Encounters

Students share some encounters with Dean Das.

Dean was the only person that I felt actually understood me.

Dean often called other teachers ‘Great Teachers’. It seemed to me though, how he straddled the two different worlds of traditional Indian Yoga practices and the practices in the West, that he was truly great. I’m not sure many other of those ‘Great Teachers’ he regarded so highly could have done that.

I had the pleasure of practising with Dean for many years.

He taught me lessons and techniques that I will carry for the rest of my life, lessons that have changed me as a person.

I would often arrive to class early to take the opportunity to spend time with him and discuss my practice and life in general. He was always generous with his time, wisdom and kindness. Although the style of yoga that Dean taught came from a long line of yogis, heavily steeped in tradition, he did away with a lot of the mysticism and focused on the basic fundamentals. Dean was a straight shooter and often told it as it was. I always enjoyed seeing the expressions on the faces of new students when Dean would give his blunt views on achieving enlightenment, and the unrealistic expectations of many.

Dean never pretended to be anything else than who he was. He knew what worked for him and wanted to share it. He was down to earth and didn’t get caught up in any of the trappings of a guru, because he never talked about himself as one.

Thank you for being a mentor, spiritual guide, and teacher. Thank you for sharing your practice of yoga with me, for allowing me the opportunity to learn and practice yoga under your guidance.

We will all miss your teaching, depth and breadth of knowledge, your honesty and humour.

I originally went to Dean Das’ meditation classes to reduce stress and learn how to unwind a little.  However his classes provided much more than that, the wisdom and stories he would share helped me accept yoga as a way of life to practice.  I always felt unconditional acceptance in his classes and he made the point that we are all on different journeys and that we practise in our own way.

I tried to make time in my busy family and work life to make his weekly classes, and when he went on long holidays or I missed a few classes, I would gradually become aware what his practise had bought to my wellbeing.  I didn’t realise what impact his weekly classes teachings had on my life until they weren’t there.

Years later, I can still walk into the same hall, smell the incense and immediately sink into the space to do my practice.

I have tried many other yoga classes, but none of them have had the impact either in class or in my daily life as the wisdom I learnt from Dean.

My story about discovering Dean Das begins with his partner, artist Robbie Latham. In 2012 a good friend of mine resigned from the Koorie Heritage Trust and we organised a big celebratory dinner for her at Krishna the local Indian restaurant, in West Footscray.

Robbie was invited to this dinner and explained that Dean, her partner, wasn’t joining us for dinner because he was teaching.  I started talking to Robbie and soon learnt that Dean was a pretty remarkable yoga/meditation teacher.

At this time my eldest daughter was 3 and I was looking to get back into yoga and find myself a local yoga teacher in the western suburbs and after this conversation with Robbie, I knew this Dean fella was someone I needed to meet. In hindsight it is kind of funny to think I discovered Dean in an Indian restaurant, with his strong connection to India.

And so, I enrolled in a weekly beginner’s course with him at the Masonic Hall in Yarraville.

I had done a bit of yoga over the years exploring different styles and classes but mostly had gravitated to Ashtanga and I can remember feeling unconvinced the ‘beginners’ class was where I should be starting…. funny that.

I was a little disappointed the first time I turned up at the dark, grey Masonic Hall, having previously been touring the other local yoga studios that boasted greenery, tea stations and cosy warm spaces.

That disappointment dissolved the moment I met Dean, who welcomed me as if we were already close friends. I soon grew to love the warmth and space that Dean created and held within this building, relishing the welcoming wafts of incense as I took off my shoes before entering the hall.

For me these classes stripped yoga back to the basics.

After superficially ‘Om’ing’ away in other yoga classes for years, Dean taught me to feel the ‘Aum’ as it resonated through my stomach, up through my chest and through my head. This was profound for me at the time and really helped me physically process the essence of yogic teachings in connecting, mind, body and breath.

Dean’s classes were simple, but deep.

