Well being Workshop at Unity Pavilion , Auroville

Though this is the 62nd Pranayama workshop I have done in Auroville, it is a ‘first’ in a couple of ways. It is the first one planned for the delegates of Auroville International meeting. Auroville International (AVI) is a worldwide network set up with the aim of supporting the Auroville International Township in India. Founded in 1983, Auroville International today has member associations and liaison groups in 31 countries around the world. AVI holds an annual meeting with world-wide participation and the meeting is held in Auroville every alternate year. I am very happy and grateful to be connected, in a small way, with the AVI 2014 meeting. In the spirit of Auroville, the workshop was open to one and all - not exclusive for AVI delegates. However, to suit the schedule of the meetings, the workshop is tailored to 3 sessions, instead of the usual 5 sessions. This is the other aspect that makes it different.  I am really happy and grateful for this opportunity because I received lots of affection and kind hospitality form so many people connected with AVI in my tour of USA and Europe in 2013 that it was a privilege to give back something to AVI. I am once again planning to be in USA and Europe this summer and am planning three session Pranayama workshops and this was a good rehearsal form me on the home-turf.  I am thankful to Vani and all the AVI members to have given me this opportunity.
The workshop venue was Unity Pavilion of Auroville. Unity Pavilion has emerged as the hub of activities and programs aimed at actual manifestation of Human Unity. It is wonderful space and it is pleasure to hold the workshop in such a great space. Jerry and Jaya have been very supportive in helping me with the space and logistics, despite the tight and extended programs during this period. Three sessions was a little short and I had to exceed my normal speed limit a couple of times. I need to look into this matter and see how to make the sessions in Europe better, especially when translation is needed.
It was very heartening to reconnect with many of those who offered their hospitality to me so generously, while I was in USA and Europe in the summer of 2013. I loved the experience and I am grateful to everyone who helped in making the event to happen and all those who participated.

Fulfil your dreams workshop at AVIT, Vinayaka Nagar, TN

I had the pleasure of meeting Prof. Vasudevan, Dean, AVIT   in 2011 at IIM, RAK, UAE. He was also part of Global Education Mission, who partnered with IIM,I in the pioneering initiative in conducting the MBA course at RAK, UAE and was overseeing this new initiative. He was interested in the Personal Growth Lab I was teaching and I was very happy that eh chose to attend the morning pranayama sessions and many other sessions whenever he could. We stayed in the same hotel and he was kind to take me around in the new place. I enjoyed his company and friendship sprung between us. We kept in touch and recently, he came over to Auroville along with a couple of his colleagues and invited me to do a workshop for the PG (MCA & MBA) students of AVIT. I was happy and grateful for the opportunity that came my way and thought a lot about an appropriate workshop. I am thankful to the many inputs and helpful guidance Prof. Vasudevan in my efforts.
We settled on “Fulfil your dreams” as the name of the workshop. Its roots are in another workshop I did in Jan 2013 and I am happy with the way it shaped up. The workshop focused on the importance of personal vision and mission in one’s life. I took the example of Dr Govindappa Venkataswamy (Dr. V) of Arvind as it would be easier for the students to connect with his early life and be inspired by what is possible. The workshop emphasized the need to develop the inner resources to fulfil the dreams and the importance of keeping the dreams alive. I chose examples from the lives of Mahatama Gandhi, Dr V etc and also interspersed it with some aspects of my own life to generate inspiration, belief and confidence in fulfilling their dreams. The time was short but I think we made a good beginning and planted the seeds. I am very happy with the participation of the students and grateful to the presence of Prof. Vasudevan and many faculty members of AVIT during the workshop.
I look forward to more such opportunities.

