I discovered a new ashram last night: the Yogini Ashram.  I was looking for a place to learn about Tantra and found a Meetup.com listing (second day link) for a class that will take place at the end of the month.  It just seems like the right thing to explore, given the way things are working out lately.

As it turned out, my own guru had lived in the Yogini Ashram off and on for some time.  This was a reassuring reference.  The ashram has two temple rooms: one featuring Babaji, and the other featuring Kali.  My guru had just been talking about Babaji that morning with her Sunday meditation group.

The meeting I attended last night was Deep Yogic Relaxation – Yoga Nidra.  The process used was quite similar to guided meditation and creative visualization techniques used in hypnotherapy.  I warned them before we started that I was very tired, I might fall asleep during the process, and I might snore loudly when I did.  I was told that this was fine.  And so we proceeded.  I felt quite rested afterward.

After the Yoga Nidra process, I was invited to stay for the Kirtan event afterward.  It can be rather challenging to sing and chant in another language, but the call and response format made it easier.  Also, the chants started out slow and then built up speed, which also made it easier to follow along.