By Denise Ermes
Life has a mysterious way of guiding us back to the places where our most profound transformation began.
A year and a half after awakening from a coma, life invited me to return to Mexico. Not just to visit, but to complete the Hridaya Teacher Training Course.
What a powerful journey it has been.
For context, you can revisit my earlier article here.
Over 18 months, I sat two silent retreats and completed Module 2 in France. Each experience supported the healing of the trauma from nearly dying. During one retreat, I finally allowed myself to grieve the pain I had caused others while I was fighting for my life. In Module 2, I sat in meditation as my classmates practiced shankha prakshalana, the same practice that had caused the rupture in my esophagus and led to my hospitalization. While resting in the Heart, I sublimated each rising emotion as soft tears rolled down my cheeks.
The Hridaya teaching team invited me to present in France, sharing the medical perspective of what had happened. It was deeply moving to witness how this contributed to a more embodied, careful approach to the practice. We made small but important changes as a gift of awareness born from a life-threatening experience.
Then came the return to Mexico. It was my second visit. The first had left me in a coma. I feel deeply grateful to have come back alive. I was able to reunite with Hridaya teachers David and Iris, who stayed by my side in the hospital two years ago. I feel so much love and gratitude for them and for the entire Hridaya Community. I visited the hospitals in Puerto Escondido and Mexico City, thanked the doctors, and stood in the ICU where my life had hung in the balance. It was intense, humbling, and healing.
Back at Hridaya, I completed the teacher training course. I shared my story with my TTC classmates: the conscious coma, the exceptional surgery, and the strength I drew from the prayers that I received. With my classmates, I spoke about the connection with Shambhala and the beings of light who were with me throughout the coma. We held a prayer circle for those still fighting for their lives. I now know how powerful prayer is. I felt it. The profound teachings of the TTC provided me with a better understanding of what my soul lucidly experienced during my coma.
Today, I’m a different person.
Life has reshaped me in ways I never could have imagined.
On April 23, 2025, I celebrated my second birthday—two years since I last practiced shankha. Two years of transformation and returning home to the Heart.
From my heart, I thank you for your support. I thank Hridaya for the teachings. I am now at my home in Rotterdam, sharing the teachings. Every day brings a new level of understanding. Hridaya lives in my heart forever.
With Infinite Love,
Denise
If you feel inspired to support my journey, you’re warmly welcome to contribute to my crowdfunding: https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-support-denise
You’re also invited to join my Hridaya Hatha Yoga classes in Rotterdam and online!
And if you’d like to connect, I’d love to hear from you.
Email: denise@positivitycompany.nl
Website: www.positivitycompany.nl
