Rishikesh Advance Meditation Program

17-22 August , Rishikesh

 Special sessions on Ram Gita  - Yoga Vasistha were received well. When the Gyan yagna got over, a brief visit to Vasistha Gufa ensued! It gave some of us an opportunity to spend meditative moments reflecting on the Supreme Yoga.

Be it the Agastya cave in Tenkasi range , Virupaksha in Arunachala  or the ​Vasistha Gufa on the banks of Ganga, natural caves always captivated the attraction for meditators; a spiritual reason  could be that when one meditates in a cave where the  enlightened have meditated,  one could  still feel their energies.
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A serene Sadhu bhandara was held during  the retreat. It gave the participants a glimpse of a meritorious and benevolent vedic tradition practiced through ages.

Feed back received from Participants.

“ji bahut bahut dhanywad for such a nice arrangement; full programme was well planned and very interesting.”

“It's again a wonderful experience to have Arun Madhvanji ; the knowledge he shared I never had before. Tusssi great ho, it was really a remarkable program and the translation from English to Hindi was really admirable, I can say it was shudh Hindi.”

“The last 4 days of my life were so peaceful and beautiful. Thanks to you for this wonderful experience, Acharya Arun Madhvan ji, thanks for being our guru and giving us this knowledge. Wonderful course, very well organized program, nice stay.”

“Ganga just flows with purity n love...
Ganga gives space to everyone in her bed...
Blessed are the souls who were chosen by the Guru to receive the highest knowledge of Yog Vasisht with simplicity from beloved Arun Madhavan ji. His face that shines like sun n eyes Crystal clear...deep as Gurudev! – “

The Art of Silence Retreat with Ram Gita and Bhagwad Gita - All smiles!

Green Initiative

27 December 2015

The saplings that were planted a few years back at the venue of our Silence Retreat( concluded today) can be seen in the backdrop. They were well protected and nurtured and are today adding natural beauty to the surroundings, serving as a habitat for the fauna and enhancing the quality of air. Heartening to hear the large assembly of green enthusiasts singing the newly composed thematic anthem “we are not just planting a tree, but our future”

Arunji

Art of Silence Retreat at Gobichettipalayam - Dec 24-27, 2015

Early enrollment requested via email mentioned below:

Chaitanya Bharathi

16-19 July 2015

Bountiful rains when sessions were indoors, soothing sunshine during breaks, thought- provoking sessions of Yoga Vasistha, sacred chants and deep meditative moments marked the 4-day retreat helping the large assembly of meditators to truly experience blissful moments of chaitanya.

Beatitude at Belandur:

11th July 2015

The assembly was mystically absorbed with the proceedings of the entire evening. Excellent team work by teachers and seva angels that could be seen in the smooth passage of the special re-connect. Stunning display of rangoli art by by Pragya, Manisha, Manju, Shweta, Manjula, Sumati,Trupti and Namita greeted all guests. It is called Kolam in southern parts and represents beauty, creativity, geometry and grandeur. It is indeed a spiritual rendition from one’s heart and a time tested path to acquire patience, endurance, imagination, determination, creativity, concentration and confidence.

Ten kms away from Belandur, the Whitefield team is all set to host The Art of Silence retreat 16 – 19 July.

Art of Silence Program

Dear One,

It is our pleasure to be able to host you at Chaitanya Bharathi Hall,  Whitefield again this year for the Art of Silence Program from 16th to 19th July 2015.

The sessions will be conducted by Dr Arun Madhavanji who has been with the Master since the beginning days of Art of Living. He has been instrumental in setting up the foundation. 

Arunji is a graduate from IIMA and ​a successful MNC Banker.

 

He has been travelling and teaching ​our​ courses across the world since the last 25+ years. 

Two years ago , when he was at Chaitanya, we all were soaked in knowledge and amazed by the Yoga Vasishta sessions.

Its time to relive it again. 

We have an informal Satsang with Arunji on 20th June 2015. at Chaitanya Bharathi. Would be great to have you with us on this evening 

Love and Jai Gurudev!

Deepika 

RSVP: Deepika 9880514565 , deepika_aol@gmail.com 

The week that was! Madhuram Madhuram rocks:

2nd June 2015: Strange but true, previous visits to the Island nation invariably coincided with Vesak, hailed as Buddha Purnima, This time no exception. The bonus was the opportunity to lead a delightful Full Moon meditation and share Gurudev's wisdom at a venue beside Lankan sea shore. There's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away! Our thoughts are no different!
The smiles we carried from the AMP participants were priceless as they happily swayed to the beats of the newly released bhajan "Madhuram Madhuram".

