Geoffrey Orozco (Geo), or Neo, as he came to be known, came to Montclair Kundalini Yoga when we first began our business. My connection with him went deep from that first moment when I knew I wanted to support his personal and spiritual development in any way that I could. Geo and I shared many passions. We both loved to dance, to heal, to teach.

Saturdays were my time with Geo, when he would come to my yoga class, and afterwards, we would talk, sometimes for hours, often going to the park. Sometimes he would come with his Mother or his sister and her children or dear friends. We would talk about spirituality and our plans to spread the light through our teaching, or we would practice Tai Chi and Chi Gung, or just walk. He taught me how to dance with his thunderbolt rods, as I liked to called them, slowly twirling two long rods in a graceful, synchronous, spiral motion. Geo believed in me. He believed in both Cate and myself as his spiritual mentors, and the funny thing is, we realize now that he was actually our teacher. 

When I began to teach Chi Gung in the park, Geo was sometimes the only person who would come, but he would bring many friends and eventually brought his boom box so we could move gracefully to music, which became a staple element in our practice. More than two years passed and Geo was consistent in every way with his participation and support in whatever MKY offered and our friendship deepened.
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Cate and I went to Geo’s “office”, which is what he called the Paterson Falls. The sound of the waterfall served as a musical backdrop to our meetings. Geoffrey talked to us about life, about spirituality and about our yoga business, with many good ideas for expansion which we utilized with success.

I’d once arrived at The Falls distracted and tense, neglecting to give Geo my customary hug.  “Where’s the personal touch?” he admonished me, and I smiled and gave him my big warm hug. Hugs were just about the most important thing to Geo, something I will always remember and practice throughout my life. He lived his life for love, love for absolutely everyone. No one was beneath his love and support. Love was what was most important to Geo.

Geo had many, many friends that he brought to our yoga studio, which was such a joy. But no matter how many other friends he had, or I had, we knew our friendship was special. When we were together talking about spiritual matters, no distractions ever intruded into that vast space of awareness and we would both always feel renewed and reborn from this deep discourse.

On Labor Day, Geo left this world, so young, at his beloved Falls. Apparently, he left this world trying to help a woman in great need, both mentally and psychologically. But exactly how he slipped and how it happened, no one quite knows. We do know that he left this world at his favorite place doing what he most loved, helping a soul in need.

After that momentous night, amazing gatherings took place to honor Geoffrey in pure love and tribute; a memorial service that had dozens and dozens of people telling beautiful stories of their relationship with Geo. His Buddhist group chanted, Native American's danced and sang their sacred songs and burned sage. Shamans and yoga groups, performers and performance groups, Christian and Islamic groups, tee shirts printed with Geo's inspirational sayings were worn by many.... And tears... an ocean of tears! So many, many lives he changed for the better! Cate and I were so honored to be there and honored to share stories of our own about the love, appreciation and gratitude that Geo lived his life by as we listened to all the stories of what a rare soul of pure love Geoffrey was.

The next morning after his memorial service, I went up to the Kripalu Center in Massachusetts and spoke to Sri Mooji Baba, a spiritual teacher whom Geo was very devoted to. Mooji showered Geo with blessings and prayers, saying resolutely, “Geo’s beautiful spiritual progression continues uninterrupted!”

Later a beautiful, candlelight ceremony was held at his beloved Falls. At our yoga studio, many candles and chants are still being offered for his soul. We chant Akal, again and again, which means undying. We know he will be with us as we move forward – he is always one with us.

There was also a beautiful, well-attended Zen service for Geo at the Heart Circle Sangha in Ridgewood, NJ, presided over by Roshi Joan Hogetsu Hoeberichts. Geoffrey told me he had visited the Heart Circle Sangha at one point, and I am a long time member. So we were able to hold a wonderful ceremony there, thanks to Joan. 

On the Saturday before Geo had to leave us, he came to my yoga class at the very top of his potential, just blossoming with excitement about his spiritual mission. Cate and I were delighted to hear that he had just led a workshop for thirty people. Geo talked that last day about the many people who had benefited from his workshops and private teachings. We poured in our love and support and again suggested that he give workshops for our yoga community. We laughed so joyfully as we made plans to meet in Geoffrey’s “office”, which is how he referred to his beloved Paterson Falls. He walked out of the studio on cloud nine as I followed him into the parking lot, asking what I could do to support his mission. I go over and over those last moments in my mind. Each time I teach, I still look for him to walk through the door. He is with us and will always be with us as we move forward into the future.

