How A Holy Man Shares The Gift Of Being Wholly Present by Sarah Kamrath

Amid the huge crowd gathered on the north lawn at the United Nation, our eyes connect. Although far from each other, he sees me from the stage and an affectionate smile spreads from his eyes, enveloping his entire face. His hand gently moves to his heart to cover it as his head gracefully bows. My eyes immediately swell with tears as my heart swells with love. My hand moves to the center of my chest. My head is a bit more hesitant to bow, not wanting to look away from the love I feel from his eyes in this simple exchange we share.

Earlier in the day, Ray, Lukas, Nadia and I took the train into New York City in the hopes that we would see this beautiful Saint, His Holiness Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji (lovingly and far more easily referred to as Swamiji). He had traveled far from his home in the foothills of the Himalayas in India to speak as an honored guest on summer solstice, the longest day of the year, for the International Day of Yoga held at the UN.

In a crowd this size, I knew the odds weren’t in my favor that he would see me or that we would connect. Yet he did … fully.

                                     Nadia (3) & Lukas (5) in Rishikesh, India

As a family, we had the privilege of first meeting Swamiji and living in his ashram years earlier when the kids were three and five, after traveling to India to study yoga and meditation. As a young boy, barely eight years old, Swamiji chose to leave his family and his home and spent his entire youth until the age of 17 in silence and meditation high in the Himalayan mountains. His life has been driven by one desire, to live a life devoted to God and humanity.

It had been many years since we had seen Swamiji, yet Lukas also shared that he had briefly crossed paths with Swamiji as he walked to the stage while Lukas was returning from the bathroom. With a warm smile and loving eyes, Swamiji exclaimed to him, “Ahhh, how wonderful! Everyone is here.”  What a heart-warming gesture to refer to a single 14-year-old boy as “everyone.” And following his presentation, upon seeing Nadia who had likely more than tripled in size since he had last seen her, without a moment’s hesitation and with instantaneous recognition, his eyes lit up. His hands met each other in front of his heart as Nadia’s and his eyes connected, and then he reached out to gently touch her chin and remark on how big she had grown.

Have you ever been with someone who makes you feel like you are the most important, beloved person in the universe in that moment of connection?

It is a gift like nothing else. Simple. Sweet. Powerful. Pure.

It’s a gift available for us to give at any moment to anyone.

We are all capable. We effortlessly tap into this ability at various times in our lives … a mother with her newborn, two lovers seeing each other after a time of separation.

In our busy lives, it is so easy to miss moments of giving and receiving in this way … of truly connecting with another human being. Seeing someone. Recognizing them. Connecting. Bowing. Honoring.

No running to the store to find the perfect present. No card to say I’ve missed you. No flowers to say I love you. No bells and whistles. Just a moment of true presence.

Simply being wholly (or holy) present.

What a priceless gift to give and receive!

Try This:

Find someone you care about.

Connect with your eyes.

Smile.

Shift your attention into your heart space.

Send love from your heart through your eyes deep into their eyes and down to their heart.

Honor them.Receive what comes back to you.