Hare Krishna

In 2008, after a horrible relapse, Celeste started spending time at the Hare Krishna temple. Yoga had always felt very spiritual and she was curious about the origins of yoga. The monks were very welcoming, and the food was amazing.

As she dealt the fallout of her relapse, she soon realized that she did not have a place to live. The women’s ashram had one space open however she could only stay for 30 days. As Celeste became a devotee of Krishna, she enjoyed the rituals and routine. She loved the community of everyone having a job to help each other. And she lived for the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. It was all so interesting and so closely aligned with her recovery.

She would chant on 108 beads several times a day, as the monks did, and prepare flower garlands for the deities before lunch. Everyone ate the meals together and would discuss what they read that day. Even though the temple was in the middle of a popular beach town, the ambiance was always peaceful and calming. Celeste’s family did not understand and were very concerned for her. Her mother only knew of the Hare Krishna from the 1970's at the airport. Celeste loved that John Lennon was part of the movement and one of his most popular songs had “Hare Krishna” in it. It was all such a magical experience.

On the weekends they would go downtown and sing kirtan to all who would listen. It was blissful and so much fun. No one at the temple drank alcohol or did drugs so it was a safe space and allowed Celeste to enlargen her spiritual life.

#everywoman #everywomanhasastory #spiritualconnection #spirituality #harekirshna #lifeinrecovery