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• Personal Growth

February 2013

The two-day Life Positive Expo in Mumbai on December 22 and 23, was the perfect entry point to the endless possibilities of the New Age!

Says AK Shamita, “The Mumbai Life Positive Expo has been life-altering for me. They were indeed two of the happiest days of my life. I had so many ‘aha’ moments in Nithya Shanti’s workshop. Currently, I’m going through testing times, and his teachings couldn’t have come to me at a better time.”

“It was an extremely well-organised event with fantastic speakers. Jaya Row was brilliant during her relevant opening address. The workshop by Irma Battig was fantastic with some very meaningful exercises,” acknowledged Jasjeet Kaur.

“The Life Positive Expo was a wonderful experience. It helped us to know our self and our inner beauty. My wife and I are sure to return for more enlightenment through Life Positive Expos,” conceded Rajat Bose.

For us at Life Positive, it was a hugely satisfying experience to have made our debut in Mumbai with such a bang. Exhilarated delegates, satisfied exhibitors and a happy stream of visitors all told us we had got it right. And with that, the stage is set for us to return this year. The Mumbai Expo is now slated to be an annual event, so if you could not make it last year, make a date with destiny this year.

Day One

Strength in the storm

Mrs Jaya Row delivering her soul-stirring address at the inauguration

The brilliant inaugural address by Jaya Row, founder of Vedanta Vision, effectively set the stage for the ensuing two days of piercing self-discovery. She began her discourse on Strength in the Storm arrestingly by inquiring where the storm was. And, of course, arriving at the conclusion that no matter how much evidence there was that the storm was outside, it was always and inevitably in our own minds. She also inquired why in this vastly improved world, we are still unhappy, anxious and in the clutches of the storm. For this, the nature of the world must be understood. It is changing, passing. Nothing lasts in it, and the irony is that we want permanence. He who adjusts to the shifting nature of the world stays happy. If you stand apart from the world and then interact, you will enjoy it, but if you depend on it, it will deceive you. We humans operate from the mind, and it can make heaven out of hell or vice-versa. Mind can create a famine where there is abundance. Our egos make us trust the disloyal, and distrust the loyal. Drawing an example from Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, she pointed to the tragedy of King Lear who, blinded by his own ego and the flattery of his elder daughters, ousts his youngest daughter and repents later on. “A wise person acts from his intellect. And intellect needs the nutrition of Vedantic food. Disassociate from matter. Have a higher motivation. The storms may kiss your feet, but will never dislodge you,” she exhorted her audience.

Have the happiest day of your life by Nithya Shanti

Nithya Shanti imparting the secrets of happiness to the delegates

What could be a better way to begin your day than to seek the secret of making it the happiest of your life? Nithya Shanti’s Joyshop was all about seeking happiness within self. When one learns the art of enjoying nothing, then he learns to be happy about something and everything. The Dalai Lama’s words, “Nothing needs to be changed to be happy,” formed the sublime undercurrent of Nithya Shanti’s workshop. He emphasized developing an attitude of gratitude towards life and asked us to break the ‘myth of more and the myth of when’. Embrace pain and you won’t have to suffer. Keep reminding yourself that no matter what you have done or have undone, you deserve to be loved. He taught a variety of simple and doable exercises to elevate the body and mind such as Mai Yur Ma, Do-en and One-moment meditation. Suggesting we meet all challenges with the refrain, ‘How wonderful,’ he led the way himself by echoing it each time a mobile rang or a participant shared an insight or experience. Little wonder that ‘How wonderful’ became the phrase of the day!

Self-hypnosis and Law of Attraction by Pradeep Aggarwal

Pradeep Aggarwal teaching participants self-hypnosis

Hypnosis is not as much about making you unconscious and then compelling you to carry out commands, as it is about understanding the tricky bends and curves of the mind and acting accordingly. It is about using the power of mind, coupled with that of sound, intention and correct thrust to achieve all that you want from the Universe. “If we knew how powerful our thoughts were, we never would think a wrong thought,” said the dapper, suit-clad facilitator. Displaying the power of hypnosis, he asked a participant to come on stage and systematically hypnotized him to feel and think whatever he wanted. He also taught the same method to participants, who got up feeling much relieved and happier as desired by the facilitator. “Intentions do not fructify overnight, therefore it is better to be in the question than in the answer mode. The subconscious has a way of throwing up answers even when none exist and makes you think of ways and means to get what you want. You may give positive intentions to lose weight, but if you go to the mirror immediately after that and find no change, you will be depressed. Therefore, instead of telling yourself that you are growing thinner and thinner, tell yourself, ‘I wonder how quickly I can achieve my ideal weight?’” he instructed. He also demystified the Law of Attraction and changed the focus of participants from low-energy statements and thoughts to high-energy affirmations and intentions. In short, he packaged a tight, effective and practical module for self-improvement during the day-long class.

Day Two

Angel Therapy by Dr. Coomi Vevaina

Coomi and delegates jig to the tune of an inspirational pop song

What a little jig can do to lift your spirit was evident in Dr. Coomi Vevaina’s Angel Therapy workshop when she exhorted participants to move to the sounds of Abba’s I have a dream. The exhilarating start set the tone for a day with the angels, ascended masters and spirit guides. Guardian angels are celestial beings assigned to each human on this planet and manifest as angel orbs. Call them whenever you need help and they’ll make their presence felt instantly. One has to connect with them with a clear, sincere heart. You can take angelic help to cleanse yourself of negativity and de-addict from unworthy attachments. Dr. Vevaina also shared the Ho’oponopono prayer of gratitude and love as well as demonstrated the opening of higher-dimensional chakras with angelic help. The session was a joyous affair as participants freely shared their experiences and insights, adding a lot to the workshop.

