One of the most profound influences in my life was a man named Mark.

Mark was, first and foremost, a spiritual teacher and guru. And secondly, he was an artist.

I met Mark many years ago when I first lived in Los Angeles, at a time when I was searching for a meditation teacher. His presence was magnetic, his wisdom deep, and his way of explaining meditation—particularly the states of samadhi—was unlike anything I had encountered before.

For those unfamiliar, samadhi is a state of deep meditative absorption, a complete merging of individual consciousness with the infinite. There are many levels of samadhi, each representing a different depth of stillness and insight. Mark had spent his life exploring these layers of consciousness and could speak about them with an eloquence that made the intangible feel tangible.

Though Mark passed away a few years ago, his group, Hard Light, still gathers regularly. I don’t attend as often as I used to, mostly because they now meet in Port Hueneme instead of Malibu. But recently, I felt called to make the journey for Shivaratri, one of the most significant nights in the Hindu spiritual calendar.

The Significance of Shivaratri

Shivaratri, or the “Night of Shiva,” is a sacred festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, the embodiment of destruction, transformation, and cosmic stillness. It is said that meditating through the night of Shivaratri grants the equivalent of an entire year’s worth of spiritual practice due to the alignment of cosmic forces—the sun, the moon, and their energetic correspondence with the spine.

The Hard Light group had just returned from India and decided to host this year’s event at Mark’s old art studio. This space was no ordinary studio—it was a hangar-sized sanctuary, filled with enormous canvases and striking sculptures, all reflections of Mark’s meditative experiences. His art wasn’t just visual—it was a transmission, a glimpse into the states of consciousness he had explored.

A Night of Meditation

Shivaratri at Hard Light was always an intense experience, and this night was no different. The celebration stretched from sundown to sunrise, a full night of meditation punctuated by four breaks.

I had never successfully stayed awake for the entire night before. But this year, two cups of chai before each session kept me dialed in. By the end of the night, judging by the size of my pupils, it was clear I had entered a deeply meditative state.

The Hard Light group always creates a powerful ambiance—a beautifully decorated altar space, complete with images of Mark, the Siddha lineage, and great saints like Muktananda, Nityananda, and Meher Baba. These teachers carry the blessing of shaktipat, a form of spiritual transmission that awakens higher consciousness—like one candle lighting another.

The structure of the night followed a sacred rhythm:

Mantra & Offering: We mixed milk, ghee, and honey while chanting “Om Namah Shivaya” 108 times—the sacred number of beads on a mala.
Shiva Lingam Ritual: The mixture was poured over a Shiva Lingam, a sacred symbol of Shiva, using a ladle 108 times while the whole group chanted.
Chakra Mantra Alignment: In call-and-response style, we repeated “Om Namah Shivaya,” aligning each syllable with specific chakra points in the body.
Deep Meditation: Each session included 90 minutes of silent meditation, sometimes accompanied by old videos of Mark’s teachings or guided pujas.
Breaks & Reflection: Between sessions, I wandered through the studio, absorbing Mark’s art, which felt alive in its depth and energy.

A Victorious Morning

As the sun began to rise, I felt victorious. I had finally made it through an entire night of meditation, something I had never done before.

In the early morning mist, a few of us carried the offering mixture—milk, ghee, honey, rice, and flowers—to the ocean. Standing on the foggy shores of Port Hueneme, we released it into the waves, an offering to the divine.

It was a beautiful, auspicious morning, marking the end of a powerful night of worship.

And it was only the beginning of a full week of sacred experiences…

Stay tuned for Part 2: Birthday and Kali Mandir.