Vision Quest

[Listen to Asha read this story]

(Told by Stephanie Steyer)

I took a guided retreat in the wilderness that included a “Vision Quest,” a time of solitude and introspection for the purpose of receiving higher guidance. I was entirely alone, although one of the guides was nearby, and if I had needed help, I could have signaled him.

For three days I sat on a hillside in the middle of a circle of stones I had laid out around me, took very little food and no water. Somewhere in the middle of it, the face of a man I’d never seen before appeared in front of me.

“Listen to your heart,” he said. It may not seem like very original advice, but at the time it hit me like a bolt of lightning and completely rearranged my life.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Swami Kriyananda,” he replied.

I had no idea who he was. Later, when I saw a picture of Swamiji, I recognized him immediately as the man who had appeared in my vision.