• In :
• Personal Growth

September 2009

By Mona Ranaval

From a housewife and healer, Maa Gyaan Suveera stands on the threshold of a new life as spiritual teacher and founder of a centre for learning and healing

From a householder to a renunciate, from a healer to a spiritual teacher, Rohini Khatri’s life path has been one of ongoing evolution. Her movement is proof that a life of awareness helps one seamlessly transition through different phases in life rather than being straitjacketed in one mode of life. Today, with a new name, Maa Gyan Suveera and a new address, Rishikesh, she stands on the threshold of a new life, all energies focused on her centre of learning, KIRTI or Ki Research and Training Institute that offers more than 50 courses on meditation and wellness.
 

She says, “I am currently collaborating with other practitioners, scientists, doctors and researchers to work on giving scientific validation to techniques like reiki, pranic healing, crystal therapy and a whole lot of other healing practices that have been around for a long time.” Maa has been involved with healing the energy field through various therapies and meditation for several years now. She says, “I discovered a form of meditation sometime back, partly through my own personal spiritual experiences, and partly through the guidance of some higher powers. I decided to eventually call it cosmic intelligence plus or CI Plus for short and conduct workshops sharing my insights with as many people as I can.”

Transcending religion, cultures and geography, her spiritual education now has a global reach. She conducts workshops – particularly on CI Plus – all over India and abroad. She also has students come over to India especially to be able to participate in these. “It’s definitely heartening,” she smiles.

“Indian spirituality is popular abroad and appreciated much more than in India, mostly because for them it is a unique sort of awakening of the soul,” she shares. “I have had students cry in ecstasy after moments of deep inner peace or extreme joy.”

Early on, influenced and guided by the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, she discovered that teaching and healing were the purposes of her life. She recalls the time when she was a youngster in school, at the Aurobindo Ashram in Delhi. “I was different from the other children in my class. Right from a young age, I went through clairvoyant experiences and had a deeper understanding of spirituality. I had started seeing auras even before I knew that what I was seeing was an aura,” she says.

Describing auras as the magnetic fields that surround each human being, and that reflect their inner physiological health as well as their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual state through their colour and density, she says, “Even inanimate objects are surrounded by auras of their own. When I was studying in school, I used to see the blackboard with glowing colours and light surrounding it. Later, I even got my vision checked and started wearing glasses, but the ‘glow’ wouldn’t go away!” she smiles. Recalling her teenage years she says, “Even at 16 or 17, I felt like a wise old healer from within. I was compassionate towards people and more mature than my years,” she says. Maa is a fine artist and trained in Hindustani classical music. She studied fashion and textile design for many years and even taught both meditation and fashion together. Coming from a progressive Maharashtrian family, she was married into an equally progressive Punjabi family. When asked the classic question on balancing marriage and spirituality she responds, “If a sadhak decides to dedicate his life completely to his spirituality, then it’s a good idea not to marry. But if you decide to marry, it is mere self-indulgence to turn away from your responsibilities and go in search of the ultimate truth!” she reasons.

She claims that as long as she was in the family, she managed to balance her spiritual and householder lives beautifully. “My day started at 5am with prayers, sadhana, walk and bath. My family members rose late because they were in business and had late nights. By the time my children and husband were up, I was done with my spiritual disciplines. I spent time with them, went to parties also, had people coming over for social gatherings, and functions. I was always involved with my children’s work very deeply. I have always worked from home, and even my healing practice went on from home.”

About 14 years ago, she gave up fashion altogether and involved herself with spiritual education full time. “My daughter, by the way, was blessed with a natural ability for healing and understanding of spiritual techniques, but she doesn’t yet seem to be interested in sharing her talents. My children are still living their worldly lives!” she jokes.

She is a grandmother now, yet relates quite closely with young people as well as those closer to her age. People of all ages and cultural backgrounds have been her students, many of who are now teachers themselves. “More than a teacher, I am a guide, who initiates them on to a spiritual path and introduces them to their own hidden potential. Everyone has their own personal journey, so what my students teach is what they learn while pursuing their own spiritual paths.”

As a woman she finds herself particularly suited to help raise human consciousness: “I feel women are born annapoornas. They are so giving by nature. When a woman sets up her home after she gets married, she pours out her energy into every nook and corner of the house. She cleans, cooks and feeds the entire family. In this minuscule world of hers, she is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh all in all.”

Her name change from Rohini Khatri to Maa Gyaan Suveera, she says has reincarnated her, freeing her from family ties, and enabling her to dedicate herself to the service of mankind and in service of God. She adds, “My identity is more universal now than before. I don’t feel restricted to any familial and regional conditioning with this name.” Her shift from healing to teaching spirituality came as a natural progress when she realised that physical healing did not liberate people as much as counselling and empowering did. “I have always emphasised on self-healing because truly speaking you cannot heal anyone, you can only facilitate a healing process,” she says.

Says Maa Gyaan Suveera, “Teaching comes to me very naturally. I identify it as my dharma. I am very flowing and one with my being when I teach. It is my purest, most pious expression.”

With regard to her new life, she says, “I find myself very peacefully settled down here, looking forward to being a tall tower of love and light! I feel dedicated to the vision of setting up this centre where people from different parts of the world can come over to learn different therapies and bask in the wellness programmes offered.”

What can people do to recognise their spiritual potential, we ask her. “First understand your core ability, what you are best at, what you are born to do, and bring it in line with your karma path and make it the purpose of your life. If this does not happen, you are always in conflict with what you are doing and what you would like to do. Constantly contemplate on reality following a swadharma, and touch as many lives as you can, positively.”

Her own daily affirmations sums up her life path. “I raise myself up from my own inhibitions and limitations to achieve my highest potential. I am a lighthouse of love, joy, health and happiness for myself and others.”

We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at editor@lifepositive.net