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Beautiful. Pure. Unspoiled. There are just a few heavenly places in the world, and the aptly named Heavenly Mountain in North Carolina is clearly one of them. Go there.
I did. And I go as often as I can. In August, when I was there, I would sit at dinner filling my lungs with air as pristine as the fine mist around a big waterfall, juicy with freshness. The only sounds around us were those of nature, and of women laughing and socializing. As we watched the sun go down, munching our veggie calzones, it didn't seem that the world could be any better.
From that high perch of the dining hall, you can look out at the mountains on all sides, with the sunset sky glazing pink, purple, and turquoise. You feel like you're in a protected bowl, and the only other signs of civilization are the gold dots up on the mountainside to the west--private homes and guest accommodations at Heavenly Mountain Resort.
A Place for Well-Being
The idea behind Heavenly Mountain is to create a beautiful place where everyone can come and gain more clarity of mind, happiness, harmony, purity, and well-being. Indeed, this place is becoming famous for its spiritually rejuvenating atmosphere, as well as its beauty and luxury resort appeal. It's located on 7000 idyllic acres near the town of Blowing Rock in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The awe-inspiring silence and beauty of the land have been deeply enriched by the Maharishi Spiritual Center of America, a community built through the inspiration of the founder of the Transcendental Meditation program, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It consists of permanent groups of 200 women and 400 men, located at either end of the mountain, who are dedicated to developing their spiritual life through the practice of the Transcendental Meditation program.
Visitors Welcome
They have now opened their doors for men and women to come and enjoy the peaceful and harmonious, sublimely spiritual atmosphere created by their group meditations, in an environment free from stress, crime, noise, and pollution.
Women who have visited the new east campus, home of the women's group (called the Mother Divine program), say they feel "unbounded," but simultaneously safe and protected, free to open up to their own creativity and inner consciousness. I found it really refreshing to be in this unique community even for one week. Businesswomen, mothers, teachers, students, dancers, and many other career women say they feel incredibly rejuvenated and restored by this peaceful and restful environment, ready to pump new vitality into their busy work and family life back home.
The grounds are filled with lush forests of rhododendron, mountain laurel, pine, ferns, wildflowers, and hundreds of other indigenous species that carpet these million-year-old mountains. With 50 inches of annual rainfall, this is considered a mild rain forest. There are hiking trails and waterfalls, as well as a swimming hole.
At The Maharishi Spiritual Center of America, the Mother Divine program offers courses called World Peace Assemblies for women who practice the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs; those who haven't yet learned the practice can also come and gain very deep rest on Breath of Serenity courses. Whether one comes as a meditator or not, it's a very enjoyable and restful routine. The schedule includes knowledge, healthy gourmet vegetarian cuisine, exercise and education, and presentations on a wide range of fascinating topics, including projects the women here have developed--such as the consciousness-based education offered at Heavenly Mountain Ideal Girls' School. Just meeting the students is a memorable experience.
Donna Newton, a manager in the internal auditing department for one of the largest law firms in Washington, D.C., says the Transcendental Meditation program allows her to "rest the part of the brain that makes decisions" so that she can "use the part that acts spontaneously in accord with nature." Coming here makes all the difference, she says, and afterwards she does a better job at work. Donna's company supplements the cost for the course, recognizing that it improves her job skills and performance levels, and increases her organizing power--benefits well-documented by extensive scientific research on the technique.
Business student Regina Orange came for a five-day course in July. "Being with the Mother Divine program in North Carolina was the most transforming experience I've ever had," she says. "It felt as though we were the only civilization on earth--it was almost like being on another planet."
Twice a year, women students at Maharishi University of Management can visit the Mother Divine program as part of their college curriculum (men students can visit the men's program, called the Thousand-Headed Purusha program).
"It was the best vacation I've had in a long time," says Professional Writing student Rita Gagliani. "I walked out feeling like a new woman entering a new world."
Elegant New Facilities
This fall, the students enjoyed the Mother Divine program's new home, with its three grand buildings constructed of wood and other natural building materials. Like every building at Heavenly Mountain, every aspect of the Mother Divine campus has been built according to principles of Maharishi Sthapatya-Veda design, the ancient science of building in harmony with natural law to promote good fortune and a perfectly balanced life.
The students had the good fortune of staying in the Suite building, which is now the main living quarters for the permanent group in residence. The 117 suites are lovely and spacious, and every inch reflects a practical and loving touch.
The Suite building is 700 feet long and tiers down the mountain to the north like a step-staircase. The gold-painted exterior is lined with balconies. The east-facing main entrance leads into the grand celebration hall for the whole community. It's really gorgeous--a golden-colored room with a 42-foot ceiling, and tall picture windows to enjoy the warm sun and spectacular foliage on the western mountains. A giant chandelier is suspended from the peak of the glass-enclosed cupola in the hall's Brahmasthan (in Maharishi Sthapatya-Veda design, the silent center around which all the activities of the building are organized). On the lower floor is the meditation hall. Many architectural details reflect Maharishi Sthapatya-Veda design principles, including a kalash (auspicious ornament) on every roof.
Next time the students come, we'll stay in the Guest building, a soft rose-colored building that has 108 rooms for visitors and course participants. The dining hall, like the other buildings, has high ceilings, imparting a sense of soaring space that feels royal. When you walk up the grand central staircase, you are taken aback by the stunning seven-foot-high chandelier. It was custom-designed by Mother Divine designers working with the manufacturer, as were thousands of other interior and exterior details that lend elegance to the whole environment--such as glass-topped tables and ornately carved chairs upholstered in a rich floral fabric. In nice weather you can dine outside on the balconies that extend all around the building.
Another of my favorite perches was the lecture hall in the Guest building. As we walked there for our evening meetings, the only reminder of the din of the outside world was an occasional helicopter giving tours to people looking at land to build their homes.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are one of the most sought-after resort areas in the country. At nearby Grandfather Mountain tourists feed peanuts to black bears, and there are giant bald eagles, owls, pacing snow lions, and other wildcats.
One gets swept up by this beautiful land that our Native American ancestors celebrated. Courses here are so popular that plans are already underway to build other guest buildings. The Mother Divine program warmly welcomes you to come and visit, and enjoy for yourself all the inner and outer richness of their beautiful new home.
Find out more about the Maharishi Spiritual Center of America's programs for women at Web site <www.spiritual-center.org>, or call (877)-77-BLISS.
