Alice Coltrane with Swami Satchidananda, 1970.
In mid-April 2019, Rev. Vimala Pozzi, (director, Integral Yoga Center of Richmond), was invited to speak at the Institute of Contemporary Art (Richmond, Virginia). ICA was hosting an exhibit by artist Cauleen Smith, who had taken inspiration from Swamini Turiyasangitananda’s (Alice Coltrane) Sai Anantam Ashram, which served as a sanctuary for seekers of all faiths in the Santa Monica mountains from 1983-2017. Rev. Vimala was asked to speak about Swami Satchidananda and Swamini. She shared how, in 1970 Alice Coltrane recorded “Journey in Satchidananda,” which she said was inspired by her “association with someone who is near and dear to me. I am speaking of my own beloved spiritual preceptor, Swami Satchidananda. Swamiji is the first example I have seen in recent years of Universal Love… Anyone listening to this selection should try to envision himself floating on an ocean of Satchidanandaji’s love, which is literally carrying countless devotees across the vicissitudes and stormy blasts of life to the other shore…” Smith’s exhibit, offered an ecstatic exploration across time and space, paying homage to revolutionary acts of resilience that are defined by self-determination, self-actualization, and self-empowerment. (photo: Swami Satchidananda & Alice Coltrane, 1970).
