Welcome,
Radiant souls,
To the Blooming Spirit Podcast.
I'm Nola Bloom,
And today we step into the sacred heart of the Bhagavad Gita,
A timeless dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and his divine guide Krishna.
This ancient text isn't just a story.
It's a map for the soul,
Guiding us through purpose,
Courage,
And devotion.
Today,
I'll share how the Gita wove itself into my life during a transformative journey in India.
Then,
We'll dive into a meditative retelling of its story,
A journey to feel its wisdom in your bones,
And to let the light illuminate your path.
So find a quiet space,
Settle in,
And let's begin.
My personal journey with the Bhagavad Gita began in 2009,
Shortly after my yoga teacher training in Thailand.
I traveled to India and found myself at the Sri Santosh Puri Ashram in Haridwar,
Just outside of Rishikesh,
And by the sacred flow of the Ganga River.
Each morning at 4.
30am,
I awoke to the pulse of a rati,
Bells chiming,
Sandalwood incense curling through the air,
And mantras weaving a tapestry of devotion as the sun kissed the horizon.
My days were filled with karma yoga,
Simple acts of service,
Like sweeping the temple floors,
Or serving chai at mealtime.
Everything offered with love.
One morning,
A handwritten sign caught my eye.
A five-day course on the Bhagavad Gita.
I remembered hearing its name in my recent teacher training,
And that it was tied to the path of yoga.
This sparked a quiet curiosity that drew me to explore deeper.
I joined seekers from across the globe in a humble hall,
The Gita's words flowing over us like a river,
Planting a seed of truth in my heart,
Ready to bloom in its own perfect time.
Those early mornings,
Those acts of service,
Were the Gita's teachings alive in me.
Action.
Devotion.
Surrender.
That seed now blooms as I share this journey with you.
The Gita teaches us,
The soul is neither born nor does it ever die.
Beneath life's chaos,
We are eternal light.
And today,
We'll explore this truth through meditation,
Letting the Bhagavad Gita's ancient story mirror through your own inner path,
A path of courage,
Clarity,
And awakening.
Let's step into this story together.
Close down your eyes,
And let your breath deepen.
Slow and steady.
Soften your face,
Your jaw,
Your belly.
Feel the earth beneath you,
Ancient,
Steady,
Like a sacred cradle holding you.
Take a few slow breaths,
Noticing the rise and fall of your chest,
The rhythm of life flowing through you.
Now,
Transport yourself to ancient India,
To the vast battlefield of Kurukshetra.
You stand in the sandals of Arjuna,
A noble warrior of the Pandava clan,
Trained for this moment,
Yet trembling at its weight.
The air is thick with dust and the faint scent of jasmine.
Distant conch shells wail like ancient memories,
And the ground hums under the weight of elephants and chariots.
Their trumpets piercing the dawn like cries of forgotten gods.
Before you stretch two armies,
Families,
Mentors,
And friends on one side,
And loved ones now enemies on the other.
Your heart pounds like a drum.
Duty clashes with love,
Fear,
And purpose.
There is no more battle.
It's the war within every seeker's soul.
The inner Kurukshetra,
Where truth is sought.
What is my path?
How do I act with truth?
Beside you stands Krishna,
Your charioteer,
Your friend,
The divine in human form.
His skin glows like storm clouds before summer rain.
His eyes vast as galaxies.
His smile holding the secrets of creation.
Golden silk robes shimmer in the morning light.
A peacock feather crown swaying gently.
The horse is still under his steady hand.
The world pauses in his radiant calm.
As you stand with Arjuna,
Krishna's gaze meets yours.
A silent promise.
Your doubts,
Like his,
Will find answers in this sacred exchange.
See the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Under a pale morning sky.
Mist curling like a veil.
You,
As Arjuna,
Grip your bow,
But your hands tremble.
The faces before you,
Elders,
Cousins,
Friends,
Blur through tears.
Your voice cracks.
How can I fight my own kin?
You let the bow slip,
Your knees buckling under the weight of despair.
The question echoes your own doubts.
Those moments when life demands actions,
Yet fear holds you back.
Then Krishna's voice cuts through.
Arjuna,
Why do you despair?
The battle you face is within you.
Your own heart's struggle for dharma.
Your soul's path.
Your soul's truth.
There is a path.
A path to peace.
And it begins here.
A golden light spreads,
Warming the mist.
Trees rise along the field's edge.
Their leaves whispering.
The earth listens as Krishna speaks.
Kind,
Yet unyielding.
You are not this body.
Not your thoughts.
Not your fleeting fears.
You are the Atman.
The eternal soul.