From Caterpillar to Butterfly: Letting go and Dropping old Baggage by Irma Battig

Practising the Sedona method at Irma’s workshop

Irma’s workshop focused on becoming the new person fit for the New Age that we have now entered into. She compared our present state to a caterpillar. Wherever we are, we feed on our surroundings. But when we are transformed, like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, we can naturally spread beauty and joy into our surroundings. “Transformation implies a basic change of character with little or no resemblance to past configuration or structure,” she said. Her workshop included various methodologies to shift from operating on low-energy vibrations to operating on one’s highest energies.

“The first step is to move out from our sense of victimhood that keeps us trapped into low vibration. Apart from different types of gross and subtle bodies, we also carry a pain body which is full of negative energy vibrations. In order to survive, this pain body wants and invites more and more pain and the vicious cycle continues. By becoming aware of it, we can dissolve the pattern.” Then she made participants do practical exercises to identify the pain body, and becoming aware of negative emotions so that they could let them go through quick and amazingly effective techniques such as the Sedona method and Heart Math. She also shared a few stress-busting techniques and extracted commitment from participants to stay loyal to their cause of self-upliftment. “This is a rare opportunity. Amazing energy is pouring into our planet right now. A little resolve and action from your side can bring great changes into your life,” she urged.

Shaktipat and meditation

Participants making a beeline to get shaktipat from Mohanji

Mohanji, the enigmatic Muscat-based guru brought the magical and enlightening Expo to a fitting conclusion with his benign and positive presence. Addressing the gathering, he said, “This particular period is a period of intense changes and flux. The earth has decided to move to a different vibratory level, and transition has happened from the gross to the subtle. All those who are willing to shift and move along with the changed times will be supported by the earth, but those who are unable to change may have to go. It is time for people to set themselves free of guilt and fear, which bind them on earth. It is not important to master siddhis or even try to wake up the kundalini for supreme awakening. Your job is to clear the path of kundalini by constant cleansing of your inner self. When the path is clear, kundalini naturally rises to its logical end. Kundalini is the promise of God to man of heaven.” He also spoke in brief about his own life, his travails and his spiritual experiences. Thereafter, he took everybody through a deep vibrating mantra chanting meditation. But his greatest takeaway was the shaktipat. People stood in a row and each one got the divine experience of having Mohanji raise their consciousness by cupping their heads and putting his thumb between their eyebrows.

Retail therapy

Visitors thronging the exhibition area

The exhibition area of the Expo was abuzz with people milling around 32 stalls which offered alternative healing therapies and spiritual products. Roop Lakhani, a mystic science consultant, healer, hypno therapist and tutor, came up with a new launch – Divine Guidance cards – a special pack of six decks of tarot-based cards based on her research, especially for the Life Positive Expo. Similarly, Aroma Treasures came up with a new line of pure essential oils like Basil, Camphor, Cedarwood, Bergamot, exclusively for the Expo.

People thronged the Access Consciousness stall which gave a 10-minute sample healing of their cutting edge Access Bars therapy. California Hypnosis Institute of India offers a career in Integrated Clinical hypnotherapy as well as a range of alternative healing therapy workshops. Moreover, it offered healing products like pillows, balms, blankets and seven chakra oils. Amitt Parikh, The Mysterious One, offered workshops and sessions on Integral Mind Power, Dream Yoga and Integral Life Consultation.

Actor Madhoo Shah inaugurating the exhibition, flanked by V Venkat, vice president and Suma Varughese, editor in chief

Yoga Vidya Pranic Healing Foundation of Maharashtra had people lining up to gain tremendously from a 15-20 minute session on pranic healing facials! Soul Healing India introduced Master Zhi Gang Sha’s ‘Power of Soul’ healing. “We are distributing CDs and books free of cost to people who can’t afford sessions and this gives me immense satisfaction,” said Akshay Hegde, Soul Healing, India. Healing Vortex had the biggest stall offering Theta Healing, Hypnotherapy, aroma therapy, reiki, crystals, angel cards, feng shui, tarot card reading, numerology, graphology, acupressure, shankh vaastu and a lot more. Digital Vastu offered Vaastu guidance, dispelling and combusting various prevalent myths regarding entrance, positioning and placements. The Tej Gyan Foundation promoted books and CDs based on the teachings of Pune-based guru, Sirsree Tej Parkhiji. T N Kapdi from Naturo Health Plus endorsed Himalayan Salts in different shapes and forms which emit negative ions to neutralize the pollutants. Life Line medical and spiritual research center by Dr. Uday Shah offered courses and workshops on Karuna reiki, graphology, numerology and mind energy. Ms Manchanda of Serenity Crystals displayed genuine crystals imported from all over the world, along with chakra healing wands, angel pendants, as well as crystal healing classes. Similarly, Om enterprises had a range of spiritual products to offer from tarot and angel cards to angel pendants and figurines, from crystal beads and pendants to crystal chimes, from chakra healing wands to crystal gazing balls and much more.

Faces behind the feat: The unstoppable Life Positive team

People teemed to Alok Puneet Chavvi’s Signature Clinic to get their signatures analyzed using biometric meta-physical science. Nourish Organic Foods stall promoted the advantage of healthy and holistic food options. Anu Mehta offered Meta-medicine and meta-healing to people in her stall. Girme’s stall offered wheatgrass – the natural food supplement, much appreciated worldwide. Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd., the primary sponsors of the Life Positive Expo, showcased its varied products and policies, including its unique scheme for senior citizens, who are generally uncovered by other health schemes.