Siddha Yogis Share Their Stories About The Culmination of 2016 A Siddha Yoga Satsang with Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Live Video Stream from Shree Muktananda Ashram, December 31, 2016

Siddha Yoga Satsang with Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Live Video Stream from Shree Muktananda Ashram
December 31, 2016
On the morning of December 31, the culmination of the year 2016, the global Siddha Yoga sangham and new seekers were treated to a bountiful and shakti-filled event in the Universal Hall —a satsang with Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, live video streamed from Shree Muktananda Ashram!
News of the event spread quickly by word of mouth. It was as though there were no boundary of time or space; people shared with family, friends, and new seekers in all parts of the world their excitement to celebrate the final day of 2016 with Gurumayi, live in the Universal Hall.
Later on, Gurumayi heard from Siddha Yogis how people had found out about the satsang, and how they had participated in different locations across the globe. Gurumayi thought it would be wonderful for everyone to hear these marvelous stories as they portray how sadhana can be performed anywhere and by anyone.
So, on this page, the SYDA Foundation Website Department is inviting people to contribute their stories. Please read and enjoy, and share your own story!





I was in pure bliss to see Gurumayi. As she moved into Shri Nilaya Hall, I felt she stepped into my home and into my heart. During the chant I was dancing with her, and at the same time there were loud, celebratory firecrackers outside my house. When we chanted “Guru Om,” the clock struck 12:00 midnight.
I had tears of love and gratitude in my eyes after the satsang. It seemed to be a global raslila with my beloved Gurumayi. I felt an intimate personal connection with her even while she was with so many devotees.
Thank you, beloved Gurumayi. It has been a stupendous beginning to 2017 with you.
a Siddha Yogi from Mumbai, India

I was able to get online the moment the satsang started. At the sight of our beloved Guru, my heart burst open with love, and I caught my breath. The Internet connection all evening was intermittent but I always managed to get the feed when Gurumayi spoke.
We went back to our residence about an hour and half into the satsang, and in the dark stillness of a beautiful garden above a bay on the Indian Ocean, I continued to participate.
It was a great thrill for me to move from 2016 to 2017 in the Universal Hall in the presence of our beloved Guru. My heart overflows with bliss, with gratitude, and with love.
Thank you, Gurumayi!
a Siddha Yogi from Hong Kong

We decided to meet at the local center as it has the best facilities for a video broadcast. The webcast, beginning at 9:30 p.m. our time, was the biggest surprise of 2016. I was delighted to be with Gurumayi and enter the New Year in the most auspicious way possible. My heart was filled with love and joy—with Gurumayi’s love that reached us wherever we were. What an amazing night it was!
My heartfelt gratitude to Shri Gurumayi for giving all of us this wonderful gift—a truly unforgettable, joyous event.
a Siddha Yogi from Thane, India

We loved the wind of freedom that Gurumayi bestowed on this event. Her interactions with people there—her deep listening and purpose—were full of teachings for us.
The swamis’ blessings, seeing the trustees, hearing about leadership, and the sharing about knowledge, living knowledge, all made a strong impression. The spontaneous expressions made us feel so at ease with this satsang.
We felt the satsang going deep inside in the most profound, silent place—with our hearts vibrating, pulsating with the divine music of the Self. We feel immense gratitude for Gurumayi’s love and gift.
a Siddha Yogi from Lyon, France

I read them twice, and it took me a second to figure out the timings and realize what the messages meant. Then it dawned!
I was so excited that I was jumping around the house, and then I turned to my husband and said, “Live video stream satsang with Gurumayi TODAY!”
Then I sent a few messages myself. It felt like the sweet echo of the heart was spreading this happy news.
At 3:00 p.m. Ireland time, we sat in front of my computer screen. At the beginning we could only see the dark screen, but we knew it was live because we could see the timer running, so we waited.
First, the sound started to stream through. I heard Gurumayi’s voice clearly. I think my heart skipped a beat. Suddenly the video image came through. I saw Gurumayi standing in the lower lobby, and something extraordinary happened. I felt that I was pulled in through the screen, and I was standing right there, in Atma Nidhi, next to Gurumayi! I wasn’t just watching the screen. I was actually there!
At the end of the satsang, I looked out my window. The sky was deep blue with the most beautiful amber-colored clouds just over my house.
Thank you, Gurumayi. It was amazing!
a Siddha Yogi from Dublin, Ireland

