Igor Kufayev | Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

Testimonials of Students & Participants of Immersions with Igor Kufayev

“I believe his voice and presence is really needed in our community. I wish I could put into words the value and importance of what he offers. Working with Igor moved me from the life of a seeker, to Life itself. And beyond my own flowering, I see Igor as part of the rising of the Divine Feminine in our world. I believe he hasn't yet been fully recognized for what is he and what he is doing, because we - collectively - are still very caught up in an outdated mindset that doesn't always allow us to know what we are seeing. We don't yet have the eyes to see or the ears to hear, although that is coming. Igor's is the voice of Shakti, rising within Shiva to enliven our awareness. The path that Igor teaches is one of deep respect for the power of the Feminine, for that infinite life force that is the source of all spiritual practices and traditions. It is a path of Grace, of beauty, of innocence - sometimes graceful and gentle, sometimes fierce and powerful - like the Mother...”

~ Bhumi Devi, July, 2017

“Igor is an extraordinary spiritual teacher who beautifully articulates the essence of many sacred traditions. Drawing most frequently from Vedic, Kashmiri Shaivite, Buddhist, Taoist, Sufi sources, he speaks from both direct experience and scriptural texts. He exalts the awareness of persons receiving his darshan through direct transmissions imparted during group meditation practice that enflames practitioners’ hearts into collective ecstasy. Many retreat participants report lasting transformations, including sustained higher states of consciousness.”

~ Michael Peter Cain, July, 2017

“The process of awakening requires protection on higher planes, and Igor Kufayev knows his craft. Giving true and deeply committed guidance to all his students who are in the midst of intensified transformational processes — which sometimes can be quite messy — is like holding space for a big bunch of teenagers, only with the difference that they have entrusted their entire karmic evolution into his hands. This is a “spiritual upbringing” which requires 24/7 guidance, protection and surveillance; it happens on a soul level, which is hard to describe, but nevertheless truly felt and experienced. Igor is a teacher with tremendous integrity whose strong presence is available to his students, ceaselessly investing in others and bringing light into this world. Here is a teacher who uncompromisingly urges his students to grow up, one who guides them safely through a process of tremendous alchemical changes in Consciousness, and allows suppressed archetypal forces of the Mother to regain their territories. With that, he facilitates the reestablishment of solid foundations for promoting healthy generations to come…”

~ Helena Zingarella, 2018

Igor speaks the timeless, universal language of the Heart. His Teaching transcends the boundaries of any religion, doctrine, or even perspective. It is for the warrior, the artist, the mother, the lover, the businessman, the child… brought constantly alive through the very hearts of those who tread this path—as that uninterrupted flow within Consciousness, that river beyond time and space. All it takes is a yearning human heart."

— Daryananda Schneidman

Ojai Immersion at Hamsa Studio, California, December 2018

“I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for such a wonderful immersion experience. Meeting you has been a life changing to say the least. I can not even begin to express my gratitude! First, I am so grateful for your answer to my question about the finite and infinite self. While I understood what you’d said on Saturday, returning to the topic on Sunday ignited my understanding at a much deeper level. I was also grateful for your additional comments after the break. (The question of “So now what?” had indeed crossed my mind :)

But what I actually wanted to share was my experience during the final meditation:

The strong physical reaction of the gentleman seated next to me during the morning meditation proved a little unnerving. Thus, during the final sitting, I decided to “leave” my body and “watch” from the position of awareness. (A pretty normal part of my somewhat shamanic meditation practice.)

Anyway, as I expanded into the space of pure awareness, I began to experience the sounds of the group rising from and receding into the silence. Amazingly beautiful sounds, chants, tones, violent inhuman sounds, laughter, tears, shouts, all of it - rose into form and receded back into the silence. It was as if every aspect of the collective human experience was being expressed simultaneously. (Absolutely beautiful btw!)

My first thought was to realize that all of this karma / energy / sound is “mine” - being expressed in, through, and around me. Each release (sound) came and went… some beautiful, loud, and lasting - others short, weak or unpleasant. But they all rose from, and receded into, the silence… the only thing lasting or consistent was the calm, still, silence of pure awareness.

Honestly, it felt as if I was literally watching karmic energy emerge - transform into sound - and take form (wave / density / vibration) - express - and dissipate over and over again. In that, I understood that there is no separation - no me, others, AND God. There is only God (the silence of Awareness). When I initially asked my question Saturday, I was looking from the finite to the infinite self - but during the final meditation, this reversed. I suddenly saw - understood that humans rise from awareness, take form, express energy, and return to the infinite, silence, still space of pure awareness (over and over again) - exactly like the sounds I was watching…

Very cool to say the least! So, for all of this and more; thank you! I am forever grateful for your compassionate heart and true dedication to your students!

