By Nadia Pamela Tavella
Throughout the past century, spirituality has been a topic of curiosity among Western societies. Our interest in self-realization has increased, while the social values of materialism and individualism have been revealed as useless in our quest for true happiness and overall health. As a result, people began reaching out and seeking answers—trying to find the ultimate Truth.
And the questions arose: Who will give us answers? Who will help us heal?
For thousands of years, Eastern spiritual Masters have offered teachings to help set humanity free from life’s sorrows and sufferings. However, most are still living in a period of darkness, and people from “civilized” and “developed” countries languish from psychological and physical complains.
This is a call to action! Isn’t it high time for us to step out of our comfort zone and listen to those spiritual Masters who—after having walked the path themselves and achieved self-realization—decided to step back and take us, one by one, to the same destination.
If you are wondering how this can happen, let me share the story of my own personal healing journey.
Everything Happens in its Own Time
I started practicing meditation and chakra healing when I was 16 to soothe my muscles and to stop taking the medication I had been on since I was 15. Doctors were unable to find the root of my muscle spasms, which often prevented me from walking for days. I spent eight years in osteopath and physiotherapist treatments, and I thought nothing could heal me. My medical report was a combination of “disease + chronic.” Chronic sinusitis, chronic tendinitis, chronic asthma, and the list went on.
At 18 I started Chinese medicine lessons. I had had enough, and I wanted answers. But I was disappointed in most of the teachers or so-called Masters I encountered. I tried it all, and then one day I stopped it all because I was feeling more harmed than healed.
But the questions were still there. I signed up for all the philosophy lessons I could find at my University. Unfortunately, no master class in Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, or Kant resolved my doubts. So I decided to go back to the root: my chronic body pain. I started learning massage, and soon Ayurveda caught my attention. This, in turn, reignited a passion and desire to visit India that began at a young age. Finally, 10 years after my first thoughts of traveling to India, I decided I didn’t need to give an excuse or justify my decision to anyone to cross half of the world; I just needed to follow my heart. So I quit my job and jumped on a plane.
I spent my first trip to India learning Ayurveda. A year later I came back home. I sold everything, tied up all the loose ends, and “cleaned up” my life. Then I bought my one-way ticket back to India. I recall those few days before and after the trip as the best time of my life. I carried a 20-pound bag with my all possessions—no strings attached and no emotions. In my heart, there was just lightness; for the first time I was feeling alive and free.
When I stopped searching the magic happened.
I landed in Mumbai and headed straight to Pune. On the second day, a friend told me about a doctor I should meet. I asked him why he didn’t introduce me some months ago when I was there, but he had no answer. I understood later that now it was MY time; now I was ready.
Meeting a True Master, a Real Healer
When I arrived at the door of Master Ananda Kambli, I was absolutely clueless as to who was standing in front of me. In my mind, I was just meeting another naturopathic doctor—someone I would soon add into the list of unsuccessful practitioners who attempted to help me.
As I waited quietly on the bench, I had no preconception or expectations about his therapy. When he entered the clinic, wearing his unshakable smile, the room was transformed in the span of five seconds. The air seemed to become lighter, more comfortable and, certainly, more peaceful.
From that first meeting, I released all of my physical pain, and let go of the emotional baggage that I had been carrying for years. But, most importantly, I could recognize in a glimpse that I had just found a Master—a genuine guru. He didn’t fit the stereotype of an old, white-bearded sadhu, yet he carried in his soul the wisdom of three spiritual lineages; the inner peace and joy one feels in his mere presence is palpable.
I would soon learn he was different. Ananda Kambli was born a gifted child in a middle-class Hindu family in Mumbai. At the age of 24, he completed his studies and established a profitable business. Not long after, he received the calling to help humanity, so he became a naturopathic doctor and his Master teachers began to “appear.” First came Dr. Paranjape, followed by legendary Dr. Ram Bhosle—well-known for treating Mahatma Ghandi, Nerhu, and Winston Churchill, among others—who provided Ananda with a full initiation into Samvahan therapy. Next was Master Lalji Gokhale, who taught Yogi Ananda how to heal through silence and use the “simple presence” to facilitate miracles. Finally, Yogi Ananda met Master Kakasaheb Patwardan of the Siddha Yoga tradition, who initiated him as a Master and guardian of this lineage.
That day, in a narrow street in the heart of Pune, sitting in the bench of the clinic, my destiny changed forever. I now can say that I have had two lives—and the second one started that day, when I got rid of all the physical pain and could start seeing clearly what my life was for. I received my answers. I experienced such a pure love; it can’t even be expressed in these few lines. But I can assure you it is there, and it is waiting for all of you to experience it. You just need to stand in front of a true master, and let the magic happen.
Nadia Pamela Tavella is an Oriental Medicine teacher and practitioner, specialised in Ayurveda and Thaï Medicine. She works as a medical translator and interpreter. She holds a Bachelor in Literature and Philosophy and has been learning and practicing different alternate medicines for the last 15 years. In 2006 she met her Master, Yogi Ananda Kambli, and was healed thru his therapy; his teaching guides her along her path. Visit www.anandacentre.org or contact samvahan.centre@gmail.com.
This article is a chapter from the book Transform Your Life! written by 60 real-life heroes and experts and available at Amazon.com, BN.com, www.Transformation-Publishing.com and all ebook formats.