I am grateful to Auroville / My post on Auroville Intranet

I am grateful to Auroville - JV by jvavadhanulu on April 27, 2015, 1:20 pm

After living in Auroville for more than 7 years, I left it as a place of residence on 1 March 15. This is my expression of gratitude after waiting for 8 weeks, lest I should change my mind.

I am grateful for the privilege of meditating in Matri Mandir and walking in the gardens. I am grateful for finding the purpose of my life in making the world a healthier and happier place through workshops and retreats. My special thanks to Andrea & Pitanga, Ashoke Da & Bharat Niwas, Kalsang& Pavilion of Tibetan Culture, Bhavana & Verite, Shraddhavan & Savitri Bhavan and Jaya & Unity Pavilion for encouraging me and enabling me to offer the workshops and retreats. I am grateful to each and every one of you who attended the events and I thank you for the generosity of your listening. I feel very fulfilled and satisfied because so many of you practiced and reaped the benefits in your life. My life has been transformed in finding the joy in the purpose of my life.

I am grateful to Chandresh, Mr. Bala Bhaskar, Srinivasa Murthy and Manu for a making a beginning in manifestation of my dream for an Auroville Network. I am certain that it would have a significant role to play in the manifestation of The Dream.

I was ‘medically’ advised never to play a game after my cardiac crisis in 1987. I was inspired by The Mother playing tennis and rediscovered the pleasure in playing ping-pong. Playing a game is like a dynamic meditation and I found that it improved my being mindful. I stopped all medication quite some time ago but was taking a substitute for baby aspirin. I developed ulcers and I stopped it 28 Feb 2014, despite ‘medical’ advice. I am grateful to The Mother for being totally free of medication.

So many Aurovilians and friends of Auroville helped me to do workshops and retreats abroad. This not only furthered the mission of my life but also was in tune with my passion for travel. I am grateful to every one of them.I discovered that I belong to the family of Integral Yoga of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo and revel in it. Atithi Griha was my home in Auroville. I am grateful to Ashoke Da, Raji and all the staff of AGGH for my experience of having a home in Auroville. My stay in Auroville blossomed to what is was, thanks to the friendship, guidance and support from Syamala, Bhavana and Vradharajan and many Aurovilians and friends of Auroville who contributed to me and my personal growth.

We also started a Telugu Sankritika Kendramu (Telugu Cutural Center), thanks to the initiative of Syamala. One of the delightful things that happened is the annual musical celebration of Saint Thyagaraja.Thyagaraja composed in Telugu, lived in Tamil Nadu but his music and message are Universal.The small beginning we made will be a Juggernaut because of the message of the Saint and the purpose of Page 1 of 2 Auroville being Human Unity. I feel happy, grateful and privileged to have been a part of it.

I am grateful to my wife and children for giving me the time and space to explore and experience Auroville. I was also twice blessed to be a grandfather during my stay in Auroville. I never realized how beautiful it is to have grandchildren. I am grateful to the Divine for the two blessings into our hearts.
While I chose to leave Auroville as a place of residence, I choose to remain to be of the ideal of Human Unity. Wherever I am, I am committed to continue the work I had the privilege and opportunity to begin in Auroville. Because, part of me will be always in Auroville and part of Auroville will be with me wherever I go. And, Auroville is the ‘Mani hara’ of people with goodwill.

In gratitude, JV
Posted in Source URL: https://www.auroville.org.in/node/48371

Stress Management workshops at IIITB and Unifylabs

In the process of picking up the threads, I connected with IIITB and my friend Raja has immediately given me the opportunity to do a 3 session (of 3 hours) workshop for the students of STP (a post graduate program). The rationale is to have a gap between the sessions during which the participants can practice the tools and techniques and assimilate the principles better.

Meanwhile, based on the introductory session, the interest of Unifylabs also firmed up, thanks to my friend Srini and the rest of the management team. The majority of this young, growing and vibrant company are youngsters of similar age group at IIITB and in my thinking, it made sense to it in 3 sessions instead of a one day or two day intensive workshop.

