Today we had another great relaxing day. Sadhana was attended by us both……sorry about being vague, as I was asleep during the whole thing!! Well they say attending even if you are asleep still gives you 80% percent of the benefit!! Please note it does not mean that when I teach a class I expect you all to be asleep!!
Afterwards we came home and I went for a walk around the neighbourhood with Harkirat Singh, he told me about how he came from India overland via Pakistan, Afghanistan….travelling overland then to England and setup a business with very little money, he is a fantastic guy and so devoted to Sikhi, Harkirat Singh and Simran Sat Sangeet Kaur do a lot of seva for the community and the Gurdwara. It was great to walk and talk.
Once we got home Sangeet and I went to the Gurdwara and then to Cafe Gratitude, a fantastic vegan restaurant on Larchmont.
Cafe Gratitude
639 Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004
I AM OPEN Juice bar and breakfast 8am – 11am
Lunch and Dinner 10am – 10pm
Tel: + 1 323 580 6383
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaygoat/8080343246/
Afterwards we did the usual laundry run, we dropped it off and then went back to the Gurdwara. The peace and tranquility you experience in Gurdwara is amazing!
In the evening, Hatkirat Singh, Simran Sat Sangeet Kaur, Hargobind Singh, Gurmukh Singh, Sangeet and I went to Vegan Glory, it was great to have good food and great conversation.
Hargobind mentioned that the Space Shuttle Endeavour will be escorted from Los Angeles Airport to the science museum, this will be sometime during the night.
After the meal we came home chatted and then Hargobind and I headed towards LAX. We waited until 3am!! Then we saw the shuttle in the distance, as we had got there early we had very good viewing spots.
Hargobind runs LA Active Adventures his site is www.laactiveadventures.com:
“Los Angeles Tours and Sightseeing by LA Active Adventures
Welcome to LA Active Adventures, a unique Los Angeles tour company that organizes unique sightseeing experiences! Our Los Angeles sightseeing tours are not your typical “sit and see the sights from a bus window” tour. At LA Active Adventures we get you out exploring and interacting with the sights … you might even get your feet wet!
When visiting a city as large as Los Angeles it is impossible to see everything in a limited time span and as a tourist you may be missing out on many of the unique sights and features which define the LA personality. So, after you have seen the amusement parks and Hollywood Studio Tours, come on an Active Adventure with LA Active Adventures and let us show you some of our city’s rarely seen natural beauty and a few of it’s hidden treasures.
We provide transportation in our comfortable and safe crossover, the Taurus X, and most tours include snacks and beverages as well. You’ll feel like you’re getting a tour of Los Angeles from a close friend. Whether you choose the Hidden Treasures, Beach Adventure, or create your own adventure LA Active Adventures guarantees you a Los Angeles sightseeing tour like no other.
Our tours are great for first time visitors, frequent visitors, as well as locals! Read on to see what makes us so different! “
Whilst Sangeet was having a rest, I had a walked to the shops around Robertson and Pico (areas of LA) It was nice to people watch, also I would stop outside Starbucks to regularly check my emails and iMessages!
When I got back to the house, we headed out to the Gurdwara on Preuss and stayed there for around thirty minutes, it has such a fantastic vibration!
Some history on the Gurdwara/ ashram:
Arriving in Los Angeles in 1968, Yogi Bhajan began his mission to share the teachings of Kundalini Yoga, and to help people live healthy, happy and holy lives. He first established Guru Ram Das Ashram as a yoga center in West Hollywood, and it was here in Los Angeles that Kundalini Yoga in the Western World was born.
In the spring of 1972, we moved to the current location, a former chiropractic and hydrotherapy office, where it was established as a formal Gurdwara.
Yogi Bhajan lived at Guru Ram Das Ashram until the early 1980s. He resided in the small living quarters in the back, joined by his wife, children and staff. In that humble living room countless came for his guidance, the Khalsa Council was born, both spiritual and world leaders have been welcomed and our babies were named.
What is now our gurdwara with marble floors, then served as a sadhana room and gurdwara in the morning, yoga centre by day, and is where Yogi Bhajan, the Siri Singh Sahib, sat and taught classes two nights a week for over 15 years.
He continued to share his teachings with the Sadh Sangat (holy congregation) here for many years until his passing in 2004. Yogi Bhajan said, “I am here to serve anyone who says ‘Sat Nam,’ even once.”
