Year in Review - 2014

2014 was a very special year. Here are some highlights.

Starting from the inside out -

• I had an aim of sitting in meditation for at least 2 hours a day. Coming to peace with the self and listening to Guidance was the foundation of everything that manifested.
• My favorite activity continues to be the Friday meditation meetup, a time to hold space with a random group of people each week.
• For 16^th year in a row, I spent three weeks in October on a spiritual retreat in Mount Abu, India. This is my opportunity to stock up spiritual resources for the year. One of the key realizations was from Dadi Janki - “when my focus shifts from ‘me’ to ‘you’, the heart opens up to serve unconditionally.”
• Being at Wisdom 2.0 conference has consistently been a source of inspiration each year and a chance to meet kindred spirits from all over the world. This is a “tribe” that shares my core purpose - to transition from a life of achievement to a life of fulfillment. 

In the community -

• Participating at the Peace Walk at San Quentin prison was transformative. The article from that experience got published in HuffingtonPost.
• I was invited to the home of Peter Baumann, band member of Tangerine Dream, who I’d listen to growing up in India. He now runs Being Human based in San Francisco and is one of my mentors.
• Had a chance meeting with John Carman, the policeman who patrols the Golden Gate Bridge and talks people out of suicide. He then came over to speak at the Men’s Wisdom Circle on Suicide prevention. That day I learned that a random smile, saying hello to strangers or calling on a long lost friend/relative could save a life.
• Three weeks after I met the Director of SF Parks Alliance, we won a grant award for Peace in the Park. It was a huge validation for the team that puts in a tremendous effort each year to raise consciousness in the community, especially in young people.
• 2^nd annual Peace in the Park had even bigger attendance than last year, with more variety, larger network of organizations, world-renowned speakers and city officials blessing the event. It was joy to see entire families engaging in good clean soulful fun.
• Just as I was making plans to leave for an annual trip to India, I got invited to an initiative called Being with One in Hawaii. It was nice to slow down to island-tempo before the destinations in Asia.
• Every year I try to take my mother on a trip. This year it was to China. The trip lifted many veils in me and I fell in love with the people.
• The last 2.5 months were in India to co-produce the 1^st annual SPIRIT Summit. It was the longest trip to homeland since moving to the US 18 years ago. My parents were delighted to have me home for that long.
• I enjoyed leading several workshops and retreats in 2014 for a wide variety of audience, including doctors, executives, prisoners, a start-up company, and spiritual seekers. A particularly memorable one was the Art and Science of Happiness, which had lots of tears (of joy) at the end.

What’s on the horizon for 2015 -

•  I’m starting with a 'clean slate' with 3 weeks of silence in January.
• I have been invited to become a trainer for Transform course created by Mayo Clinic’s Amit Sood MD and the Search Inside Yourself program created by Meng Tan of Google. So, lots of classwork and more arrows for the quiver.
• We got an invitation to host SPIRIT Summit in Pune, India, which is intended for March. 

For the rest, I will try to stay silent and tune into what Source wants to manifest in the world.

I wish you a glorious 2015 filled with love, lightness and joy!