And btw: I have been working on a second doctorate degree in comparative religions, but came home and promptly withdrew from the program. Somehow studying comparative religions seems a bit silly once you realize that you’re simply studying cultural illusions about yourself. LOL!

~ Jessica, participant of Ojai Immersion with Igor at Hamsa Studio, December 2018

Pacific Grove Immersion at Center for Spiritual Awakening, California, November 2018

“Igor Kufayev has access to a level of truth I have not before encountered. Each time I am in his presence, I experience profound revelation. The work is not without its challenges. Yet I now recognize that these challenges are integral to transformation. I am deeply grateful…”

~ Shelly, participant of Pacific Grove Immersion with Igor at Center for Spiritual Awakening, November 2018

“Sitting in immersions with Igor Kufayev puts me into a state of deep presence with myself, with the Divine Self. The busy-ness of my mind and nervous system settles, even as the life force is stirred. I come into alignment with what matters most in my life and in the world, and the superficial layers seem to just fall or burn away. Being in immersions with Igor over a 5 year period has catalyzed a profound integration in my body-mind-spirit, so that while I still follow a daily discipline of meditation, my entire life now has become my practice.The greatest benefit of working with Igor, I have found, takes place on the subtle level, where grace and bliss abide. His work and presence on the planet today is a precious gift…”

~ Bhumi Devi, participant of Pacific Grove Immersion with Igor at Center for Spiritual Awakening, November 2018

“Prior to the immersion in California I continually reminded myself that there would be experiences in Igor’s presence that I could not prepare for, or maybe even imagine. Essentially, I prepared for the unknown as best I could. What I did image, and dream about was what Bliss might feel like? What will it be like to surrender to, and be imbibed by my true nature- being consciousness bliss.

What I experienced at immersion was the opposite of bliss in my meditations. During kriyas it felt like I was literally being exorcised of demons. I felt the energy of Durga and Kali. I felt fire, heat, rage, extreme pressure, sorrow, anguish, and the courage to let go despite what I may have looked, or sounded like from the outside. I felt the unconditional waves of love and support from Igor, and the sangha. Igor gracefully reminded us that pain and bliss come from the same source. We need to honour and embrace all manifestations of Shakti. I reminded myself of this during meditation when I felt like I was being exorcised, and literally cooked by a fire I was not aware existed before I came to sit with Igor. While I was consumed in the heat of these meditations I never thought it would feel so good to feel, and release anger on that level. For the first time I was in resonance with Kali and Durga slaying demons out of my body. The intensity of the energy when emotions like that come up in the mediations with Igor was new to me. It was powerful.

Since the immersion my meditations have been stronger at home, in that there is more power within the kriyas. I still experience release in waves of sadness, frustration, and anger to name a few emotions. No bliss, not yet. However, from time to time I feel my blissful divine nature through feelings of gratitude, and tears fall in reverence. My heart has opened, and my awareness has grown. I have experienced many synchronicities in the form of upheavals within my community of friends and family following the immersion. I have suffered, and I have been fully present in the midst of these experiences over and over since I arrived home. Many lessons seem to continue to flood in since the immersion. The progression of my own personal awareness is moving at a much higher velocity than before. The lessons come passionately and fast. There is no mercy in any of it at this time. There is a powerful teaching that continues to emerge from my subconscious, and keeps reflecting back at me through the ones I love most. I’m still unsure how to fully surrender to this lesson of letting go of what is not mine to mend, heal or fix. Before I sat with Igor, I never knew how much my inner child was fighting with a shield and sword to protect myself and my loved ones from the pain inflicted unintentionally by the ones closest to us in life. I actually had a vision of her, a six-year-old with a giant shield and sword on a cliff fighting against endless dark clouds this Christmas. I even drew a picture of this vision in my journal. I’m grateful to connect with my inner child. I am now conscious of the fact that I need to drop my armour, and work on my heart alone at this time. It has been enlightening witnessing the heavy burdens of others we as humans can carry with us unconsciously. I wish to be free of these patterns and burdens. I can see how Kundalini is striping me of what does not serve my highest good anymore.

Additionally, my connection to Igor has become very strong. His benevolent energy continues to support, and lift me up with a love I have not felt in my life until now. He visits me in my dream state, and I hear his voice of encouragement in my meditations. I am so truly grateful my prayers were answered, and I was led to such a beautiful Guru. The immersion surpassed my expectations, and like I suspected I was taken to a place of the unknown. The transformation thus far was not as I had imaged. My experience was much deeper and darker than I anticipated. The merciless Mother took me under her wing, and tested my fortitude.”

