Dear Friends of the Ashram,

I am not sure if it is my imagination, but it seems as if the Ashram becomes more and more busy every year. The last day of Navratri, despite poor weather and occuring during the middle of the week, was the largest yet. We honored at least 50 children that day and more children the weekend before. The article below tells about the magnificent celebration and is full of photos. Since Navratri we have also been very full here with families, groups, and visitors from around the country and around the world.

Premanand's Mother, Blanche passed away a few days before Navratri so please keep her and the family in your prayers. He left immediately for home in Rhode Island and was gone for nearly three weeks. Annelou has been in Switzerland for the last couple of months selling her deceased Mother's house. Annee and Dee Laird just finished building their new home in Montrose, Colorado so were also not able to come for Navratri. I had a moment of panic wondering how all would be done in preparation for and during Navratri with so few experienced hands. As I prayed for strength, I remembered an experience in 1981 with Shri Babaji where He had me lift Him up off the ground. At first, just following His order, I had no trouble even though He was much bigger than me. As I questioned in my mind how I was able to do this, He suddenly became incredibly heavy and I could no longer lift Him. So I proceeded to go through Navratri just doing one thing at a time and not thinking about how much had to be done. For me, it was a deep lesson in letting go of expectations and trusting that Shri Babaji and the Mother would send the appropriate help. I believe it was actually the smoothest, deepest, and most joyful Navratri I have ever experienced. A big thank you is due to Jonathan and Shila and all the other generous karma yogis that gave so unselfishly to make Navratri so wonderful.

One of our long-time Board members, Lorain Davis, recently stepped down from the Board of Directors. Her loving and wise presence will be deeply missed. In the article below qualifications for a new member are described. Perhaps you are interested in serving. We also have several events coming up next month and in the summer. Read on and mark your calendars so that you may join us here at this beautiful Ashram in the mountains of Colorado. Remember that our daily schedule includes morning and evening aarati (chanting) at 7am and 7pm, a large fire ceremony every full and new moon at 10am followed by a bhandara, and a smaller fire ceremony at 6:30am on other days. If you would like to sponsor a fire ceremony ($108) or bhandara (feast) ($108) you may make the donation on line by just clicking here or call at 719-256-4108 or e-mail the Ashram at info@BabajiAshram.org

In truth and love, Ramloti

Indian Cooking Class and Fundraiser
Saturday, May 6

As mentioned in our last newsletter, the Ashram is collaborating with and helping to lead the Crestone Charter High School students to India next Spring. They will be visiting Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur as well as traveling to Haidakhan to experience life in a small village and an Ashram. This is a big trip for them and so the fundraising is already beginning. The first event will be an evening of Indian food, a dance perfromance by Signe Ramstrom, and Indian music on Saturday, May 6 from 6pm until 9pm. Most of the food will be prepared at the Ashram earlier in the day in conjunction with an Indian cooking class which will run from 9am until 1pm. If anyone is interested in helping in any way (food preparation, entertainment, set up, or clean up) please call the Ashram at 719-256-4108. You may also email us at info@babajiashram.org. We have space for you in the dormitory if you are coming from out of town.

Vamadeva, who leads weekly kirtan in Boulder, has asked to lead an evening of chanting and music in the new kirtan hall here at the Ashram. The date we have decided on is Saturday, May 27 during Memorial weekend. The kirtan will begin at 5pm and will go to just before 7pm at which time we begin aarati. Vamadeva sings Sanskrit chants from the Shiva, Vishnu (Ram-Sita, Radhe-Krishna) and Divine Mother traditions - Kali, Durga, Lakshmi and Sarasvati. He is a Bhakta devotee of the Goddess Kali and a devotee of Guru Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, in the lineage of Neem Karoli Baba. He has been chanting and leading Kirtan since 1972 when he was 16. He leads kirtan and kirtan workshops around the country and is highly regarded as a deep and soulful kirtan leader.

Admission to the kirtan is by donation, which will go to both Vamadeva's travel costs and supporting the Ashram. There is still some room available in the dorm for that weekend so if you would like to join us or for more information about the evening, call the Ashram at 719-256-4108, or e-mail us at info@babajiashram.org. On Memorial Day weekend the dorm traditionally fills up very fast, so call us soon. 

Kirtan Workshop
July 24 through July 28

Every year the Ashram has a workshop that runs concurrently with Family Week. This year we are excited to present a kirtan workshop, which although still in the formative phase, will most likely include chanting, stories, history, harmony, harmonium and percussion lessons, and instruction in and performance of a small puja to begin each day. At this time we are asking for your ideas, requests, and for volunteers to help facilitate the workshop. There are so many talented musicians and vocalists coming to the Ashram that we feel it will be an awesome week. We are asking a donation of $108 for the workshop. There are some scholarships available. Please call the Ashram at 719-256-4108 for more information and reservations or email us at info@babajiashram.org.

