March 2025 Devi Sanctuary Updates
It is now time to take the intention to another level and invite you all to participate in whatever way you can. In this spirit I wish to share with you what has been happening here at Devi Sanctuary, in honour of our beloved Mantriji.
In July we officially installed the great goddesses: Mother Durga, Mother Laxshmi, and Saraswati into our exalted temple overlooking the land. A traditional fire yagna was performed by a Vaisnava priest with our community joining in the celebration.
We ate food catered by Indian families who live and farm locally. In the absence of any nearby Hindu temples these families often visit our Devi Sanctuary with offerings and gratitude. Thus, our mission is fulfilled when visitors come to pray, meditate, and commune with others.
This past August, Ali and I tied the knot before our Devi Sanctuary Goddess Temple!
This year, we will extend Guru Purnima by hosting a special event on Saturday July 19, which is Mantriji’s birthday. We are just beginning to organize the program, but it will be a day of healing, learning, and fulfilling Mantriji’s request to feed the people.
July 19 may seem far away but we have to begin purchasing outdoor tents and other items so please consider making a donation today. Our intention is to provide a sanctified space where all denominations, all religions and spiritual seekers are welcome to walk through our enchanted forest, to visit with these beautiful and deeply meaningful Deities, and to be in the proximity of their profound healing power.
See our our Devi Sanctuary Spiritual Pilgrimage Map that we hand out to visitors. We offer our guests prasadam and often times a meal, and they can tour our many shrines, meditate, pray, and contemplate at every sanctum. It is a great way to connect with nature, with your inner self, and the higher power within all of us.
Ali and I support this endeavour all on our own. Most of our income goes into maintaining the property and developing the Devi Sanctuary. We are building new shrines and connections and helping to support and feed our visitors like any temple would.
You are welcome to visit and offer your Seva in other ways, like landscaping, upkeep of the Deities, or in whatever way you wish to serve. We are so grateful for our community and we thank you in advance for your support.
Donate Today!
Thank you for being part of our vision to bring together a sacred temple space.
Your contributions are greatly appreciated and will go towards helping with the cost of building materials, shipping and transportation costs as well as the decor for the Devi Sanctuary outdoor temple.
Check Our March 2025 Update tab for updates on our Devi Sanactuary.
We are also accepting digital gift cards that will go into the building and decorating of our outdoor sanctuary.
Use the email info@ayurvedictouch.com to send digital gift cards.
Home Depot
https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/gift-cards.html
Rona
https://www.rona.ca/en/gift-card
Home Hardware
https://www.homehardware.ca/en/home-gift-card
Puja Hut (Decor)
https://www.giftly.com/gift-card/india-sajawat-and-puja-hut-edison
Video
2023 Announcement
After relocating to Northumberland County near Rice Lake in May 2022 and experiencing the rejuvenating energies of our enchanted forest and creek, my spouse Ali and I became aware of the profound natural energy that this land emanates, which is often felt by many of our guests who come for their Ayurveda Rituals Healing Escape retreats.
In response, we decided to name our land "Devi Sanctuary," signifying it as a place of healing and tranquility that offers a unique connection to Mother Earth and her restorative energy. "Devi" is a Sanskrit term for Goddess, and "Sanctuary" conveys the idea of a refuge or a safe haven.
The concept of the Heavenly Mother takes on various forms, providing a safe refuge in the embrace of Mother Nature and facilitating communion with Divinity, manifesting as a benevolent, nurturing, and healing mother. Visitors to this enchanted land now have the opportunity to engage with a central shrine designed in the likeness of the Feminine aspect of Divinity.
These three Shaktis, which represent the energetic dimensions of Love, Healing Grace, and nurturing presence of Mother Divine, also serve as an external interpretation of our immune system. The innate function of our immune system is first and foremost to protect us from harmful invaders, germs, and diseases. This intricate network of phases and pathways acts similarly to how Mother Divine safeguards, supports, and nurtures, much like the worship observed during the nine nights of the Goddess, known as NAVARATRI in the Hindu tradition of Goddess worship.
Just as a mother safeguards her child, fights for their safety, sustains their well-being, and imparts knowledge of their unique gifts, Mother Nature plays a similar role. The alignment between Mother Nature, our immune system, and the qualities of a mother type underscores these common behaviors. One aspect of Mother Divine, in the form of Durga Ma, symbolizes vigilance against any potential threat or harmful antigens, which can be interpreted psycho-spiritually as combating inner demons or self-sabotaging beliefs.
The second aspect, embodied by Laxshmi Ma, activates our innate internal healing systems, nurturing and revitalizing our life force, akin to a nurturing and supporting mother. The origins of Ayurveda, often referred to as the Mother of all Healing can be traced back to Mother Laxshmi's role in directing the creation of The Elixir of Life, the Soma, and the Nectar of Immortality, as depicted in the epic tale of The Churning of the Ocean.
Both these manifestations of Mother Divine and our immune system mobilize PRANA/ENERGY to counteract and eliminate invasions, attacks, and harm. The psycho-spiritual understanding underscores the importance of practicing faith, truth, hope, love, courage, and gratitude to maintain our Prana/LifeForce Energy. It is essential to feel safe and protected before we can create a life of health and balance.
Once we achieve serenity in mind, body, and spirit, we can learn more about our true selves and apply emotional intelligence and wisdom to discern the real from the unreal. Only when we feel secure, protected, and at ease can we generate the energy required to live life to the fullest.
The third aspect of Mother Divine, represented by the Goddess of Intelligence, Creativity, and Goddess Saraswati, sustains and maintains PRANA/ENERGY by imparting the teachings of Truth and self-healing. Learning about our nature, bodies, and universal truths helps us create our true selves, enabling us to shed self-sabotaging beliefs and traumas.
These aspects of the Divine Mothers within us and external forms like Mother Nature, Heavenly Mother in various forms, such as Mother Mary, Goddess of Compassion Kuan Yin, encourage a journey toward self-love, forgiveness, peace, clarity, and the ability to create, embrace, love, and accept ourselves.
Our goal is to assist in the process of inner healing by establishing a sacred space in an energetically charged section of Mother Earth. This space will serve as a focal point for connecting with Nature Herself and nurturing an internal connection with Mother Divine, symbolizing different facets of these maternal qualities.
Our own maternal responses to inner pain, emotional needs, and diseases that have affected our body, mind, and spirit, combined with blessings from the forms of the Goddesses, will support our PRANA/ENERGY and enhance our WILL TO LIVE.
In the sacred Vedic Scriptures, which house the teachings of the three Sister Sciences: Yoga, Ayurveda, and Jyotisha, Prana/Breath/Vital Life Force is described as a Mother who nurtures her Children.
प्राणस्येदं वशे सर्वं त्रिदिवे यत् प्रतिष्ठितम्। मातेव पुत्रान् रक्षस्व श्रीश्च प्रज्ञां च विधेहि न इति ॥
This verse signifies that all of the Universe, established in the three heavens, is under the control of PRANA. PRANA is entreated to watch over us like a Mother, granting us fortune, affluence, intelligence, beauty, and above all, wisdom.