~ Jenefer, Participant of Pacific Grove Immersion with Igor at Center for Spiritual Awakening, November 2018

Touch of Grace and the Rise of Gnosis Immersion, Freiburg, Germany, December 2017

“I came to the meditation room when there were still no one yet. I picked up immediately vibrations of the place, that were promising, silence mixed with palpable electric-like current under which spell I needed to fight with the urge to sit down and meditate as there were people about to come and room needed to be prepared properly.

The first thing about this Immersion that I’ve noticed was the sense of safety. I’ve been to couple of events of Igor but I never realised that this is one of the reasons why my practice during Immersion is so supercharged, allowing me to open up and experience breakthroughs that deepen my experience of life…”

~ Ganapati, participant of ‘Touch of Grace and the Rise of Gnosis’ Immersion with Igor, December 2017

“In Igor Kufayev I have found every aspect of my entire spiritual quest united in one guiding hand: he is like the ancient Sufi master imparting his secret knowledge to his beloved student from heart-to-heart — ceaselessly refining him with poetic teachings full of love and sharpness. He opens the gates to the deepest Shamanic travels, that bring us deeply into the gut of the Mother, revealing her sacred, mystical wisdom and letting our souls hear her voice again. Igor teaches us the true worship of the Goddess — blessed be her thousand faces — and he shows the way to reviving the reverence for the long-banned forces of the Divine Feminine through our very own embodiment. He is the non-dual teacher with whom inquiry becomes a joy, and the stillness of Samadhi is truly accessible. Igor Kufayev gives us the firsthand experience of living Alchemy. He is the teacher that excludes nothing and embraces everything, a role model of a human being with the highest integrity, and is very accessible for the one who finds the strength to trust and surrender to the process. The universal teaching he offers brings lasting fulfilment and freedom into every moment of our daily lives. This is a path for those whose soul truly yearns to merge into Oneness and who are eager to dive into the adventure of complete transformation of Consciousness…”

~ Helena, participant of ‘Touch of Grace and the Rise of Gnosis’ Immersion with Igor, December 2017

“At immersion n. 8 with Igor, a tremendous lot happened for me in such a short time.I felt humbled at the mystery renewing itself each time: being in a Presence that asks for surrendering and trust, oozing a kind of Love that was unknown before meeting him. And on this almost physical background, being exposed to the light of the teaching… deepening more and more… engaging the mind but also sinking down inside through different channels. A further absorption took place, something very powerful clashed with a thick layer of darkness and pride.

I could follow my intention of offering all that I thought to be, and left with a profound reverence;as usual, cherishing the most what shakes this identity and makes me uncomfortable. It feels like ages since then, because of the sheer intensity of inner work going on, not a pleasant one… but what's necessary, a new phase of growth has begun. So grateful, once again…”

~ Barbara, participant of ‘Touch of Grace and the Rise of Gnosis’ Immersion with Igor, December 2017

“The weekend immersion TOUCH OF GRACE AND THE RISE OF GNOSIS has been my very first encounter with Igor Kufayev. A silent yet insisting inner calling sent me to book that immersion, so I knew that whatever experience would touch me, it would be the right thing to happen.

The yoga shala where the immersion was held was beautifully and attentively arranged. Sundari Ma as well as Thomá-Datta from the Flowing Wakefulness team welcomed us warmly and supplied all the information we needed to get safely and trustfully started into this journey. Connecting with Igor and his speech was immediate as he embodies total clarity and shares his wisdom in a very sober, accessible way.

I remember that the first set of meditation was very, very irritating to me. Although we had been well prepared for what was possibly about to happen, I could not believe my senses when the whole room got into motion as soon as we closed our eyes. In the beginning it was absolutely impossible for me to concentrate on my breath, as my perception stepped out to hear and feel everything that happened around me. Instead of quietly meditating, I was busily occupied to distinguish voluntary from involuntary kriyas, and could not prevent myself from getting disturbed by every sound that did not appear "genuine" to me. As soon as I fully realized that the "inner judge" was trying to mislead me, my whole effort went into getting myself back to simply observe my breath. Igor then gave and explained us the mantra SO HAM, which made me shift inwards in a much more gentle and natural way.

During the third meditation though something outstanding happened: while people around me were immersed in manifold vocal kriyas, out of a sudden I felt terribly menaced by all the sounds and vibrations… As the feeling grew stronger and stronger at some point I let go… and finally started to cry - silently, from very deep inside. I was shaken because it was through the kriyas experienced by the totality of the field that I had accessed the soundless pain which resides in my own body.

