29/07/2026
There are debts the heart keeps that words can never fully repay. This is my humble attempt anyway, a bow to the souls who have shaped the spiritual path I walk.
HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj, my spiritual master, sits at the very top of this list of gratitude. Through his example he has shown me what it means to love Krishna, how to draw near to Him, how to actually feel Him, not just believe in Him.
I still remember the first time I saw him. I cried as though my heart had finally found the missing piece it had been searching for all along. I didn’t yet know to whom I was offering my service that day, I only knew, without knowing, that I had just met the one who would become my guide and my light. No words hold enough admiration or gratitude for him.
I also want to honor Prabhu Rupa Gosai, who guided my initiation preparation. His wisdom and his simplicity brought me closer to becoming ready to take initiation, and through him I understood something essential: that even approaching someone as pure as a spiritual master requires a foundation, a grounding, built with the guidance of someone truly qualified.
This path is not always easy, and for that reason I owe so much to Simha and Pitu, not only for a beautiful friendship, but for the conversations we’ve shared that dig deep into understanding this spiritual journey we’re walking together. My spiritual siblings, who ask nothing in return, share their knowledge freely, and in doing so, help me reflect more deeply. I can’t forget Simha’s example of discipline, or Pitu’s effortless flow, together they taught me that balance is possible. It was with them that I took my first and, so far, only trip to India, though we’ve shared many other journeys since. They showed me India through the lens of love and devotion, a gift I carry with me still.
How could I ever forget my beloved teachers at Govardhan School of Yoga, Aarti, Anmol and Nimai Lila Prabhu.
They gave me far more than a beautiful experience in GEV; they transmitted a yoga entirely new to me, one that goes beyond the physical practice, and even within the physical practice, teaches you how to go beyond it.
This team awakened a whole world of knowledge
