108 Bhakti Kisses

I am pleased to announce by Bhagavan's Grace the publication of my new book:

108 Bhakti Kisses, The Ecstatic Poetry of a Modern Day Gopi.

These poems are woven in rich, meaningful beauty and 
language designed to inspire the reader and elevate 
his/her consciousness above the ordinary into a realm of 
love, hope and spiritual insight.

As you meditate on the uplifting words in this book, allow
yourself to experience a pure connection to Divine Love, 
which is the source of all inspiration.

Please click on the link below:
http://amzn.com/0984787216

Ecstatic God and Love poetry videos

Om Sai Ram 

Below is a link to an  Ecstatic Love Poetry video by sonya ki

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGUskHqF3bk&feature=c4-overview&list=UUeHU6lIejy943wD

Uf0Iq

Please enjoy the following Ecstatic God Poetry video

A

The Healing Light of Reflexology

http://www.sairapture.com/healing-light-dream-and-reflexology.html

Swami came in a dream ~ HEAVEN!!!!
"I was in an auditorium and Sai Avatar was on a stage. He looked at me and said that I should continue to do the hand therapy I do with my hands (reflexology) because it is very helpful to others. But that I should be take care to not let any evil enter me. I got up and walked towards Him. I was holding a folder looked like my Sai Spiritual Education teacher's folder. When I got on stage with Him. He asked me what I was doing. I said I wanted to take padanamaskar (touching the Lotus Feet). He said no padanamaskar. And then something to the effect of being Self reliant and strong with the Self within. At that point the dream started to fade.
Baba is so GREAT!!!

Therefore I am continuing my practice of Reflexology with sessions by appointment only. Another interesting dream surrounding this healing practice came years ago:
I was in a room with a long table. Swami came  in and moved slowly down the opposite side of the table to where I was standing. Then our beautiful Avatar raised both His Divine Hands and rays of bright white light radiated outward covering my hands.

I studied Reflexology when I lived in New York City and received certification from Laura Norman and Associates. I practiced Reflexology at the Whole Life Medical Center for a period of time. I have seen the healing effects of Reflexology and know that it is an effective healing modality. The following is a description of the healing art and science of Reflexology taken from the The free dictionary site:

