Verna and Sampsa were initially drawn to Shri Kali Ashram by the fact that an entire science with all it's aspects according to specific traditions had been retrieved by Bhagavan Shanmukha and was taught as a wholesome curriculum.
Since arriving at the ashram, they have both completed the Yoga Alliance® 500™ Hour Teacher’s Training and they continue to live and study at Shri Kali.
“The fact that the school offered studies in Sanskrit and lectures on philosophy, outside merely the practise of āsanas, was what initially sparked my interest,” says Sampsa. “It was enough for me to choose Shri Kali over any other ashram and on arrival it didn't take long for me to realise that the depth of Bhagavan's knowledge would allow me to immerse myself in the tantra and yoga studies for a while to come and make tantra and yoga an integral part of my life.”
Before coming to Shri Kali, neither Verna nor Sampsa had done yoga before. “I really didn't have any expectations when coming here,” says Verna. “The fact that I hadn't involved myself in āsanas, meditation, or philosophy before coming here never proved to be a hindrance, quite the opposite; from very early on, I was able to see that what was taught here was profound and I wanted to immerse myself deeply to be able to have a true understanding of it all. Before coming here I had studied languages at university and a big part of choosing to come to Shri Kali was that there was an opportunity to study Sanskrit, the ‘perfected language,’ in which all the original texts of Indian spiritualism are recorded. In my opinion, if one wants to study the Tantras and the Vedas, one can't help but study Sanskrit to be able to go to the original texts and avoid the unfortunate misunderstandings and mistranslations present in many current translations.”
“The āsana series that Bhagavan teaches, which he refers to as the Tridoṣa series, is unique among the whole world of yoga. In modern times, especially in the western world, where the science of yoga has been reduced to merely a physical āsana-workout, its original, wholesome effect on the person has been lost. Fortunately, the Tridoṣa series, pioneered by Bhagavan, is integrated into all the other studies he passes to us (prāṇāyāma, bandhas, metaphysics, and meditation). For a person to be wholesome and happy, the mind, body and soul must all be in harmonious coordination. Thus, all the different aspects of the studies here support one another. Staying true to the tradition in which they are based means they all have a solid foundation on which they stand. This is what really fascinates me. And you can definitely feel the effects of it! For me, it was really new in the beginning to ‘let go’ and relax in the āsanas. I would initially push too hard and injure myself, to only repeat the same cycle time and again. However, realizing that it is only when we are truly relaxed that we are actually able to be efficient, ergonomic and intelligent, my whole attitude towards life changed. I noticed that I was able to handle stress much better and that my body was becoming stronger, not by pushing more and more, but by relaxing and ‘letting go’ and allowing my whole self to relax and thus harmonise itself. All aspects of the studies here and the time spent has been immensely beneficial,” says Sampsa.
He continues: “In the world today there are many schools that claim to teach tantra, and even more which teach yoga. However, at Shri Kali, both tantra and yoga are combined according to the Kaula tradition as taught by Bhagavan, the sole traditional school in the world teaching this system. I had come across the term ‘tantra’ before coming here, but honestly had no idea what people were talking about when referring to it. It was only after the guidance of Bhagavan that tantra became an essential part of my life. What tantra boils down to is, ‘Are you happy?’ It is a science devoted to understanding yourself. One can only do it by being utterly honest with yourself. To be able to express wholesomely and happily each and every moment of one's life is not an impossible utopian idea: it is the person expressing from their ‘real self’ in a way which allows other people to do the same also. This is why you need to be honest with yourself, since you are here to live your life, and not that of your parents, your teachers, or anyone else. That's the beauty of tantra as Bhagavan teaches; there are no secrets, no magic or tricks, but the integration of knowledge that has been preserved in the texts and taught to us by Bhagavan.”
It's nothing new to say that modern science, from ‘western’ medicine to quantum physics, has not given us any solid answers (cf. David Bohm, The Special Theory of Relativity [1965]; Fritjof Capra, The Turning Point [1982]). It seems that an ever growing number of people around the planet are not able to provide answers and are also losing faith in whatever information is out there. “For a long time, I had pondered on the issues of, ‘Who are we, where do we come from, why are we here?’ never receiving any substantial answers from anywhere,” says Verna. “I always felt somehow empty, thinking, how is it that no source anywhere arrives at any solid, definite answers that actually make sense? I was finally able to get answers by listening to the talks given by Bhagavan and reading the tantric texts themselves and fortunately this knowledge rests on a solid foundation. That is, it will never change, there will never be a new ‘theory’ coming in refuting what has been stated before. The knowledge has been as it is and will continue to be so, and that is what to me gives a sense of solace, that I will not have to continue searching anymore. I have found the path and I feel happy and confident to stay on it.”
Having been together already for a number of years, both Verna and Sampsa agree that tantra provides the base factors for building a relationship out of honesty and love and provides both persons with the freedom to express themselves to the fullest (dharma). “By honouring your partner, you are actually able to build yourself. By building your life with your partner, you break down all illusions about yourself, your partner, the world, and all. In the tantras, the feminine is taken as a central concept. Hence, the importance of a meaningful relationship (Dakṣiṇa Marga). Living here has brought us even closer together. In these times when divorce rates are going through the roof and the media worldwide seems to be constantly bombarding everyone that it is nigh impossible to have a truly honest and meaningful relationship, it becomes even more obvious that there is a real need in the world for what tantra has to offer. Again, it is never about any quick-fixes and tricks, but about how truly happy you want to be and do you want to be happy every moment of your life. Actually, if you just allow for trust and intimacy and truly honour the other person, a partnership is built and sustained that allows for true happiness. It is this knowledge and science which we at Shri Kali wish to impart.” Sampsa and Verna are currently studying in Helsinki, Finland.