There used to be a special training program and during the Navaratri days we used to go up to the terrace of Mother’s building. Mother would come there and give us a lecture and further training. Sometimes we used to leave there at four o’clock in the morning, sometimes even 6:30 in the morning. Around twenty-four, twenty-five people would be gathering at seven and we would come down to Her flat on the first floor, take some breakfast, tea and disperse. At that time, nobody was allowed to tape record any of Her discourses.
“No, you must grasp it aurally. No use of tape recorder,” She said.
Shri Mataji used to let us give Realization in those days. We used to put our leg at the Mooladhara and start giving Realization, so that the kundalini would rise, ascending. And we used to give Realization to many people. At that time the methods were not so much developed and Mataji Herself was doing great research. And now that it is at the stroke of a second and we can say it is at internet speed that Sahaja Yoga is spreading. But initially, it took a long time to get Realization. She had to Herself go out and give Realization. She taught us how to do so many things, like balancing of the both sides and raising the kundalini.
Putting a bandhan came a little later. At that time, there was no bandhan. Then She realized that it would be a good idea to put a bandhan. So it was sort of an evolutionary development and now it is a full-fledged system and people don’t have to do much. Just sitting before the photograph also, one gets it.
Initially, we did not raise the kundalini like now and that too came later. She said that too much stress should not be given to the bandhan.
Footsoaking and other treatments came later. Actually, we used to go to the sea with Mataji, footsoaking in the sea. And that is how Ganapatipule came in because you know there is the sea and it is a very clean sea. Before that we used to go to Bordi. We went many times to Bordi. Nargol is very near from there. When we were at Bordi, the sea was there. But, of course, not everybody lives near the sea, so the alternative was footbath soaking.