My family and I enjoyed the easeful spontaneity that ran throughout the satsang. Underlying the informality, there were many moments which carried important teachings for me about how to be with the Guru, and how to share my experiences.
As the satsang was drawing to a close, the birds were heralding the dawn of a new day. One of my family members shared that after the satsang she experienced a dancer, light and full, within her being.
Thank you, Gurumayi, for sharing your love so freely.
a Siddha Yogi from Sydney, Australia

I felt very happy and connected with Gurumayi and grateful for how she cares for us! I contemplated how I practiced Gurumayi´s Message for 2016 as if at any moment, I would be able to hold the microphone and participate. When Gurumayi began to chant and dance, I felt I was celebrating New Year’s Eve with her.
During dinner that evening I said to my family, “I was trying to change our car’s oil before the end of the year and instead I got my inner oil changed!”
a Siddha Yogi from Columbus, Ohio

I sensed so much anticipation in everyone present about seeing Gurumayi. When she appeared on the screen, there was great, great joy—especially when she was speaking directly to the camera—to us!
I specifically remember Gurumayi sharing about the mother who was thinking only of her three-month-old baby. This made a deep impression on me and helps me remember that we should have the same kind of relationship with the shakti, that we must think of and care for the shakti inside us.
The satsang was great from the beginning to the end.
a Gurukula student in Gurudev Siddha Peeth

I logged onto the Siddha Yoga path website, and waited, and then all of a sudden there was Gurumayi! My heart leapt; I felt overcome with waves of love to be so close to Gurumayi, listening to her voice, and connecting with her joy as she welcomed us to the gathering of people in the Atma Nidhi lobby. I felt like she was talking directly to me.
It was as though all of us around the world had front-row seats at this beautiful and moving satsang. The surprise of it all kept me rooted in experiencing the present moment as it unfolded. So much love and joy!
I am so grateful to Gurumayi for this tremendous gift!
a Siddha Yogi from New Hampshire, USA

My 13-year old-daughter participated with me. She was very happy and felt that Gurumayi was looking right at us!
My deep gratitude and love to our beloved Gurumayi.
a Siddha Yogi from Annecy le Vieaux, France

After participating in the satsang, I have a burning desire to meditate regularly to see what will be revealed. The satsang also reinforced the oneness I feel with the Siddha Yoga teachings that guide me.
My heart was full before the satsang, yet having Gurumayi’s darshan is, for me, still deeper and more familiar than every other experience in this world! For me, the satsang was a call to get back to the basics. The importance of our path and meditation became crystal clear for me again.
a Siddha Yogi from Hawaii, USA

Fue una gran sorpresa que siempre había esperado!!!! Sentí que nuestra amada Gurumayi nos visitaba en nuestra casa y juntos le dábamos la bienvenida.
un Siddha Yogui de la Ciudad de México, Mexico

Unos días antes, antes de llevar a cabo mi meditación diaria le había pedido a Gurumayi que me gustaría mucho poder verla, ya que este año no había podido participar en el Intensivo porque tuve que cuidar a mi madre. Así que cuando la vi en la transmisión en vivo mi alegría fue inmensa porque sentí que me había escuchado. Fue una gran bendición estar en su presencia. Gracias por tan bello regalo.
una Siddha Yogui de Jérez de la Frontera, España

Estoy cuidando a mi madre que se encuentra en rehabilitación debido a una cirugía de rodilla y está usando el bastón para poder caminar bien.
Al subir a nuestro carro mi madre dijo espontáneamente: La vida me ha tratado muy bien. Hizo este comentario con el rostro iluminado por la luz y la frescura del día y también por la gran emoción de participar en el satsang. Después, ambas nos dirigimos en silencio y con una gran sonrisa en el rostro rumbo al áshram de Siddha Yoga en la Ciudad de México.
un Siddha Yogui de la Ciudad de México, Mexico

