Famous photographer Rafique Sayed talks about Gurumaa (Me magazine, Nov 2008)

Shakti book in Newspapers and Media

Anandmurti Gurumaa In Times Of India, January 31, 2008

Mulla Nasruddin's Quest For Complete Relaxation

How should I relax?

With today's high stress levels, relaxation seems like a dream. Everyone is looking for it everywhere. Ways and methods can be different but the search remains the same. Some watch cinema or theatre. Others go to music concerts. Then there are people who like the quiet of solitude and others who like to go to malls or trade fairs. The idea is to lose yourself in the crowd.But does that bring relaxation?

An ageing Mulla Nasruddin was suffering from insomnia. His relatives and friends tried everything to help him get sound sleep — hot baths, massages and hot milk. His insomnia was becoming a huge nightmare for the family. Then one day, a distant friend of the Mulla suggested the family see a hypnotist

So the hypnotist was brought to the Mulla's aid. Upon analysing Mulla's problem he began the therapy, to put Mulla to sleep. He hung a watch with a chain in front of Nasruddin and said, "You don't worry. Just concentrate on the movement of this watch as it swings to your right and left. Watch it with all your might and concentration".

Mulla did exactly as told. After few minutes in the process the hypnotist said, "Now your eyes are becoming tired, tired, tired. Now you are falling asleep, asleep, asleep".

Everyone was relieved because Mulla's eyes had closed; his head had tripped to one side. It looked that Mulla was beginning to enter the state of a very relaxed sleep. On seeing this, the satisfied hypnotist smiled and asked everybody to leave the room after him. As he sneaked out Mulla Nasruddin opened one eye and said, "That nut, has he gone yet?"

As we see here the Mulla was making an effort to relax so that he could sleep. But relaxation can only occur in effortlessness. This very effort was an obstruction to his relaxation. At last all he could get was a pretentious sleep.

Only if the Mulla could have been passive, if he could have just heard what was being said, sleep would have happened. It was absolutely unnecessary for him to do something.

Effort is needed if something externally has to be done. If you want to achieve anything, if you want to reach somewhere, effort is needed. To relax only one thing is required: Non-doing. Let go of all bondages, of all desires for the moment at least. Just keep it in mind that you have to leave every effort and you have to go on just leaving them.

Now even "leaving" is an effort. Upon doing this a moment will come when everything will be gone and you are there, "Simply there". Just in your being. And in this very being-ness, real relaxation will pour upon you. And this relaxation will come free of charge, with no travelling and no waiting.

If you be passive, positively inactive, you will feel the relaxation. Life as it is happening now, learn to appreciate it, rejoice in it. See the present moment which is happening around you: the blue sky, giggles of children, sounds of birds, floating clouds and if what you can hear is just noise then even this noise will become rhythmic, just be in the moment. And that is enough.

Anandmurti Gurumaa In Media

Chamkan Taare in Newspapers and Media

Shakti Report in The Tribune, August 23, 2007

Project Shakti to empower girl child

A conference by members of Project Shakti, an initiative undertaken by Anand Murti Guru Maa, was held here today at a city hotel.

Varinder Sachdeva, president of Project Shakti, Ludhiana, said Anand Murti Guru Maa felt the need to start Project Shakti to empower the girl child. She and other followers felt that the sex ratio between the girls and boys in Punjab was really skewed up and gravely affecting the social scenario. This was all a result of the obnoxious practice of female foeticide.

Under Project Shakti, the girls will be empowered through education so that they become financial independent. Hence daughters of widows, war widows, and poor families will be given free education. Moreover, to create awareness in society, a play “Maa Mainu Maarin Na”, written and directed by Nirmal Rishi, will be staged in Guru Nanak Bhawan on Thursday.

Zikr Call Of A Sufi in Newspapers and Media

Odyessy Of Love in Newspapers and Media

Rumi - Love At Its Zenith in Newspapers and Media

Nanak Ayaa in Newspapers and Media

Mehfil-e-Zikr in Newspapers and Media

Marie Claire, March 2007

...Zikr is a treasure house of Sufi music. No fusion, no catchy tunes, none of the fancy stuff that comes in the name of Sufi nowadays. Instead, a focused performance marking an appeal to be in union with God, a fine example being the track Tariqat. It is very rare that albums like this come out in the market. The whole album is a prayer to Allah, a prayer to purify and cleanse. A prayer of total submission and unity. A soul-stirring performance that can send you into a state of divine ecstasy and an absolute must for anyone who claims to be a genuine Sufi lover. No review can explain this album because certain things can only be felt and never completely expressed in words.

The Statesman, February 16, 2007

...Gurumaa brings the new whiff of love in the form of Zikr and this beautiful album gives a new dimension which is full of love, peace, and splendor. Few lines of the album says, “Teri mohabbat dil mein hai ya Allah, noor se tere roshan he ye jahan, awwal tu hai, aakhir tu hai teri mohabbat mein dil mein hai ya Allah"...

The Indian Express, February 18, 2007

...Sufi music from medieval times strikes a chord in contemporary Delhi

The Mehfil-e-Zikr held at Kamani Auditorium recently was a spiritual odyssey of sorts in which seven dervishes from Turkey performed at this two hour long show, along with Indian Guru Anandmurti Gurumaa.

The event began with recitation of Aayats from the Quran and Gurumaa explaining the nuances of Zikr. The dervishes performed Zikr (a type of chanting), with a unique breathing technique and fast-whirling dance. One of the members of the troupe, dressed in a flowing white skirt pirouetted for over eight minutes to the soulful music and rhythmic beats. Interpersed with mesmerizing notes of the Flute, the audience chanted along with the dervishes...

The Hindu, August 4, 2006

...At a time when Sufi music is becoming a rage, here comes the original. Recently, Mystica Music launched a compilation of the soulful verses of one of the greatest mystic poets of all times Jalaluddin Rumi. Translated from English and sung by Anandmurti Gurumaa...

...Another interesting aspect of the album is the use of Ney, a Turkish wind instrument. Gurumaa calls it a headless instrument. “For a Sufi has to be headless. It has seven holes quite similar to seven charkas and its sound is called soundless sound. You don’t have to blow into it. One just has to say ‘hoo’ and the music comes out.” The music has been composed by Kanchman Babbar who learnt to play ney and claims to be country’s first neyzen or ney player.