatic scent of incense wafting by, it quickly became evident we were in the company of loving, open-hearted, and sincere beings. This would be fun!

I sat enthralled as he opened with weaving a view of the collision course between the latest in quantum physics, and ancient spiritual knowledge. I have been intrigued by this merging for many years, having grown up with a spiritual teacher in the 60’s and 70’s when science and deeper truth were far from acquainted. Now the scouts on the leading edge of science are running headlong into ancient knowledge!

As physics unfolded into healing, Aaravindha laid out the framework for the different levels on which we can experience healing, and the different avenues to core healing. With the foundation in place, he unveiled a new technique–allegorical healing. As if nature were setting the mood for going inward, the bright blue skies over Cascade Bay clouded to a hushed gray.

What we learned next was direct, simple, and as we were to witness, rapidly effective. Several brave souls offered themselves up as healing fodder, and soon found themselves diving deep into the center of physical or emotional issues that had been with them for ages. And just as soon found relief. Since learning this I have used it on myself and others with similarly profound results. This fascinating technique alone was worth attending the seminar for.

Bringing in another experiential aspect, Aaravindha lead us into an enhanced version of the Virya Pavana–a powerful toning technique using bijas (seed tones of creation) to clear the way for Divine order and light to flow into us. It is a very quick method for clearing our energy, and reducing the static in our awareness. When finished it feels as though you are a bell just rung through with beautiful clarity!

With a lively dance wrapping up the last evening (I don’t know if it was just me, but I felt like I was jumping a bit higher, and floating just a bit longer than normal!), I felt like this five days had offered me another ecstatic glimpse into the beauty of what life is truly about.