“I saw a photo of Shri Mataji in the house of a Sahaja Yoga couple but I never asked about it. Until one day, the Sahaja Yogini asked me if I wanted to get Self Realisation. I accepted, and since then I meditate every day. Before Sahaja, I used to do my job as quickly as possible. Today, I live in the moment and pay close attention to what I’m doing. Meditation has also greatly helped me overcome my shyness.
My dream is to work in Borotin. To me, it’s incredible to see little children sitting quietly and meditating. I study English every day. If everything works out, next year I’ll go there!”
Mariana – Casa Branca, Brazil
“My sister, who is also a yogini, and I love hiking and visiting waterfalls. The nature here is breathtaking. One day, we were at a waterfall when I saw a young man jump from one of the rocks into the water. There’s a grotto behind the waterfall, and he was trying to swim against a strong current to reach it. However, he wasn’t making any progress, and I quickly realised he was struggling to breathe. Without hesitation, I jumped into the water, grabbed his arm and pulled him out before anything worse could happen. This waterfall is very dangerous.
I ended up saving the young man from drowning. Later, we started talking, and I took him to Sahaja to get Self Realisation. In the end, I saved him twice. (laughs)”
Bruno – Casa Branca, Brazil
“My mom and dad’s families are from Italy, and I also have French and German heritage. I don’t even know what I’m doing here in Brazil! (laughs) Just kidding – I love this land so much.
I started meditating three years ago. I’m a civil engineer, and I often get creative insights while meditating. Once, I wanted to design a space in my house where 8 to 10 people could meditate together. During meditation, a 3D image suddenly popped into my mind, it was like watching a movie. I saw a pentagon-shaped space with a beautiful roof, benches and a stream of cool water flowing through it, perfect for foot soaking..
It was so vivid and detailed that I stopped meditating to sketch it. I thought to myself, “I’ll just finish this quick drawing and then go back to meditating!” And that’s exactly what I did. (laughs)”
Juliano – Casa Branca, Brazil
“When I started practicing Sahaja, my daughter was 15 years old. One day, we went to a store to buy clothes for her. In the store, she loved all the pieces we picked, but when we got home she started complaining and blaming me: ‘It’s your fault I bought these horrible things’.
Before meditating, I would have been very upset. But to my surprise, that day, I simply didn’t react. My daughter even provoked me, saying: ‘That’s right, don’t say anything.’ And I really didn’t say anything. I just witnessed it.
That was the moment I realised that a very profound transformation was happening within me.”
Aline – Casa Branca, Brazil
“We were on a plane with Shri Mataji during Her last trip to South America. Shri Mataji was seated in executive class, and I was in economy. Curiosity got the better of me, and I thought, “What’s happening over there?” So, I grabbed my video camera and entered the executive class, pretending to be a filmmaker.
As I was filming, Shri Mataji turned around to look at me. My heart skipped a beat – I thought, “Oh no, am I about to get scolded?” But instead, She gave me the most beautiful, motherly smile.
I turned to another yogi nearby and said, “Please take a picture of me here because I might never get another chance to be in a picture with Shri Mataji.” I struck a pose with Shri Mataji behind me, and he took the photo. I wanted to have that memory. I wanted to be able to say one day, “Oh, I was there. It wasn’t all just a dream.”
Fábio – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
“A few years ago I got very ill. I thought my time had come and called my friend to come to the hospital and write down my will.
That night, I had a dream. I was on a beautiful beach with a pier. I walked down the pier and when I reached the end, I saw Shri Mataji. My heart filled with joy – the Goddess was waiting for me! I approached Shri Mataji and said, ‘Mother, I am ready.’ But to my surprise, She replied, ‘Not yet. You still need to forgive some people.’
That dream brought back a special memory. Years ago, I was on a flight with Shri Mataji, when the pilot announced that we were flying over Belo Horizonte. I went to the front where Shri Mataji was and asked Her to bless my hometown. She then placed Her hands toward the ground. I thanked Her. Then She asked me how I was doing. I said everything was fine. She said, ‘And your husband?’ I replied, ‘He’s fine.’ She closed Her eyes and said, ‘You are a good wife, but he is not a seeker.’ That day, I understood that my efforts to save my marriage were in vain. Two years later, the divorce was finalised.
Since then, I have forgiven my ex-husband completely. He had taken half of my pension. None of this changed my attitude. Forgiveness is essential. I shared this dream with some Sahaja friends. They told me to forgive most people, but not all of them just yet. They want me to stay around for a bit longer.”
Vera – Brasilia, Brazil
