Introduction

On January 14, 2026, Gurumayi held a satsang in honor of Makara Sankranti in the Siddha Yoga Universal Hall. The satsang, titled “The Light of the Sun,” was streamed live on the Siddha Yoga path website from the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in Shree Muktananda Ashram.

Among the elements of the satsang was a speech by the host, Peter Walsh. Peter is a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher who works professionally as an executive coach. He oriented everyone to the holiday of Makara Sankranti, speaking about how it is dedicated to worship of the sun, Surya Devata.

Ami Bansal, who is also a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher—as well as a scholar of Sanskrit language and scripture—spoke from India to introduce the recitation of the Surya Gayatri mantra. And Shivalini Kinsley, a very talented Siddha Yogi who works as a photographer and mindfulness instructor, and who offers seva with the SYDA Foundation’s Donor Relations Department, explained that we would be chanting the namasankirtana Hare Rama Hare Krishna. This namasankirtana was composed by Gurumayi in the Bhairavi raga.

After the chant, Bhanu Dembergh, a young adult staff member in the SYDA Foundation and the new Live Events Department Head, expressed the devotion of the entire sangham through the practice of arati. I must say, I have always been spellbound by the beauty and power of arati on the Siddha Yoga path. It is by the Guru’s light that our own inner light is illumined—and we in turn have the privilege and responsibility of bringing that light to our world. I am reminded of this truth whenever I participate in this sacred offering of light to light, whenever I see the light of the flame meeting the divine light.

For me, and I imagine for you too, one of the most special elements of any satsang is when Gurumayi speaks. Now I want to say this: in whatever Gurumayi says, in whatever Gurumayi does, and in however she says and does those things, Gurumayi is imparting her teachings. Gurumayi could be drawing from the scriptures, telling a story, or relating an anecdote. She could be speaking sweetly or playfully, or having a casual conversation with people. She could be playing with the animals and birds in the Ashram (many of whom have a propensity for finding Gurumayi and following her around). She could be giving darshan in silence, as she has done for hours at a time while sitting in the courtyard in Gurudev Siddha Peeth. She could even be meeting us in our dreams. In any and all of these circumstances, Gurumayi is teaching. She is conveying to us her wisdom and her love.

During the satsang on Makara Sankranti, Gurumayi spoke to us, and she gave many, many teachings. I’ll be sharing a few highlights here—about the teachings that I have been focusing on so far and contemplating.

I find it helpful to study the teachings in this way—that is, to look at a few of them at a time and explore them in depth—because the Guru speaks in sutras. Each sentence that Gurumayi utters is like an aphorism, concise in its phrasing yet packed with layer upon layer of meaning. This is why, for many years, Reflection Satsangs were held in Siddha Yoga Ashrams and meditation centers whenever Gurumayi gave a talk. The Siddha Yoga Swamis, meditation teachers, and center leaders would guide Siddha Yogis and new seekers in uncovering some of the many nuances of meaning in Gurumayi’s words. They would support people in understanding what Gurumayi had said and why she may have said it.

This is also the purpose of Siddha Yoga Sadhana Circles, which were established by the SYDA Foundation in 2003. Gurumayi wanted people throughout the sangham to be able to study the teachings together—even if that was more informally, in small groups in their communities. The Sadhana Circles, and the guidelines that Swami Vasudevananda and his team in the SYDA Foundation established for them, give Siddha Yogis around the world a structure for their study.

Another reason to participate in such guided, collective study is that we all receive information through the filters of our own beliefs, experiences, and preconceptions. In psychology this is called “confirmation bias.” We hear what we want to hear—or, to be more precise, we are inclined to fit any information we receive into our existing mental and emotional frameworks, rather than challenging those frameworks and hearing the information for what it is. There’s an evolutionary purpose for this; these filters are like shortcuts, allowing us to process information quickly and make decisions accordingly.

The drawback is, our interpretations are not always accurate. And if we’re not careful, this tendency to misinterpret can extend to our engagement with the Guru’s words. It’s an interesting balance we are looking to achieve. We do, of course, want to bring all of ourselves to bear when receiving the Guru’s teachings. Gurumayi has said many times that it is only when we have our own “Aha!” moments about the teachings—when we experience a personal resonance with them—that they can truly take root in our being.

