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• Personal Growth

June 2013

By Punya Srivastava

As if Lonavla in the monsoons with its waterfalls, misty magic and astonishing carpet of green is not enticing enough, add to it the Life Positive Expo’s blend of world class workshops, wisdom from the masters and soul connect with kindred spirits, and you have an offer you cannot resist, says Punya Srivastava

The delightful old-world facade of Kaivlayadham

Close your eyes and visualise yourself waking up to a cool and moist dawn amidst the sweet twittering of birds. Watch yourself taking a walk on lush green grounds redolent with the unpolluted goodness of nature. Imagine the clouds kissing you as they drift by the hills and dales. Imagine stepping out of your schedules and appointments into the timeless present. Paradise? Yes, and you are invited!

Verdant abundance

Lonavala is the perfect place to be in this monsoon. Low hung clouds, languid walking tracks, crisp mountain air and the rollicking estate of Kaivalyadham – all beckon you to rejuvenate your body-mind-soul in this splendid hill station as famous for its waterfalls as it is for its world famous local snack – the ubiquitous, delicious chikki. Life Positive Expo travels to this beautiful paradise settled cosily in the lap of Sahayadri, in the blissfully romantic season of misty showers. One of the country’s premier yoga institutes, Kaivalyadham, will be your host from June 28 to 30, 2013, offering three days of serenity and revitalisation. After the grand spectacle of Delhi, Lonavala’s scenic locale makes for a refreshing background change for the Expo.

Start your day with yoga asanas, and refresh your body and mind. Attend powerful discourses by dynamic gurus and life-altering workshops by worldclass facilitators. Enjoy the warm hospitality of Kaivalyadham. Founded by Swami Kuvalyananda in 1924, this yogic institution of worldwide fame is instrumental in establishing ancient yoga as a modern science across the globe. The centre, spread across 180 acres of lush greenery, is known for its scenic splendour.

Inaugural address by Subodh Tiwari

Subodh Tiwari, Joint Director, Administration, Kaivalyadham, is a true yogi. Born and brought up in the centre itself, Tiwari did his schooling in Pune and was initiated into spirituality by Swami Digambarji, the Director and Spiritual Head of Kaivalyadham. He initiated yogic practices like asana, naulir uddiyan and pranayama together with mantra chanting at the tender age of six under the guidance of his father. As the administrator, he is the backbone of the centre with evenly spaced out efforts in the working of each and every department. An environmentalist to the core, Tiwari has initiated many schemes and plans to make the centre eco-friendly and an inspiration to many across the world. His enthusiastic involvement entails noteworthy changes and developments in various yoga modules as well as curriculum initiated in the centre. Today, his efficacy and resolute approach ensures body-mind-spirit evolvement of scores of students under a singular, umbrella body.

He has been the organiser and convener at various international conferences organised by Kaivalyadham. He has spoken in various national and international conferences as well as conducted yoga workshops in countries like US, Canada, Macau, Mauritius, Germany, France, and Italy. He took the initiative to get all the institutes in the state together and formulate the ‘Module of Yoga for Higher Education.’ Subodh Tiwari tirelessly strives towards his goal to qualitatively enhance the life of an individual through practice of yoga, and enhance the quality of environment through continuous efforts.

Valedictory address by Dada J P Vaswani

His tranquil demeanour and evergreen smiling face light up any room that he walks in. His childlike enthusiasm towards each and everything that presents itself before him draws many towards his visage. The spiritual head of the Pune-based Sadhu Vaswani Mission and a tireless young man at 94, Dada JP Vaswani is regarded as the harbinger of love, peace and hope by millions of devotees scattered across the globe. A compassionate human being, a crusader of humanity, a scintillating philosopher, a devoted educator, a powerful orator, a prolific writer, an indulgent grandfather (to scores of students studying in mission schools and colleges), a dependable guide and an admirable leader – are some of the roles that Dada plays with utmost ease.

Heading the mission after the passing away of his master and uncle, Sadhu TL Vaswani, Dada has taken forward his vision of a ‘compassionate planet’ across the world and found many supporters. He has touched innumerable lives by his motivational words and inspirational deeds. Dada is the author of over 50 books in English and many more in the Sindhi language. His writing reveals practical tips on happy, successful, spiritual, and non-violent living. Many of his books have run into several editions and several have been translated into the Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Papio Mento, Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, French, German, and Indonesian languages.

Four transformational workshops

InterPlay by Father Prashant Olelekar

Founder of InterPlay India, Father Prashant is a creative spiritual leader who has facilitated workshops and retreats in various parts of US, Ireland and India. He integrates the wisdom of Eastern and Western traditions for use in daily life in a world of rapid changes. The most distinctive feature of his approach to spirituality is the use of art, humour, song, dance, and meditation – creative ways of promoting peace on earth. His holistic approach to life includes pro-environmental, pro-social, and pro-cultural dimensions of consciousness.