On our second day I had the chance to speak to Amrita Ma Devi, Igor's partner. During a short break in the afternoon she gave me the space to share my impressions and question marks (which were probably written on my forehead :)). She invited me to welcome and use every kriya from "outside" as if it was a wave that would carry me further and make me dive into what lies behind or underneath all this... These very few and very warm minutes with Amrita encouraged me a lot, so that in the next meditation I could relax into what I found, and start to get still. The funny thing is that when I really got still, a sweet melody started to sing me.

On the third and last day I understood why it is so important not to rush through things when being introduced into Igor's Work. In the morning he calmly provided essential help for all those who found themselves in difficulties concentrating on the breath or discerning voluntary from involuntary kriyas. The little instruments he gave us made me fully trust and fall into meditation, this time without any effort. Vibrations and vocal kriyas made their way through my body, I did not hold them any longer out of fear that they could be "not real". The kriyas that reached me from outside were no longer a menace but a song, with no other quality than "as it is, here and now".

I am very grateful for this experience, including of course the precious moments of Darshan where Igor's acuteness and depth spread and "sprinkled" the whole field with awareness. As Sundari Ma beautifully advised us at the end of the immersion, I am trying to care for "the little plant" we received right into our hands. By now I can say that I feel very close to falling in love with gardening :)...”

~ Melanie, participant of ‘Touch of Grace and the Rise of Gnosis’ Immersion with Igor, December 2017

“Where to begin? A most precious gift was given: a glimpse, a lightning flash of insight into the core wound, and with it the first hint of a deep thaw and the promise of healing.

It began during meditation as the sudden realization that for as long as I can remember I have believed (and behaved as if) my existence, my very coming into being, was a mistake. In the space of a single moment, before any feelings of sorrow could surface, my attention was instead drawn to a kind of fluttering sensation, exquisitely pleasant, ecstatic really, like the wings of butterflies tenderly brushing over the heart chakra, somewhat right of center, on a particular spot where I have experienced a constant pain, like a tight knot, for as long as I can remember.

What followed was a deep, albeit split-second opening of the Heart Cave, followed by a profound insight into the familial wound, and the seeing of a kind of generational miasm, if you will. This seeing began with my mother's early life. I saw her as a child, terrified and hiding under her bed, hands pressed hard against her ears to block out the terrible sound of bombs falling over Paris. I saw her as a teenager, forced by circumstance to immigrate to the US. I saw her then as a young woman, pregnant and abandoned by her husband, my father. I saw her in desperation and shame, unable to cope with her predicament.

In the witnessing of my mother's story, I was able for the first time to feel compassion for her (in truth, perhaps not having ever felt compassion for anyone until now) and to understand, finally, how it was that she could leave me at birth to be cared for by various family members, after which she took a position as an au pair, ultimately raising two children not her own.

I was then witness to my own early life: raised by my maternal grandmother, a cold and exacting matriarch (another story!) who assumed responsibility for me out of her own guilt, shame and sense of obligation. I saw how this affected my own parenting skills, and all the ways in which the familial pattern has affected my children and theirs. I saw the origin of my own attachment disorder, and understood my difficulty in bonding, my lifelong sense of tentativeness, and the ever present sense of not belonging. For the first time ever, I felt a deep compassion for all of us, seeing how each one of us had suffered through their own version of the story.

This blessed seeing was the answer to my prayers, and the meeting of a deep longing, held close for a lifetime. Even so, I was aware in the moment, of the promise of more to come.

And yesterday it came, again in meditation, this time at the foot of Ramana's beloved Arunachala. It was quite warm, but as I sat on the outermost cushion at the edge of the open-air satsang hall, a lovely cool breeze came over me, carrying the scent of jasmine. Its touch was felt as the sweetest kiss upon my cheek, and in an instant I tumbled deeply into a kind of sublime trance, experiencing myself, absolutely viscerally, as a precious newborn child being held, loved, kissed and adored by The Mother! She breathed me into her! She registered, ecstatically, the pheromones of her beloved child. She knew me as Her own.

Rather, she knows me, she holds me, always, closely, as Her own. And I belong. All along, I have belonged. I never knew! I see now. FInally, I see! We are ALL held, every one. Every one of us is held forever and always in Her Love.

As I left the gathering at Sundari's home on my last night In Freiburg, I asked Vamadeva for his blessings on my journey. His reply was, "My Dear, you have All the blessings." Indeed, I do. I have all the blessings of the Holy Mother's child.

It seems worth mentioning here that I have tried more than a few times to submit the question of how to find love for my mother in time for the upcoming Mother and Child Darshan, but, until today, there has not been the necessary conjunction of time, space and WiFi to compose the letter to my satisfaction. Even so, my question, my prayer, has been heard, and most beautifully answered.