Wellbeing Workshop at Savitri Bhavan

YAWW. Yet Another Wellbeing Workshop. As I shared earlier, each workshop is unique. It is somewhat analogous to rivers. All rivers are rivers but each river is unique. Like each unique river that has its specific contours and flow, each workshop has its unique set of participants and flows in its unique fashion.  Like all rivers reach the sea, all workshops have the goal of sharing Pranayama so that the unique set of participants join the sea of Yoga Practitioners. Yoga is Union with the Devine. Blessed am I to have the opportunity to share Pranayama and be an instrument for more practitioners to find their way to the se of Yoga.  I am happy and immensely grateful for this opportunity and my Sadhana is to be conscious of this privilege and source my being and doing form this consciousness. I am deeply grateful to every participant for creating this opportunity for me.
Thus, each workshop is Yet Another Event for more to join the Sea of Yoga.
As to the workshop itself, I would like to cherish some of the highlights and inspiring moments. There were many who have been practicing and came for a refresher. C is experiencing higher levels of energy. J (please the earlier blog post) was there and he is getting better and better every day. H has found relief form her shoulder and neck conditions. And, Syamala and Varadharajan were there. I feel enthused, encouraged and inspired with the benefits people are generating with the practice of Pranayama.
One of the memories I would cherish is the smile of Devasmita. Devasmita means Devine Smile.  And her smile is so radiant that she is her name! May she be blessed to spread that smile in the hearts of all around her and radiate it into the very atmosphere of Auroville.

Good Health and Stress Management Workshops at IIM, Bangalore

 The stress management workshop was an interesting end to 2013 and the good health workshop is an exciting beginning to 2014. It was more so because this was the first time I had the opportunity to do the workshops at this wonderful institute. Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) is consistently rated and voted among the top three business schools of India. Being in Bangalore, the capital of technology and new business initiatives, it attracts top students, best of faculty and interesting visitors. The temperate climate of Bangalore, the Garden City of India, hosts many prestigious institutions with lovely campuses.  IIMB is one of the prettiest. Very green and well maintained, one feels serenity in the ambience this campus and experience the energy of breathing oxygen charged air. The stone cut buildings with ivy covered walls and creepers blend well with the greenery, making the campus very beautiful and captivating. So much so, a Bollywood movie with a story set in an engineering campus was actually filmed here.

The workshops were possible, thanks to Prof L.S. Murty, PGP Chair at IIMB and Prof. Srinivas , IIMI. I had the pleasure of meeting Prof. Srinivas for the first IDL programof IIMI at Nainital and was fortunate that this association developed into a very enjoyable and interesting friendship. Prof Srinivas has become my friend, philosopher and guide n improving my workshops at IIMI. It is extremely kind of him to introduce me and my work to Prof L.S. Murty. It takes a lot of sustained interest, perseverance and doing whatever it takes to start new workshops like good health in an autonomous post graduate institute of management. It is my good fortune that Prof. Murty did all of these despite his many commitments and gave me the opportunity to make a beginning. I am happy and grateful to Prof. L.S. Murty.

The Good Health workshop is very similar to the many workshops I have done at IIMI as well as other places. However, it was a challenge to compress the 10 session Stress Management workshop to 6 sessions. I tried to retain all the topics and as a result the time for exercises and practice was insufficient. This is learning for me and dropping one or two topics may be a better choice so that the participants experience the tools and techniques that are introduced to a deeper level. This would help them to actually practice it in their life, which is the main goal of the workshop. 

The other unique aspect of this workshop is the innovation introduced by Prof LS Murthy by making the workshops ‘no-credit’ events. I am sure that this is an excellent strategy to help the students in enjoying good health and stress free life. The process may be slower because the students would evaluate the ROI on the time they have to devote for the workshop. The paradox is that they do not know enough about the workshop and they would be in a position to make an ‘informed choice’ only after they practice what they learn in the workshop. But, this may be a more effective strategy, if we consider the long term perspective. It would be great that if this strategy is persevered with and we do what it takes for the sapling to take root, blossom and bear fruit in its own time. I enjoyed the workshops very much because the students with real interest were participating and their participation as a group was much more encouraging and satisfying for me.

2013 was a fantastic year in which I experienced growth in facilitating workshops in 5 new countries and many of them with the new dimension of translation. The loss of passport in Budapest taught me how to ‘thrive’ when faced with challenging situations that we consider ‘bad and stressful’. The Good Health workshop was a fitting ‘good bye’ to 2013.