At present, he is the Director of Pasayadaan Holistic Spirituality Centre, Mumbai. He has also been the Director of Jivan Vikas Sadan Retreat House, Mumbai, and has completed a doctorate in peace studies at Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California (2006). Besides various cities in India, he has conducted Movement Meditation/InterPlay sessions in Ireland, Canada, and USA.

The inviting dining hall at Kaivalyadham

InterPlay is about play, a creative process for personal and communitarian transformation. It awakens the inner child, thus stimulating the natural urge to be playful. This technique is being used by educators, justice and peace activists, artists, health professionals, organisations, and religious communities all over the world, as an integrated form of personal development and spiritual practice.

Alpha Mind Power by Vijaylakshmi Panthiyan

Dr. Vijaylakshmi Panthiyan, PhD. Psychology (USA) and M.Sc. (Psychology), Madras University, is a mind power trainer and counsellor who has inspired and motivated lakhs of people towards a happy and holistic life. Her inclination towards various meditation techniques and her interactions with various spiritual masters across the globe motivated her to develop her own meditation module. She designed the Alpha Mind Power workshops after painstaking research that underscored the effect of meditation on mind. She conveys complex concepts in simple language to participants and enables them to increase their level of self-confidence and performance. Her meditation techniques enable speedy manifestation of goals, improve one’s physical health, and help enhance relationships. Her initiations are done with the energy of the ancient siddhas with which she herself has been initiated. She has been counselling people from all walks of life since past 15 years. Her last workshop on Alpha Meditation at the Life Positive Expo in 2010 was hugely popular.

The Alpha Mind Power workshops are a model for effective time management, planning, and organisation and initiate a person into Alpha Meditation to activate his right brain and access the power of his subconscious mind. This helps a person to get rid of stress and empowers him to handle any situation in life very effectively. These workshops bring out the inherent good qualities in a person and create noticeable improvement in self-confidence, performance levels, and personal relationships. Through encapsulating spiritual principles, Alpha Mind Power empowers us to manifest our destiny.

Invoking the Divine Feminine by Sukhvinder Sircar

An initiate of the Gauriya Vaishnav School of spirituality, facilitator Sukhvinder Sircar is a pioneer in the field of leadership of the Divine Feminine. An accredited group process facilitator, EMF Balancing Technique Practitioner, Sound Healer, with special expertise to gently guide people through these transition times, Sukhvinder is also a regular writer for Life Positive.

After cleansing her body-mind-soul, where she was supported by living and astral masters, Sukhvinder set out to help others experience self-awakening through her workshops on various techniques. She has been engaged with facilitating change and awakening people into their full potential for the past 18 years. In her one-day workshop which is open to both sexes, you will connect deeply with the beauty and power of your feminine self. Understand the deeper mysteries of cycles, the power of inter-connectedness, and our oneness as an eco-system. Connecting to our Divine Feminine is where we meet our joy. It is the essential first step towards balancing the feminine and masculine, bringing the sacred union within. It is only when we are whole from within that we reflect that wholeness outside.

Moreover, with the dawning of the New Age, our planet has entered an immensely powerful cycle of awakening with the Divine Feminine. This means that the feminine energies on our planet are arising and healing very rapidly. The new leader is now called to engage from their Divine Feminine.

A Taste of Access Consciousness by Aditi Surti

Hailing from a family of Osho sanyasis, who follow Vipassana, Zen Buddhism and Advaita Philosophy, Aditi comes from a background of spirituality and deep commitment to self-evolution. She is a self-taught person in over 20 different healing techniques and modalities. She is a facilitator, therapist, and healer who blends her spiritual understanding with modern energy tools like Access Consciousness, EFT, Bach Flower Remedy, Yuen Method, Energy Medicine, and tools of the subconscious mind like Clinical Hypnotherapy, Past-life Regression, and Sedona Method.

Her one-day workshop on Access Consciousness revolves around getting a know-how of the modality along with a sample of ‘running the access bars’. Access Consciousness is a set of tools, techniques and philosophies that allow you to bring more consciousness into your life – be it body healing, weight loss, and sexuality to understanding your defense systems, anger, family, parental issues and how you can contribute to the world you live in. It is like defragmenting the hard drive of your brain. It clears out all the clutter in your mind and creates more space to allow new possibilities that you did not think existed for you.

With so much goodness awaiting you, do you really have a choice? Looking forward to seeing you there.