"Reflexology
Definition
Reflexology is a therapeutic method of relieving pain by stimulating predefined pressure points on the feet and hands. This controlled pressure alleviates the source of the discomfort. In the absence of any particular malady or abnormality, reflexology may be as effective for promoting good health and for preventing illness as it may be for relieving symptoms of stress, injury, and illness.
Reflexologists work from maps of predefined pressure points that are located on the hands and feet. These pressure points are reputed to connect directly through the nervous system and affect the bodily organs and glands. The reflexologist manipulates the pressure points according to specific techniques of reflexology therapy. By means of this touching therapy, any part of the body that is the source of pain, illness, or potential debility can be strengthened through the application of pressure at the respective foot or hand location.
Purpose
Reflexology promotes healing by stimulating the nerves in the body and encouraging the flow of blood. In the process, reflexology not only quells the sensation of pain, but relieves the source of the pain as well.
Reflexology applied properly can alleviate allergy symptoms, as well as stress, back pain, and chronic fatigue. The techniques of reflexology can be performed conveniently on the hand in situations where a session on the feet is not practical, although the effectiveness of limited hand therapy is less pronounced than with the foot pressure therapy.
Description
Origins
Reflexology is a healing art of ancient origin. Although its origins are not well documented, there are reliefs on the walls of a Sixth Dynasty Egyptian tomb (c. 2450 B.C.) that depict two seated men receiving massage on their hands and feet. From Egypt, the practice may have entered the Western world during the conquests of the Roman Empire. The concepts of reflexology have also been traced to pre-dynastic China (possibly as early as 3000 B.C.) and to ancient Indian medicine. The Inca civilization may have subscribed to the theories of reflexology and passed on the practice of this treatment to the Native Americans in the territories that eventually entered the United States.
In recent times, Sir Henry Head first investigated the concepts underlying reflexology in England in the 1890s. Therapists in Germany and Russia were researching similar notions at approximately the same time, although with a different focus. Less than two decades later, a physician named William H. Fitzgerald presented a similar concept that he called zone analgesia or zone therapy. Fitzgerald's zone analgesia was a method of relieving pain through the application of pressure to specific locations throughout the entire body. Fitzgerald divided the body into 10 vertical zones, five on each side, that extended from the head to the fingertips and toes, and from front to back. Every aspect of the human body appears in one of these 10 zones, and each zone has a reflex area on the hands and feet. Fitzgerald and his colleague, Dr. Edwin Bowers, demonstrated that by applying pressure on one area of the body, they could anesthetize or reduce pain in a corresponding part. In 1917, Fitzgerald and Bowers published Relieving Pain at Home, an explanation of zone therapy.
Later, in the 1930s, a physical therapist, Eunice D. Ingham, explored the direction of the therapy and made the startling discovery that pressure points on the human foot were situated in a mirror image of the corresponding organs of the body with which the respective pressure points were associated. Ingham documented her findings, which formed the basis of reflexology, in Stories the Feet Can Tell, published in 1938. Although Ingham's work in reflexology was inaccurately described as zone therapy by some, there are differences between the two therapies of pressure analgesia. Among the more marked differences, reflexology defines a precise correlation between pressure points and afflicted areas of the body. Furthermore, Ingham divided each foot and hand into 12 respective pressure zones, in contrast to the 10 vertical divisions that encompass the entire body in Fitzgerald's zone therapy.
In 1968 two siblings, Dwight Byers and Eusebia Messenger, established the National Institute of Reflexology. By the early 1970s the institute had grown and was renamed the International Institute of Reflexology.
In a typical reflexology treatment, the therapist and patient have a preliminary discussion prior to therapy, to enable the therapist to focus more accurately on the patient's specific complaints and to determine the appropriate pressure points for treatment.
A reflexology session involves pressure treatment that is most commonly administered in foot therapy sessions of approximately 40-45 minutes in duration.   The human hand is the primary tool used in reflexology. The therapist applies controlled pressure with the thumb and forefinger, generally working toward the heel of the foot or the outer palm of the hand. Most reflexologists apply pressure with their thumbs bent; however, some also use simple implements, such as the eraser end of a pencil. Reflexology therapy is not massage, and it is not a substitute for medical treatment.
Reflexology is a complex system that identifies and addresses the mass of 7,000 nerve endings that are contained in the foot. Additional reflexology addresses the nerves that are located in the hand. This is a completely natural therapy that affords relief without the use of drugs.
Preparations
In order to realize maximum benefit from a reflexology session, the therapist as well as the patient should be situated so as to afford optimal comfort for both. Patients in general receive treatment in a reclining position, with the therapist positioned as necessary—to work on the bare feet, or alternately on the bare hands.
A reflexology patient removes both shoes and socks in order to receive treatment.
Precautions
Reflexology is extremely safe. It may even be self-administered in a limited form whenever desired. The qualified reflexologist offers a clear and open disclaimer that reflexology does not constitute medical treatment in any form, nor is reflexology given as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. The ultimate purpose of the therapy is to promote wellness; fundamentally it is a form of preventive therapy.

Reflexology employs the principle that the reflex points on the feet, when hand pressure is applied, will reflexively stimulate energy to a related muscle or organ in the body and promote healing.People with serious and long-term medical problems are urged to seek the advice of a physician. Diabetes patients in particular are urged to approach this therapy cautiously. Likewise pregnant women are cautioned emphatically to avoid reflexology during the early phases of pregnancy altogether, as accidentally induced labor and subsequent premature delivery can result from reflexology treatment.

A consultation with a reflexologist is recommended in order to determine the safety and appropriateness of reflexology therapy for a specific health problem or condition.
Side effects
Because reflexology is intended to normalize the body functions, the therapy does not cause a condition to worsen. Most patients find that pain diminishes over the course of the therapy. It has been noted, however, that some patients experience greater discomfort in the second session than in the first session, because a significant easing of pain and tension is generally associated with the initial therapy session. As a result, when pressure is reapplied to the tender points of the foot during the second session, the sensitivity has been heightened. This increase in sensitivity may cause minor additional discomfort for the patient."

While practicing Reflexology in New York City I was interviewed by Prevention Magazine a prominent Health oriented magazine. Subsequently I was included  in a book published by Prevention Magazine entitled Hands On Healing under the Reflexology chapter.

If you would like to schedule a Reflexology appointment you can contact me: (321) 327-2195 or email me: Devakki3@cs.com

Sai Blessings,

sonya ki

Faith: A Flower At His Feet

Om Sai Ram
I am thrilled to share the news that an excerpt from my book Sai Rapture, The Ecstatic Journey of a Modern Day Gopi has been included in the final print copy of the Sathya Sai Newsletter, USA, Vol 36, No 6. Nov/Dec 2012, page 21. The Newsletter will continue in an online format. Thank you beloved Swami, You are so wonderful!
The following is a copy of this page:

FAITH: A FLOWER AT HIS FEET

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” -Hebrews 11:1

Swami is our unfailing support and anchor in life. With Baba's grace all things are possible. In 2003, I had just returned from a six month stay at Sathya Sai Baba's ashram in Puttaparthi India. Although my ex-husband and I had divorced in 2001, there were still many financial ties between us that needed to be resolved. Until my return from India, I had been too emotionally upset to face these challenges clearly. My stay with Baba gave me the courage and strength that I needed to begin picking up the pieces of my life.