Es uno de los primeros escritos de Baba donde él explica nuestro hermoso Sendero de Siddha Yoga. Relacioné este acontecimiento histórico con la transmisión en vivo de Gurumayi. Ambos son revelaciones para los estudiantes de Siddha Yoga. Hoy Gurumayi enseña a través de la página web, así como Baba lo hizo en 1959 a través de su escrito sobre el amor por el Guru.
un Siddha Yogui de la Ciudad de México, Mexico

I felt instantly connected to Gurumayi and riveted by the satsang. I experienced the sheer joy of being with Gurumayi in my own house, in a small, remote town. I felt elevated to a place of greatness inside myself—a greatness I did not know I had, and yet it was familiar. I recognized it as the “true me.” This was the culminating experience for me of the Message for 2016. I moved deeper and deeper toward the cave of the Heart.
One of the new seekers I had called shared how she too had felt “so connected” to Gurumayi. Like the children who set up the “joy jar” mentioned in the satsang, she had set up a jar for notes about things she had done to help herself become stronger. We are more connected than we realize!
a Siddha Yogi from Vermont, USA

My family and I participated in the satsang on a small smartphone and speaker. We each felt we received a personal message regarding our responsibilities and the role we play in the world. It opened a doorway into our sadhana in 2017.
The satsang concluded at 12 a.m. January 1, 2017. We took our first step into the New Year with Gurumayi! My sister and I have not seen Gurumayi in a long time. Our longing to be with her was washed away by the livestream. There was no separation, no distance, no time and space between us! What else did I need?
Thank you, Gurumayi!
a Siddha Yogi from Chennai, India

Thank you, Gurumayi, for giving us A Sweet Surprise Satsang and these New Year’s Eve surprises, too!
a Siddha Yogi from Warsaw, Poland

When the satsang began and Gurumayi appeared on my computer screen, my heart leapt with joy. I felt I was actually in the hall with Gurumayi—there was no separation.
Afterward, I called my son in California, who had lived in Siddha Yoga Ashrams during his school years. His wife has participated in Intensives but had not met Gurumayi in person. He was bubbling with laughter, describing how, through this satsang, his wife was able to be with Gurumayi and see how Gurumayi is conveying her teachings at every moment.
a Siddha Yogi from North Carolina, USA

It was one of the most marvelous surprises of my life. I found myself in Shri Nilaya with the Siddha Yoga sangham, having satsang with our beloved Gurumayi. I was glued to my seat, and my senses were completely focused on the screen.
I was deeply moved by Gurumayi’s teachings. My heart was wide open to receive her words. I was also poised to take in each one of the shares from the great Siddha Yogis.
I cried, I laughed, I chanted, I danced with great delight. I truly experienced the miracle of the Universal Hall.
a Siddha Yogi from Montreal, Canada

Our hearts are full of joy and gratitude to our beloved Shri Guru for her love and compassion—and for the opportunity to participate in satsang from anywhere.
Thank you, Gurumayi ji, for making this our most surprisingly happy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day! Nutan Varshabhinandan 2017.
a Siddha Yogi from Ambernath, India

I was overjoyed to see my beloved Gurumayi beaming with energy and enthusiasm, surrounded by the lovely Siddha Yoga sangham! It was so compelling that my twenty-two-year-old son and my husband, who have not participated in webcast programs, watched every moment intently! I forgot the outer world, and my consciousness was completely absorbed in the livestream. The words “right knowledge and right understanding” are still ringing in me! What a perfect way to celebrate the culmination of 2016!
My dear Gurumayi, I was longing to have your darshan—and you fulfilled my wish through this beautiful satsang.
a Siddha Yogi from Chitradurga, India

Finding myself suddenly in Gurumayi’s company, I felt as if she had taken her seat inside my heart. When Gurumayi spoke about allowing for grace—reminding us that we have a living Guru—her words entered my heart like an arrow of love.
A Siddha Yogi from Massachusetts, USA

