JULY 2026 NEWSLETTER
At Your Lotus Feet
A Prayer of Gratitude and Devotion for the Guru Puja Month.
Most benevolent and respected Mother, Param Pujya Shri Mataji,
It is with hearts filled with joy, happiness, love, and complete humility that we, Your children, bow down before You in utter reverence.
Mother, we have no words to adequately express our profound gratitude towards You.
Out of Your boundless love and compassion, You descended upon this earth and took Your birth among us. You worked tirelessly for our sake
Stephany Mills, Alberta Collective
Summer is positively exploding with festivals, and of course we try to secure a stall at as many of them as possible. This means weekends fill up quickly, sometimes with two festivals happening at the very same time. A logistical challenge? Perhaps. A real problem? Not in the greater area of Toronto. With a collective of around 400 yogis, there’s almost always someone ready to step in, lend a hand, and make it work. Support, it turns out, is one resource we never run short of. Other provinces may not have quite the same numbers, but they more than make up for it with dedication. Wherever Sahaja Yoga is represented, yogis step forward and do what they can, often with great creativity and commitment. Numbers help, of course, but it’s the spirit behind them that truly carries the work. May and June alone saw a few hundred more Kundalini awakenings, and several more festivals are still in the pipeline. If you’ve never taken part in such an event, you’re truly missing out. This is where the real joy lives: sitting together, talking and laughing, explaining and listening, and feeling that quiet happiness that comes from passing on something that genuinely matters. So here’s a little challenge for you: set up a table or a small booth at the next festival in your town. Trust that when the desire is sincere, the Divine has a remarkable talent for arranging the details, often in ways that feel almost effortless. You may begin with doubts. Oh no, we’re only a handful of yogis. Or I’ve never done this before and have no idea how it’s supposed to work. And yet, somehow, the right people appear at just the right moment. Help comes from unexpected places. Things begin to flow. And before you know it, you’re no longer “organizing an event.” You’re simply part of something moving through you, sharing something beautiful that has already, very quietly, transformed your own life.
The following festival stories are shared and written by Gita Pattison on behalf of the Ontario Collective, capturing moments of service, joy, and collectivity from across the province.
Swipe to explore six festival highlights from across Ontario🌸 Bloom & Rhythm • 🍯 Bread & Honey • ☀️ Aurora • 🌍 Multicultural Festival • 🎨 Festival of Colours • 💃 Latin Fair
BLOOM & RHYTHM FESTIVAL WATERLOO, ON
Date: May 31, 2026
Waterloo currently has just five yogis, and when two of them couldn’t make it to the Bloom & Rhythm Festival, the Self-Realization plan looked, at least on paper, more like wishful thinking than logistics, leaving only three volunteers to run the event.
But Sahaja Yoga is famously good at last-minute miracles. Support arrived from a family in Guelph, a small but cheerful and committed team from Hamilton, and, unexpectedly, yogis from Brampton and Mississauga. What began as a modest, slightly nerve-wracking plan became a warm, well-supported collective effort, and the event came together smoothly and joyfully.
ARTIST EXPRESSION
WHEN TWO CREATIVE JOURNEYS BECAME ONE
How music, theatre, and a shared purpose became a lifelong offering.
If you ever wondered what happens when a musician, an actress, and a divine sense of casting direction collide, meet Glenn and Gita Pattison. Their story begins in 1997 in Ganpatipule, India, where they got married thanks to a match arranged by Shri Mataji. Both arrived with impressive artistic passports. Glenn came armed with a guitar, a lifelong songwriter’s instinct, and a sound shaped by folk roots, open road storytelling, and deep spiritual curiosity. Gita brought the full theatrical spectrum, from stand up comedy to classics like Goethe’s Faust, with enough stage presence to fill any room. Sparks were inevitable, but in the years they came less from harmony and more from discovering just how different two artists can be. Over time, though, that contrast stopped being a challenge and started becoming part of the creative rhythm between them. Glenn and Gita’s shared life reads like a well curated festival program: music, theatre, meditation, international travel, improv, and the occasional philosophical pause. One listens deeply; the other thinks on her feet. One writes songs for contemplation; the other turns chaos into comedy. A marriage that began with divine matchmaking has evolved into a lifelong duet, sometimes unplugged, sometimes improvised, always heartfelt. If art is a way of listening to life, these two have mastered the practice.
We invite you now to step into Glenn and Gita’s individual stories, where you’ll discover the roads they travelled, the lessons they gathered, the laughter they carried with them, and the countless ways their creativity became a lifelong expression of service, love, and the joy of sharing Self-realization with others.
BREAK FOR JOY
If you’re angry … - from the Children of Borotin School
Take a short break with this joyful performance by the children of Borotin School. Their simple and heartfelt message is a gentle reminder to find joy, let go of negativity, and reconnect with our inner peace.