After the 2003 sojourn, I went directly to Florida where my parents lived. From there I started to address the financial baggage that had to be settled between my ex-husband and myself. First, we owned a house in common and property in Arkansas. Also, he was still in the house, and we had a joint checking account, as well as a lot of credit cards. It was really a terrible mess, but something that had to be faced and straightened out. I stayed with my parents for six months.

During that time, I began looking for a lot in Palm Bay to build a home on. The prices of lots were astronomical and climbing daily. I kept searching and couldn't find anything remotely reasonable. At one point I said to Swami, “Well, maybe you don't want me to live here,” and surrendered my search.

Shortly after that inner conversation, a lot across from my parents' house sprang up for sale. It was a cleared quarter- acre lot. I immediately called the owner and we arranged to meet. He wanted to sell the lot for $11,500 —  unheard of in this area; as most uncleared lots were selling for $18,000 - $20,000! I jumped on it, and using a small personal savings, was able to purchase the lot. My sister and her family encouraged me to look for builders. I found a good local builder and set about making plans to have my new home built. Meanwhile, the marital residence in Arkansas needed to be repaired and sold. I took a trip there to finish that business.

My ex-husband had always handled our bills and finances. When I started looking at the credit records, I realized that we were in enormous credit card debt. I discussed this with him, and he said he couldn't help financially with any of this shared debt, because he had accumulated his own personal debt. So since I was the primary credit card signer, it was all on me (and Baba).

I had another inner conversation with Sai. Laughing, I said, “Swami, well if I'm going to the poor house, it's all right as long as you are with me!”

Not too long after this spiritual conversation, I received notification that a dear friend of mine from New York had passed away leaving me a good sum of money. I went to NY and conducted his funeral arrangements. The inheritance I received was enough to pay off half the joint debt, freeing me to get my finances in better order. The only thing left was to sell the house in Arkansas.

Meanwhile, construction work on my new house in Florida was scheduled to begin, although there were a lot of delays due to building permits, etc. The Arkansas house was on the market but weeks went by with no offers.

Then in June 2004, Swami came to me in an exceptional and revealing dream. My ex-husband and I were with Swami. Swami was answering our questions. My ex kept complaining that nothing was working out for him; he was going through hard times and couldn't understand why. He said to Sai, “I am totally focused on God, loving and serving, and I haven't caused pain to anyone.” Swami looked at me and said, “No unseen pain.” I replied, “Yes Swami he has caused me a lot of emotional pain.” Then Swami turned his attention on me. He talked affectionately to me about a lot of things. I can't remember all the details.

I remember He placed his hands over my eyes and said, “Look, I am going to give you a whole new house, and a whole new life.” I could see a vision of a house and a partial view of the inside of the house. I laid my head on Swami's holy chest saying repeatedly how much I loved Him. He clasped me close and whispered in my ears, over and over...“If you Love Me Say My Name ...” I responded bubbling with ecstasy, but the words were peculiarly difficult to pronounce. With great effort I exclaimed, “Om Sai Ram! Om Sai Ram!” When I awoke, I felt as if I had been transported to the highest heavens. I felt reassured that the house would sell. But the testing wasn't quite over yet.

Due to summer hurricanes, work on the Florida house was delayed and not completed for five more months, until November 2004. At the end of October, the Arkansas house still was not sold. I went to visit a friend in North Carolina and remember walking downtown, feeling very concerned. “Swami,” I said earnestly, “You told me you would give me a new home, I just need to have total faith!” Shortly after this inner conversation, I saw a little gift shop and felt drawn to go in. An Indian sales lady approached me trying to get me to buy some dresses. I told her that I had plenty of clothing from a trip to India and really didn't need anymore. She asked, “Where did you go in India?” When I mentioned Sai Baba's Ashram, she screamed, “Sai Ram!” and grabbed me, hugging me excitedly. As you can tell she was also was a Sai devotee.
I felt this was a good omen and that something really blessed was coming.

Sure enough, that same day, I received a call from my realtor in Arkansas. An offer had been made on the house, and the buyer wanted to close in three weeks on — November 23, Sai Baba's Birthday! My house under construction in Florida was scheduled to close on the 22nd of November, but I was able to delay its closing until the 29th. The house in Arkansas did sell on November 23, 2004. Needless to say, Swami made good on His promise. God is so great!

