we are surrey

we are married / we are surrey
Madhurima and Jenya
Marychev
Love, Marriage
and Meditation
When people of different cultures live together
in a multicultural country like Canada,
there will no doubt be a few who fall in love.
That happened to Madhurima and Jenya
Marychev, although their love story began
long before they immigrated to Canada.
In fact, they first met in Madhurima’s homeland
of India at a meditation retreat. Madhurima,
a lawyer, and Jenya, a successful
heavy duty machinery businessman from
Russia, were both practitioners of Sahaja Yoga
meditation, a unique method of meditation
based on an experience called self-realization
(kundalini awakening).
Seeing beyond their different races, cultures
and languages, Madhurima and Jenya connected
over their meditation practice and fell
in love.
Madhurima joined him in Russia in 1997. “In
those days we had broken many cultural
barriers and taboos,” she says. “Indian people
did not trust someone outside the culture
to be married.”
But the couple followed their hearts, got
married and started a family, blending their
two cultures. They have two sons, one with a
Western name, Gabriel (now 17), and one
with an Indian one, Chaytanya (now 15).
Fortunately, in Russia, they didn’t face many
challenges as an interracial couple. “When
people found out I was from India, we were
always welcomed,” she recalls.
But Madhurima had to make a lot of adjustments,
including learning the Russian
language. “I had to adapt to the language
and culture of the country,” she says.
Reciprocally, Jenya started learning more
about her Indian culture, finding a deep
appreciation for its music. (These days, you
can find him learning and playing Indian
classical music on a tabla and harmonium.)
MOM OF 2 TEEN BOYS
LAWYER IN INDIA
CAN SPEAK RUSSIAN
EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATOR
Teaches Sahaja
Yoga Meditation
“Canada was
also country
of choice for
me as it enjoys
one of the
highest standards
of living.
I also wanted
to educate my
children
in English.”
who do you think we are? 17