The Churning

Although a work of historic fiction, this book is based on real characters and my experience living in a yoga ashram in the seventies and eighties. It is an honest, seldom told, unusual account of living and studying in a unique time and place, an ashram in the Pocono Mountain resort area not far from New York City. Few are aware how many of us moved from cities in the experimental and experiential sixties and seventies and what interesting lives we had trying to practice Eastern traditions and live the good country life. With no locks on the doors we took in any odd, sincere, wounded or mystic wanders off the interstate. Central to this story is the exploration of challenges facing a modern guru, yogi, mystic or maybe mad person dealing with our speeded up age of materialism, consumerism and individualism. Hindu's refer to our time as the Kali Yuga, age of machinery and turmoil. The coming of Kali, the dark warrior Goddess of Hindu mythology, is a theme throughout the book. This writing explores the serious, silly, soulful and sensual nature of characters moving through time and place in search of the elusive Self. It is a great read for anyone interested in the roots of current popular yoga traditions, another side of hippie back to the land life styles and the challenging guru student relationship. There is also a mythic universal theme woven through the writing, references to the Hindu concept of changing times and what we might do to help in the evolution from darkness to light. But this is not a simple light, love, peace and be good yoga story. It is about the struggles and joys many of us go through in our spiritual growth and attempts to live a meaningful life.