15th to 30th November 2022

Fortnightly updates from the International Center of Heartfulness in Telangana, India.

Balika Shakthi Sangamam

Balika Shakti Sangamam was a three day camp for schoolgirls that was held at Kanha Shanti Vanam from the 25th to 27th of November. The camp was attended by over 2000 schoolgirls from over 60 schools in the Telugu speaking states. Over 200 faculty were also part of the event. It was organised by Sri Saraswati Vidya Peetham and the main objective was to instil courage, positivity and character building values among the students.

Many of the students came from underprivileged backgrounds and tribal communities. The students took part in various cultural activities and sporting competitions while enjoying what the Kanha Shanti Vanam campus has to offer.

Heartfulness Yoga

Yoga Teachers Training

From the 27th of November the Heartfulness International Yoga Academy conducted the 2 weeks onsite yoga training of its innovative Teachers Training Course (TTC 200hrs). This program enables the participants to become International Yoga teachers. Prior to this the participants had completed 6 weeks of the program online. The program saw participation from across India as well as the Philippines, USA, Germany and France.

This program offers Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga, merging traditional approaches with a modern heart- based meditative approach. Besides an intense Asana practice, participants were introduced to Shatkarmas, chanting the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and some slokas, the history of Yoga, introduction to the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, various philosophical topics including the goal of human life, Hatha yoga to Raja Yoga, Hearfulness Yatra,, Spiritual anatomy, Yogic Anatomy, sath darsana, and practice with theory of Asanas, teaching methodology, learning to teach Yoga. Each student is followed throughout the course by a mentor.The lead trainers are Amar Srividya and Marion Marceau.

Panchgavya Association

Every year the Panchgavya Doctors Association organizes a grand conference, or mahasammelan, in different states of India. This year 700 practitioners of panchgavya therapy from across the country attended the event conducted in Kanha Shanti Vanam on 18th, 19th and 20th November 2022. The event was presided over by Gavyasidh Swami Niranjan Verma ji.

The cow has been long revered in Indian tradition. The role of the cow has been central in both ayurveda and Yoga. However, many people still remain skeptical about the same. The Panchagavya Doctors Association encourages a scientific inquiry into the traditional knowledge on the role played by cows in human well- being and conferences such as this play a vital role in knowledge transfer.

During the event people from all parts of the country shared their findings and experiences. There were also many cultural events and presentations. The attendees toured the Kanha Shanti Vanam campus and were briefed on the various initiatives here. They also visited the Kanha gaushala (cowshed and dairy). The organisation of the event was coordinated Sister Indumati.

The participants were also introduced to heartfulness meditation and participated in a group meditation with heartfulness guide Daaji.

Company Conference

Tropical Agro Conference

From the 16th to the 18th of November, Tropical Agro conducted its company conference at Kanha Shanti Vanam. Tropical Agro is one of India’s leading companies in the field of crop protection and pest management. Led by its chairman Shri V K Jhaver, it has also been at the forefront in taking care of the mental well-being of its workforce and partners. Tropical Agro has been associated with heartfulness in this regard and a year ago made the decision to have at least one of its annual conferences in the heartfulness centre Kanha Shanti Vanam.

At Kanha the attendees participate in daily meditation sessions. They are also introduced to heartfulness stress relieving techniques and a unique energy balancing technique called heartfulness polarity.They also find the peaceful campus conducive to fruitful discussion and clarity. This has helped the company chart out its future course in conferences at Kanha.

During the November conference the group from Tropical Agro also participated in a group meditation with heartfulness guide Daaji. This was followed by a question and answer session moderated by Ms. Ritu Jhaver.

Daaji with Students

In the month of November, heartfulness guide Daaji had several meetings with students at Kanha Shanti Vanam. These included students from The Heartfulness Learning Centre (THLC) and also the Kanha Coaching Center (KCC). The sessions were held out in the open at dusk which is a beautiful time of day at Kanha. The students posed questions to Daaji which he happily answered. The queries ranged from an inquiry about the purpose of life to wondering about the nature of God. It was heartening to see young minds inquiring into the very fabric of existence. Many of the sessions were followed by sumptuous snacks and refreshments.

Visitors to Kanha

In November 2022, Mr. Ashwin Laddha, MD and CEO of Orient Paper visited Kanha Shanti Vanam. Orient Paper is a major paper manufacturer in India and is known for its excellence and integrity. It is part of the CK Birla group which can justifiably be called one of the builders of modern India. The group is particularly known for its tradition of looking after its workforce and its philanthropic initiatives. Mr. Laddha is carrying this legacy forward at Orient Paper. He is committed to maintaining a positive work environment through heartfulness meditation. While at Kanha he spoke about his journey with heartfulness.