As his teachings progressed, we delved deeper into his adventures and travels, culminating with Dean meeting and living with his guru Swami Prakashananda Saraswati (Babaji) at Sapta Shring ashram in Mahahrastra, India. I was enthralled hearing about him living at the ashram with ‘Babaji’ and about how his guru transmitted learnings to him.

These experiences with his guru and stories of his time in India were a highlight of his classes for me.

A few years down the track I was fortunate enough to be invited to Dean’s house for a one-on-one session. It was a real thrill, (particularly the amazing tree out in the backyard!).

We sat on the floor in his office. I had been struggling with a few things on a personal level and he helped me create a personalised daily practice. He also told me some things that I didn’t really want to hear, delivering the hard truth in a way that was direct yet compassionate and helpful. After this session things shifted for me in a big way, a way that was unexpected, but I felt it was as a result of this conversation.

Connecting with him has had a huge impact on me, in a way that is really hard to put into words.  His wisdom and teachings have been enlightening and empowering. Dean has given me practical teachings and tools for which I will be forever be grateful.

My favourite story that Dean shared and one that I keep coming back to years later is called ‘The digging holes story’.

I heard Dean tell this story a number of times in class and it feels as relevant to me now as it was when I first heard it.  The story tells us about this man who is looking for water and he digs numerous holes 3 feet deep, in multiple locations under a hot sun, until he is quite exhausted, and his spade falls apart. He then meets an old man who tells him there is water everywhere, but to find it, you just need a proper spade and to concentrate on digging just one hole, but dig it 12 feet deep.

One tried and true method, one path, one teacher.

Thank you Dean for giving me the right tool, teaching me the method and walking this path with me.

From the moment I met Dean, somewhere in the course of our conversations he would comment about how I was an anxious person or say something like ‘that’s your anxiety’.  One day after having a strange experience I called him and again he started with the anxiety thing. I got off the phone and said to myself ‘What the fuck is with this guy and the anxiety? I’m not anxious!’

But he would always gently encourage me to continue meditation and to stay with the breath and the mantra. Then one day I had a spiritual experience and from that day I realised how very anxious I had been for most of my life. It was one of those “oh dear, he was right” moments.

I remember laughing about it as I truly did not see it before. So I called him and told him what had happened and he just laughed that ‘knowing’ laugh.

I will never forget the day I came to see him after not seeing him for nearly a year. The look on his face was so bright happy and I think proud. I didn’t really realise at the time but I do now.

When I first went to him I was stiff as a board with an enormous ego, wearing all sorts of masks. Looking back I remember how I was when I first went to see him,  always having to look perfect, perfect hair perfect makeup just the right clothes etc. After Dean started teaching me and I started a daily practice that he taught me I obviously changed and he saw this and was so pleased, it felt like my Dad was proud of me and it meant a lot to see that look on his face.

The day he told me his story from the start to the the day his guru died and he cried openly in front of me. He taught me a lot that day.

One day we had a convo’ about travelling around Australia and how we both ‘hated’ the cold and would love to retire in Queensland. He got his map out that he had used travelling Australia and all over it were little marks and the word ‘Prawns’.

I asked him why he had prawns written everywhere as it seemed odd to me. He responded ‘they had good prawns there’. I started laughing and he said ‘I like prawns’. It was just such a ‘Dean’ moment.

I don’t believe it was by chance in how I met Dean, but somewhat fate.

I had been practicing meditation for a couple of years prior to meeting him, however I was eager to explore deeper and in late 2011, I was visiting the Sun Theatre in Yarraville and came across the brochure – ‘Meditation Courses & Yoga Classes Melbourne’.

As soon as I saw the picture of Dean on the brochure, my immediate thought was ‘this person looks like the real deal!’. The following week I attended my very first open Sunday morning meditation sitting.