The light behind it all.
He echoes the Gita's truth.
The soul is never born.
Never dies.
Eternal.
Ever-present.
Feel this stir in your chest.
A quiet glow that's always been there.
Weapons cannot cut it.
Fire cannot burn it.
Water cannot wet it.
Wind cannot dry it.
The Atman is beyond time.
Unchanging and free.
Now reflect.
Just as Arjuna clings to his role as warrior,
What roles do you cling to?
Parent.
Worker.
Seeker.
Beneath them,
You are the sky.
Unbounded.
Untouched.
Bypassing clouds.
Let this light expand with each breath.
Krishna speaks of Maya.
The illusion that blinds us.
We mistake the temporary for the eternal.
Our roles for our truth.
But beyond this veil lies clarity.
Let his words peel back the layers of doubt,
Revealing the stillness within.
Krishna's voice softens.
Like a breeze through ancient Bayan trees.
Act without attachment,
He says.
Do your duty,
But release the outcome.
This is Karma Yoga.
Action rooted in love,
Not reward.
Better to follow your own Dharma imperfectly than another's perfectly.
Feel the weight of striving left.
What duty calls you today?
A task?
A kindness?
A truth?
Offer it freely and notice the freedom that blooms in your heart.
Krishna asks,
What path calls your soul?
He unveils the rivers of yoga.
Each a sacred stream to the divine.
As taught in the Gita's timeless verses.
First,
Jnana Yoga,
The path of knowledge.
A crystal river winding through forests of insight.
Where sages pierce illusion to see the Atman beyond form.
Imagine questioning,
Who am I beneath it all,
And finding silence that answers.
Then,
Bhakti Yoga,
The path of devotion.
A golden stream of nectar flowing from your heart.
Where love becomes prayer.
Where tears fall into the divine's embrace.
Feel yourself singing to the stars,
Surrendered to the beloved.
Next,
Karma Yoga,
Sacred action.
A moonlit river nourishing the world.
Your hands offering service without clinging.
Picture every act,
Cooking,
Listening,
Creating,
As a gift to all beings.
Finally,
Raja Yoga,
The royal path of meditation.
A deep indigo river under a starlit sky,
Pulling you into stillness.
As in the Gita,
It's flame in a windless place.
Where the mind quiets,
And you dissolve into awareness.
All rivers flow into the same ocean,
The infinite divine.
Which river calls you?
Or do you walk amongst them all?
Their waters rising like mist,
Guiding you home.
Now Krishna reveals his cosmic form.
The air stills.
His light expands.
Stars birth and dissolve within him.
Galaxies spin.
Rivers pulse through his veins.
The sun and moon rest on his shoulders.
You are not watching the universe.
You are within it.
And Krishna lives in you.
Feel Arjuna's awe and trembling fear.
As in chapter 11,
Seeing creation and destruction entwined.
The divine is both destroyer and creator.
Yet,
Its love holds it all.
Surrender to this light.
Letting it soak into every cell.
Like moonlight on quiet lake.
Let it carry you into the shimmering silence,
The mystery.
A place of starlit stillness,
Where all knowing dissolves into presence.
In this vast stillness,
You hear a whisper,
Ancient and eternal.
OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA A mantra of devotion and surrender.
OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA Repeat it inwardly.
Softly.
With each breath.
OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA I bow to the divine within all beings.
Let this mantra be your guide.
Across the threshold of self.
Into the heart of the cosmos.
Let yourself rest in that mystery for a moment beyond time.
The vision softens,
Like twilight over a temple.
Krishna returns as a friend.
His smile warm.
Surrender all lesser paths,
He says.
Take refuge in me and I will free you from suffering.
Arjuna bows.
His delusion gone.
His heart clear with purpose.
Declaring,
My doubts are dispelled.
I am ready to act.
Feel that clarity settle into your spine.
Your breath.
And your heart.
Whatever you face,
Carry this strength.
Now float back like a feather in the breeze.
Return to your body.
Feeling the earth beneath you.
The Gita's wisdom resets within,
Like seeds in a fertile soil.
You are never alone.
The divine light shines through you.
Deepen your breath.
Move gently.
Give thanks for this ancient teaching.
When you're ready,
Slowly opening your eyes.
Carrying this peace into your day.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through the Bhagavad Gita.
Its light has guided seekers for millennia.
And now,
It lives in you.
As you move forward,
Carry one teaching that resonates.
Perhaps journal it.
Share it with a friend.
Or let it guide a quiet moment of action.
Until next time,
Radiant souls.
May you walk your dharma with courage,
Clarity,
And love.
Namaste.
