The push-pull thing seems to have been going on for at least six year,
altho I don't know if in the past NYC was more "hands off" about it than
in other places.

The flip side of it is watching Mother "get annoyed" when the line backs
up. I was one of the people who could barely move, and my husband was
holding me up from behind and moving me along. And he even gave me ashove
at one point to avoid the "annoyance" of having some other sister or
brother "interrupt" my bliss. Its one of the perils of being in the part
of the line that is closest to the stage, so perhaps "next time" you want
to stay in the thick of the crowd. In Santa Fe my body was so tweaked
from traveling and an injury and other energy hangups that I had my arms
crossed in pfront of me during the whole final shower walk, and spent more
mental energy avoiding other sevites touch then enjoying the grace from
Amma.

Over the years 'tho I must say I have had some bliss out of those pushes,
like when Swami Ramakrishnananda gave my back a tap that felt like "get
going" on your spiritual practices as much as it was an urging to get
closer to Mother. We all have to work on our shraddha in these
situations, both the pushers in the "love" within their actions and these
body-vehicles that are experiencing the "force" of their seva. On the
Amritapuri page as I am writing it says, "Make sure that your actions
don't cause others any grief or inconvenience.

Much love, Prashanti