September 13, 1950 – November 23, 2022 by Hearts and Hands 2023 (Second Quarter) SS Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, formerly of Taos and a longtime member of our sangat at Hacienda de Guru Ram Das in Espanola, passed away on November 23, 2022. He was living in Argentina with his wife, Ramesh Deep Kaur at the time of his passing. He will be remembered for his longtime healing practice and his ability to bring laughter and joy wherever he went.
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Archives for 2023 - Second Quarter
In Memoriam – SS Harbhajan Singh Khalsa
In Memoriam – SS Gian Kaur Khalsa
1949 – 2023 by Guru Mander Kaur Khalsa 2023 (Second Quarter) SS Gian Kaur Khalsa, woman, teacher, mother, grandmother and friend. She was a Kundalini Yoga Lead Trainer and a first-generation student trained by Yogi Bhajan. Gian Kaur discovered Kundalini Yoga in Amsterdam in 1973. She and her family came to the US in 1976 to meet Yogi Bhajan for the first time; he assigned her to move to Mexico in order to help Baba Ji run the ashram in Mexico City. That same year, she helped organize the first White Tantric Yoga (WTY) course ever held in Mexico. Later
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Miri Piri Academy Women’s Camp at Anandpur Sahib
by SS Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola, New Mexico 2023 (Second Quarter) After several years of isolation due to the pandemic, women from around the world gathered in February at Dashmesh Sadan in Anandpur Sahib, India, for a ten-day retreat organized by Miri Piri Academy (MPA) of Amritsar. Head Principal Japjeet Kaur was an elegant host for the camp, taking care of all the details and allowing us to dive deeply into study, meditation, and experience. We began and ended our time together at the MPA campus in Amritsar, which provided us with ample opportunity to explore the campus, visit the
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What Remains When All is Gone…
by SS Sat Sansar Singh Khalsa, Santiago, Chile 2023 (Second Quarter) In 2018 I wrote an article for the Ministry Newsletter entitled, “What does it mean to be a Sikh Dharma Minister?” In the last paragraph I wrote, “To me it is a profound manifestation of destiny to experience this human life as a Sikh Dharma Minister, to support others on their own life’s journey, to share with them the teachings and practices of Sikh Dharma, and to work together with brothers and sisters to create a future for Sikh Dharma globally.” These words hold true for me now, as
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The Dharma of Releasing My Trauma
by SS Dr. JivanJoti Kaur Khalsa, Santa Cruz, New Mexico 2023 (Second Quarter) Dear Ministers, I wish to thank the Sikh Dharma Ministry for devoting this newsletter to the Progressive Arc of the Resolution of Trauma. I was grateful to be asked to write an article on this timely and important topic. Even though I am a psychotherapist, Kundalini Yoga teacher and Sat Nam Rasayan healer, I am not writing this article from the perspective of a professional. Rather, my focus here is the vulnerable, intimate and personal journey of healing trauma in my own life. Realizations There are
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A Safe Harbor in Challenging Times
by SS Mata Mandir Singh Khalsa, MT 2023 (Second Quarter) This is a time when there are some 80 million refugees in the world, uprooted from their homes, families, villages, temples, culture, and way of life. The causes are many, including oppression, lack of resources, racism, religious persecution, and climate change. In the end they were forced to leave behind all that had brought them solace and comfort. At the same time, I would posit that there is another type of refugee. They haven’t been forced out of their town, city, or country, but feel as if their support systems have
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Minister News & Notes (2023 Second Quarter)
This free online course presented by Sikh Dharma International offers an introductory-level overview of the Sikh Dharma path for those seeking a deeper understanding of the question “What is a Sikh?” This is a great course of study for Sikh Dharma beginners – yoga students, interfaith groups, family members and others, who are interested in exploring the path of Sikh Dharma and want to learn more about Sikhs and the Sikh way of life. New lessons will be rolled out weekly on many varied topics including: What is a Sikh? Sikh Beliefs Sikh Practices The Ten Gurus Sikh Saints The Siri
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Secretary of Religion Column (2023 Second Quarter)
Dear Ministers, It’s spring in the Northern Hemisphere—a time of renewal. After the winter season, plants begin a new cycle. Some push up from the ground and manifest into flowers; the barren trees bud and produce new leaves. It’s as if the earth is re-awakening. Yet at the same time, in the Southern Hemisphere it is fall—the precursor to winter. Polarities. Yes, even the cycles of the seasons have simultaneous polarities on planet Earth. Is it any wonder that polarization is so readily experienced in our lives? I’m reminded of the ‘far-reaching’ goal the Ministry newsletter team has aspired to
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#88 – 2023 Newsletter (Second Quarter)
The concept of Collective Efficacy posits that together we can make meaningful change in our community, whether or not we agree on everything. Working together, anything is possible. Our 2023 Ministry Newsletter series features this concept front and center. What we have collectively experienced in our international sangat mirrors the model of what occurs when an individual undergoes the disruption and dysregulation of a traumatic event. To address this, in the four issues of the newsletter we will share with our readers the progressive arc of the resolution of trauma. In our February issue, Ministers shared tools for stabilization of
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