Yet we must also take care to understand the intent and meaning behind Gurumayi’s words. That is: What is Gurumayi saying? Not: What do I want Gurumayi to be saying? Or: What do I believe Gurumayi to be saying, based on my own thoughts and feelings about myself or about this topic?

Fortunately, this is not actually a paradox. In my own experience of following the Siddha Yoga path, I’ve found that the real moments of resonance—the moments when I feel that thunderclap of understanding within—occur when my mind is open and willing to brush up against the truth of the Guru’s words.

The intent of a Reflection Satsang is for each seeker to come to a more thorough and accurate understanding of Gurumayi’s teachings and how those teachings relate to them specifically. And then there is the power of doing sadhana collectively, which is what inherently happens in a Reflection Satsang. We share with one another how we arrived at the understandings and perspectives we hold, and this becomes informative and encouraging for everyone involved. We hear how someone else worked with a teaching, how they discovered and decoded its many meanings, and we think, “Oh! I can do that too!”

Since we can’t all be together in one physical location, I am grateful that these days, we can avail ourselves of this digital medium. Gurumayi once told me that she envisions the Siddha Yoga Universal Hall as a scintillating blue dome. I would like to suggest that we hold this beautiful image in mind whenever we gather in the Universal Hall, whether for satsang or as we are doing now, to share our contemplations.

Gurumayi encouraged me to share my thoughts about her teachings from Makara Sankranti with all of you, my fellow seekers on the Siddha Yoga path. These “meditations on Gurumayi’s words” will be featured in several installments throughout February on the Siddha Yoga path website.

The Importance of Acknowledgment

Depending on where you live, you may have learned about the satsang the night before—or even just a few hours before—it was to take place. I was heartened to hear about how so many of you still made every effort to attend. In a lot of cases, there seemed to be some greater force at work supporting your participation. As a Siddha Yogi from Wisconsin later shared on the Siddha Yoga path website:

My eleven-year-old daughter has been saying a prayer every night that she will be able to receive Gurumayi’s darshan. This intention has been at the front of her mind for years.

This morning, just before the satsang started, we received a call from her school that the power had gone out. This was the case at many schools in our area, but hers was the only one where the generator wasn’t working, so all of the kids were being sent home early on the buses. She walked in the door just in time to chant with Gurumayi, hear Gurumayi speak, and receive Gurumayi’s darshan!

One of the first things Gurumayi did, as she began speaking, was acknowledge everyone for arriving in the Universal Hall on such short notice. This was hugely relevant and resonant for me. I have received guidance from Gurumayi—and I have heard her give this guidance to others too—about the importance of acknowledging people and expressing thanks to them.

I have also, on many occasions, been fortunate to receive specific and personal acknowledgment from Gurumayi. I have felt the full power of acknowledgment in these moments—a golden glow in and around my heart like the light of the sun itself, and the unshakable conviction that I have value. What I am doing has value. Whenever I have received acknowledgment from Gurumayi, I’ve felt like I can do anything—I can take on any challenge—and that it would be a delight to do so, for Gurumayi and for her mission.

I’ve received my fair share of acknowledgment from others too. I don’t say this to brag (really! I promise!), but rather to communicate that I know what it feels like when someone takes even a few moments to let you know that they recognize the work you are doing, the efforts you are undertaking. It makes a difference. Every one of the acknowledgments I have received has made a difference to me. And I hope that the people I’ve acknowledged have experienced the same—that they have felt the sincerity of my gratitude to them.

When Gurumayi thanked everyone for being in the Universal Hall, it was as though everything I had learned and experienced about acknowledgment coalesced within me. I remembered just how significant this practice is. We do need to let people know that their efforts are appreciated. In many cultures, expressing such acknowledgment is part of the established social etiquette. Some people follow this etiquette; others do not. However, on the Siddha Yoga path, Gurumayi has taught us that it is the good and necessary thing to do. Being grateful to others is a form of worship. Giving heartfelt thanks is prayer. I understand Gurumayi’s acknowledgment that day to have been her prasad for each one of us.

So now, I am wondering: how do you go about acknowledging people?