All blessings upon our dear Vamadeva! Blessings upon us all in this exciting New Year!
Om Namah Shivaya!
All Love…”

~ Colette, participant of ‘Touch of Grace and the Rise of Gnosis’ Immersion with Igor, December 2017

Human Being: the Gate, the Altar & the Offering Immersion, Chateau Frandeux, Belgium 2017

“As a result of this immersion, I experience a natural impulse to meditate daily, if possible twice a day. That’s a big change, as before this immersion I meditated because I was supposed to, being often too tired to meditate in the full meaning of the word. And now it’s like a call/invitation of a sweet, almost forgotten, vaguely known home to come back, to relax and to enjoy the warmth, the welcoming, unconditional love. This experience is available anytime I wish, making my days much richer, more conscious, connecting me with my heart, with this sacred energy of being alive and loving and being loved.

I felt very safe, comfortable, wide open to anything that was happening to me or to my fellow attendants. I literally experienced this safe container within which our teacher offered and kept offering the most honest and loving guidance a student could ever wish for. I felt blessed, connected, alive, being who I truly am meant to be. No earthy experience can touch this and then still it’s all allowed at Mother’s Earth lap…”

~ Participant at ”Human Being”, Belgium, 2017

“Igor is a rare pearl in the ocean of spiritual teachers available today. Being truly touched by the Grace he is capable of bestowing on committed seekers of Truth, one experiences an unfoldment beyond words: a magical revelation of the ONE interconnected intelligence, utterly steeped in blissful beauty and in coherence with our divine purpose. Blessed are those whose path brings them to the feet of this Teacher…”

~ Participant at ”Human Being”, Belgium, 2017

“I dived into deep silence and spaciousness. I reached a deeper stability which feels enduring. Igor's guidance is from a source of perfection (purnamida...) and is good in itself. I feel privileged to have had this experience.

To be together with so many people who are truly connected with their hearts was amazing. Just to see that this is possible, to live differently, to BE different… really from the heart. And to be in the presence of such a profound teacher… amazing

First i felt overwhelmed by the energy/power around me, not really feeling able to open to this stream. It was exhausting, but at the same time revealing, because I felt, saw, and experienced everything -- especially the blockages -- through a magnifying glass, so it was kind of painful, but with a very clear sight. During and after the immersion I felt happy and energetic, my heart space pulsating.

As a result of this immersion, I have this strong longing inside, wanting to relax, to love, to be free, to live fully, to relate to others...“

~ Participant at ”Human Being”, Belgium, 2017

“I feel I received so much more than I expected. There was a sense of actual hunger for Igor's words, to absorb them or rather what moves them. For instance, I found myself taking fewer notes than in previous retreats and going inward when I was in his presence.

I felt the whole system slowing down and resetting on a different pace, under the vibe of Igor's heart field I believe. This happened all the time and independently of very agitated emotional states going on in the psyche, so it allowed more witnessing and direct experience of how this process is not driven by the individual self at all, but how the individual self can sabotage it. There was more and more heart opening.

The relationship with the Guru is further strengthened deep within, allowing to tap into aspects of the self which were in the dark. I felt totally safe, even when I experienced scary physical/emotional states, I didn't doubt for a moment that Igor had everything in check…”

~ Participant at ”Human Being”, Belgium, 2017

“The first evening at the darshan I began to jiggle a bit, then we had an intro meditation and upon laying down my whole body started trembling, shaking. The next day I began experiencing kriyas, asanas - a very intense backbend developed. I trusted the process and let it take me, that went on during the meditation for a couple of days - my muscles were sore, I roared, I licked the floor, my arms were making specific movements, I was amazed my head was still attached (I lost the skin on my forehead when I got home). I was doing a backbend that seems impossible outside of divine meditation. It felt perfect though, that was the work to do, the work that was being done to me and through me. Intuition told me it had to do with death. Then another asana emerged, Pindasana/Karnapidasana, bending my spine in the other direction than the backbend and it was so painful because my butt muscles were sore from the backbend. The first time it emerged I could not fully get into it from the pain, but later that day in the shower a voice of intuition emerged from somewhere and I realized that I needed to go fully into the position, that it is like childbirth, or is some sort of birth, and I could use the breathing techniques that I learned when preparing for the birth of my daughter. So the next day (I awoke with something like a fever that day and was so heavy that I could hardly walk to the meditation room) when, indeed, it came back I did birthing breathing and once I was in that position I started wailing, not from the sore muscles, but from some divine source, indeed it sounded very much like the wailing I did in childbirth. And then it was done. I sort of got to the end of it. And then things shifted (about mid-week) – the kriya force brought me to the seated meditation pose after I did the birth wail, as if that itself is a kriya, it was very powerful, I was nearly thrown into sitting. It was time to sit. But then Igor instructed us to lay down, as he always does, and an incredible pressure was in my chest, it built up so much that it burst – something exploded, my whole body jolted, my arms flew up, I was nearly unconscious and I screamed the loudest scream ever, although I hardly noticed. When that faded there was a swirling in my chest, something I could feel was swirling, something new was there, almost as if it was looking for some place to go. The woman lying next to me told me she had been physically jolted from whatever had just happened. The next day I was sitting, quiet and still, my chin would lock into my chest, there was a huge downward force, a pushing. The downward force happened while lying down too, a push toward my spines base – it was very strong. Then that passed and for the last two days of the immersion I had intense lower back pain, it would even wake me in the night. But I had read about the awakening process ahead of time, so I just smiled and trusted.