5th June 2015: The Karamadai Ranganath Mandir satsang was overwhelming in devotion. The newly built Raja Gopuram (Temple tower) in seven levels beside the satsang venue was majestic. Reminded the audience that a disconnect with a cell phone tower is nothing serious; but the spiritual connect with the mystic tower has to remain uninterrupted! The evening ended with the waves of Vol 7 bhajans holding sway.

6th June 2015: Deeply appreciative and beholden to the numerous birthday messages today.
The day was spent in a rural belt away from cell phone towers! The on-stage interaction with the well known folk singer- composer duo Dr.Vijaylakshmi-Navneet Krishna was memorable. The couple served as Professors in the Department of Folk Arts and Culture in Madurai University and have recorded more than 10,000 audio albums of authentic folk music.

Reflections from The Art of Silence retreat with Educators:

Myriads of flowers welcomed everyone at the retreat in Nilgiris- the Blue Mountains. From the blue smoky haze of the eucalyptus trees to the blue coloured Neela Kurunji flowers that bloom every twelve years, giving the slopes the bluish tinge.

The inner beauty comes from our own growth of consciousness that we carry along from many lives. One can go to a plastic surgeon to get a beautiful nose, a beautiful face but does it change one’s being? Inside the person will still remain greedy, full of anger and jealousy; things the plastic surgeon can do nothing about!
Silence offered the participants a unique window of opportunity to listen to the Divine in meditation and fall into the heartbeat of Mother Nature. They blossomed with inner serenity like flowers - a state so beautiful, so musical.

Thaen Amudham Satsang at Thanjavur Brahadeeswara Temple

Thanjavur, 27th Dec 2014

It was an experience beyond words for the satsangees at the much renowned Southern heritage of Brahadeeswara Temple.The evening was made interesting when many tourist pilgrims from varied parts of the world stopped and began to sway with soul stirring bhajans. Young Perumal,a talented visually challenged musician made the evening more special. His breath danced gracefully through the little holes of the flute.

The un-seasonal drizzle of flower- like rain drops that began at the end of the session perhaps symbolized Mother Nature's pleasant response to the musical offering.

On tour with Sri Sri

12th August 2014

Sri Sri was visiting the legendary temple town of Bhavani after a long gap. We landed in the town few hours earlier to get ready for the big event to follow.  A crew working on Enviro- awareness and Tree planting asked us to partake in their film shoot.  Singing to lyrics set to peppy music and in a scenic setting, provided a good starter.

A very large congregation at the majestic Platinum Mahal was in for a lively treat of bhajans, meditation and a thought provoking Q & A with Sri Sri. One of the questions was on the topic of pitru dosh. (It is nothing but the karmic debt of the ancestors which the person having Pitru Dosh is supposed to pay. To appreciate this theory, we must remember that in most of the cases a person born in a family line is none other than one of his own ancestors)

 Here was the pithy response from Gurudev that had the audience in splits. “You can’t say that you will selectively inherit only their wealth!”

Unconditional love!

Here was a touching moment when two kid brothers climbed upon the stage with their grand father to hand out roses before the satsang began.

A touching moment of unconditional love from the  third generation of AOL satsangees!

13th August 2014
Several thousand assembled to witness a mega yagna conducted by the talented alumni of our Gurukul at the BVB grounds, Erode.

14th August 2014
Warm welcome from the Salem family at the foothills of Yercaud. Commenced the first Art of Silence retreat here.  Exuberance of both Independence Day and Janmashtami was palpable.

Art of Silence program at the scenic Western Ghats

The scenic Western Ghats is a bio diversity hot spot of India; its eco-system hailed almost equivalent to Himalayas. Some areas receive as much as 350 inches of rain every year. Being a great source of water and oxygen, the evergreen forests are flushed with abundant flora and fauna with some 140 mammal species, 510 bird species, 260 reptile species, and 180 amphibian species.

An Art of Silence program here with those engaged in academia is etched in our memories.

Special Silence Program at Jaipur Ashram

Welcome to exotic Jaipur, the city dressed in pink with an apt blend of heritage, palaces, culture and art. The flamboyance of the place can be experienced only by visiting it.

Grab the opportunity to plan a retreat at our Jaipur Ashram 13-18th May and bask in the sacred satsang evenings of Ram Amrit and Yoga Vasistha.

13th May is special for all us and we will dedicate an inspiring satsang offering to our Master. Four weeks to go; keep your circles informed.

