The Sydney Contingent had been manifesting the more carefree, let's have a joint and 

"Don’t worry, be happy”  

while the Melbourne Contingent was more

“We need more discipline- we need to start working to a timetable everyone can conform to” 

Despite the regular chanting and yogic exercises, relationships started to fray,

“You want to build in front of me and block my view, you can't do that! "

”You've got the best spot.”

"I  wasn’t here when sites were being discussed,” etc  

It reached the stage where the only way the problems were to be solved was to have an impartial opinion- ask the Guru, who was in San Francisco as part of another world tour.

“Right. We’re all going to San Francisco to ask the Guru”. 

​Suddenly, ten adults and six children were sitting on the floor of the international departure lounge, chanting blissfully accompanied by finger bells, happily fixated on the thought that we would be in the Guru’s company.

The new Ashram was in Oakland, a part of San Francisco still under the influence of the Black Panthers, the 'radical’ African Americans, so it was a little daunting as there were some heavy dudes in the neighborhood, and police cars would cruise past intimidating with their shotguns visible.

Losing the little self, uncovering the Big Self. 

Baba's regular walk through the neighborhood, accompanied by various white followers, seemed to earn the locals' respect as we were obviously paying respect to this Indian guru who interacted positively with them.

Split into several groups, we were given small houses to share in the neighborhood... so as not to cause any disturbance in the Ashram.

This was the first time we actually stayed in an Ashram and quickly settled into the routine. Up early before the sun, scuttle along to the main hall and join in meditating and chanting, often led joyfully by Baba.

Chanting is a form of yoga built on immersion and devotion, losing sense of the individual self. Chants can be mantras, simple phrases, or texts of knowledge. It can be likened to singing hymns in a church, and is a 'form' practiced in virtually all paths with the same purpose of 'opening the heart'.
The ambiance of the hall, the voices in unison, the company of the Guru and his heartfelt voice, my own inner experiences started taking new textures and dimensions as the journey inward was becoming firmly established and centered.

We would take turns looking after the children as the others helped around the Ashram, sometimes in maintenance, cleaning, the kitchen etc ... this was called Guru Seva - service to the good. It was a time of reflection and seeing work as another form of focused meditation.

Physical yoga, asanas etc, was not an essential part of the program:

There was no rigid discipline in having to focus on chakras or asanas,  etc, simply meditation that was much more about consciousness, a simple posture was encouraged, being still, sitting with spine straight, becoming aware of my breath and using the mantra in a rythm with the inward and outward flow, alining with the essence of 'Divinity within us' .