Notes From the Road

Sat Nam everyone. We had our first concert in Berlin. We stayed at the Triguna Yoga Center and did three days of intensive rehearsals before the concert. Here is a fun video of the rehearsals.

Here is a video of us celebrating the birthday of Guru Ram Das with the Sangat there.



The night before the concert I visited the little Gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) in the ashram. Stepping into this place I felt so grateful to feel the spirit of my Guru. In our tradition the Guru exists within the sacred words of the Sikhs which reside in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. This is a collection of writings from the Sikh Gurus and other Sufi, Muslim and Hindu Masters. It sits in the focal point of any Gurdwara. The people who take care of the Gurdwara at the Triguna Center use it often, so there is this strength and nectar (ras) that just floats in the air. The moment I stepped into it, I just dropped down and bowed my head to the Guru and cried. It was a moment of complete gratitude to feel this vibration. After my tears subsided I took a Hukham, or sacred command, from the Guru. You essentially bow your head and open the Siri Guru Granth Sahib to whatever page you are guided to.

I was feeling nervous about the concert....a feeling that I've been working with lately. We were preparing many new pieces from our new album Ras, and they were a bit challenging musically. For me, this was fun to open up new doors within myself in this way, but also a little scary. I explain all of this inner process to you because the Hukham just blew my mind. It totally spoke to me and gave me the answer to my innermost question of how I could approach the concert, and of how I could be of service. It basically said, "It does not matter how well you play the music, how well you play your musical instrument, how much yoga you practice, how much meditation you practice, how much you recite God's Name... etc. etc...... the only thing that matters is if you have the love in your heart and you truly experience devotion from this place of love."

The energy of the Hukham carried forward for me in a powerful way. I still felt nerves and all of that. There was just this energy that moved all of us that I cannot put into words. We did many new pieces and really experienced such a powerful energy in them. I loved the experience. I loved hearing people sing. I loved chanting these beautiful words from my Guru. I loved playing with Ramesh and Thomas. I loved the phone call I got from Sopurkh (my husband) and daughter Jap Preet who stayed back at the house just before the concert. Most importantly I loved. That was a gift from the Guru. I remembered that the most important thing I could do was to do what I was doing with love, in every moment. Thank you God, Thank you Guru.

We continue our journey now with a concert tonight in Hannover and continue on our way throughout Europe and then India.

I am excited to say that we just got a confirmation from Ramesh that he will be joining us for our retreat in Costa Rica. For those of you who have not experienced his spirited percussion playing, it is a real treat. We will be doing plenty of powerful yoga, uplifting chanting, and even some dancing to his great rhythms. Please join us.

God Bless you.

Love,
Snatam Kaur