The Gurumaa ashram in gannaur is a living Buddhafield and it’s the place where the contemporary mysticAnandmurti Gurumaaresides and it’s the place where she imparts spiritual guidance to her disciples. Full of lush green and beautiful gardens and serene ponds, the ashram vibrates with a silent harmony between existence and man. The atmosphere calms and soothes the being within and opens new doors to a whole new understanding of oneself.

I visited the ashram a few days back and my stay there was of around 3 weeks. It was the most beautiful and rewarding experience I had in my life. The daily routine in the ashram is divided into many activities which are scheduled and made known to the resident disciples and visitors, when they check in. Accommodation is available within the ashram premises for a very nominal charge, and is very comfortable and hygienic.

The morning begins at 5 am, yoga sessions are held during that time. Group Yoga and breathing exercises in open air are done in this time, which has a highly beneficial impact on our inner and outer body health. It helps in rejuvenating our youth and makes us feel so energetic and connected with the universe. The yoga session is followed by “Aarti” (Prayers), it is like words of gratitude offered by the disciples to the Master and a thanksgiving to the Almighty for all the blessings that he has showered on us.

After that, meditations are scheduled at an interval of 1 hour and it includes meditations like breath awareness, Aum meditation, silent meditations and many more which are held at specific days of the week. Adequate time is given to the visitors for rest in between the meditations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner times are fixed and all the residents in the ashram get together at these times for having the food. The food served is light, healthy and delicious and the ingredients used are organic and the freshest available.

In most of the days in the ashram, when Gurumaa is present , she gives some time to meet the devotees and answer their questions pertaining to spiritual growth. At other times when a meditation workshop is being held, Gurumaa gives spiritual discourses to the disciples and answers their queries. These discourses are recorded live and the sessions are available later in audio and video format. These can be purchased from the ashram center or online from their official website.

I would like to add that the organised manner in which all the activities are held in the ashram, the food, the gardens, meditations, Yoga, the birds and flowers and above all the love and compassion of the master, they all have a combined effect and leads to an inner transformation of the visitor and gives him an inner push towards increased awareness and enlightenment. It’s an experience beyond words and can be best known by its experience itself.