Keep your faith firm, irrespective of whether your desires are fulfilled. Preserve your faith carefully. Faith can work wonders. It can make a blind person see; a dumb speak. Do not at all doubt the power of faith. Some incidents happening in this world may shake your faith in God. But, if you hold on to your faith firmly you can boldly face any situation.  — Sri Sathya Sai Baba, SSS17:13, May 20, 1984

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The Awakening Flower

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The Awakening Flower

ASTRAL FLIGHTS

My dance with God officially began in my early twenties. The birth of my daughter heralded my true initiation into the life of a seeker of knowledge and the journey to God. Disillusioned with the hypocrisy of conventional Christianity, I had abandoned the church and its religious practices. I was like a boat without a rudder, drifting aimlessly in a sea of intellectual agnosticism. What happened in the delivery room was so life-changing and self-altering that I must attempt to describe the circumstances in detail.

I was forced to go into the hospital a week or so before term. It seemed my water had broken and I sat amid the wailing, blood curdling screams of women in labor; my immature 22-year-old mind shuddered in fear of what was in store for me. At some point, the physician administered an IV of oxytocin to induce labor. He made me promise that I would not shout or scream. As the medicine was quick working, my contractions started with a vengeance, very close together, indescribably painful. At one point I remember telling the doctor that I had to leave. He asked me where I thought I was going, my legs were strapped down and my arms too. But I just kept insisting that I had to go. I was wheeled into the delivery room; a few doctors surrounded me asking seemingly simple questions about my telephone number and address.

They seemed to be discussing the possibility of forceps delivery. Then quite unexpectedly, as if all the drama and noise of a television program going full blast was suddenly switched off, I found myself clearly out of my body standing across the hospital room watching my body give birth. I thought to myself, “What am I doing over here?”

The absolute serenity, tranquility and above all painlessness I felt in that surreal moment was incomparable. After a while, I felt myself whirling back into my body and all the lights, camera and action that goes with physical existence flooded my consciousness. I made a special note in my mind to remember this experience for it was a crucial turning point in my life. I realized that I was much more than this physical body. There was a dimension to my existence that transcended the boundaries of the five senses and the earthly material plane.

After the birth of my daughter, I found volumes on the fascinating phenomena of astral and etheric projection. The following online definitions of the experience sum it up, although there are other interpretations.

Astral projection (or astral travel) is a paranormal interpretation of an out-of-body experience achieved either awake or via lucid dreaming or deep meditation. The concept of astral projection assumes the existence of another body, separate from the physical body and capable of traveling to nonphysical planes of existence. Commonly such planes are called astral, etheric, or spiritual. Astral projection is often experienced as the spirit or astral body leaving the physical body to travel in the spirit world or astral plane. (Wikipedia contributors, 2001)

Popular term for the ability to travel outside the physical body during sleep or trance, also known as etheric projection or Out-of-the-Body Traveling. There is excellent evidence for the reality of this strange phenomenon and the British scientist Dr. Robert Crookall has collated hundreds of cases from individuals in all walks of life. (Spence, Lewis, 2003, 60)

On the other hand, the “Linga Sharira” is the Sanskrit term for the invisible double of the human body. It has been called by many other names such as etheric body, etheric double (or astral body in the original Theosophical concepts by Blavatsky). It is one of the seven principles of the human being, according to Theosophical philosophy. It serves as a model or matrix of the human body form, thus it is often called the “double” since it has the same shape and appearance as the body. The body conforms to the shape or condition of this double. It is a vehicle of prana or qi, thus its other name, pranamayakosa. Its effusion of energy can be observed through Kirlian photography or Kilner screens. Such glow around the body is called the human aura. (2009-2011, Cryer, AB)


Since I worked evenings, generally the graveyard shift, I slept during the days, juggling the care of my daughter with work and a return to college. It seems to me that the interrupted sleeping patterns made it easier for me to access what is known as a borderline state of consciousness. This is a period between waking and actual sleep that helps precipitate astral projections. Thus, the out-of-body experiences became a regular occurrence for me.

My body would become rigid, cataleptic. There was a loud, thundering, frightening vibrating sound like a thousand winds rushing at rocket speed through a tunnel. In the beginning, I had to calm myself down, mentally whispering, “Don't be afraid, don’t be afraid, God help me.” Then as the winds died down, I would urge my body to “Get up” slipping out of the physical coil. Sometimes this was easier than on other occasions; difficult projections would leave me wriggling around on the floor trying to free myself from some psychic mass.