Address to members of Rotary Club of Bangalore on "The Art of Silence"

Invited  to address the Rotary Club of Bangalore, a prominent  NGO in the State  that  came into existence  in June 1934  in Pre-Independence  era.  It has over 250 business heads  drawn from diverse  vocational backgrounds  including   foreign expatriates  in the city.  RCB  has emerged as a  vibrant  organization  where  members  regularly participate in many exciting projects that make a difference in many people's lives. 

Interestingly the  topic chosen  for the evening's  address  was  'The Art of Silence"  which is close to my heart. Silence is one of the most under-rated experiences in life…silence which soothes, calms the mind so that one achieves harmony with nature.Somehow, today the noise levels around us and within us has shut out our very soul. The session included  useful commentary from  vedic wisdom as well as  recent research  findings   to support the value of Quiet time.

 The silence  in the  hall from an engrossed audience was  palpable and the smiles at the end of the session reflected their fulfillment of an evening well spent.

Diwali Special at Gurgaon, NCR Delhi

Though the amc special  commenced  few days after  Diwali, yet the curtain raiser- evening saw the  venue, the SunCity Community Centre,  wearing a festive look, colorfully  illuminated with  occasional burst of crackers as well. Capacity-full  gatherings turned up each evening  to soak into the precious wisdom of Yoga Vasistha. Gratifying to learn that there were many takeaways for everyone.

Forthcoming Events

Special Part 2 Advanced Meditation Course

AOL Gurgaon, NCR New Delhi, will host a special Part 2 amc  with Dr.Arun Madhavan between 14-17th November, 2013. 

Legend has it that Gurgaon village, located in the heart of Gurgaon city, was the ancestral village of Guru Dronacharya, the teacher of  archery and martial arts to the Pandava and Kaurava princes. Guru the "teacher", in this case refers to Dronacharya and both gram/ gaon mean "village". As the King of  Hastinapur gifted the village to Dronacharya,  it came to be known as Guru-gram, colloquially hailed as Gurgaon. The 'Dronacharya Well' still exists within Gurgaon city.Situated at the northern edge of Aravali mountain range, Gurgaon is the second largest city in the State of Haryana, 30 km south of national capital New Delhi.

An unique post- Diwali treat of "Silence"  enriched by  Gyan, Gaan and Dhyan! Seats limited. Register thru info@artoflivinggurgaon.org

To be here; oh it was so much fun!

 ( Nainital 17-21 July 2013) 

Nainital in Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains. The highest of them is Naina 8,579 ft,  atop which  magnificent views are obtained of  great snowy range that forms the central axis of  Himalayas. The Art of Silence retreat here is best remembered for the depth of experiences gained. Words cannot best describe; yet venturing to capture them in these lines:

The Himalayas stand grand and tall, a view so vast; it made us feel small,
Hilltops rolling like waves upon the sea; to be here, oh it was so much fun!

The tall pines, conifers, wild flowers and the majestic rocks aging through time,

To breathe the cool mountain breeze with our minds at ease; to be here, oh it was so much fun!

Beyond usual rush hours, honking traffic and carbon polluted lungs, 

Basking in the beauty of pristine nature, surprise showing up of a tiger to grace our sights; to be here, oh it was so much fun!


As the sun beginning  to set between the hills, night lights shining, knowing we can return to that high place which we yearn, once again ... oh it was so much fun!"   


Jaideep from New Delhi, a participant at the course wrote:

..and in all this Fun ... I discovered .. that I was so much Fun. 

The vastness that I saw outside was within me. 

The tall mountains, the trees, the rain kissed leaves ... that freshness was within...

Saw the long , winding mountain roads... but the journey was within...

The rising SUN glowing behind the misty clouds .... the radiance was within...

The soothing Moon light in the garden of stars... the peace was within...

... I slowly discovered that what I was a seeker for out side... was all within me...


This Journey out side to inside .... Oh it was so much fun...

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Dear Dr. Madhavan, 

We thank you for the wonderful advance course you gave us at Nainital. We appreciate your gentleness of conducting the course according to the number of repeaters and ages of participants. You made it very relaxing and comfortable for all of us.

The knowledge of Yoga Vashishta during the course was priceless, it made the course so special. It has touched our heart as a lesson in life. The course has become a memorable event for us. 

Jai Gurudev!

With Best Regards
Girish Madhogaria
8B / 1 Queens Park, 
Bullygunge, Kolkata-700019
(M) :+91 98300 58000
E-mail: girishsecretariat@gmail.com