We found the connection at 5 p.m. sharp, and I translated the satsang into French for my friends. I could feel Gurumayi’s presence—her love and grace were very tangible. It felt as if Gurumayi had suddenly chosen to share our New Year’s Eve celebrations with us in our friend’s home—as if Gurumayi were the ninth guest to join us that Saturday afternoon.
Thank you, Gurumayi.
A Siddha Yogi from Versailles, France

I have never met Gurumayi in person although most of my family has. In the regular seva I offer, I feel that Gurumayi is right there. Yet, in the live video satsang, I felt that she was close enough to me that I could seek her blessings.
The entire family connected to the satsang through our laptop without any break or disturbance. I was so blissful. I could not stop myself from dancing along with Gurumayi. And I couldn’t stop discussing the experience with my co-sevites. When we met the next day to participate in A Sweet Surprise Satsang, we were all dancing while offering seva.
a Siddha Yogi from Delhi, India

Ébahie, j’ai fermé ma fenêtre de navigation et me suis retrouvée dans le satsang. Je n’avais aucune idée que celui-ci avait lieu. Ma filleule ne connaissait pas Gurumayi. Je la lui ai présentée, là dans ce moment. C’était une pure bénédiction, un darshan exquis.
Nous n’avons pu rester connectées que quelques minutes, à cause de difficultés de connexion. Toutefois, ces quelques minutes furent un réel moment de grâce. Mon cœur était comblé de joie. Ma filleule semblait tout aussi heureuse de cette rencontre fortuite. Ce fut un magnifique darshan de fin d’année !
Merci, Gurumayi, pour tant de générosité, de bienveillance à notre égard, d’amour ! Je t’aime.
une Siddha Yogini de Sherbrooke, Canada

Soon after takeoff, I pulled out my smartphone. To my surprise, I was able to join the video stream at 30,000 feet in the air. My heart leapt with such happiness to see Gurumayi welcoming everyone, with her loving smile and irresistible laughter. I excitedly told my family I’d connected! With the speakerphone just loud enough, we all eagerly huddled around my smartphone.
My three kids have never met Gurumayi in person, so when they see her online, they often ask, “Mum, is Gurumayi alive? Is she real? Does she love kids?” Once I assured them this satsang was definitely real, they were so delighted!
It was truly mahaprasad to witness this tapestry of loving expressions unfold. After landing, as we walked out listening to Jyota se Jyota Jagao, I thought I would burst with happiness. When the satsang ended, so had my family’s trip but I felt the satsang heralded a very special and auspicious new year.
a Siddha Yogi from Washington, USA

Thank you for making the start of my new year a happy one.
a Siddha Yogi from Arizona, USA

However, I still wanted to start my day as I always do by singing to the goddess Mahalakshmi and offering some coins. But this morning I could find no coins. So I thought, “Let me make a dakshina offering online today out of gratitude for the Siddha Yoga path website.”
Well, when I went online, the live video stream was just beginning!
I’m so grateful to Gurumayi for this satsang—and to myself for listening to my inner voice by tuning in to the flow of giving and receiving. In the satsang, I especially heard Gurumayi instructing me to treasure and nurture my sense of worthiness.
I send my blessing to the Siddha Yoga community. May love shine in your world constantly.
a Siddha Yogi from Acapulco, Mexico

Il est encore plus clair pour moi que la grâce du Guru éclaire le chemin et l’adoucit jusqu’à la réalisation. L’amour, la joie et la paix de cette soirée illuminent encore mon cœur.
La confiance et le respect sont présents maintenant avec davantage de conscience pour soutenir de doux efforts et honorer l’abondance de la grâce. Je me sens bénie. De voir Gurumayi est tellement bénéfique. Je reconnais toute la chance que j’ai.
Merci mille fois à Gurumayi !
une Siddha Yogini de Paris, France

