Healing Journeys with Suzie Daggett
Suzie interviewed Kali Ma, a westerner, who as a young woman was recognized as an incarnation of the Divine Mother in the Eastern tradition. She is the Spiritual Director of Tantra Yoga International, which maintains a center in Grass Valley. Kali Ma will be in Grass Valley in May for several events including Satsang, an evening of music, meditation, chanting, and teachings of Tantra Yoga, as well as a Yoga retreat and Kirtan. Although I am not personally familiar with Tantric traditions and Eastern thought, I find it fascinating that Kali Ma can bring ancient teachings forward to Westerners. The language may be unusual to us, but the message is to honor and reveal the teachings of Enlightened BEING, sharing the path of awakening through training, instruction, practice and study of Tantra Yoga & Ayurveda.
What was your young life like?
Even as a child, I was deeply spiritual, religious and Tantric. I never really “started” on the path, I just came to this life already living it. What continuously leads me more deeply into it, is the discovery of how the Tantric teachings and the Yogas describes personal experiences and views I have been carrying from the beginning that have not been mirrored anywhere else. It described the meditative states that had been unfolding in me, and the nature of mind and emotions as I had already experienced them. At a young age I was discovered, recognized and empowered to teach that way of being which I already was.
What does the name Kali Ma mean?
Kali Ma is one of the initiated names I received when I was recognized as an incarnation of the Divine Mother. The name means cutting through delusions, to be fully feeling, engaged with senses and all aspects of the ordinary world, as well as the ultimate reality. Kali is willing to put an end to confusion and bring her children out of the darkness.
How have your teachings helped others?
The teachings that have come through me have helped people to become more sane, more aware, more healthy, more energized. Especially they become more creative in the face of obstacles rather than just being defeated, sulking or suffering. These teachings re-define what spirituality is for so many people who have come under the dualistic view that renunciation is right and other paths are wrong. In truth, the body, emotions, mind, family, relationships, sexuality, work, sex and money are not evil, they are not inherently wrong or bad. The work I carry is so refreshingly relevant to ordinary life, to emotion, to communication, and to relationships. It presents a way of being that moves with the inherent purity and artistic beauty intrinsic to each person, instead of moving against it. My students are of all ages, all dispositions, many different walks of life, and various levels of understanding and practice. People find this work to be very ALIVE and DIRECT. Since I am a Westerner and speak in their language, they have an access to the teachings in a way that is personally meaningful to them. It is a huge blessing to receive teachings from a teacher who can speak in your language and is from your culture. It gives people ACCESS, so they are not mystified about enlightenment.
Can Westerners understand and live the Eastern way of life in a meaningful and useful manner?
The Tantric Siddha path is a not a philosophy or an Eastern way of life, it is the way of existence, it is the path of aligning with the nature of all things as they are. That does not belong to the East or the West, it belongs to Being. To be on the path is not to adopt another culture, but instead to find the inherent dignity in one’s own. The spiritual practices, the inner yogas, have to do with the human body/mind, more than they have to do with the East. The beauty of the Tantras is that it is about the purity and wisdom of being, and the artistry of existence. In the West, we value embodiment, work, family, relationship, materiality, leisure and intelligence, however, the culture and educational system is missing the tools for cultivating an inner life, and the Tantric Siddha teachings present that. Those of us who carry this work have a responsibility to establish the teachings here and be sure that they are available for future generations of Westerners.
What advice can you give to someone who is contemplating starting a yoga or Tantra practice?
Find a teacher and don’t skip daily meditation. With a teacher, they will have the support and guidance to actually grow beyond their own rationale, understanding and ways of confusion. With daily meditation, the insight and revelation that was discovered by all the great Yogis and Yoginis of past times can be accessible to them.
For more information on Kali Ma’s Grass Valley schedule, call 530-432-8378. You can read more about the organization at www.tantrayogainternational.org
Healing Journeys is a column written by Suzie Daggett for the Grass Valley Union newspaper. Suzie interviews a variety of health practitioners most Fridays in the Wellness section. Click here to read past articles prior to 2005. Enter "Suzie Daggett" in the search box to get listing of all articles.
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