The Stress Management workshop was a fabulous beginning to the New Year. I am doubly blessed that these events happened in IIMB, a new venue for me and what a venue! I am grateful to Prof L.S. Murty for giving this opportunity and Prof Srinivas for his kind help. I am grateful to Mr. Chandrasekhar and his team for organizing the events so well.  Finally, the workshops were coordinated very well by Mallikarjun Reddy and Vinoth. It was great to have their partnership. I am grateful to each and every one of the participants for their interest and participation. I do hope that they would remember the bottom line – “results are a function of practice” and would practice the tools and techniques and reap benefits in their life.

Wellbeing workshop at Savitri Bhavan

 This is the last workshop of 2013 in Auroville. It would have been great to do the Health and Happiness workshop but I needed time and space to meet my other commitments.

One of the interesting aspects of this workshop is that it is the most repeated workshop amongst the events I have been facilitating in Auroville. In fact, this was Wellbeing workshop #60. I feel very satisfied and fulfilled that I have the opportunity to offer 60 workshops in 6 years of my stay at Auroville. I am happy and thankful to all those who made this possible, supported me, encouraged me and all those who participated in the events.
A very inspiring aspect of this event that I would always remember is meeting J, who wishes to be anonymous. I got a call from J in the first week of December and if I remember right, we met on 8th December. He had a paralytic stroke and he was using a walker. He wanted to do Pranayama also in his commitment to heal himself. By the time the workshop was finished on 16th, he was almost walking normally! I feel inspired by J for the will power, commitment to wellbeing and doing whatever it takes to recover. I will cherish the moments I shared with him and wish him all the very best of health and happiness. In my understanding, it is not the medicine or practice or anything else that heals a person but it is the consciousness with which one uses them that heals. The Mother said “Ultimately, it is the faith that heals”.  

I want to acknowledge  Suresh, who works at Savitri Bhavan. He is born in the nearby village, is studying while working and he is attending the English pronunciation coaching classes by Patricia(I am his co-student in these classes). He helps in arranging the space for the workshops. His intrinsic aspiration to grow and the excellence of his work, done with so much devotion and meticulousness, are awe-inspiring. It is a privilege to get to know him and have his support and help in offering the workshops.

Raphael from Munster, Germany is in Auroville, writing a book and it was great to have her in the workshop to review it. I enjoyed her generous hospitality and a lovely day in Munster during the last summer. Syamala participated in all the sessions and was a source of quiet encouragement, as always. Varadharajan makes it a point to come for at least one session and I am fortunate to have his presence. 

Pranayama Workshop at New Era Secondary School

One of my goals is to expand my work to reach younger people. The aim behind this goal is that. If youngsters take up the practice of Pranayma , the results would be astounding. A new opportunity came when Selvaraj met me with an invitation to do a workshop for New Era Secondary School (NESS). 

NESS is an outreach higher secondary school  that has adopted CBSE syllabus. Selvaraj is a local person who became an Aurovilian  and is one of the founders of NESS. He attended the Pranayama workshop a couple of times and decided to invite me. One of the unexpected benefits of accepting this invitation was getting to know Selvaraj  (albeit, only a little bit). It is inspiring to hear his journey and how he has transformed his life and created a platform to transform the lives of the village children.

The workshop itself was pleasure to conduct and it was further enhanced by the participation of the teachers.  My experience is that the students liked the practice and I hope that the teachers would practice and help the children to practice it. I am happy and grateful to Selvaraj for giving this opportunity.

Yoga Nidra Session for Auroville Tamilnadu Workshop on the Siddhi Day of Sri Aurobindo

 Tamil heritage Center  and Arul Vazhi Education Centre jointly conduct workshops for participants from the towns in Tamil Nadu . The objective is to give them an experience of Auroville, which includes meditation at Matri Mandir and sessions on Integral Yoga and the teachings of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.  The events are organized about once a quarter.

I am fortunate that Shri Varadarajan gives me an opportunity to share at these workshops, even though I don’t speak Tamil.  In this session, I conducted Yoga Nidra session and Shri Rajagopalan translated into Tamil.  What is inspiring to me is that many families as a whole participate in it and it is wonderful that the parents are giving this kind of exposure to their children. Nowadays, it is rare to see children brought up with roots in the cultural heritage and spiritual heritage of India – the country with one of the richest history and heritage.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of these wonderful events on a very significant occasion.