My fellow sevites and I danced and embraced each other with joy. We informed as many people as we could. Then we prepared a big screen with a projector, so everyone could see and have Gurumayi’s darshan.
By 9:30 p.m. in India, there were almost 250 Siddha Yogis in the hall, clapping and cheering. Suddenly, the video came to life, and everyone saw Gurumayi on the big screen. Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jay! resounded from the hall. People were ecstatic. When the livestream concluded, it was 12:05 a.m. January 1. So, we welcomed the new year live with Gurumayi, singing a song of love, joy, and peace.
Thank you, Gurumayi—it was the best!
a Siddha Yogi from Gandhinagar, India

I kept watching and listening to Gurumayi and to the other participants. The young people’s blessings to the six continents were so beautiful. The talk about knowledge was profound. Chanting with Gurumayi was so joyful, I stood in front of my computer and danced!
Thank you so much, Gurumayi.
a Siddha Yogi from Tokyo, Japan

Around 3:07 a.m. Gurumayi’s image and voice, and her infectious and jubilant laughter, appeared on my computer and we immediately felt a part of the Universal Hall.
I was enthralled as I watched each element of the satsang emerge, unfold, and dissolve. I felt Gurumayi’s energy—that same shakti that is within me.
Later, as I went for a japa walk, I saw and felt Gurumayi’s energy pulsating within me and the world around me—in the pond, trees, birds, cars, sky, and the rising sun. Everywhere and everything seemed to emanate love from my Guru and my love for her!
a Siddha Yogi from Melbourne, Australia

We arrived in the nick of time, and as Gurumayi entered Nidhi Chauk, the entryway outside of Shri Nilaya, she saw me and said, “I heard you have a picture of the sunrise!” Gurumayi asked me to share its beauty on the live video stream with everyone in the world. Then we heard from another satsang participant that there had also been a column of light during the sunrise at Shree Muktananda Ashram. The sky and sun were showering their blessings upon us!
a sevite in Shree Muktananda Ashram

When Gurumayi appeared on the screen, his face lit up. For the entire satsang, my son was transfixed, soaking in Gurumayi’s presence, laughing when she laughed, making chanting sounds when she chanted, and listening intently when she spoke even though he could not intellectually follow very much. He seemed to enter an abode of joy that I remember him experiencing when he was in the physical presence of Gurumayi or Baba.
Near the end of the satsang, when Gurumayi said, “I welcome you all, with all my heart,” my son’s joy could not be contained. He raised his arms and shouted as if ecstasy knew no bounds, “Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jay!”
a Siddha Yogi from California, USA

As I participated in the satsang, my soul felt nourished like a parched desert flower receiving rain. During the program I texted my sister and she was able to participate, as well as my husband who had never met Gurumayi. I am so grateful that I followed my intuition. What an incredible way to end one year and start a new one!
Thank you so very much, Gurumayi.
a Siddha Yogi from California, USA

I immediately informed two other friends, and starting at 4 p.m. Dutch time, the three of us enjoyed the satsang on my laptop at my house. I also called some American friends who were in India at that moment. When I experienced some technical difficulties, I called them back, and together we made it possible for all of us to connect with the live stream. It felt like international co-creation!
During the satsang, my state changed for the better: I reconnected with the Self. I am still in that state, despite having some physical pain. I thank God, because now I can stay connected to my heart and feel compassion for all others who have pain.
I feel grateful to Gurumayi, who shows us the possibility of living from a state of gratitude and inner well-being.
a Siddha Yogi from Amsterdam, Netherlands

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see Gurumayi dancing around Shri Nilaya—and I was dancing too, with tears of joy rolling down my cheeks. I felt reunited with her; in that moment, I forgot where I was and the physical distance between us!
a Siddha Yogi from New Delhi, India

I first heard of the event from a friend in Brazil, even though I live five minutes away from Shree Muktananda Ashram! My next-door neighbor first heard about it from someone in California. That experience of our connectedness was amazing. It was like a divine fire spreading suddenly around the globe.
The faces of everyone in the satsang shone with joy, with peace, and with a very centered energy. In fact, everyone looked truly rooted in their own being, and as if they exemplified Gurumayi’s Message for 2016. I felt as if I were there in Shri Nilaya with them, as we celebrated the culmination of another magnificent year on the Siddha Yoga path.
Happy New Year!
a Siddha Yogi from New York, USA