Guru Ram Das Ashram is a sacred place, where for over 35 years people of all walks of life have come to be healed, to meditate, to bow to Guru, and to find peace. The walls of Guru Ram Das Ashram now resonate with the vibration of over 1900 Akhand Paths that have taken place on a weekly basis since those early days, and the chanting, prayer and divine Kirtan from gurdwara services that have been held here 365 days a year since its inception. Countless individuals have come to partake of the Guru’s langar that has been served daily since the mid-1980s.
By Guru’s grace, all of these traditions continue, with daily gurdwara and kirtan, langar, meditation, seva and weekly akhand paths. Literally the birthplace of Sikh Dharma International, Guru Ram Das Ashram in Los Angeles truly is, to us, the “Golden Temple of the West.”
This morning at 3:40am we went to Yoga West
Yoga West
1535 South Robertson Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
California
USA
T + 1 (310) 552-4647
To recite Japji sahib followed by a Kundalini Yoga Kriya and Aquarian sadhana mantra chants. Then went to the Gurdwara on Preuss
Guru Ram Das Ashram
1620 Preuss Rd.
Los Angeles, California 90035
USA
Sevadar: +1 310 858-7691
For the Gurdwara programme including kirtan. It was a fantastic start to the day and something we missed so much.
Afterwards we went to Trader Joes to get some fruit for Harkirat and Simran Sat Sangeet to thank them. Also I had been looking on the website airbnb for accommodation to stay until this Sunday. Even the ‘budget’ motels here charge around $165 a night! Ideally we were looking for a apartment, also if possible which would be walking distance from Preuss…I do not ask for much!! I sent off a couple of enquiries and was waiting for a reply.
We went back to the house and got talking to Hakirat and his wife ……..they said if we are comfortable here stay until Sunday…..! We happily agreed and felt very thankful.
For lunch we went to the Khalsa Corps kitchen attached to the Gurdwara. The kitchen is to serve EVERYBODY, regardless of religion, caste, creed, social status…..the lungar is totally free or if you want, you can give a donation. This happens at all Gurdwaras all over the world – anyone can go in to have lungar. There was lentils, vegetables, rice, yoghurt and rice pudding. I have come to the conclusion that my body cannot eat Indian food due to health issues, so instead Sangeet had lunch. We chatted to a few members of the sangat, they were very warm and cheerful.
Afterwards we went to Vegan Glory where I had my lunch!
8393 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles,
CA 90048
California
USA
This is an old favourite and the food is excellent, we first discovered this restaurant earlier this year. All the dishes are worth trying and we can definitely recommend this restaurant.
Later I washed my hair and got ready to go to a good friends house for Rehraas Sahib, the evening 31 minute meditation of Dhan Dhan Ram Das Gur followed by supper. It was good to see Ravi, and his family. We chatted to the sangat especially as we knew a few of them from previous trips.
We left Santa Barbara around 4pm as wanted to get to Los Angeles for 6pm, there was a meditation held at one of the sangat members house. It was a 31 minutes meditation of the Shabad Dhan Dhan Ram Das Gur (this has been happening every day for a few weeks at different sangat members houses leading up to the celebration of Guru Ram Das ji’s birthday on Tuesday 9 October). We headed down highway 1, the views were fantastic and you could not help but stop at the vista points.
Unfortunately we arrived in Los Angeles too late for the meditation at around 7:30 pm when dinner was being served. Our khalsa sister, Sri Dyal Kaur was there too. We have known each other for a number of years, every time we meet our bond gets even stronger. Harkirat Singh was also there, we met him last year at summer solstice in New Mexico. Earlier in the day he kindly said stay at my house tonight.
As we are travelling light we need to wash our clothes once and sometimes twice a week. I asked Sri Dyal Kaur where the laundrette was, she said she wold show us, even though she was still eating!! She came along bringing her food with her! Whilst our clothes were being washed, we chatted, wandered down to the Preuss Rd Gurdwara and also met Ravi from Australia (now married with a little daughter and living next door to the Gurdwara).
After washing and drying the clothes, Sri Dyal said she would show us where Harkirat lives and then we can drop her home. As always it is very nice of her to help us.
We dropped off Sri Dyal Kaur and made our way to Harkirat’s house. He kindly showed us around his beautiful house and gave us a fantastic en-suite room to sleep in.
Hi, thanks for visiting my blog, feel free and have a look around.Here is a bit about me, as you may or may not have guessed my name is Mandeep,I work to travel as opposed to work to pay bills and die!Every trip for me is an adventure, I have been very fortunate to stumble across amazing places and meet awesome people along the way.
Why gaygoat? When I first started this blog I was a vegetarian, so gaygoat – happy goat! Also you have to admit it is catchy and a URL you will not forget!
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