No resolutions, no poetry… just be!
I usually hit the Ashram, every December-end, to usher in the new year. Have been doing that for several years now. Thanks to covid, that was not an option this new year.
The Universe had other plans. In a way, the Ashram came to me. Divine Grace.
A couple of weeks before the new year, I got a message in my classmates' WhatsApp group. An irresistible opportunity. I got the details and signed up for a 10 days’ intense program.
The Spiritual Retreat, Dec 28 to Jan 6:
My sessions started on 28th Dec. On 27th, I get this pic from a friend:
Do I need any more proof of the Universe conspiring? Power of good friends, friendship!
It was online, I took the entire program from the office. It was not easy to focus, to be self-motivated.
- It consisted of many one-hour meditation sessions, starting from 5 AM to 9 PM. Except for 2 breaks — one for lunch (or brunch), and in the evening. for 90 minutes each. All others were shorter 30-minute breaks.
The program challenged me at all levels:
- At a physical level, to just sit. Initially on the chair, then on the floor, cross-legged, then without any movement, for every one-hour session!
- At a mental level, to avoid thoughts. The more I tried to concentrate there was a flood of thoughts. I fought back, then gave up, started observing. Slowly, I was able to focus better.
- At an emotional level! A lot of deep stuff came up. I found myself over-reacting to small triggers.
- At a spiritual level, to get to deep meditation. The performance pressure never helps after all.
- Most importantly, I had to sort out most of these stuff myself, being online, alone! But then, I am never alone, meditating! There were 1–1 sessions with the Teacher. But I used those sessions for a better understanding of the techniques. I knew had to sort out them myself. It was part of the process, learning, Sadhana.
Somewhere I realized the approach was very similar to coach training that we do. Once we introduce the competency framework, then it was all about practice, practice, practice.
Over the 10 days,
- I ticked one more item on my bucket list.
- I re-discovered meditation! A new technique, a new way of life!
- I have been addressed in the past in different ways. At the coach training, it was ‘coach. At the writers-workshop, it was ‘writer’. I was neither a coach, nor a writer then, or even now. One more addition is, ‘Dear Meditator’! Feels good :)
What I realized:
- Sitting and concentrating for long hours is possible.
- The world goes on without me, despite me.
- The challenge now when I have a choice is to continue the daily practice, or not! Hope and pray the Universe to continue to conspire 🙏
Feeling blessed, happy to be back in action… with a new perspective! No new resolution.
Talking of blessings… every session would end with ‘sharing of merits with all beings, including parents, family, and relatives’. That is the case at the Ashram, and elsewhere with the same group, the sessions always end with the prayer, ‘Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavanthu’. May all beings of the world be happy, be peaceful. I wonder if all human beings are ( all other beings are!) receptive to receive the sharing, prayers? Incl family, friends, and frenemies? While we are aware it is most powerful when we pray for others (being selfless), do we get the benefit unless we are receptive?
What would it take to be receptive to receive all the divine grace from others praying for us, always?
To get away from the work, the world, for 10 days was another story.
- OOO: It was good to update OOO on my official mail, after 8 long years, since I left the corporate. It created some confusion too :) They all will get used to it!
- I am after all not indispensable, and that is great for our business. All thanks to the team, associates/friends.
Did I miss anything?
- Farmers’ stir continues. If life vs living was the topic earlier, now it is agriculture reforms vs a small group of aggressive farmers’ interests?
Migrant labor for me is the Person of the Year 2020. I won’t blame the government alone, but we all failed.
- Rajanikanth is not entering politics. He should inspire his fans and others to purify politics, spiritualize leadership (#IQ2EQ2SQ).
We have a Rajni connection. We launched Regal Unlimited on 12.12.12, also his birthday!
- Another cricket superstar kept washing utensils, suddenly has gone from bald to hair!
- Dada promoted the oil brand and has a heart problem. His conflict of interest, promoting an online ‘game’, remains unresolved. He should promote real cricket, as a former player, captain, and BCCI Prez.
- He ruffled some feathers when he met the Governor of WB. Sad if he gets sucked into the politics. We need efficient leaders in sports administration too.
- Sad the statue & re-naming culture has hit iconic Feroze Shah Kotla too, and Dada could not prevent it.
- ‘A captain is as good as the team’, Dada’s famous lines. India wins the second test convincingly, without the regular captain, on paternity leave, after a disastrous first test.
Is Kohli, undoubtedly the best player, the best captain?
- Rahane led from the front and his captaincy was widely appreciated. A lot of food for thoughts on leadership in sports, and coaching in (Indian) cricket?
- The good news is we now have covid vaccines. And some politics around it, in search of ‘local’ vaccines!
- 2021 is an international year of fruits and vegetables! Better late than never.
A lot of people have become poetic ushering in the new year. Social media is overflowing with such messages. Some ‘prose-tic’ too, yours truly included! A word of caution, let us not romanticize the pandemic and the lockdown.
It has been very busy 8 long years… as an entrepreneur, leadership coach, coach-mentor.
Let 2021 be a year of self-work, deep work, and making some right choices… God bless.