The three sessions cover
1. Basics of science of stress and  on-line stress management 
2. Managing emotions and improving  self-awareness/IQ
3. Resilience and building immunity to stress

While the 3 session format worked reasonably well at IIITB, there was surprise at Unifylabs. I think that the work commitments could be factor in this and the second aspect is related to the interest and focus of young IT professionals who tend to look at personal growth as something that they can look at ‘later’. It wouldn’t have been difficult to guess this but strangely, I needed an actual experience to become aware of what I know. Hopefully, I learned something deeper than the surface lesson- the real lesson is that with a bit of ‘presence’, you can transform knowledge into awareness.  

The major celebration from the events is getting to know Ashok at IIITB, Srikaran, Chandra and Subbarao, who, along with Srini founded and run Unifylabs. Of course, I have the major satisfaction from all events. Some people, though a minority of the participants, took significant value out of the events and produces great results. Sometimes, I hope that it the majority that would do this and not a minority. The truth in personal development is that some people will not be ready and transformation needs lot of energy. Like Ekhart Tolle said, Coal transforms into diamond under tremendous pressure and inconceivable temperature". Waht time would it take for the coal to transform to diamond?

I am committed to my mission of spreading health, harmony and happiness, continue to seek the opportunities, enjoy every event and do my best in every event and be open to the possibility that before I call it a day, I will be facilitating events in which each every person (including me) is transformed.

Basics of Stress Management Workshop at PMC Sierra Semiconductors

I and Sanjeev are friends since a long time and he attended one of the earliest ‘Being Well” week-end workshops I conducted in Bangalore. He was the MD (Sales) of Freescale Semiconductor at that time and he also gave me an opportunity to do a couple of workshops for his team. In the process of picking up the threads, I got in touch with him. He is currently the MD (Sales) of PMC and he responded positively and immediately created this opportunity.

He asked me whether I could do a two to two and half hour session as part of their 10 year celebrations and I was ready to try it out even though it was a challenge to do something that would be useful for the participants within two hours as opposed to the 12.5 hours at IIIMI.   I did struggle a bit but in the end it was a very enjoyable experience and the workshop was very well received.  I n my experience, the people were quite positive about the concept of on-line stress management and the feasibility of  pulling-in  the micro-breaks, micro-meditations  and emotional freedom process into their busy life . I am happy that we could make a good beginning and here is the testimonial frpm Sanjeev

“Mr. J.V. Avadhanulu conducted 2 hours workshop on "Basics of Stress Management" at PMC Sierra, Bangalore on 27th May 2015. He explained what is Stress and what causes it and then shared a simple and manageable tool of "Micro Breaks" which can help to overcome the stress. All our employees are very happy with this workshop and found it practical and effective.

I would like to thank Mr. JV for putting across a complex issue in a simple way in a short time.”

Sanjeev Keskar

Managing Director Sales

PMC Sierra India and SEA"

Change of course and picking up the threads with 3 workshops

Come 2015, there is yet another change of course. It is in the place of my (ordinary) residence but it is impacting my work to spread health and happiness in unforeseen and interesting ways. I and my wife decided to live in Bagur, a small, pretty village near, Devlali, the charming twin town of Nasik, in eth Western Ghats (hills) of Maharashtra- about 3 hours form Mumbai. The rationale is to live away from the hustle, bustle, congestion and pollution of big cities. In fact, we were looking for a salubrious, peaceful and rustic place to live and this was the very first place that the Universe has revealed to us. We grabbed it instantaneously, without second thoughts and considering alternatives. We came to know about this place, thanks to Cmde Syam, who was building a house in the same society. The presence of Barricks, a close friend in the Navy and Rachana, our ‘third daughter’ in Nasik were major factors in the quick decision. Well, we moved fast but the Cantonment Board didn’t. As a result, we are to live in our flat at Bangalore for about an year, till the house is ready. I am will be leaving to Europe and USA, starting So, I decided to pick up the threads in Bangalore and see if I can be fruitful engaged in my mission.

I am grateful to so many of my friends responding positively to my request and creating opportunities to do workshops. The first to happen was a session on Stress Management at IIITB, thanks to Raja. Raja has asked me to do two more sessions and I would be completing them by end May. Next to happen was talk on “The science of mind and meditation” at IISC, thanks to my friend Hari. I also did an introductory session to personal growth for the first time at Unifylabs, thanks to Srini. We are in the process of setting up a three session program on stress management.  Sanjeev Keskar is now with PMC and we will be doing a session for PMC towards end May. I had to shift the model and mode to suits these groups, as opposed to the set patterns that I established at Auroville and IIMs. I enjoyed this as there was a creative element in such changes, the most significant being the long term model at IIITB and Unifylabs. I would like to see through these programs and capture my experience and assessment of the long –term engagement model.