Other things seemed to be going on when Igor had us lay down – my hands would erupt in mudras, they seemed to have a lot to do with the center lines of my body and the placement of the chakras. My fingers were doing the upward or downward facing triangles that are associated with the specific chakras on the location of the chakras. There was a force of combining left and right – my arms would go to the sides or above my head, outward – and then come back to the hands together in Namaste and my body would shake.

The last half of the immersion seemed like yoga was being done to me – the energy was just moving through me, doing its divine play – placing my hands beside my plate before eating came spontaneously, I was put into savasana, when Igor closed his eyes then my eyes closed, it was as if I was completely in the flow of the energy that flows through Igor, as if I was synchronized with him or wired to that same energy that he described he was a conduit of. I would wake in the morning suddenly as if I was being woken. When there was darshan I would have to close my eyes and my forehead throbbed, I would be in my forced sitting, with my spine finely correcting its posture – if I tried to open my eyes they would snap shut again, if I scratched my nose, my hand would slap back down onto my thigh, finding exactly the right spot again. When the darshan was over, I felt the energy shift – the transmission stop – as if Igor turned off the switch, I could open my eyes again. Even the end of the sittings, bringing the hands together and bowing was done to me, it came rather powerfully. Even laughter came spontaneously (after a sort of group release), such bliss, laughing and laughing and laughing.

I was told a few times that I was glowing, shining, there was a light in my eyes. There was a constant pull toward meditation, a relief once we were meditating again. One afternoon the sun was out and as soon as I would walk into it I started trembling forcefully (similar to what many do during meditation, but there was something different about it), I could feel the vibration of the sun. I played at my window with it, step into the sun and tremble, step out of the sun and it would fade. I would have passed out had I stayed in the sun longer.

And so I drove home, laughing. Hugely shifted, changed, yet all is the same. But there is more depth and purity to the sameness, that depth and purity that really has always been there, but now I feel it, taste it yet cannot quite grasp what is different within the sameness.

All is different, all is the same. A layer of peace is the riverbed of my days, as if before the immersion I was playing in the water, flowing with it, and now have discovered the beauty of the solid riverbed upon which the water flows. Meditation is much as it was toward the end of the immersion, still, deep, inward with the beauty of mudras and occasionally asanas.

I have strong, intuitive-like moments – I saw a merkabah, not knowing what it was, and nearly passed out. So now I wear a necklace of one, people tell me that it glows. In a hospital recently I randomly (but not randomly at all, the goddess is everywhere, guiding and forming every moment, that is so clear to me now – what glorious trust!) walked past a statue of a Naga deity, again not knowing what it was, and nearly passed out. The pull toward meditation is so strong, pulling me down to sitting, or pulling my head back, eyes rolling up into my head – this happens all throughout the day. I have felt the negative energy of situations, the strong intuition to protect myself so that the energy does not come into me. It seems I read spiritual texts with intuition, understanding them at their core, and as if there is transmission in them.

I feel my husband very strongly – energetically. I can feel when he walks in the door, I start twitching, as if the field is amplified as when the sangha sits together. Thank goodness he has a good sense of humor! Having my eyes roll into my head is apparently not sexy. :) Ha ha.