The open Sunday morning meditation sittings at the Yarraville Masonic Hall, will always hold special memories close to my heart, listening to Dean’s stories and sharing his life experiences with his Guru in Nasik, Western India. These sessions gave me a sense of belonging and a feeling of being a universe away from ‘the material world’.

I felt completely unconditionally loved by Dean. I’ve never felt that in my life before or since (except for my children).

I have wonderful memories of my chats with Dean. He was a beautiful and wise soul. His head may have been in the clouds but his feet were firmly planted on the ground! He lives forever in my heart.

Dean and I connected through our love of sport, in particular AFL and cricket. A number of years ago Dean was kind enough to send me an email in regards to the parallels of a professional sporting athlete and the core principles of yoga & meditation. (I carry this piece of paper with Dean’s email with me almost daily)

‘Learning to relax all the muscles thru breath control.

Slowing down the mind by only focussing on what you are doing each moment.

Being in the present moment thru focusing only on what you are doing right now i.e. cutting out thoughts of success or failure etc.

Getting in 'the flow' or 'the zone' - a feeling of concentration without strain, where you do without the feeling of doing.

All of the above are the components of yoga/meditation training. x d’

Dean helped with my anxiety a lot. I enjoyed listening to his stories with his colourful language. My nervous system went into slow motion when I was with him.

He could  just smile and I felt compassion and a sense of belonging. He made me grounded in the present and the worries of the past and future became manageable. Such a power he possessed.

I loved Dean’s authenticity, as he was never one to portray or sell meditation and yoga as a quick fix, to solve life’s daily challenges.

Dean would often mention during his classes – ‘it’s important to have a consistent daily practice at a level you’re comfortable with. If you can’t find 30 minutes during the day to do your practice, then you have a significant imbalance in your life’.

I will always be grateful to have been a student of his. He loved to share his teachings and impart his wisdom through his own life experiences.

I’m very fortunate Dean has taught me a yoga and meditation practice, belief and faith, which is embedded as part of my daily lifestyle. Through Dean’s teachings and learnings, I will continue the journey of meditation and yoga, through to eternity. Thanks Dean.

From Dean I learnt : Self-responsibility. Discernment. To follow your heart, not fear. To be formidable.

Dean would say things like ‘Be cool, words are over used, inadequate, cheesy, so ineffective, they often miss the mark, things like my heart is with you.…I mean WTF ?’

He would check in, with a simple text “Trust all is well ?” or an email even when he was travelling. Intuitively he knew when to reach out.

His heart connection and knowledge of the mind, were eloquently delivered in his words.

In 2014, after years of searching, I finally found a true teacher of Kundalini Yoga in Australia, Dean Das.

I enrolled in his class through the internet (I noted that he started teaching in 2008 in Yarraville) and in April 2014 I entered his class at the Masonic Hall in Yarraville.

Here was this beautiful man, warm and simple. We had an awkward hug and after a short conversation I sat at his right side ready for his teaching. There were only a few students, I was very impressed by that. To me it was a sign of humility. (I had had experience with larger schools).

Even though Dean Ji spoke of frustration at times about his teaching to students I hoped and trusted that he would continue. He stayed always.

Dean had so many beautiful stories about his 7 years with Prakashananda.

(Adi Da Samraj who was in the 70’s with Swami Muktananda and sat in meditation daily said this of Swami Prakashananda, ‘A vessel of happiness….a beautiful being who breathed the spiritual force in such a way that it saturated his entire body’. )

For me, the most amazing story that Dean Ji told was about ‘Dean Dog’ and ‘Jane Dog’ who were two dogs taken in at the ashram.

A door mysteriously fell at the ashram, falling on Jane dog. It broke her back. Dean had just returned from an errand for Prakashananda who instructed Dean to care for the dog who was immobile. Dean protested that he was tired, but to no avail. On his Guru’s instruction, for 3 days and nights he had to care and monitor the dog’s progress (no sleep). Eventually the dog was given to a veterarian for an operation. The dog recovered only to be able to turn it’s head to one side and as such, when it walked, it only walked in one direction in circles.

