The year of 2011 was the hardest time in my life. I had been working my whole life towards having a successful career in music. Financially it was tough and I was feeling severely overworked. I had pushed myself to my absolute breaking point. On top of that my Love relationships were failing, I had grown unhealthy attachments which were the cause of all my suffering and I had fallen into self destructive behaviour and when I finally awoke in a hospital bed one morning I knew it was time for a change. So began my journey to the forest and to discover a magical place. – Samaya Ashram,  and the beautiful family of people there who accepted me with all my wounds and all my sadness and shone a light on me that would change my life forever!

As the sun rises I wake in my cabin to the sound of the forest birds singing their beautiful song. I walk out my front door and look over this magnificent 100 acre property to see wallabies playing and munching on the lush grass and plants. I make my way down to the meditation hall past the big banana trees. Its 6am and the prana energy and vital essence is strong in the air, I step inside embracing the peace that is present in the room. I take up a place next to my beautiful brothers and sister and turn my awareness inwards, allowing the movement of my thoughts to settle as i journey to my centre. We sit in silent meditation then listen to discourses from Osho to help expand our awareness and knowledge of the inner world. The sound of the bell eventually brings me back into my body and I mindfully make my way down to our eating place and fill my plate with rich nutritious cereals, nuts and fruit. I sit down in the garden to enjoy the morning sun as i eat my delicious breakfast picking the fresh herbs around me to add to my cup of tea.

There is peace among my friends as we all give gratitude for our beautiful surroundings enjoying a laugh and sharing our feelings and emotions. Breakfast finishes and I set out to do my daily work which today is deep in the forest building forest trails. Walking through my picturesque surroundings, the clean crisp forest air fills my lungs. I explore a world that seems so far from the life I left behind. I stop for a moment to think.. how did i get here, where am I… who am I?
I am here in this present moment, becoming aware, becoming awake. The work strengthens my body, lifting rocks , hauling logs and digging trenches… all part of this daily meditation in action exercise. 

Lunch time arrives, we gather together and join hands to chant “Om” 3 times and begin to indulge in a colourful meal filled with fresh greens and hearty grains. Our food is prepared according to the book “Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity” a diet our master Samaya has followed through out his life and is a testament to its benifits. An 83 year old man that can beat us all in an uphill race and can work digging lifting like he was 25 years old. After lunch the sun is shining brightly so I walk down to the waterfall to wash and soak in spring water. I stand naked in the river looking around.. Am i dreaming? This world around me is something I could only compare to things I have seen in the movies.. Its magical, sureal… breathtaking. I dive under the water and as i rise to the surface the water streams off my hair, i feel the old world i used to know wash away… all the stresses and anxiety of the city life, the constant doing and sickness of the outside world disappears. 

I meditate on the warm rocks and let the tropical sun dry my body and eventually head back to my cabin to read, meditate and play music on my porch as the sun sets over the green mountains. Dinner time arrives and i sit for another delectable meal, soaking up the great atmosphere of my beautiful family sharing the joyfulness they bring to my life.
The meal is filled with fresh vegetables grown right here in the Ashram gardens and it give us energy for the evening ahead. 7pm arrives which means it time to head back to the meditation hall. as I approach I can feel an energy shift. I step inside to see all the Ashramites dancing frantically to the high energy sounds that fill the room. This is the ritual for every night, “dance meditation”. We dance Rejoicing and celebrating life with every movement. Letting go of everything, becoming totally ecstatic and energised! The music builds and builds and eventually it stops abruptly and we all freeze in silence. I hear a voice “connect with this feeling of Aliveness!” after a few minutes of silence we sit in a circle for more silent meditation. Then we hear a few words from Samaya the elder of the Ashram. He will touch on words from “Osho” and go into a sharing which is the moment we can have a chance to share feelings, emotions and topics that are part of our lives. 

We hear stories of love and intimacy between people, emotional struggles some might be facing and all being expressed openly with no judgement from anyone. The people hear have been an inspiration to me from day one and the more I dedicate myself to the practice of meditation and the teachings of Osho Magical things that are starting to happen within me. After a beautiful evening of meditation and sharing with my friends I make my way back to my cabin. I look in the mirror… Who am I?? My name is Dhyan Vaju. This is the name I have been given by Samaya. Taking on a new name is a way of leaving the old world behind and surrendering fully to Ashram Life. My friends call me Vaju which is a sanskrit name for the great and powerful Hindu Deity that is the lord of the winds, holder of the atmosphere. 

Dhyan is the prefix which means Meditation. I reside in my cabin for the rest of the night reading and playing music and some nights connecting with a close friend. In these moments of total awareness where I have experienced pure bliss.. in dancing, meditation, walking in the forest and making love. being totally present in that moment is where ecstasy can be found. The last few weeks I have experienced some of the hugest highs of my lifetime, with no drugs.. just a clean body. celebrating life, aware of all the beautiful things that surround me in every moment. The birds in the trees, the koalas, the magnificent insects with vibrant colours, the snakes making love in the sand. This is my new life… The life of Dhyan Vaju.