VERTICAL GROWTH – GOING DEEPER IN OUR ASCENT
Vertical growth is an invitation to deepen our meditation, imbibe Shri Mataji’s teachings, and allow them to become a natural part of our daily lives. It is a journey of strengthening our inner axis, developing vibratory awareness, and gradually experiencing the peace, joy, and oneness with the Divine through our Sahasrara. With this aspiration, the Toronto collective has begun hosting Vertical Growth Sessions at the Brampton Centre. The purpose of these sessions is to explore the subtler aspects of our spiritual ascent through meditation, reflection, and the experiences of senior Sahaja Yogis who had the great honour of being in the Samipya (closeness to God) of Shri Mataji. By listening to their firsthand experiences, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of Shri Mataji’s teachings and how they can be lived in our own spiritual journey. The first Vertical Growth Session took place on 30th May, with Shri Avdhut Pai from France as our guest speaker. Having known Shri Mataji since 1972, Avdhut shared beautiful experiences, memories, and insights from his journey. What touched the collective most was not only the depth of his experiences, but also his humility and simplicity after so many years in Shri Mataji’s presence. The session concluded with fifteen minutes of silent meditation. It was a beautiful collective experience, where the attention of everyone present seemed to merge into one. Hearts were united, thoughts became silent, and our attention naturally rested at the Divine Lotus Feet of Shri Mataji. We look forward to continuing this collective journey of inner growth. Information about future Vertical Growth Sessions will be shared with the collective as upcoming sessions are scheduled.
Kanchan Chavan, Ontario Collective
INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY
Sahaja Yoga Participation in the 12th International Yoga Day Celebration, Toronto
Sahaja Yoga had the opportunity to participate in the 12th International Yoga Day celebration held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. The event was organized in collaboration with the Consulate General of India, Toronto, and took place at Queen’s Park, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, 111 Wellesley Street West, Toronto, ON M7A 1A2.
The celebration brought together approximately 200–300 participants from different provinces across Canada, creating an atmosphere of unity, wellness, and cultural exchange. People from diverse backgrounds gathered to celebrate the universal values of yoga and meditation.
Sahaja Yoga volunteers introduced visitors to meditation and offered Self-Realization, allowing many attendees to experience inner peace and mental silence. Several sincere seekers expressed interest in learning more about Sahaja Yoga and attending future meditation sessions. An exciting highlight of the day was the presence of media outlets, including Aaj Tak and OMNI TV. Through interviews and conversations, we had the opportunity to share information about Sahaja Yoga and the experience of Self Realization was offered to a wider audience. At the conclusion of the event, attendees received Sahaja Yoga business cards and informational pamphlets. They were also invited to join our free online and in-person meditation classes offered throughout Canada. Many participants appreciated learning that Sahaja Yoga classes are always offered free of charge, in following the principles of Shri Mataji’s teachings. The event was a valuable opportunity to connect with seekers and share the experience of meditation with the wider community. We look forward to welcoming those interested in continuing their journey through regular Sahaja Yoga meditation sessions.
Neetu Agrawal, Ontario Collective
GROWING TOGETHER: BRAMPTON INTERMEDIATE CLASSES
We would like to share some information and experiences from the Intermediate Classes at our Brampton Center. We are very grateful to be holding the second class now. The third class is planned to start in September. The aim of these classes is to help seekers deepen their meditation and support the transition from weekly beginners’ classes in their local areas to the Saturday collective meetings at the centre. Each class is held once a month on a Saturday morning and lasts for two hours. As the class progresses, seekers are guided towards a deeper understanding of the subtle system and Shri Mataji’s presence. The class begins with the guru principle and vibratory awareness, helping seekers develop confidence in recognizing the state of their own subtle system. From there, the class introduce the deities and their presence within the subtle system, followed by an introduction to Sanskrit mantras, which seekers practise together. Then later in class, we explore the life of Shri Mataji and the founding of Sahaja Yoga. The focus then shifts to Shri Mataji’s role as the Guru and to developing vibratory awareness of Her Lotus Feet. Seekers are also introduced to ways of expressing love and devotion through practices such as namaskar and decorating Shri Mataji’s Lotus Feet, along with learning the protocol for approaching Shri Mataji. The class concludes by affirming Shri Mataji’s Divine nature as Shri Adi Shakti. Each class begins with a collective footsoak, followed by meditation and the day’s topic. Every class includes time for questions, creating valuable opportunities for yogis to share their own experiences and support the seekers. The class conclude with time for informal discussion and fellowship between seekers and yogis. During the first class, attendance ranged from two to eight seekers. It was heartwarming to see that three participants naturally went on to join the Saturday collective meditations. The current class has been very well attended, with as many as 15 seekers participating, alongside a similar number of yogis. A special thank you to the groups from Hamilton and Guelph for making the journey to Brampton and supporting these classes. If you know seekers who have been attending weekly meetings regularly and are practising footsoak, please encourage them to join the Intermediate Classes. If you are interested in participating or supporting the programme, we would be delighted to hear from you. We look forward to many more joyful Saturday mornings together. Jai Shri Mataji!
Olga and Nick Tomlinson,
on behalf of the intermediate class team,
Ontario Collective
Designed by Sruthi Yaddanapudi
We would love to hear from you.
For submissions, announcements, feedback, or questions regarding the newsletter, please reach out to us:
OR
Whether you would like to share an experience, a report from your centre, or simply connect, we welcome your message with joy.