A Visit to the Amritapuri Ashram

Being near Amma is a very special spiritual experience!

We never really had plans to go to an ashram. But when Shelley kept coming across meditations on the ‘Divine Mother’, the message came through strongly that we should go to Amma (Mātā Amritānandamayī) in India! Suddenly it flowed, and all obstacles and blockages fell away. And there we went…

The Ashram

The Amritapuri Ashram is built around the birthplace of Amma. She is also considered to be a Mahatma (great soul) or embodiment of the Divine Mother, who opens many hearts and helps you to move forward.

We thought the ashram would be a place with a few small huts, but that is no longer the case. It has become a small village, with many facilities:

That this place is hugely spiritual and so full of energy was evident as soon as we walked into the gate at midnight: all the nausea from the 3-hour taxi ride was completely gone! Beautiful music still sounded from the temple, and we could finally rest from a long journey.

Life there is full of devotion, love and attention. With daily satsangs, meditations, singing in Divine presence and a culture of helping each other out, we were completely immersed in it. The beautiful anecdotes about Amma’s love for truly everyone and how her Embracing The World is improving the world opened our eyes and hearts even more.

In her pictures and interactions, I see only 1 thing: ”All love”.

Amma’s Darshan

After arriving we could just catch a glimpse of the end of Amma’s Darshan (embrace). It already showed how much love, compassion and energy radiates from her. And whoever reads her life story understands how much misery she has endured, but everyone forgives with love, and draws strength from endless self-giving.

In her Darshan, she breaks through everyone’s barriers, and we are still filled with wonder how much has happened to us in her presence. She is there multitasking, fully present for everyone at once, while also being aware of everything around her, tipping, prompting and nudging people, addressing issues, and seeing everyone fully for who they are.

Those who look briefly do not really notice all this. Those who look more closely see one and all love radiating from her, notice that she sees through everything, and many ‘coincidences’ take place at just the right time. The whole journey towards it and moments there were filled with it.

An Unforgettable Letting Go

Over the days, we noticed how many of our own held patterns could easily let go. Suddenly, we saw how many things can be done differently in our lives, and inspiration sparked to start working together.

Back home we still think about it frequently. It’s been an unforgettable experience, with many insights and inner growth that we are happy to share. Concluding, we would like to share our gratitude for this using the Mantra:

ōm̐ lōkāḥ samastāḥ sukhinō bhavantu
May All Beings in All the Worlds Be Happy