Notes From the Road

Sat Nam everyone. Last weekend Thomas, Ramesh, my family and I were at Spirit Fest with many Kundalini Yogis and musicians. We got a chance to play for Gurmukh's class. It was so fun, so blissful. Thank you to Joe Longo for your beautiful photo!

This weekend we participated in the Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park Colorado. It is such a beautiful place. We had a concert on Saturday night and a Kundalini Yoga workshop on Sunday morning.

In the chanting artist world it is a major milestone to be invited to the Yoga Journal Conference. I believe that we are the first band from the Kundalini/Sikh tradition to be invited to play in the big concert of the conference on Saturday night.

Honestly I was so nervous about it all. First of all, we planned to play many new pieces that we had never played before. Second, I didn't know how we would be received. And third and foremost was the fact that I had some ego about playing at the Yoga Journal Conference! The kind of ego that was showing up for me was feeling a sense of doubt that I could fulfill the expectations. That I could be good enough. This is ego, because you think you are the doer when in fact it is the One who is the Doer.

Realizing that my ego was coming into play was a humbling experience and sent me right into my heart. Thank you God for that. I began to ask myself... "Okay, Self, in light of the fact that we've got some ego on the scene now what do we do? How are we going to uplift out of this?"

As I sat and meditated on it I realized that we were there to serve people. That it is our destiny to deliver the power of chanting God's Name and the miracle of Kundalini Yoga. It is our job. It is written on our foreheads. The moment that we would take the stage was known to the Creator even before we took birth in this earthly life.

This helped me to remove myself from the "me" and the "I" of my nerves, and go into the love and the embrace of the act of serving. There is a much higher power guiding us to share these teachings and this sacred wisdom with people.

Ramesh, Thomas and I then meditated together before the concert. The whole band seemed to go into a very deep space.

During the concert people sang beautifully. People didn't sing. People meditated deeply. People didn't meditate. I did a good violin solo. I hit a wrong note.

I didn't care anymore! It had gone beyond the cares of the mind. What mattered in those moments was that I could feel the presence of the Guru, the presence of God, the presence of the One who had planned all of this. That One was working through each of us. The depth of the experience was so completely satisfying. I knew that whoever was meant to receive these sacred words would receive them. I knew that we were perfectly placed there in those moments.

I am grateful to have been in this flow my heart and pray to be there again and again. I am grateful for my ego, and the realization of it which allowed me to bow my head in service. I am grateful to Thomas and Ramesh who take this journey of service with me and time and time again surrender into the flow of music to give people the gift of healing. I am grateful to Sopurkh Singh my husband who somehow sees the flow of my heart even when I don't. I'm grateful to my daughter Jap Preet Kaur who is always in the flow of her heart, and has given me the opportunity to be her mother.

The truth is that we were very well received. Being that Yoga Journal is a more mainstream publication, this feels like an important moment for the 3HO community. I have grown up in this community, have been loved and supported by this community and now serve as an ambassador for its work to the best of my abilities. I believe that the teachings and the work of 3HO will deeply serve millions and that this is one step towards that unfolding.

I pray for all of us, from all walks of life and communities, to have the experience of being in service through our inner flow...to know that the Creator is the One Creating through each of us.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you God.

Blessings,

Snatam Kaur