Recently, I was invited to Contact in the Desert. This is the largest UFO gathering in the States. While I didn't catch any flying saucers, I found some celestial yogis.
She looks like yogis do. She has natural curls, nose ring and loose fitting natural fiber clothes. Laura’s on the lineup for a June 17 Mass Meditation Initiative in Los Angeles. The goal is to “raise the vibration of humanity and bring forth higher consciousness on planet earth together.”
Although she’s steeped into UFOlogy, and claims to have had some close encounters of her own, she speaks like a yogi. “We are here to be amazing vessels of creativity…help others through experience of being wounded. There’s got to be something else besides wounds.”
It’s clear she has mastered mindfulness. In my book, that's more important than landing your side crow. The great-granddaughter of Ike, her father runs wilderness expeditions. It’s apparent that Laura picked up his love for the elements in our universe.
“I’m blown away by nature. Looking at nature is like a psychedelic experience. I have to remind myself, this is what it’s all about,” she said. “We are so connected to this earth. The energy of the mother is unconditional love. The ultimate wound is separation from the mother.”
In Sanskrit, mother is ma. I interpret ma to mean my birth mother, the divine mother, mother nature, or womankind.
In a prior interview, Laura spoke about that. “The Mother energy loves us beyond our comprehension, and is patient and determined to create global transformation, regenerate and re-unite with Heaven, through the cycles of nature and the path of Venus.”
“It’s not easy being human. Just to observe, in a week, all the things in your life, out of balance. Defeat is just a choice. You go though a lot… either becoming a victim and evil, or, help others…have each others’ back.”
Like many yogis, she has traipsed all over the world. Steeped in frontier health, alchemy, metaphysics and ancient history, she has degrees and certifications in science, wilderness expedition leadership and natural healing.
An Egyptologist for 30 years, Robert Bauval is author of more than a dozen books. His latest is “Cosmic Womb: The Seeding of Planet Earth.” The founder of Astrobiology, Chandra Wikramasinghe, PhD. co-authored that edition.
Most relevant, Bauval broaches subjects popular among yogis. Consciousness, and the afterlife.
“In all honesty, no one really knows what consciousness is. That’s what makes it exciting. Something is physical, and yet it’s not. Consciousness is what happens when you wake up. When I’m at that stage of waking up.” He told workshop attendees that it can feel like a buzz, or something electric turning on. Our traditional consciousness is very dull. Rather, turned on just four percent. “That’s where it gets spooky. As far as we know, we are the only conscious beings in the universe. Our level of awareness and consciousness is extraordinary.”
Actually, his theory is that we are the product of a much more ancient life form. “Maybe there’s more between the stars and the pyramids. Life was brought here by meteorites some 3.5 billion years ago. The probability for life having evolved HERE is almost nil. I’m beginning to think we are aliens.”
When I saw the name, I knew she was part of the family of yogis. In the Sikh tradition, we are all equal. A woman does not “belong” to a man. Hence, all females take on the same surname: Kaur = princess. Amrit means sweetness, or nectar. Finally, Kirtan is devotional chanting.
On one evening, she led beautiful mantra meditations in Gurmukhi (language of the Sikhs) and English. The following morning, she was on stage with her electric keyboard, explaining the healing effects of chanting.
I have great respect for Kundalini as taught by Yogi Bhajan. His teachings are wise forms of therapy. Yogi Bhajan was a disciple of Guru Ram Das who was a healer. Guru Ram Das sent Yogi Bhajan to the West. According to Amrit, he came to the United States in 1969. One of his missions was to help get people off drugs.
“Happiness is our birthright,” said Amrit. “It’s the blessing that we have. You can share it with everybody. With yourself. And God.”
“What is music?” she asked. “Vibration. It’s infinite. It’s everywhere. We are vibration. You are the instrument. When we sing we feel better. I am definitely one that has been a guinea pig to my own experiences. I have been changed by the mantras,” she confessed.
Me too. I chant every day, and just returned from a retreat where we chanted three words, almost 12 hours a day. I'm looking forward to repeat that retreat next year.
“The power of mantra, when you chant, you connect with the meridians in the mouth,” she explained. “It’s a beautiful marriage: prayer and mantra. When you tap into your voice, you tap into what’s there. Like a whole closet. Full of things you never knew you had there.”
Most noteworthy, Amrit equates different chords with different chakras. This approach is similar to Dr. Dream with his Tibetan bowls. For example, the root chakra is C. Likewise, the second chakra is D which boosts creativity and minimizes fear.
Finally, yogis could unite for asana practice. This is California. What would sunrise be without a sun salutation.