We heard about the event on social media, and we connected through my computer at our home in Ohio. Our whole family participated—my wife and I, and our two children. Even our dog seemed to enjoy it!
The children couldn’t believe how funny Gurumayi was. Our son said, “She has so much joy!” I couldn’t stop crying; I felt so much love I thought I couldn’t contain it. I had to sing the verses of Jyota se Jyota Jagao inside because I couldn’t get the words out.
I feel completely rejuvenated and reconnected to the path. I meditate every day, but I’ve really missed offering seva and being in community. In the afternoon I decided to repair my harmonium and taught my children how to play the drum. We chanted Om Namo Bhagavate Muktanandaya in the Bhakti raga. I’m so grateful!
a Siddha Yogi from Ohio, USA

When I became aware that we would see Gurumayi and be with her in a satsang, my mind stood still, and I was totally open to receive her love and lessons. I felt I was actually there with her in mind, body, and spirit—and with lots of tears. She brought me to places and memories inside that have always been there but were lying dormant. It seemed that the fire of Consciousness, which had been hidden, was reignited and started to blaze once again within me.
a Siddha Yogi from Florida, USA

This was a wonderful, spontaneous satsang with Gurumayi.
a Siddha Yogi from New York, USA

Once I was able to connect to the website, the love, joy, and enthusiasm came roaring through the connection perfectly, perhaps even more than the sound and images! I was so happy that people everywhere around the world could be there.
So many people shared so generously and bravely. I felt so much love for everyone. I even feel that my computer is now blessed—a blessed vehicle of love and shakti.
I am so grateful for the beautiful gift of this satsang. I’m especially grateful that so many people around the world had the opportunity to see, hear, and feel the presence of our Guru and our loving sangham.
a Siddha Yogi from Utah, USA

The satsang was scheduled for 6 p.m. here in Nairobi. I settled myself in front of my computer at home, my heart beating in anticipation and awe. And there I saw Gurumayi enjoying the bubbles with the children!
Throughout the satsang I was focused on every word with rapt attention. My heart expanded with so much love and joy.
After contemplating this event, I realized how lovingly Gurumayi had made me aware of the importance of remaining alert, understanding questions asked, and answering to the point with “confidence, conviction, clarity”—Gurumayi’s teaching in honor of Raksha Bandhan 2016. I will put this into practice in my worldly situations throughout 2017.
Thank you, Gurumayi, for inviting us all into Shri Nilaya!
a Siddha Yogi from Nairobi, Kenya

That morning, my husband and I went out to breakfast to celebrate our thirty-third wedding anniversary; on New Year’s Eve 1983 we were married in the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in the Ashram in South Fallsburg. Of course, we’d agreed we’d return home before 11 a.m. for the webcast. During breakfast, I received a cellphone call about the live video stream from a friend in Amherst.
Once the webcast began on our home computer, my heart soared! I texted my daughter in Pondicherry, India: “Gurumayi is giving darshan SYDA Website NOW!” It was approaching midnight in Pondicherry. When the New Year arrived, fireworks were bursting above my daughter’s rooftop—just as Gurumayi was wishing us “Lots of love, lots of joy, lots of peace!”
Thank you, Gurumayi, for this satsang.
a Siddha Yogi from Massachusetts, USA

The webcast started at 8 a.m. Pacific time. At first I couldn’t connect; I thought, “The global Siddha Yoga community must have crashed the website!” Friends were texting me, “I can’t see anything!” And then suddenly—there was Gurumayi, speaking to the camera (and to me!) with the children and their bubble wands! I was ecstatic!
As I viewed the satsang, I truly felt as if I were there in Shri Nilaya. Everyone looked so beautiful—full of love, joy, and peace. It was one of my most memorable experiences in Siddha Yoga. I am so very grateful!
a Siddha Yogi from California, USA
