Hey, so I’ll be real with you — the first time someone mentioned Sai Baba to me, I pictured that guy from the yoga studio downtown with the man bun and kombucha obsession. Turns out, they meant Shirdi Sai Baba, the Indian spiritual teacher from way back. Whoops.
This was back in 2018, when I was juggling a startup job in Austin, parenting two toddlers, and silently panicking about whether I’d ever feel “balanced.” My neighbor Priya (who’s basically the human version of a hug) noticed my zombie-mode walks to the mailbox and handed me a dog-eared book called Sai Satcharitra. “Just skip to Chapter 4,” she said. “It’s like… spiritual caffeine.”
My rookie mistakes? Oh man.
I treated the book like a manual. I’d rush through verses before daycare drop-off, then get annoyed when my day still felt like a Netflix reboot of Groundhog Day. Priya laughed and told me, “You’re reading it like a Slack channel. Slow down. Ask him a question — actually ask — then see what happens.”
So I tried it. One Tuesday, after my 3-year-old painted the cat with yogurt (again), I snapped: “What am I even doing wrong here?!” Not exactly a polished prayer, but hey — desperation speaks in all caps. That week, I stumbled on a quote: “Why fear when I am here?” It hit different. Instead of obsessing over fixing everything, I started… letting go. Like, actually trusting that things would work out if I focused on showing up kindly.
Here’s what stuck:
- Answers don’t come labelled. That quote about fear? It wasn’t in the book when I looked for answers — it popped up on a random Instagram post (algorithm magic?) while I was doomscrolling at 2 AM.
- “Seva” isn’t just a Sanskrit word. Sai Baba talks a lot about selfless service. My version? Helping my elderly neighbor carry her groceries instead of grumbling about my to-do list. Felt more useful than any productivity hack.
- Doubt is allowed. I still side-eye the mystic stories (frankly, turning water into oil sounds like a TikTok scam). But the core idea — love everyone, judge no one — works even if you’re skeptical.
Practical stuff I tested:
- The “11 Vow” thing: Every Thursday, devotees avoid garlic/onion (no idea why). I tried it for a month. Verdict? My kids still screamed, but cooking simpler meals freed up mental space. Now I do meatless Thursdays instead — my spin.
- Coffee cup mantras: Sai Baba’s chant “Shirdi Sai Nathaya Namah” felt awkward at first. So I’d whisper it while waiting in the Starbucks drive-thru. Surprisingly calming, even with a caramel macchiato in hand.
Wait — the biggest surprise?
Sai Baba never claimed to be God. He’d say, “I’m just a beggar who needs your love.” That humility stuck with me. These days, when life feels like a dumpster fire, I don’t beg for miracles. I just talk to him like a wise old friend who’s survived rush hour traffic in 1890.
If you’re curious, start here:
- Ask one messy question out loud (while folding laundry, stuck in traffic — wherever).
- Notice the next 48 hours. A song lyric? A stranger’s advice? A weird sense of calm? That’s your answer.
- Adapt the rules. Swap chai for green tea, mantras for deep breaths — make it yours.
Priya was right. Spiritual caffeine beats the real stuff any day.
(Schwarber the goat says hi, btw. Turns out goats love hearing Sai Baba stories too.)