Video excerpts, photos, and a poem from the Ojai Retreat, June 2025.
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A poem about the Ojai Retreat from Matthew:
Home in Ojai
with love to all who danced the path
In the quiet heart of Ojai’s land,
We gathered, not by chance,
but hand in hand—
A family formed beyond the name,
In Love’s own fire, lit without flame.
Teja’s words, like sacred streams,
Chaitanya’s gaze, like lucid dreams,
Unwound the mind, released the “me,”
So what remained was clear and free.
We laughed until our souls took flight,
In yoga’s joy and morning light.
And then sweet Chakra’s dancing grace
Moved joy through every aching place.
Her light, her love, a mirror clear—
She held us close, dissolved our fear.
Each step, a letting go, a prayer,
Till only truth was dancing there.
Each face I saw, a mirror true—
Not separate, but the same bright You.
No past, no story to defend,
Just Being’s song that will not end.
Though some were far in space or time,
Your presence joined this sacred climb.
For Love knows neither near nor far—
You were, and are, right where we are.
Ojai’s hills and olive trees,
Still echo with our silent ease.
The earth received, the sky replied—
And in that stillness, none have died.
We’ve not returned, we’ve not begun—
We only rest in what is One.
And as we part, I offer this:
My heart remains in wordless bliss.
Gratitude beyond all speech,
For every soul that came to teach.
And to the Now, I bow again—
Where Love is All, and All is Friend.
~Matthew❤️❤️🙏🙏
Dear Chaitanya,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your presence and guidance during the retreat. Your calm, grounded way of being touched me deeply — beyond words or understanding.
It was a gift to sit in stillness with you, to feel the simplicity and spaciousness you embody so naturally. I’m grateful for the quiet wisdom you shared, and for the way it gently pointed back to what’s always here.
With love and deep respect,
Matthew
And I to you, Dear Brother.
Chaitanya