Geoffrey arrived fully to his purpose and mission and was devoted to both his own spiritual growth and the growth of others. The full extent of his reach and the many, many lives he touched and transformed for the better, become more and more abundantly clear as we continue to listen to his many friends and read testimonies from many more online from far and wide. What a beautiful, beautiful soul of pure love whose influence and many blessings to our world live on and on.

This poem is for Geoffrey... 

Dances with Thunderbolts

Savitri's path of right living centers around the spiritual upliftment of each person she encounters. As a Yoga teacher, Savitri brings the potency of over thirty years of spiritual study and practice, including meditation, in-depth study of Tai Chi, Chi Gung and other martial arts, as well as her certified expertise in Kundalini Yoga & Shakti Dance™. She transmits her passion, joy and commitment to truth through these Raj (royal) yogas, which enliven and empower all who attend her classes, workshops and retreats. Join Savitri on Wednesday and Friday nights for Kundalini Yoga with Sound Healing and on Saturday mornings for Kundalini Yoga & Meditation. ​

​During the summer months, I decided to focus my Thursday morning Kundalini yoga classes on the eight chakras (in Kundalini yoga we recognize not just seven but eight—the eighth being the Aura or electromagnetic field). Since it was summer, I called the class series the “Chakra Cruise” and some of us, really got into it, even wearing the chakra colors: red for the first, orange for the second, yellow for the third, and so on. We learned a lot and had a good time.

I will admit when I first heard about the concept of the chakras—subtle wheels of energy in the body—many years ago, I thought it was a bunch of silly gobbledygook. If I could not see them, then why should I believe in them? If my doctor could not identify or treat them, then why should I care if they were “balanced” or “blocked?”

But, as with so many things in life, over time I began to realize that indeed the chakras—even though they didn’t show up on an X-ray—were quite real. And, when I began the practice of Kundalini yoga, their qualities and effects became even more apparent. 

During our “Chakra Cruise,” I used two wonderful books. One is called The 8 Human Talents by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, and the other is The Kundalini Yoga Experience by Guru Dharam Khalsa and Darryl O’Keeffe. If you’re interested in the chakra system I would highly recommend both books. I took most of the kriyas we practiced during the eight-week series from Guru Dharam’s book and used Gurmukh’s text to give background. I love the way Gurmukh describes the qualities of the chakras. For instance, writing about the first chakra, which relates to the Earth element, she observes, “It can be the red of the burning ember at the center of a roaring fire, or it can be the musty red of clay, or the deep crimson of a ruby forged by pressure deep within the earth.” Gurmukh brings the chakras to life, and her book is a great way to dig deeper.

Just to review, here is a brief summary of the chakras, all of which work together to create harmony and balance:

After our metaphorical “Chakra Cruise” ended, I took a “real” cruise on the Seine River from Paris to Northern France and back. I’d never been to Europe, and the experience was amazing. In my past life—before Kundalini Yoga, that is—fear would have kept me from flying to France and I would have imagined and invented many obstacles that would have prevented me from such a journey. But all that has changed since I opened to this practice, and as I sat on the deck of the river boat, watching castles, swans, and barges float by, I thanked my lucky stars (and the Divine) for…
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• A rooted connection to and trust in Mother Earth (1st chakra)
• ​ The creativity needed to flow with the river (2nd  chakra)
• The strength and commitment to follow through (3rd chakra)
• The love and compassion of an open heart (4th chakra)
• The capacity to express and live my truth (5th chakra)
• The intuition to know when the time is right (6th chakra)
• The knowledge of my boundless nature and ability to reach beyond (7th chakra)
• And the radiance to glow and grow with all the blessings life offers (8th chakra)

The Chakra system is a wonderful tool to help us navigate our human experience. I hope you’ll join us the next time we leave port!

What is your relationship your chakras or the idea of chakras? How do they come up in your life. We'd love to hear from you. Please comment below. Sat Nam. 

Kathy (Harjot Kaur) has been practicing yoga for more than a decade and completed her Level 1 (200 hr) teacher training with Gurudass Kaur Khalsa. She began practicing Kundalini yoga six years ago; a breast cancer survivor, she found it to be a wellspring of courage, trust and joy. The author of the memoir Yin, Yang, Yogini: A Woman’s Quest for Balance, Strength and Inner Peace, Kathryn blogs frequently for the Kundalini yoga music website SpiritVoyage.com. Her spiritual name, Harjot, means “light of the creative Divine.” Kathy is excited to share her light and love with her students at Montclair Kundalini Yoga; she strongly believes that Kundalini yoga is for everybody and every body: There is something for everyone on this uplifting, heart-centered path. She is also a practitioner of Iyengar and Vinyasa yoga and is deeply grateful to all her teachers. Join Kathy on Thursday mornings for ​Kundalini Yoga & Meditation. She plays the gong for relaxation. ​