There are subtle shifts occurring in our daily life, hard to describe. As if the direction of the wind is changing, or blowing stronger. It seems the shifting is a subtle kriya…”

~ Robin, participant of “Human Being: the Gate, the Altar & the Offering” Immersion with Igor, Belgium 2017

Vibrant Self Immersion, Dancing Deer, California, May, 2017

“During the first meditation with Igor, my body spontaneously went into pranayamas, mudras and locks.
There was a very primal sound accompanying the breath. This continued for about a month even after I left the Immersion.
But what I found most amazing is the peace and stillness I continue to experience. When asked to describe it, words fall short. Bliss almost feels too active of a word. It is like a sweet nectar in my heart.
All blessing for Igor…”

~ Participant at ”Vibrant Self”, California, May 2017

“During the Vibrant Self immersion, I experienced poignant revelations about how I have related to others all of my life, based upon early childhood traumas. It really feels as if a huge “chunk” of undigested, childhood traumas arose from the deep — revealing their stories and impact on my “personal” development — to be seen and released as part of a greater, more integral healing. This persisted during our time in Salt Spring (Shanta Rasa immersion), with further profound releases — during as well as outside of our meditation sessions — bringing further healing, a distinct shift in my process, along with a transitory “backdrop” of Absolute Stillness and deep inner peace…”

~ Participant at ”Vibrant Self”, California, May 2017

Shanta Rasa: The Transformative Power of Beauty Immersion, Stowel Lake Farm, Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada, June 2017

“While enjoying a picture of our Teacher surrounded by our beautiful sangha under the willow tree "umbrella"; soaking in the memories of the ordeal of picture-taking with a big smile, I realized deep within my heart, that this was the time or that week, when my surrender to the Teacher took a new shape or level, and whatever that "thing" is, it is felt with deep-relief almost like a sigh of letting something go, an ease, and such joy that is hard to describe…”

~ Participant at ”Shanta Rasa”, Canada, June 2017

“The experience was deep and peaceful, but at night there was a lot happening energetically around my heart. Floods of energy, expansions visions, sparks and blue light…”

~ Participant at ”Shanta Rasa”, Canada, June 2017

“Of the immersions I've been to with Igor so far, the Shanta Rasa immersion in June left me with the greatest noticeable impact. Immediately following, I felt such a delicious depth within and a pull toward that depth, a longing to keep resting in it and continue going deeper. Along with this experience was a greater intimacy with day to day life, a more subtle perception of energetic dynamics, and the sense of inside and outside being in immediate relationship – still separate and yet not. This experience was also grounding and practical, making the day to day routine feel more effortless. I also experienced some impatience with returning to my practice and listening to people's stories, as I seemed to feel less engaged with this level of reality.

Just today, I experienced a striking shift in my relationship to my daughter, a relationship to which I'd brought subtle intent for healing over the weekend. To my surprise, it involved an upwelling of clarity in me and “laying down the law” with her in a way which left me without guilt, remorse, or sticky energetic residue. I have no doubt that this is a result of the immersion and part of the process which Igor described to me at the end of the immersion as a gathering of strength within the heart, resulting in a spontaneous and effortless outpouring that has been blocked within me. This was accompanied by energetically and physically-felt changes. What makes me smile is that the attitude and expression emerging from me in this case reminded me so much of Igor himself when he is “laying down the law” and telling it like it is! :-)) This allowed me to make the connection between that experience and Igor's description of his role as one that allows his students to identify with him – apparently not an identification by imitation, but an identification that comes from deep within. All so beautiful.

And so, the connection with the Heart, with Igor, and with the Sangha deepens and deepens for me and the pull to go yet deeper and broader continues. I begin to understand a bit more of the Guru-Shishya relationship and my surrender/devotion increases. I'm so grateful that I'll be able to attend the Ralston immersion in September – Shakti willing – since other obligations and events have recently fallen away…”

~ Participant at ”Shanta Rasa”, Canada, June 2017

“The Shanta Rasa Immersion on Salt Spring was so beautiful. I felt so much peace. The meditations were deep, while much was stirring, I didn't feel overwhelmed with emotions or physical sensations. It felt as if a deep integration was taking place and that the container of the farm held us all in a glorious embrace of high summer abundance. My inner world was luxurious. Upon returning home though, I discovered where the real work was taking place… My boyfriend had an utter and complete meltdown about my spiritual path. We've been in therapy, he's broken up with me and then we got back together. For a while, he said when I was meditating it felt like I was cheating on him. It seems like he's really gone crazy. We live together and have two cats so this is a really hard thing. My process has moved inward, now I have screaming anger kriyas in my dreams. I dream that I am meditating. One night, a blue spark of energy formed in the bedroom and struck my right hip. Bio Lightning. I've had hip pain ever since. All this to say, that clearly a lot is at work right now. I'm being cleansed and tested and at a choice point in many ways about the course of things…”

~ Participant at ”Shanta Rasa”, Canada, June 2017

Entering the Heart Immersion, Chateau Frandeux, Belgium 2016

“I am beyond satisfied and ever grateful for the great expansion and opening that I have experienced. I am grateful for the loving and intimate guidance of Igor. And very important, I am so moved to have found my family and share time with long lost beloveds…”

