Level
All Practitioners
Format
PDF Download
EPub book to come (free to buyers of PDF)
Pages
176
Price
$25.00
A Pre-Publication Release of a New Collection Containing Five Short Stories
I am very happy to share a pre-publication release of a new collection of writings containing five short stories. These stories arose at different moments during the past year and feel particularly connected to the rhythms of practice and sacred observances.
This release is currently offered as a PDF. Everyone who purchases the PDF will also receive the EPub version when it becomes available, which we hope will be by early summer. A printed edition will also be available at that time. The printed book will not be included with the PDF purchase, so those who prefer a physical copy may wish to wait until then.
These writings are being released as self-publications. While marketing and promotion are natural parts of publishing, self-promotion has never felt comfortable or necessary for this work. My intention is to create and share stories, poems, and reflections on sādhana with those who feel drawn to them.
The stories themselves are inspired by the tradition of Indian kathas—transmission stories, myths, and sacred tellings that carry philosophical insight and guidance for practice. I would never claim that these writings belong to such an illustrious lineage, yet the inspiration of that tradition has been very present for me. Experiencing the process as something that comes directly from the Yoginis, I am continually amazed at the possibility that the energy of sādhana might be conveyed through stories.
Long ago I used to give teachings in my home. Whenever people gathered, I would cook something savory or sweet to offer as prasad or for lunch. Sometimes I would say, “I can speak for hours, or you can simply eat this,” because the energy was in the food itself. In a similar way, it now feels as though that same energy could live in these Yogini stories. To me they are powerful and beautiful not because of anything I have done, but because of where they come from.
One of the stories, “He Found Her”, was previously shared at the Vak Devi Retreat. A short excerpt from another appeared in Journey to Oḍiyāṇa, in the meeting with Yogini Jayini. The remaining stories are new.
Each of the five stories emerged at particular times connected with sacred observances and pivotal moments in practice. “He Found Her” was written in the weeks before Vasant Pañcamī in 2025. “The Cave in the Middle” previously appeared as an interlude in the Journey to Oḍiyāṇa poetry book. “A Forest Passage” was written a few days after Bhairava Jayantī in November 2025. “A Cabin in the Woods” began around Guru Pūrṇimā in the summer of 2025 and took longer to complete. “My Heart Was Annihilated in Beauty” was begun in January and finished during Śyāma Navarātrī in 2026. You may notice that all of these stories descended around sacred and significant sādhana times.
Because I do not consider myself a literary writer, I shared these stories with a few readers before releasing them. Their responses were unexpectedly profound and encouraging. With that encouragement, I now offer these stories to you in the hope that they may open certain portals, reveal connections, and perhaps illuminate something within your own practice.
–Mā Umā Pārvatī