I am delighted and grateful to all my friends who helped me to pick up the threads and spread health and happiness in the short stay of the month of May at Bangalore. It is satisfying and immensely fulfilling to my heart, which is filled with gratitude to my friends and the Universe.

This post would be incomplete without an explanation about the shift from Auroville. My wife doesn’t like Auroville. As time went by, my inspiration about Auroville came down. The most cogent explanation I can give for myself is that Auroville doesn’t make ‘reasonable’ use of the resources – human, land, money, material and Time. I wonder how far or close we are to the Dream. I would never know (unless I am enlightened) whether this explanation is independent of my wife’s opinion of Auroville. I know that I wanted peace and harmony in our lives. What was the real cause? May be, it doesn’t matter. Wherever I am, I am part of the ideal of Human Unity. I know that I take Auroville wherever I am.  I also left behind some part of me in Auroville. Finally, it is all about the ideal.

Stress Management Workshop at MES College of Engineering, Pune

I didn't schedule any events in the month of  March 15 as I was winding up my stay in Auroville. For the next year or so, Bangalore will be my place of living while getting the house constructed in Devlali, near Nasik, Maharastra. So, after winding up my stay in Auroville I spent a  couple of weeks finding my bearings and went to Nasik. I was facing some issues and needed the help and guidance of Cmde. Syam, who lives in Pune. That took me to Pune and I thought it was a good idea to meet Cdr. Chhabra, a good friend and my batch mate in the Navy and spend a day at with him at his home. When he was driving me to his home, he told me that he was helping the students of MES College of Engineering since 5 years and asked me whether I would like to give a lecture to the students. I grabbed the opportunity and the event happened next day afternoon.

My preference is always to do workshops as I believe that workshops could be experiential. The challenge was to compress what is normally done in more than 10 hours into one hour , make it useful and experiential. I enjoyed addressing the challenge and the event went very well, in my experience. 

What was remarkable was what followed the event. Cdr Chhabra shared the very innovative and noble work he is doing for the students. He is helping the students who are not placed and who fail in some subjects to reorient themselves to the world outside and be winners. He does this by offering them a free course at the end of the final year where they are given grounding in Systems Engineering, self-awareness, self-responsibility and soft skills. At the end of the program, he is willing to appoint them at a salary of Rs10,000 per month  and find their path in life. He finds mentors for some and many mentors absorb the students in regular jobs , even if they have not yet 'erased' their degree. He helps some people to find jobs. He gives work in his own company for others. I marvel at the ingenuity of the model and the positive impact it could have on the students in boosting their self esteem and inner transformation. I felt very touched, moved and inspired by what he is doing and feel privileged to have  a friend like him. I do wish that the model he started grows and creates a humane network that recognizes the intrinsic , unique potential of each student. I believe that lack of academic achievement should never be the barrier  for flowering of the individual in manifesting his or her own uniqueness. I salute the noble spirit in which Cdr Chhabra is helping the students to realize their true potential.   

Nine workshops and my epiphany on Mindful Pranayama

How can I blog about 9 workshops and retreats done over a  period of 3 months now? I better not attempt it but hope to share some of the things that I went through during this period.
I decided to relocate from Auroville (as  a place of living) to Bangalore by the first week of March 2015. I have been working on setting up an Optical Fiber Network in Auroville and the many, unexpected positive developments contributed to the project gathering lots of momentum. This added to the demands on my time and one of the things that I put on the back burner was my blog.
I am adding some pics of the events during this period.  I would not like to rebuild or recap on the specific events but would like to share that I enjoyed every moment of the workshops.
One important event happened on 8 Feb 2015, my wife's 60th Birthday. Sometime in the rally hours of the morning, I heard a clear voice tell me " You are doing mindful Pranayama. It is your Dharma to share it". It was a strange but thrilling experience for me and next day I did some research on the web. John Kabat Zinn started the fusion of Mindfulness and Hatha Yoga. Some web sites do talk about Mindfullness Pranayama.
When I think about it, an analogy comes to my mind -  driving a car. When I was a novice, I was overwhelmed by the demands of driving but as I had more and more hours of driving experience, it was easy to drive, hold conversations and enjoy the scenery -  being mindful. With years of practice and the repeated instructions I have been giving in several hundred workshop sessions, I am able to 'Be Mindful' during the practice of Pavan Mukthasana exercises, Pranayama and Yoga Nidra that make up my integral practice. An important aspect is to be joyful - Yoga is Union in with the Divine.Like driving, I do my practice while 'Being Mindful' of the effect of the practice on my body and mind.

