Reflections from the River: Water, Consciousness, and Living in Newmarket, Canada

Bare feet in a cool river, a soft summer breeze, the hum of a mower somewhere nearby. That is where this practice begins, not in a silent hall, but right here in the noise and sweetness of daily life. This is a simple reflection on water and life, on the person within the body, on the power of sacred sound to clean the heart. If you want a practical way to soften your mind today, you will find it here, along with a short guided Gauranga meditation you can try in a few breaths.

Where We’re Standing: A River North of Toronto

We live just north of Toronto for part of the year, near Newmarket, with Lake Simcoe to the north and Lake Ontario to the south. The land here is full of water. One river in particular is special, both for the feel of it and for family. Mark’s father, David, helped restore parts of the local waterways through the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority years ago, and that work still flows on. If you are curious about the watershed today, see the work of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.

The river is alive. Garter snakes slide past, water bugs jitter across the surface, frogs sing at night. Fireflies brighten the edge of dusk. It is messy and perfect. There is sometimes trash to pick up, sure, but that is how love looks on the ground. Barefoot where it is safe, a little slower, a little kinder. You feel more when your toes are in the water.

Water Is Precious, Life Is Priceless

There is a sign that says, if there is magic in the world, it must be in the water. Water is beautiful, yes, and vital. But water is an element. The real wonder is life. Life is the one who uses the water, shapes it, shines through it. The living spark, the soul, the person. In the Vedic view, matter forms around life, not the other way around. When life leaves a body, the elements remain, yet movement stops. The light turns off. The microphone is still there, but the current is gone.

That “current” is consciousness. It is the you within the body. It is what lets you lift a hand, say a word, love someone, forgive someone. In this way, the person is not the body, the body is a vehicle. This is not cold or abstract. It is tender. It calls for respect for all beings, since wherever you see life, there is a person.

Simple Practices That Build Real Joy

You do not have to fix the world today. You can start with very small things. Walk in a park. Take your shoes off on safe ground. Stand in a clean river, if you have one nearby. Say thank you to the trees, to your elders, to the saints, to the One within the heart who sees you.

We live upstairs from Mark’s mother, Erika, for part of the year. She is fast, feisty, and dearly loved. The family threads, including Maria’s mother in Europe, weave into the practice. Care is practice. Humor is practice. Even nicknames are practice. Hasenfuß, lucky rabbit foot, is practice. It is all relationship, and that is the essence of life.

The Person and the Presence

Here is a simple frame that helps: God is both personal and boundless. In Vedic language, there is the Supreme Person, Bhagavan, and also the indwelling presence in every heart, Paramatma, and the limitless energy, Brahman. A teaching often shared in the Gaudiya tradition is called achintya bheda bheda tattva, which means inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference. We are tiny sparks with agency, he is the source. We are not the source, but we are from the source. Held by him, unique, responsible, loved.

This view does not exclude anyone. All true paths point toward love, humility, and service. We bow to saints across traditions. Saint Francis, for example, taught a prayer that turns the heart: seek to love, not to be loved; seek to understand, not to be understood. That is not trendy, but it works.

The Noise Problem, and a Gentle Solution

The world is noisy. Machines whir, neighbors chat, thoughts race. Silent meditation can be wonderful, but for many people the “silence” is not silent at all. If the mind is loud, a quiet room can make it louder. Sound meditation offers a bridge. You give your mind a sound that is clean, sweet, and strong enough to hold your attention.

This is why the old texts praise the Names. In the Bible, the Name of the Lord is praised from sunrise to sunset. In the Vedas, the holy names are the direct presence of the Divine. You do not need to force belief. Just as soap and water can clean your hands, the sound can clean the heart.

What Gauranga Means, and How to Use It

Gauranga is a name for the Lord, meaning one whose body shines like molten gold. It is bright and tender on the tongue. You do not need a perfect voice. You only need sincerity. A touch of sweetness helps. George Harrison once said, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Try the sound and see how you feel after a few breaths.

