My spiritual quest began late in 2008 when a friend and mentor was charged for a crime he did not commit; this charge went against everything I believed about him, humanity and the criminal justice system;  dazed and confused , I turned to spirituality for guidance and comfort.

This quest took me 11,000 miles from the west coast of America to a green homestead in Janda Baik, a small town of about 1,000 residents, tucked deep into the foothills of the central mountain range of west Malaysia.

A winner of the Aga Khan award for eco-friendly architecture, the  homestead together with the surrounding rainforest jungle and its raw energy made a perfect spot for spiritual adventure. So, it was on December 6, 2008, at Janda Baik, Pahang that my spiritual journey officially began ...

Fast forward two months to February 8, 2009. I am back in Janda Baik with the same group for the next level of the spiritual experience. As with the prior retreat, we ended the 2-day session with A 'progression', a meditation process that enables us to look into the future by a few years.

What was startling about this progression was that the input received from each participant was like a piece of a big jigsaw puzzle that told the story of impending natural calamities.

In our mind's eye, we saw cities with tall buildings below ominously dark skies with rolling angry clouds, turbulent sea waters, rising water levels, tsunamis, fallen trees, leveled land, destroyed homes; and beneath the earth's surface, were slowly shifting tectonic plates; collectively these stills painted a picture of ruin, death and destruction from natural disasters.

Wanting to know more, we meditated on the two most obvious questions - where and when?

The answers pointed to the Asia-Pacific region, namely India, from Kerala to the Malabar Coast, Sri Lanka, Riau and Java islands and Sulawesi in Indonesia, the Philippines, and parts of Borneo and Australia.

Time-wise, the tectonic plates would slowly start shifting in March 2009 causing an earthquake related tsunami around July. The plates will continue to shift through the third quarter and cause another earthquake cum tsunami about October 2009.

So what does one do with this sort of premonition? Do nothing, adopt a wait- and- see approach, post a world-wide alert, or take some middle of the road action?

Well, I had decided to wait -and- see till I noticed an alarming sequence of events:

► February 10, 2009 - 200 melon-head dolphins were stranded in Manila Bay in the Philippines. Scientists attributed the unusual phenomenon to a "heat wave" or possible "underground disturbance", which disorientated the creatures.

► February 11, 2009 - An underground earthquake registering 7.0 on the Richter scale with an epicenter 21 miles below the sea level hit Mandano, the northern most city on the Sulawesi island of Indonesia. A Tsunami warning was issued, but later withdrawn.

► March 2, 2009 - 200 pilot whales and 6 bottlenose dolphins are beached on King Island near Tasmania.  This is a hot spot strandings but it is "extraordinarily unusual" for whales and dolphins to be stranded together.

► March 20, 2009 - 7.9 earthquake hits Tonga, about 130 miles southwest of its capital, Nuku'alofga. A Tsunami warning is issues for Tonga, Niue, the Kermadec Islands, American Somoa and Fiji, but later withdrawn.

For what it's worth, on February 22 and April 9, 2009, this meditation group held  a universal prayer in Malaysia for Saesha, the "Goddess of the Sea".  According to Hindu mythology, Saesha is the divine helper of Lord Vishnu, who is the "Preserver the Universe".  It is said when mankind loses his sense of divine purpose, Vishnu will force a world-wide correction to restore order.

The prayer in Malaysia was followed by a prayer in Puket, Thailand, on April 26, and Bali, Indonesia on May 10.  And the final round of prayers were held in  Colombo, Sri Lanka on May 21, and Kanyakumari, India on May 24, 2009.

When mankind does for mankind that is spirituality-in-action and compassion at its best.

Wherever you are -- take a moment to calm the restless spirit of the sea. And do it in a way that feels natural to you.