Another visitor was Mr. Rishi Ranjan, Global Offering Leader, Public Cloud Services at Kyndryl. Mr. Ranjan has 25 years of experience in the IT sector and is also a committed heartfulness volunteer.

He has first hand experience of the challenges of excelling at work while also being deeply devoted to a spiritual path. His series “Ek Rishi Ki Batein” that presents heartfulness principles and their practical application in life has been very well received. While at Kanha he shared some of his insights.

Horticulture

Kanha is fast emerging as a centre of horticulture. The Heartyculture Nursery is doing some pioneering work in nurturing rare and endangered species of plants. Several workshops are also held at Kanha which are advancing the cause of sustainable horticulture.

50 Bsc(Hons.)Horticulture 3rd year students of College of Horticulture, Mojerla attended a horticulture workshop at Kanha Shanti Vanam from the 21st to the 23rd of November. The 3 day event was organized as part of training workshops organized under Human Capacity Building for Students of Horticulture under NAHEProject(IG), with thee assistance of Dr A.Girwani.

The students were given an experience the succesful forestation methods being used at Kanha. They also underwent hands-on training in Hydroponics, Plant Tissue Culture, the making and application of Biochar and in the heartyculture nursery. There was also a lot of learning about landscaping and the making of the Yatra Garden at Kanha Shanti Vanam.

ANKURAN- the Lit Fest

To give their students a platform to be familiarized with the rich heritage of literature and folk-art forms The Heartfulness Learning Centre (THLC) organized ‘Ankuran- The Lit Fest’, the second edition of the school’s literary festival, at THLC school premises from 14th November to 18th November, 2022. The event included many cultural presentations, a book fair, and various competitions. Among the events were Poem Recitation Competitions, Cursive Writing Competitions, Story Narration Ms. Christine Prisland, Former University Administrator at the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver was the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony.

In her address to the students she emphasised the role of literature in enriching lives and providing a medium for self expression. The Chief Guest at the closing ceremony and prize distribution was Capt. Vineet Ranawat, the manager of Kanha Shanti Vanam. He addressed the students and emphasised the fact that getting an education was a privilege that many in the world do not get. He urged the students to make the most of this opportunity and inculcate the values of compassion, generosity and unity in their hearts. Competitions, Spell Bee, Calligraphy, Essay Writing and Monologue competitions. There were also skits, plays, and songs presented by different classes. Events were conducted in English, Hindi, Telugu, Sanskrit and German.

Ms. Christine Prisland, Former University Administrator at the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver was the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony. In her address to the students she emphasised the role of literature in enriching lives and providing a medium for self expression.

The Chief Guest at the closing ceremony and prize distribution was Capt. Vineet Ranawat, the manager of Kanha Shanti Vanam. He addressed the students and emphasised the fact that getting an education was a privilege that many in the world do not get. He urged the students to make the most of this opportunity and inculcate the values of compassion, generosity and unity in their hearts.

Terracotta Workshop

Birds of Kanha

On the 26th of November, the Kanha Pottery Studio organised a terracotta workshop for children. The theme of the workshop was ‘Birds of Kanha’. This was part of a series envisioned by the Kanha Pottery Studio director, Ms. Jean Appleby. Similar workshops had earlier been conducted for adults as well.

This workshop was conducted by artist Shri Vasudev. The children were first shown reference images of birds and then they were asked to choose one and make it. Their interpretations were playful, unique and full of joy. Once the creations are dry the Kanha Pottery Studio team will fire them in the kiln to complete them.

Heartfulness Glimpses

Heartfulness volunteers the world over are engaged in efforts to help people have easy access to free heartfulness meditation sessions with trainers. This section highlights just some of the recent volunteer initiatives.

The Govt, Higher Secondary School in Bhind (M.P.), has decided to incorporate heartfulness meditation sessions every Saturday and Sunday on the school premises.

An introduction to heartfulness meditation was organised for the Senior Citizens of the Gujarati Samaj in Delhi. The attendees were also presented copies of Daaji’s book The Wisdom Bridge.

Heartfulness volunteer trainers offered meditation sessions at the International Gita Jayanti Festival in Kurukshetra, Haryana.

Heartfulness Glimpses

Police personnel face extreme levels of stress while discharging their duty. Heartfulness volunteers in Madhya Pradesh are reaching out to the state police to help equip them with stress relieving techniques and the heartfulness meditation practice. The feedback from the officers has been overwhelmingly positive. Recently heartfulness sessions were conducted in Gwalior, Morena, Narsinghpur, Rajgarh, Tighra, Khandwa, Balaghat, and Dewas. This is an ongoing program that hopes to help those that help keep others safe.


Sunsets and Sunrises

The sunsets and sunrises at this time of year in Kanha Shanti Vanam are spectacular! Adithya Divakar has made the most of it. Here are some of the photographs he has taken.