Here is a simple way to begin, even in a noisy room:

• Prepare: Sit or stand with the spine easy and the jaw soft. If it is very loud, gently close one ear with a finger while you chant.
• Breathe: Inhale softly while thinking of the sound, Gauranga. Keep your mind near it.
• Chant: On the exhale, say, sing, or whisper, Gau-ran-ga, in one smooth breath.
• Repeat: Do this three to nine times. If you have beads, you can trace a few in your hand to keep rhythm.
• Feel: Notice the body relax. Notice the breath lengthen. Let the sound do the work.

If you want to learn about the watershed we mentioned earlier, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority overview offers a concise background on the region’s care and history. It is part of the place that holds this practice.

Karma, Grace, and Honest Responsibility

Life carries us through seasons of joy and seasons of consequence. Karma is simply the law of cause and effect. As you sow, so shall you reap. That does not mean there is no grace. Grace is real. Forgiveness is real. The Lord can lift anyone, even the most fallen person. But we do not posture as special. We do the work we can do, and we keep asking for help.

Einstein put it cleanly: we cannot solve problems with the same level of consciousness that created them. So we need a new posture. Humility before control. Surrender before pride. Service before power. That shift is not weak. It is strong, because it is honest. The heart starts to clean when we stop pretending.

Why Names Matter More Than Concepts

In material life, my name and I are different. You can shout my name while I am far away. But the old teachers say, with God there is no gap like that. His names and his presence are one. You can approach through the Name, and the Name approaches you. You can chant Krishna, Rama, Jesus, Allah, Govinda, Gauranga. Every language has luminous names. Your tongue knows which name it loves. Mark’s mother smiled when she said Govinda out loud. That brightness on her face told the whole story.

A note about halos, because people ask. In old paintings, saints glow. Some people even speak about seeing a soft aura around living things. Whether you see that or not, the feeling is real. Purity gives off a kind of warmth. You can sense it in the room. You can sense it in the words. It is not for show. It is for service.

Try This Three-Breath Practice

If you have only one minute, try this now. Three breaths, three names.

1. Breath one: Inhale gently. Think of Gauranga filling the mind like light through a window. Exhale and say, Gauranga, in a slow, steady tone.
2. Breath two: Inhale, soften the shoulders. Exhale, Gauranga. Let the jaw relax.
3. Breath three: Inhale, soften the eyes. Exhale, Gauranga. Feel where the sound touches your chest.

Notice how your body sits a little easier. Notice how the mind is less sharp, more kind. If you feel clearer, you just had a taste of rasa, flavor. That taste is a good sign. Keep it simple. Keep it sweet.

Be In the World, Not Of It

We do not reject the world. We honor it, then place it in its right position. The material energy is temporary, useful, and not ultimate. It can help or distract, depending on how we engage. You can be in it, doing your duty, caring for your people, paying your bills, washing the dishes, and still keep your attention lifted. The Name brings that balance. You can chant softly while you walk, while you cook, while you wait in a parking lot, yes, even there.

When it feels hard, say, Haribol. It means chant the names of God. It is a friendly nudge, like a friend tapping your shoulder. Come back, dear one. Come back to the sound.

Community, Support, and Next Steps

If you want to stay close to this kind of practice, join our little circle online. You can register for our members area, the Juicy MagiK Agora, through our community portal. If you feel moved to support satsang projects, you can help through our projects page. Share a note, ask a sincere question, or just say Haribol. We read every message.

If you live near Newmarket and the waters of Lake Simcoe speak to you, it can be grounding to know the caretakers nearby. The Ontario conservation areas page for Lake Simcoe lists contacts and details for local stewardship.

Closing Blessing

Peace be with you and upon you. May your steps be soft, your breath kind, your heart freshly washed. Keep it simple and sweet. Choose one name and let it sit on your tongue for a while. If the mirror of the heart feels dusty, that is okay, everyone’s does. The dust comes off, one breath at a time, one name at a time.

Thank you for reading and for walking with us. What name rises in your chest today? Try whispering it once before you move on with your day. Then listen for the quiet glow that follows. 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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