My second true teacher
My second true teacher was the beloved Guru Jagat. I came out to California in the spring of 2015 to launch another wellness company. As soon as I landed and smelt the jasmine in the air, I knew I was moving here. I couldn’t believe I had spent 15 years in the hustle of the concrete jungle. But everything I had known was in NYC and where I had started my career.
After about two weeks in LA and extending my flight back about 3 times, I had reached out to a friend and asked her if she knew of anything going on that weekend. She replied. “I’m out of town, but if you are looking for something healing and transformative, there is a workshop in Malibu you’d enjoy. I know the people she said, I can set you up. “
Healing and transformative, I was hooked and took my cute to Malibu and parked my car on the side of the PCH. The house was somewhat visible from the car but perched on top of the ocean with one of the most magnificent views I’d ever seen. The workshop was getting set up and what I realized rather quickly as I looked down and saw two girls in all white with headgear, was this wasn’t just any workshop but a kundalini workshop and I had no idea what the hell I was doing there. I looked at what I was wearing and it was a red and white striped shirt and these flower pants, definitely cute, but so out of my element. I could not have stuck out more. I was also the first one there
This New Yorker was always on time. LA was never.
I ended up meeting two of my dear friends today, Shadabreet and Harmanjot as they were setting up. I was so “early” I ended up helping them get ready
Guru Jagat took the stage probably 30 or 40 minutes later. It was about 50 of us for 3 hours. I loved the father and daughter that sat next to me supporting me throughout. I so regret not getting her number as I never saw her again but forever will remember her welcoming and inclusive presence.
Midway through I lost track of what I didn’t know and started to resonate with a feeling of deep remembering and a call towards “home”. I was hooked. You probably couldn’t get the smile off my face for days. I drove to Zuma beach after and felt alive and inspired and with a knowing that my life was truly beginning to start. I moved to LA about 8wks later where Guru Jagat had her home base.
Guru Jagat, although controversial in some regards, was outstanding in others. I called her my teacher and she was definitely a friend, but I kept space between us as I respected the teacher-student relationship so much and sometimes especially in the beginning, I’d flounder in front of her. I realized just recently that I had loyalty contracts in past lives with teachers. Being so in awe of their gifts, I’d stutter in the presence not feeling up to their magnitude.
I have so much I learned from her. And I studied quite dedicatedly to the teachings from 2015 to her passing in Aug of 2021. I turned more people on to kundalini and guru Jagat that many thought I worked for her and her publicist. No, I just wanted as many people to have the same type of experience I had. Once you feel that heightened bliss within your soul you want others to understand it, feel it and do something with it.
One of the highlights of my career was when I was working with Pratima and I had her be the host of Guru Jagat’s book launch party, Invincible Living back in NYC. The synergy between Pratima and Guru Jagat was palpable. I created such a special evening of 60 of NYC’s most revered and respected guests in terms of wellness, natural beauty, health, yoga and alternative medicine with editors and celebrity makeup artists and loving influencers in attendance.
To bring together two of my loved teachers to showcase their knowledge, gifts and talents was such a harmonious experience as it created an energy that lit up the room for everyone in attendance.
As collaboration was an etho of mine from the beginning and something I’m innately good at creating on an authentic level. It was definitely achieved that rainy but glorious night in NYC in 2016.
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We talked about sex, and politics and business and art and fashion and culture, just everything and every kriya and meditation she taught she taught with such love and devotion. She could have not slept a wink, which she often did. and you’d not know as she’d light up in the room teaching her dharma.
She’d say teach your dharma like your hairs on fire.