Recently when a friend asked what I wanted for my birthday, my instant response was “World Peace” . Everyone present, including me, laughed, because it sounded like such a clichéd Beauty pageant response.🤩 Everyone was probably tickled by the image of a super model with tiara on her head👑, hands waving to an eager crowd. But for me, this has truly been an expressed desire since childhood!

Some of you might recall making a wish while walking under a bridge with a train passing over. Sweet superstitions of childhood! I used to actually say I wish everyone around me remained happy and peaceful. To my innocently logical mind it seemed so commonsensical. Only when everyone around is peaceful and happy, could I be.

When did the ‘good of all’ become a catch phrase of beauty queens and a fool’s fantasy for the rest of us? When does this loss of innocence start? 🤔

In my mid-thirties as a spiritual aspirant exploring Hindu teachings and mantras I was thrilled to discover blessings of Sarve bhavantu(may everyone be..)…and a Shanti path which began with Shanti Antariksha, (Universe be peaceful..).

To my mind eventually all religion, all spirituality, all effort at evolution is about what is the energy it generates in the world. The grace it restores to it. Not just about religion and spirituality, I used to get into arguments with some of my Professors on research papers while pursuing my Masters in Economics. My concern was always that unless we could investigate into how those research findings would impact the lives of many, it was an incomplete exercise. Unless the findings led to something implementable, the responsibility of the Researcher did not end. I was told repeatedly that I was not being practical, when ironically that is what I was rooting for, practicality!🤭

It is no surprise then that when I chose to share my understanding of Hindu Deities in ‘Aavirbhaav‘; I chose to do so in the format of Guidance cards, in a practical applicable self-help format. As gentle reminders that at any given point of time, we all know what is the right thing to do. The guidance cards prompt us to embody the courage and compassion of the deities they picture. Because… we all need to be reminded sometimes!

As a natural progression of the offerings that flow through me, the workshop I have planned for the 4th of August is on ‘Applied Spirituality’.

Many of the techniques and understanding that I will share are going to be from the realm of the mystic sciences; refined over many millennia and as true in today’s day and age as they were in far simpler times. The objective is to see and experience the functional, reliable, and accessible utilization of spiritual principles in daily life. They will never lead you astray. The workshop is going to be about how to gain the right perspective on, and how to overcome the challenges that each one faces in the many aspects of our lives; whether physical, mental, financial, relational or emotional.

I share this offering because I have seen first hand, how these spiritual principles work in dealing with a multitude of issues, whether they be in career or personal life, whether my own or in the lives of the many people who come to me when logic, materialism and worldly efforts at self preservation have failed them.

I have dealt with a plethora of issues –single parenting: check, losing a job: check, losing parents too young: check, marriage falling apart: check, health challenges: check, you name it, I’ve checked it off my list in this life. My own personal journey has been a practice ground for what I teach. OR else, I wouldn’t.

Through my wanderings at the Kumbh, travels around the world, interactions with various Yogis, Sadhus, and many other practitioners I have realized that the desired result from a spiritual practice or the yardstick to measure it’s efficacy is not the regularity of the puja or the hours spent in deep meditation🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️. But from the impact on the quality of your day – your state of mind and your resilience.

Your meditation is only working if you can work and toil for hours without losing your cool through the most demanding situations☺️😎. Your spiritual practice is working if you are becoming a better team player at work, kinder to strangers, and gentler with loved ones.🤗😻👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

There is such a goal-oriented trajectory to our lives. Years spent learning to be a Doctor or a Lawyer or an entrepreneur. Can we allow ourselves some time for learning about ourselves? About healing ourselves, and others, not just physically, but holistically, from deep with-in?

If the inner work we do can help us have more meaningful relationships, face work challenges with greater dexterity, sleep better, be comfortable with one’s own body, manifest deep desires with more clarity and conviction and basically help lead a better life, isn’t that worth pursuing? There is a spiritually inspired way to live and I will be supporting your walking that path with the one-day in person and three-week guided WhatsApp (from home) engagement.

I look forward to welcoming you into this all-women circle. And if you know me – you know we’ll have a good time!😃😘💃

PS : A dear friend remarked on one of the workshop promotion posts that ‘whoever attends this workshop shall surely get enlightened.”👼 While I’m tickled, I know better than to make any such claims. Although, I do promise to share from the depth of my being an understanding of practices such as chakra balancing, setting affirmations, healing effect of sound and mantras, role playing, mind bending introspection, meditations, rituals, performing yagna and much more.

In the daylong workshop I shall introduce you to myriad concepts, and through the interactions and the questionnaire I will offer personalized practices to meet you exactly where YOU are. Through the Whatsapp engagement, we focus on integration. Besides the daily guided writing prompts & individual feedback I will also share guided meditations for specific aspects and assistance in creating your own unique path forward.

 

In gratitude