The Annual Family Week will run from Monday, July 24 through Friday, July 28. This is a week set aside to facilitate families to have an Ashram experience with special kid-friendly activities and learning. As in years past, all of the kids will participate in group meetings, karma yoga, go horseback riding, take trips to the Sand Dunes Swimming pool, go hiking, participate in a Native American Sweat Lodge and learn some chanting. During the morning hours, while the children are involved in the kids' camp, the adults may participate in the Kirtan Workshop, if they choose, or join in the karma yoga. A parent or guardian must be on the Ashram premise at all times during the kid's camp. In the afternoons, parents organize field trips for the children.

There will be two age-groups this year. Children ages 5-9 (younger if parent stays with the group) will work with Tracy Callaway. Tracy works at Indigo Village in Encinitas, California specializing in children's playgroups, teaching parenting classes and training babysitters in Redirecting Children's Behavior Techniques. She brings a lot of youthful energy, enthusiasm, fun, as well as experience to our Family week. Our older children 9-13 will be working once again with Brin Tucker. Brin teaches elementary school on the East Coast and we are so grateful that she will be with us again this summer with her warm and loving style that the youth enjoyed so much. One of the activities she and a few other adults will lead the older group on is an overnight campout at Willow Lake above Crestone.

We do have dorm facilities for families during Family Week but they are limited and some folks have already made their reservations. Please call the Ashram at 719-256-4108 for more information and reservations or email us at info@babajiashram.org. as soon as possible. The suggested donation to stay at the Ashram for a week is $135 per adult and includes all meals. Children stay for free. The Children's Camp is a gift from the Ashram, so there is no charge to attend that program.

From Aug.28 - Sept. 1, the Ashram will sponsor a Raw Food Week. The photo here is of Deva Kaur Khalsa who is a food consultant, vegetarian chef, and raw food instructor. She gave a raw food class at the Ashram last week and it was awesome. She has agreed to prepare food (both cooked and raw) for the Family Week and Kirtan Workshop at the end of July. She is not sure about her availabitlity for Raw Food Week but we have a lot of information to share with folks that are interested in experiencing or living with a raw food diet. Some of us at the Ashram have been raw (100% and 90%) for a few years now and and have many, many delicous recipes and techniques that we are continually passing on to others. At this time of the summer, our large organic garden and greenhouse are full of vibrantly delicious vegetables and herbs, so picking the produce, juicing and preparing them for meals, and learning a bit about organic gardening will be part of the week. We are asking a donation of $108 for the workshop. There are some scholarships available. Please call the Ashram at 719-256-4108 for more information and reservations or email us at info@babajiashram.org. The suggested donation to stay at the Ashram for a week is $135 per adult and includes all meals.

Every few months, the Ashram invites representatives from some of our neighboring spiritual centers to have lunch with us. This has proven to be a great way to get to know each other better, share information about our practices, and just become better friends with our neighbors. Last month we hosted Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and his wife, Elizabeth from the Mangala Shri Bhuti Center and Roshi Richard Baker and his wife, Marie Louise from the Crestone Mountain Zen Center for lunch with Ashramites, karma yogis, and Ashram Board Members. It was a very special time together. Pictured in the photo from the left are: Cindy Cleary, Ramloti, Elizatheth Namgyel, Marie Louise Baker, Shila, Annie Pace, Claire Vaughn, Jonathan, Roshi Baker, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Deborah Michalak, Danush, and Jen Baldwin.

As mentioned above, Lorain Davis as stepped down from the Board of Directors after ten years of service. We so appreciate all she has given to the Ashram and her wise counsel will be deeply missed. Thank you Lorain.

Some of the qualifications that we would be looking for in a new Board member would be commitment to the teachings of Babaji and to the mission and progress of the Ashram and regular attendance at the Board meeting. (The Ashram Board meets every month, generally on the first Sunday from 1pm until 3pm with lunch at noon.) Qualities such as: good decision-making skills, communication skills, negotiating skills, listening skills, and a willingness and ability to give the time necessary to fulfill the obligations of the office. If you feel you are qualified and are willing to have your name considered for this or other Board vacancies, please send us a letter stating so. Please include in the letter your qualifications and experience, length of time you have been involved with the Ashram, and what you feel you can contribute to the Board. You may send this to P.O. Box 9, Crestone, CO 81131 or email it to info@babajiashram.org. All letters should be received by May 4 to be considered at the Board meeting on May 7. Thank you for your interest.

Memories of a Magnificent Spring Navratri

As mentioned several places above, Spring Navratri was beautiful, deep, well-attended, and very memorable. Here are photos of the Divine Mother from the nine days of Navratri. Each of Her saris were gifted by devotees over the last few months and all were made especially for this occasion.

Calendar for 2006

May 6 - Indian Cooking Class from 9am-1pm. Indian Dinner and Entertainment Fundraiser for the Charter School
May 27 - Kirtan with Vamadeva from Boulder from 5pm until 7pm.
July 10 - Guru Purnima, the day we honor our teacher, Paduka Puja and Fire Ceremony at 10am
July 23 - Annual American Samaj Meeting
July 24 - Fire Ceremony at 10am followed by bhandara
July 24 - 28 - Family Week and Kirtan Workshop
Aug.28 - Sept. 1 - Raw Food Week, work with, eat, and learn about raw foods
Sept. 23 - Oct. 1 - Fall Navratri, nine days honoring the Divine Mother
October 21 - Diwali, festival of lights