What distinguished astral travel from ordinary dreaming was that there was an acute conscious awareness that my other body was lying inert on the bed and I was connected to it by what appeared to be an ethereal elastic filament or cord. Also, there was only a certain amount of time allowed in this psychic state. I could go through walls and windows and at a thought, travel to distant places instantly.

In addition, I found that it was important to maintain a positive attitude and aura. This ensured a more beautiful and elevating astral flight. Soaring high through the cobalt heavens, far beyond clouds, planets and stars repeating, “Higher, higher.” Deep into the celestial realms I rose, reaching an unknown peak, “I” shattered, a brilliant star into a trillion glittering fragments. After which, the familiar rubber band tug of the astral cord snapped me back into my body, as it lay reposing in its bed, totally oblivious to my astral adventures.

A SECOND BIRTH

Immersing myself in mystical exploration, I embraced Eastern philosophy, Yoga and other such disciplines, joining the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC. The following profound spiritual experience happened around this time. I was feeling upset over an incident that had occurred earlier in the day and retired to my room falling into a fitful sleep. As I drifted deeper, I found myself walking outside on a dusty, deserted road. A feeling of impending doom began to surround me. Something dark and sinister loomed. I took off running, yelling to God for help. Looking up at the sky, I beheld what appeared to be a white, dazzling whirlwind forming directly above me.

The whirlwind had millions of eyes, mouths, ears, legs, hands, voices revolving inside its wondrous vortex. Waves of protective energy emanating, I felt myself being lifted up, levitating in mid-air. Then a most peculiar sensation: all the air was being vacuumed out of my body, beginning with my toes and swirling out through the crown of my head. I surmised that I might be dying. Then just as rapidly, a fresh blast of air entered the top of my head and filled my whole body as I gradually floated back down onto the bed. When I woke up from this enigmatic incident, I thought immediately of the biblical description of God in Ezekiel’s Wheel, (Ezekiel 1:1-28).

I wondered about the significance of this remarkable event. Somehow, I intuitively felt it was some sort of rebirth, a renewal of Spirit. Little did I realize that something spiritually unique, awesome and life-changing was about to dawn just beyond the newborn, rosy pink eastern horizon.

Source: Sai Rapture: The Ecstatic Journey of a Modern Day Gopi, Sonya Ki Tomlinson

As Close to Heaven as it gets

Sai Ram
I recently visited Badrinath in the Himalayas. This was my second time traveling there. I wanted my husband David to experience the resounding beauty and splendor of this very holy place on earth. Although I swore I would never again ascend those winding, treacherous roads that lead to this Shangri-la, the breathless Himalayan horizon called to my Soul. And in mid May I went with a group of Sai Baba devotees to this wondrous locale.

As we ascended the mountain one heart-pounding vista after another embraced our saucer wide eyes.
The majestic Himalayan mountain range rising up from the depths of Om welcomed us with hands
folded in Namaste. My husband now realized why I wanted him to experience this as he stared at
the God-kissed peaks.

There is a very special place in Badrinath that is literally in my opinion the threshold of heaven.
After we arrived in Badrinath the next day we climbed roughly 3 kilometers to this celestial portal ~
Vishnu's Paduka.

Vishnu's Paduka


earth dwindling from view
it seems I've trekked this golden highway
before
maybe somewhere in my dreams
I gaze speechless at God's colossal Footprints
and the long procession of sadhus, saints and sages
following 
like the Pandavas I feel I too could 
keep walking towards the blinding light
and heaven's open door

~sonya ki tomlinson

Sai Rapture: The Ecstatic Journey of a Modern Day Gopi

Dear Friends

I am very happy to announce the completion of my book Sai Rapture ~ The Ecstatic Journey of a Modern Day Gopi. This book is an offering at the Lotus Feet of our most beloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Swami's sweet, nectarous presence has guided me every step of this journey.

Sai Rapture highlights my spiritual journey beginning with the birth of my daughter to the many breath-taking experiences, leelas, dreams and divine contacts I have had with Baba. It also includes interviews with devotees I have met along the way: Mr. R. Padmanaban, Sai Baba's past photographer, Father Charles Ogada of Nigeria, Dr. Gnana Bhaskar Tenali, a former student of Sathya Sai University, and Gloria Blake, a nurse at the General Hospital in Puttaparthi to name a few.

Swami has been my unfailing support and friend in my darkest hours and most joyous of times. It is an ongoing journey - one that never ends .The book is 321 pages and includes a number of color photographs.

This book is available on Amazon.

It is also available on Etsy.com:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EcstaticArtPoetry

In addition it is available on Google books. 

Lots of Prema,
sonya ki

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