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion, Belgium, 2016

“I can only say that what happened there has made me feel like a tiny egg that is about to be crushed by a big rock that is falling down on me, allowing my fertile juice to flow in all directions. From the very first minutes, Shakti got ahold of me as Igor spoke, and there was no way to resist it. I feel more than even that this is all I want. To be immersed in the teaching, to continue to grow intimate relationships with our sangha, and to be a vessel for this teaching…”

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion, Belgium, 2016

“As a result of attending this immersion, I feel I am able to find my way to my heart smoother, easier and I fully understand and feel what does it mean to ‘rest in my heart’, to reach out towards the higher me, to embrace what I truly am. I respect my own time and way in this process without comparing the experiences of other members of the Sangha. I appreciate every little step I take, knowing where this path is leading to, enjoying and contemplating every flower and stone on it. My love for chanting mantras grew big; I can learn them and truly feel them quite easily, and they help me in my daily life to stay connected with the ancient truths…”

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion, Belgium, 2016

“I felt completely safe, especially during the meditations and Darshan, the energy of the room and everybody in it was ever-present, loving, understanding, helping all of us in this process. Everything felt very natural, as if it all was meant to be. The melting in the heart made me even more sure of the way I am walking with my own little steps on the way to my true home, the one without address, without number, the home in me. I feel safe on my own way to exploring my creativity (I love writing, the beauty of the words), even not knowing yet how this is going to develop, just trusting that I am nearing it with every breath; it’s like a meditation where everything is allowed to manifest…”

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion Belgium, 2016

“When I went to the first immersion, I had just come out of a huge life trauma. The energetic transformation began to move within the first day, but by the 3rd day, I felt many releases, saw many important things, and the trauma was gone. I literally could not touch it. On the 6th day, I had a direct experience due to Igor's transmission with me that changed the rest of my life. I knew in my heart that evening that Igor was my teacher, and this is my path that my heart has ached for always…”

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion Belgium, 2016

“Everything has changed inside of my being, I am deep in the process, and there is an ongoing constant change now, seemingly happening on its own. Things are coming up, but they are seen through, and I feel such peace, far more awareness — it is remarkable. I feel a newness unfolding within, that my true being is emerging. My gratitude to Igor is boundless and I will never be able to do enough for him…”

~ Participan of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion Belgium, 2016

“Nothing could have prepared me for the immersions with Igor, not the website, not his one evening talks that I attended — he is beyond anything that I could have imagined. He is a true Master in every way, his healing abilities, his direct transmissions, the love which permeates all that emanates from him through his teachings, his teachings in Silence. It is beyond words to attempt to describe the experience. I was overwhelmed in the most remarkable ways…”

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion, Belgium, 2016

“I loved everything about this immersion. I am overwhelmed by the Grace of finding Igor and to know that he is my teacher…”

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion, Belgium, 2016

"I felt I was being held in the field of a more refined frequency and being tuned kindly yet forcefully, as a musical instrument. Intense meditation in this container allowed me to access deeply seated energetic blockages in body-mind, and gave me a sense of expansion from a much contracted condition. All of this, in a vibration of love which is hard to describe (can only be experienced), and I felt I was acting like a magnet, pulling resistance from the bottom of my being..."

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion, Belgium, 2016

"I received through my whole system more than I could possibly imagine. It has been like being touched by the Angels whispering the truth directly to my heart without using any words, pure experience of Love... I was touched so deeply with what I have experienced during the afternoon meditation that I didn’t need anything (I even didn't need to eat until the next morning), it was during those precious moments experiencing my own completeness; there is nothing in the whole world that could ever erase this knowing from my system…”

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion, Belgium, 2016

“I will never forget what I have experienced while holding our hands and listening to Igor's voice telling what we all deep down always know: 'One heart…' I still feel tears of recognition and happiness when thinking about those precious pieces of eternity…"

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion, Belgium, 2016

"As a result of this immersion I feel that my awareness of my conditioning has deepened, and some opening took place in the Heart. More light was cast on blind spots, and my attitude of surrender has increased...no matter how difficult the stuff surfacing from deep inside. "

~ Participant of ‘Entering the Heart’ Immersion, Belgium, 2016

Tantric Christ Immersion, Mallorca, 2016

“As a result of this immersion, I will be more centered in applying the New Testament in my own self-realization... the ever changing, never changing is ever-flowing, any changes of one's own inner source are complemented by Igor's inspiring, insightful motivation for shifts in personal potential…”