 

I am not sure about the correlation between what I am doing and what others are doing. But, I am happy and grateful for the opportunity of sharing. My epiphany redoubled my enthusiasm to share the practices that have been so beneficial for me in my life.
I am sure that more of what I need to know about this will be revealed to me when needed.

Wellbeing Workshop at Savitri Bhavan, Auroville

I started doing this workshop as a seven session event in Auroville. Why? Because, many Yoga workshops and Pranayama workshops (that I attended) are seven session events. Without realizing, that gave me some kind of comfort. As the time went by, I started noticing that two thirds of the participants in each workshop are guests (not Aurovilians) and many of them don’t participate for more than 3 sessions as they come to Auroville for a short duration. So, it made sense to make it a 3 session workshop, though I still think that 5-7 practice sessions are required for an average participant (whatever that means) to be confident about practicing on his or her own. I have not collected any data but that is my ‘gut’ sense. At least, I don’t feel very confident that they would feel confident. So, here is a trade off. Do seven session workshops where many people do only half the sessions and don’t get a hang of how to practice because the workshop is designed to introduce various practices step-by-step over seven sessions OR alter the design to 3 session workshop so that more people actually get the full exposure they need, if they attend all the sessions. This is a tough decision to make but it gradually went in favour 3 session workshop due to (a) Aurovilians and long term guests/ visitors can attend (and are attending) the workshop again or part of the workshop to refresh (b) my commitments outside Auroville are increasing and it is becoming more and more difficult to schedule 7 session events. So, I took the step of reducing it to 5 sessions, which was in my ‘doable’ zone and now, after 3 years, did the first (regular) event in Savitri Bhavan. Of course, a critical issue is to train myself to do it in 3 sessions. My workshops in USA and Europe were very helpful in this respect because I had to make do with the available days and possible sessions.

It is an early and heavy monsoon in Auroville and it is green, cool and beautiful. Savitri Bhavan is one of the best maintained spaces in Auroville and I feel lucky and grateful to do the events in this wonderful space and the help from Suresh and Murugan makes it a pleasure to present the events here. Sharing Pranayama is a supreme Joy for me and I am happy and grateful that so many people are interested in Pranayama. House full on all three days. On the 3^rd day, two young boys (from Israel) joined and they brought with them an incredible pristine energy and lighted up the whole space. Their father told me that, as he was trying out the practice , they got interested and wanted to come. The younger boy was particularly spontaneous with a radiant smile that goes straight to the heart. He came running to me at the end of the session, gave me a big hug and said “you are so cute”. What a marvellous, precious, touching gift! I feel fortunate and blessed to receive it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

My sense is that the workshop did cover what I do in seven sessions and I think the objective is achieved – those who attend all the 3 sessions would be well introduced to Pranayama but the practice sessions were less. That doesn’t mean that they have inadequate exposure to practice but in my opinion, the ‘average’ participant would be better equipped to practice on their own if the sessions are more. As I do this workshop once in a month at Auroville (this is the 66^th workshop in 7 years), those who are staying longer in Auroville can always come back. Also, I am more comfortable taking this decision in Auroville as many people who live here and come here have some exposure to Yoga and they are aware of its nuances. As I am planning to take a break from Auroville in about 6-12 months, the shortened version is becoming more of a necessity and I am glad to have made a beginning - a good beginning in my opinion. This was reinforced by the feedback I gathered from some participants who attended my workshop for the first time. But some of those who attended the longer format didn’t agree. So, I let it be and let it rest for a while and allow it to unfold.