Chandigarh, North India is a place filled with beauty. It was the
place of my childhood. Unlike the India portrayed as filled with slums and squalor, it smells of fresh roses that elevate your senses whichever road you walk down. Its landscape is perfectly manicured and the aroma of the freshly cut grass lingers in the air. As a child, growing up there enabled me to develop a deep connection with Mother Nature.  Nature’s virtues of peace and purity have remained with me forever.
At the age of 21 years I was married. I moved with my husband to Cheung Chau Island in Hong Kong, where I embarked on a new journey in a new land with new people.  After a few years, we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl, Anika. Two years later the blessing was once again bestowed upon us when we had another daughter and named her Aditi.
Months after Aditi was born, Anika stopped talking and our nightmare
began. Our world was suddenly turned upside down as Anika was diagnosed with autism. The years to come were filled with struggle and near-defeat, as we tried to seek out the best therapies, as well as carry forward our secret hope that she had been misdiagnosed. However, as time went by we slowly started to come to grips with the reality of the situation. Anika was indeed severely autistic and hyperactive.
One day I went to see the children’s programme at Sai Center. There I saw a peaceful woman seated opposite me. She had a soft smile on her face and her eyes radiated with happiness. I felt drawn to her and we began speaking. Her name was Diana and she invited me to send my children to her spiritual classes. So at the tender age of 5, Aditi along with her friend Payal went to class at Diana’s house.  At the time, it seemed like a chance encounter, yet when I walked through the door  of Diana’s home and heard the philosophy on the cycle of life, it stirred something deep within my soul.  Thus began my journey.  In all the years since, I have spent my life rediscovering myself and my true form: a soul, an infinite point of light. I began developing
the sweetest relationship through my meditation with the Supreme Soul,
the source from which I draw all my strength. I do not discredit the love and support from my husband and the rest of my family. I am grateful to them. Yet this strength from the Supreme Soul is completely different. When I sit in yoga with the Supreme I am filled with everything that I need. Deep within the core of my soul, I feel recharged enough to face any storm. It is during the storms of my daily life that I have now found the secret to bring about calm and travel swiftly to the eye of the storm where there is peace. I learned that it is just a matter of shifting my consciousness and remembering that I am a peaceful soul. In an instant the storm is alleviated and I am no longer tightly bound to my physical reality but am connected to the ultimate reality that I am indestructible. It is an unshakable stage. It is through this stage that I can draw on my inner power and easily skip through my life.
Anika is now 29 years old. She goes to a special school. She has an IQ
of a four year old. She is hyperactive and demanding. We love her tremendously. She is God’s greatest gift. Aditi is now 27 years old. She has done physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Aditi’s friend Payal is now a journalist.
I have learned a great deal in this journey. I am a stronger and better human being now. My spiritual family has given me so much love and support. I feel infinitely blessed. I don’t see any situation as a nightmare any more. I only experience dreams that carry on even after the night has faded. I cherish every step of my journey and when I gaze back, I remember the fresh roses of my childhood. I’ve learned now that these were my teachers. As I continue on my path, under the canopy of protection from the Supreme, I remain soul conscious, spreading fragrance to all.

Renu Chadha, Hong Kong

Filed under: Personal Stories

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!