Change Your Mood Through Spiritual Exploration: Under Maple Trees in Buffalo

What changes when you sit still long enough to notice ants on your knee, the bell of a quiet church, and your own breath? For us, almost everything. This is a simple story about a small courtyard in Buffalo, the sweetness of Bhakti practices, and how a few minutes of chanting can soften the noise, shape the day, and untie the knots in the heart. If you’re seeking a gentler rhythm, or a way to reset your mood without force or fuss, pull up a spot under the trees with us.

Buffalo, Bells, and a Courtyard of Calm

We found ourselves in Buffalo, that under-sung city with big shoulders and a kind heart. We settled into the courtyard at St. Louis Church and let the afternoon stretch. The church doors were closed, but the beauty was everywhere anyway, in the maple shade and the stained glass that caught the sun just right.

If you love a good origin story, this church has one. St. Louis is the oldest Catholic parish in Buffalo, founded in 1829, and it carries that sturdy, rooted feeling you only get from places that have seen many seasons. If you’re curious, read more in the parish’s own history page, Our History, or get a quick overview here, St. Louis Roman Catholic Church.

We sat there for a while, long enough to notice how even a small, quiet space can act like a tuning fork. You breathe differently. You listen more. You speak less. It is enough.

The Gentle Turn: Vanaprastha, Not Vanishing

After years of family duties and work lists and inboxes, we reached that gentle bend in the path that the Vedic tradition calls vanaprastha. It is not escape. It is a respectful stepping back from constant busyness so the heart can come forward again. We still help our families. We still pay taxes. We’re just trying to let the soul get more airtime.

Moving into vanaprastha means we practice more and rush less. We sit together and chant God’s names. We read scripture aloud, slowly, then we sit some more. We talk about the Absolute Truth with humility, and we try to listen more than we speak. There is a sweetness in that simplicity.

We speak about God by many names, with love and without rivalry: Krishna, Abba, Allah, Adonai, Yahweh. The names are like many windows that open to the same light.

A Small Practice That Can Reset Your Day

There’s a simple breathing and sound practice we love for steadying the mind. It takes just a few minutes. You can do it in a quiet room, on a lunch break, or, if you’re lucky, under a maple tree.

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
• Inhale gently, and think the sound “Gauranga.”
• Exhale as you softly say “Gauranga,” matching the length of the breath.
• Repeat 10 times, letting the sound and breath ride together.

That’s it. No strain. No performance. Just sound, breath, and a little willingness. Even with ants and city noise and sore knees, it works.

What We Carry, What We Offer

We’re driving south soon, to visit dear souls at a beautiful temple in Miami. We feel nervous and excited, like teenagers meeting old friends. We’re bringing small gifts, simple offerings, and a song from the heart. The worry mind wants it to be perfect. The heart says, just be sincere. So we practice being simple and sincere.

On the road we try to live modestly, sometimes very modestly. One day we spent $2. That was a splurge. We’re not renounced sages. We are beginners who keep trying. But even beginners can taste how grace meets you when you choose to live lighter.

Beads, Books, and the Third Prayer

We often start our chanting with a prayer for humility that comes from Lord Chaitanya. It reminds us to be patient, tolerant, and humbler than a blade of grass. That prayer lowers the shoulders and opens the chest. It prepares the heart to chant without the tug-of-war of pride.

Then we read a few pages. Then we chant again. Then we share a thread from the reading. It loops like that. It is not a productivity system. It is more like two people building a small fire and keeping it alive through the day. You can feel when it catches.

The Sweetness of Good Company

Years ago there was a 10-day silent retreat. It cracked something open, and it also showed its limits for us. That turning led to sadhana bhakti, the practice of devotion through daily effort, and that continues to unfold. It is gentle, deep, and so human. You are allowed to laugh. You are allowed to start again. You are allowed to feel both very small and very loved.

Sometimes we think of saints and artists who keep us honest. Mother Teresa with her quiet service. Salvador Dalí with his wild devotion and sacred art. It is a funny pair, but they both point to love that shows up in daily life. They nudge us to put our feet back on the ground and keep walking.

Buffalo’s Built Beauty, And A Word We Keep Mispronouncing

Buffalo carries its history like old stone, solid and kind. City Hall is a marvel. You can feel the intention to build for centuries, not seasons. We joked about “mahogany” for a while, trying out new pronunciations as if the wood could talk back. Joy helps the teachings land. If you can laugh together, you can learn together.

If Buffalo architecture and church history make your heart happy, this piece is a treat, HISTORY- St. Louis RC Church, with dates, details, and those delicious little facts that stick.

Nonviolence In Small Things

A big part of our day is small kindness. We picked an ant off a sleeve and watched it hurry back to wherever ants go. We tried not to crush any spiders. We prayed to reduce unnecessary harm. None of this is ours anyway. Every particle belongs to the Supreme Person. When you remember that, your hands soften.

We want peace in homes, on streets, across oceans. One simple way to breathe that peace right now is the Holy Name. Say it once, then again, then again, until the heart loosens.

After Chanting: Quiet Mind, Simple Supper

When the sound settles, the mind calms. We feel content. Not perfect, not fixed forever, just content. Tonight’s plan is a grilled cheese and early rest before dark. The neighborhood is lively in the best way, music rolling by on a golf cart, neighbors greeting neighbors. We love that. And we also love quiet after 10.

Life doesn’t need upgrades to be sacred. Bread, cheese, a prayer, and a clean sink can be enough.

Starts, Stops, And The Long View

There have been 26 years of practice, with many stops and starts. If you are picking yourself up again, you are not alone. Keep going. If your knees got dusty, stand up. If you feel far away, take one small step. Hear the Holy Names. Read a few lines from a trusted source. Remember the Lord. These three, hearing, chanting, remembering, are the doorway to all the rest.

We pray for initiation when the time is right. We pray to be good students, to accept discipline with gratitude, to follow a lineage that guards the heart from confusion and pride. In simple words, we pray to love better.

Try This Today

If your mood feels tight or tangled, try this tiny rhythm:

• Sit for two minutes and breathe with “Gauranga,” 10 rounds.
• Read a short passage that points you to God.
• Whisper one name of God with love, once every few breaths, for five minutes.

That is enough for a day. If tomorrow wants more, it will ask.

Want To Walk With Us A Little?

If you want to share a question or just say hello, our community space is open. You can join the conversation at the Juicy Magik Agora. If you enjoy these little pilgrim projects and wish to support them, we share ongoing work here, Support projects by Juicy Magik.

Closing Blessing

Thank you for sitting with us under the maples. May your day be simple, your breath steady, and your heart soft. If you try the 10 “Gauranga” breaths, tell us how your mood shifted. Peace be with you and upon you. Haribol.

mariakerwin

As a former serial entrepreneur, she turned from a workaholic in the business world to freedom and creativity, living now as a writer, creator and world traveller. Since an early age Maria is close to death and what exists beyond, courageously exploring the dimensions of existence. A Kundalini Awakening guided her into the abyss of fully surrendering to the life force itself, crushing all known aspects of her old life. Finally, it led her to her purpose of bridging both worlds, connecting to what goes beyond the ordinary.

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