Shankaraji is a respectful, positive, thoughtful and encouraging mentor. I would highly recommend this class/experience to everyone and every age.
...Lisa Anderson
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Namaste.
...Michelle Ancelin
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From the first time that I met Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda (AKA Shankaraji) he has been a guide and teacher in my life. In putting to words how he has benefited my life, well, words can't describe my gratitude. I have experienced love, caring, and deep passion from him throughout these years. This unwavering devotion to others and their lives, health, and spiritual evolution has impacted me greatly, allowing me to see the greatness of all that I am. Through him I have learned timeless wisdom, experiencing shifts in perception that have allowed me to create new and greater realities for myself throughout the years. With him I have personally benefited from a powerful healing experience that was both miraculous and profound. Through this experience and many others I have understood how much he has and is willing to give. Through his service, I and humanity will benefit beyond measure.
Thank you Shankaraji for the impact you have and are continuing to have on my Life. I am deeply grateful for the ongoing guidance, love, and compassion you show me.
...Lars Gustafsson
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As an expert in the field of mind, body, and spirit connections, I looked to Ji to "solve" my many years of pain that had crept up on my through the over-use of computers, poor posture, and lack of regular flexibility exercises. During my years as an amateur baseball player, I was quite flexible and pain-free. However, like many males who have come before me, as the years went by, I found myself working longer and more stressful hours in the pursuit of financial excellence while neglecting my physical well-being.
Over time, my body had tightened up, rebelled, and finally screamed in pain as the repetitive stresses of today's modern technological wonder, the personal computer, began to take its toll on my body. Neck pain, mid- and lower-back pain, and hand pain, has made daily work activities nearly intolerable at times.
As I acknowledged the need for therapeutic help of some kind, I sought out chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and physiotherapy professionals in search of a "cure". Well, thousands of dollars and three years later, I realized that "treatment" was not the answer.
Shankarji helped me to realize that the "cure" comes from within and by eliminating the aggravating factors (self-defeating habits) that manifest themselves in pain.
My first healing experience with Shankarji came with a procedure I recall that could best be described as energetic or facilitated healing. As the facilitator, he focused in on my energy channels and proceeded to remove the blocks to optimum energy flow thereby allowing circulation and function to return to normal. "Hocus Pocus, hulla ballu, fruitcake, nutcase stuff, right? Whatever!" were my immediate thoughts. However, my entrepreneurial open-mindedness said, “OK, give it try. It couldn't hurt.”
Well, as I left his place after the one hour “treatment” and began walking to my car, I felt myself leaning and staggering to one side, almost as if I were drunk! Weird, thought I, as I pondered the experience and whether or not it was a valid procedure or just a hoax.
The next day Shankarji asked my how my neck was feeling. Keep in mind that he never touched me at all during the treatment! Well, my neck pain had disappeared in a matter of minutes and the feeling of leaning to one side was actually my body walking straighter for the first time in ages.
The pain later returned in a few days as I renewed my old routine and began to doubt that true healing had taken place. I later learned that, deep down, I was not mentally ready to release the issues and the pain that held me captive.
Had Shankarji not soon left for his international travels to learn more mastery in Yoga, I would no doubt have continued with more sessions to eliminate the pain permanently.
Fast forward two years later…
Shankarji and I find ourselves meeting again through mutial acquaintances. How fortunate for me!
Ji involved me in a private Classical Yoga class were I began my final pursuit to eliminate the pain that continued to haunt me. As part of the level 2 class, students were encouraged to pursue a 28-day routine known as Sadhana where, for 30 minutes each night, we did the same series of exercises to build discipline, focus, and a more flexible body. At the end of each routine, we have a final relaxation phase, it was during that phase I enjoyed the most profound experience of my life!
As I tilted my head to the right and then to the left, I sensed what felt like a live cockroach under my skin suddenly move downwards into my upper shoulder area and disappear into my body. I was positive that a blood clot had been the culprit and it had finally been dislodged only to move to my heart in the next 30 seconds. As I waited to die of this blood clot in the coming moments, I realized that what I held felt was actually a knotted muscle bulge in my lower-right neck muscle, which had aggravated me for nearly two years, suddenly un-kink and disappear! That was on day 8 of the routine and, 6 weeks later, as I write this letter, I am pleased to say that it has never returned. What a relief!!!!!!
Although I have other aches and pains that have yet to totally disappear, my range of motion and flexibility and far beyond where most males, and some females are at half my age. All this from only two months of Yoga!! I intend to continue these practices for the rest of my life and I encourage others to follow me in my journey.
Finally, to you, Shankaraji. Thank you for your wisdom, guidance, leadership and encouragement in facilitating me to heal myself rather than relying on external treatments and practitioners to provide me temporary pain relief, and at great monetary expense. Although alternative medicine and holistic treatments are far and away better choices than western traditional medicine involving drugs and surgical intervention, I now know why the practice of Yoga has survived for over 7000 years. I encourage everyone, starting at as early an age as possible, to pursue the discipline of Yoga as a means of preventative maintenance from the modern ills and stresses we find opposing our health. The concepts, techniques, and disciplines learned on your journey will help you to master your life in all areas, from physical to financial to relational well-being. When all is said and done, we only have our health. Why not enjoy it to its fullest, without pain, and with the vitality we all deserve.
Yours truly, in thanks for your service,
...Jim Steele.
