TRIBUTE TO YOGA MASTERS
TRIBUTE TO
SWAMI SHRADDHANANDA Sw. Shraddhananda gave me the yogic tools not only to affirm my personal Interspiritual truth, but also to live it, with confidence, in community with others. She introduced me to the Sacred Feet Yoga path, on which I have been able to traverse alongside many others who journey on parallel or intersecting byways to spiritual freedom. Her greatest gift to me was the “unity” in community, not only with others, but also with the innate divinity residing in my deepest heart. Knowing, deeply and intimately, that I am never alone in struggle or celebration has been transcendent for my personal sadhana. None of us need permission to be who we are at the sacred core of our being, but it helps to have someone tell you that you do, indeed, have the sacred in your heart of hearts and that, in fact, no matter your “flaws,” you are a sacred being—Hamsa! It also helps when you have a teacher who facilitates you making inroads to the sacred, no matter the externally or internally imposed roadblocks. Sw. Shraddhananda’s largest purpose in this life was to help bring people into experiential knowledge of their sacred Selves and to encourage spiritual exploration and union. I am grateful for the 25 years that I had to walk alongside her doing just that and, while she always resides in the abode of the heart, look forward to the “re-union” upon my own transition from this life. Sandra “Chamatkara” Simon Co-Dharma Heir, Sacred Feet Yoga, President, The Jones Educational Foundation, Inc.
When Swami Shraddhananda first entered my life as a student in my Hatha Yoga classes, I was still aflame with the novelty of all things Yoga. Both she and I were born and raised in the tiny Kentucky town in which we met, and both of us had traveled far and wide to learn that which we were seeking in our travels was the Self, never separate from us at all and equally accessible in our little hometown as anywhere. Her travels were farther and wider than my own, of course. The teachings I had gathered over weekends away in other cities while juggling the demands of mothering young daughters had served to whet my appetite for the kind of experiences she’d had—month-long courses at the ashram, trips to India and Australia, hours of stillness, all-night chanting. This all sounded beyond luxurious at the time, and a part of me undoubtedly looked at her life with a touch of envy alongside admiration early on in our acquaintance. It was only later, when she’d taught me more about the practice of meditation and inspired me to do it faithfully, that I realized her travels were not only farther and wider, but deeper than my own. Through sharing her own rich experience, Swami Shraddhananda challenged me to dive into consciousness and to allow Maha Kundalini Shakti to have her way with me. As a beloved college professor as well as a spiritual teacher, she traveled with students all over the world. But she and I never took a single trip. To my memory, we never shared a visit outside the county in which we both were born and where I was honored to be with her as she made her final transition. I am ever so grateful she and I stayed home together and journeyed within. I daresay it was the ultimate adventure, and without her guidance and encouragement, I may never have gone so deep. Jenny “Amrita” Williams Co-Dharma Heir, Sacred Feet Yoga, Vice President, The Jones Educational Foundation, Inc. Swami Shraddhananda aka Rev. Dr. Sonya Jones was a fine example of down-to-earth, honest-to-goodness service to humanity. She was exceptionally accomplished in many fields, a University Professor for many years as well as a fine poet and writer. In her later years, she established a spiritual lineage, Sacred Feet Yoga, and the Anugraha Ashram. At the same time, Swamiji was never remote and kept her focus on discipleship and service. Through the offering of the sacred gift of Shaktipat, the awakening of the Holy Spirit, she opened the doorway for countless people to experience their divinity. It was my greatest privilege to spend some time with Swami Shraddhananda as her student and friend. I came relatively late to the table, meeting her across the internet through deep discussions during her writing of the groundbreaking book, Jesus Was a Shaktipat Guru. I was not looking for another Teacher, but grace had led her to me anyway, and she graciously accepted me as her student. I was already well on the spiritual road by then, negotiating the more subtle inner swamps and struggling. She already knew the ways through them and pulled me out of the deepest ones, not afraid to challenge self-deception but helping me to stand again in freedom. At the same time, Swamiji was a great friend. It was a joy to come stay with her from the U.K. We roamed together across Kentucky as she showed me her favourite haunts. One time, she acted as guide all around Atlanta, ending up at Mary Mac’s Tearoom, sampling delicious Southern cuisine! How she enjoyed even the simplest things of life, like the delight of throwing a ball made of socks to her little dog, Nina Saraswati! By living her life to the full, others absorbed her joy and learnt to reconnect with their own. I will miss her lively form, but Swamiji is most certainly in my heart and in many others too! Swami Prakashananda (aka The Right Rev. Bishop Christine Deefholts) Co-Dharma Heir, Sacred Feet Yoga, Secretary, The Jones Educational Foundation, Inc. 87
