Soooo…If you have attended one of my classes over the last few years, chances are you’ll have heard mention of my Indian instructor, Master Shailendra Dangwal, AKA Shally.
As a means of introduction, it must be said that Shally had a huge influence on the style of yoga I now teach. His precise instruction, combined with a kind nature and expansive knowledge, have resulted in him becoming my mentor.
The seemingly endless variations in his asana classes make for consistent new challenges and I am only one of his many students recognising his mastery. Even in the early days, I thought how marvellous it would be to someday bring Shally to Australia.
I thought about that a lot….
I thought about it so much, that I began to mention it in conversation with friends, colleagues, and fellow Yogis. I had no idea of any process.
Fortunately for me, it turned out that one of my dedicated students did, and they brought my attention to the ‘Subclass 400 Temporary (Short Stay Specialist) Visa’.
It was during the time of isolation that I began having regular classes with Shally online and suggested that maybe one day he could come to Australia. That was it. From thereon in, Shally harboured his dream to come and teach here.
He thought of that every day.
On my last visit to Rishikesh in November, 2023, I took with me a host of hard copy documents relating to the said visa application. We (Shally, myself and his brother, Sachin), went over it all and resolved to give it our best shot.
Back home, my knowledgeable friend began to outline my role in the process, along with priceless information on how best to present our case. We began collecting and documenting evidence to support Shally’s application. Signed letters from employers, festival organisers, insurance companies, Yoga Australia and many wonderful endorsements from Shally’s international students, all had to be checked, collated and uploaded.
My lack of interest and subsequent shortcomings in technology, led to my wonderful wife, Jen, taking control of the administration and collection of documents. As Shally shares my inclinations in this area, the task of navigating the application at the Indian end was performed by his brother, Sachin. As such, Jen and Sachin spent many hours in phone and online conversation, correcting and building the case and in the background, our well-informed friend kept the ship on course by offering countless suggestions on our work.
The process took months….I began to imagine collecting him from the airport.
Meanwhile, our son, Harvey announced his plans to travel to India. He flew from Cairns on September 9th and I saw him off, then headed for home in his car (a sporty XR6). By the time I reached Brisbane, he was in Shally’s Rishikesh studio and sent me a photo of himself and Sachin. Totally surreal 🤪
Our initial date for submitting Shally’s application had been put back a couple of times. Every step seemed to have a hurdle, either in understanding or documentation, but finally, on September 5th, we had done everything we could think of, and the fate of our venture was put in the hands of the Immigration Department. Their response was expected within a fortnight, but when we had heard nothing after 10 days, not even a request for more documentation, Jen became anxious and began questioning our friend to see if there was anything else we could do to find out what was happening.
When I was still a couple of days from home, I pulled over to return a missed call from Jen.
It was September 15th and I was also beginning to get a bit worried.
“Have you pulled over?” she asked me, “Hold onto your hat, they granted Shally’s visa!!”
A small, protective instinct in me initially refused to believe this could be true. While I had always held the image of a positive outcome in my mind, we had all forced ourselves to be prepared for a negative. Only a 50/50 chance at best, our friend had warned us.
My disbelief soon gave way to relief, which in turn, became unadulterated joy. Wow!!
We shared our moment of victorious happiness, only to have it dawn on us, that a new phase of planning, organising and adventure lay immediately before us.
SO many people gave their time and support to our cause. We are immensely grateful to them all. The signed letters from a multitude of sources that we submitted under ‘additional documentation’, ended up under the scrutiny of someone named Komal, who processed the application in their role with the Australian Immigration Department and duly approved it.
A gender-neutral Indian name for ‘the tiny tot whose smile could melt a thousand icicles’, Komal’s signature on the notice of approval was the final blessing in a long line of positive affirmations that we are deeply grateful to have received. Thank you.
If one needs an example of the power of manifestation, look no further.
We booked Shally’s flight last week. He arrives on October 15th.
I will be at the airport to meet him and bring him to our home, where he will stay as our guest for the next 3 months.
I look forward to you meeting him 🙏
Namaste,
Graeme
You can find out about class and retreat details as they come to hand, in the ‘Events’ column on the Home page, here on the What’s Happening page or by phoning Graeme on 0499 605 355
Shally and I will be presenting at the Bendigo Yoga Festival on Sunday, October 27th and at the Starlight Festival in Bangalow, near Byron Bay, during the week of January 2-5, 2025.
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