Dean Ji never expanded on the meaning of this profound instruction of his Guru. I can only feel that He made Dean understand that he could do nothing. It was all up to God.

He had many stories and life experiences. I relished every time he would talk about his these. I wish I could have heard them all.

My private experience with Dean Ji changed my life. After 10 years in a relationship with my partner I asked for his advice. I was not happy. He invited me to his home to talk. Wow, how privileged I felt. He showed me his lovely home and garden and we then went to his office. He directed me to a very low lying chair. I understood why the chair was low lying in front of an analyst. Dean Ji asked me a few questions about my relationship and he wrote everything down. He didn’t even blink when I told him that I like to smoke a joint or drink. One powerful thing he told me. That made me change my life. Thank You Dean Ji for being part of my life.

The first time I met Dean he told me a joke. I laughed and laughed. Actually I laughed for about 3 days and could barely stop, which was quite remarkable since I hadn’t laughed deeply at all for the past 2 years while experiencing depression.

Though founded in centuries of tradition and yogic lineage, Dean Das’ meditation classes were refreshingly down-to-earth. Grounded in a simplicity of delivery and humour, Dean’s ‘method of meditation practices' belied the complexity of his knowledge of meditation and his lived experience of altered states of consciousness. Dean Das so seamlessly and generously imparted his knowledge, it's only over time I've come to recognise the profundity of his understanding of meditation.. ...and life!!

Dean was an authentic teacher & master of meditation. The method taught belongs to a 9th/10th century lineage, the Siddha Nath tradition of Western India. This is important if you want more than modern day "mindfulness" or yoga to "look good". Deans intellect, experience as a Forensic Psychologist, combined with his  years practicing meditation in India,  delivered an understanding & level of knowledge that was and continues to be unique.

Somehow Dean Das always managed to weave his teachings into great, sometimes epic stories and he would simply look at you with a knowing look when recalling a detail of particular importance to yourself.

Dean was always very welcoming when I first began attending his classes, he was like a father figure I guess as I always felt safe and supported during each Yoga session. Dean would almost always walk me out or catch me after classes for a brief chat to ask me how I was going or to talk about music.

I always looked forward to coming to class and I soon realized it was important to get there a little before starting time not only to ensure a prime position to lay your mat but to listen to Dean’s introduction which would be a mesmerizing story from his experience’s which would always conclude with message of wisdom.

Dean would often tell some stories during his band days and there was one in particular that I remember about his drummer going back stage and getting arrested I think it was and the band had to make a quick decision, so they got the roadie to fill in and as a consequence he got the gig and the original drummer lost the gig.

As Dean knew I was a keen drummer he would sometimes ask if I could play the Indian Drum.  One particular time Dean asked and I said no, he pushed me to explain further so I said because I am a Jazz Drummer but the real reason was that I really didn’t want to play the Indian drum, but he continued to ask me if I could, in the end he got me to admit that yes I could play it if I wanted to. Then one day I said I had a Djembe drum and could I use this instead of a traditional Indian Drum and sure enough Dean was very enthusiastic about the idea of me playing the African Djembe at one of his chanting sessions, which I did and I enjoyed it in the end because Dean was happy with whatever I played on that Drum.

I remember one time Dean asked me to come up with my Drum to a class to join him in a chanting group he was running, I got a ride with Dean in his van and he put on some music that he was raving about the was called the Peep Tempel. He asked if I had heard of them and I hadn’t but I said that they sounded pretty good, he said proudly that it was his daughter’s partners band (I think).

My experience was that Dean always seemed to be speaking to ‘something’ other than my personal self, that deeper part of me.

Living under the guidance of Dean Das broke the need for being physically with him. A sensitivity developed to access a richer, more subtle level of ‘touch’.

When he was away he was still with me. Now he has left his body he is still with me.