SUMEDHANS ON PICNIC TO CHANDIGARH

Having spent two months in deep soul-work, reflecting on their lives with the help of insights from psychology, spirituality and the social sciences, the participants of the 49^th Sumedha Sadhana – A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey—went on a relaxing picnic to Chandigarh, “the Beautiful City” April 7th. 

Chandigarh is about 45 km from Sumedha centre, Jharmari.

Our first stop was the beautiful Sukhna Lake, a picturesque man-made marvel, born from the vision of the great architect Le Corbusier. It which has facilities for boating and other recreational facilities, as well as eating places.  One side of the lake has beautifully laid out foot paths and gardens – with a unique “Garden of Silence,” conducive for quiet meditation. Behind the Lake are the Shivalik Hills.

Our next stop was the Rock Gardens, the creation of Nek Chand, and perhaps the most famous tourist spot in Chandigarh. The many walls within the enclosure are studded with beautiful sculptures, all made from waste materials. It also has enchanting human-made waterfalls, a hall of mirrors and various village scenes depicted with figures made out of cloth.

We then visited Don Bosco Navajeevan Church and Social Service Centre at Sector 24 B. The Salesian Fathers there offered us great hospitality and we had a sumptuous lunch and relaxed with a game of Bingo with time for several “Full-Houses.”

Next door to Don Bosco there is a mini Rose Garden where we spend some enjoying the roses in full bloom and trying our hands and legs at the exercise machines.

Following this we visited the newly constructed Church of Our Lady of Miracles at the campus of St. Stephen’s school at Togan. The beautiful edifice will be blessed and dedicated on 10^th April by His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias along with several bishops.

Our last stop was at the Christ King Cathedral where we spent some time prayer and the Bishop’s House where we spent time chatting with Bishop Mascarenhas.

Father Jaimasih Ekka, the administrator at Sumedha Centre had provided enough fruits, nuts and snacks for us to munch all along the journey. He and the Director of the Centre, Jose Parappully, accompanied the group.

This 49^th Sumedha Sadhana concludes on May 4.

The next Sumedha Sadhana begins on June 23 and concludes on September 14. Registration is open.

TEACHERS’ WORKSHOP ON ENHANCING INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE

Dr. Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre for Psychospiritual Wellbeing at Jharmari, Punjab was invited to facilitate a training workshop for teachers of Jesus and Mary School at Bhurewala, Haryana, on April 2, 2024.

Bhurewala is a very remote farming village in Haryana. The school caters to students from poor families. There are about 300 students and 19 teachers at Jesus and Mary School, Bhurewala. There is also a small hostel.

All the teachers, including the Principal Sr. Kusum, attended the workshop. The topic was Enhancing Educational excellence.

Dr. Parappully used data from organizational psychology research, exercises and group activities to discuss the significant contributors to institutional excellence.

He helped teachers to assess the current scenario in regard to institutional excellence at Jesus and Mary and helped them plan measures to enhance institutional excellence at the school.

The participants were unanimous in their feedback that the workshop was immensely useful. It had not only provided them ways and motivation to enhance excellence, but also insights and skills that will be useful for classroom management.

RESURRECTION OF JESUS - THE SECOND BIG BANG!

The Resurrection of Jesus can be considered the second Big Bang! Not in the sense of another creation, but in the sense of setting in motion a process in which all that is existing is restored to its pristine splendor and glory. Resurrection is an explosion of light and grace-packed energy which, like the effects of the original Big Bang (the ever-expanding Universes), will continue to course through the present and future realities, bringing in ever-evolving newness/transformation.

Resurrection/Easter is all about newness/transformation - of self and the Universe -- through dying and rising. Dying is letting go, and rising is becoming something new, something/someone that did not exist until then.  It is a process of actualizing whatever until then was only in potential.

An apt metaphor is the caterpillar becoming butterfly.  The caterpillar has to given up the caterpillar existence (Good Friday), and enter into the cocoon where for sometime nothing seems to happen (Holy Saturday), and then burst out of the cocoon as beautiful butterfly! (Ester Sunday)

Everything about Easter is about newness. Easter is set in Spring, when a dead Nature  autumn shedding of leaves and drying of plants is Good Friday, and winter when everything is buried under the snow is Holy Saturday) becomes alive again with fresh leaves and flowers. (Easter).

Then there are the symbols of newness in the Easter vigil liturgy -- new fire, new candle, newly blessed water, newly blessed oils (at the Chrism Mass), newly baptized Christians....

My Prayer

Dear God, let me know what is that I need to let go, and let me be willing to let it go, so that I can experience newness of psyche and soul.

A very Happy Easter to all.

HOLY SATURDAY -- DEADEND!

 

On Good Friday the story had apparently ended. Whatever hopes of liberation and freedom from oppression Jesus had evoked have been shattered. Remember the words of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after the crucifixion: “We had hoped…..” Now there is only a great silence, the silence of the tomb, a silence that will last all through Saturday.

 Holy Saturday is the in-between time – between something old dying and something new emerging. Holy Saturday is the time between the seed falling to the ground and dying and then germinating new life. Holy Saturday is like a dead end, a time when nothing seems to be happening, when one sees no light at the end of the tunnel. 

Good Friday looks like the end of the story. But not really. The story will continue. Light will appear at the end of the tunnel. Death will be conquered. The silence and gloom of Holy Saturday will be shattered in a blaze of glory. Out of darkness light will break forth!

When have we felt life to be a long Holy Saturday, when we felt like we have reached a dead end – with no way forward, no light at the end of the tunnel? …. And then surprised – at the happy turn of events? As a popular song says, “there is sunshine after the rain, there is laughter after the pain.” 

A Holy Saturday Prayer

Heal us, O Lord,  of our disappointments and our hopelessness, the meaninglessness that fill our lives after loss and trauma. Fill us with hope and optimism to help us believe that pain and sorrow do not last forever, that healing and restoration is possible, that better times lie ahead. Make us instruments of hope to the hopeless and love to the forlorn. Amen

49th SUMEDHA SADHANA

The 49^th Sumedha Sadhana – A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey commenced on February 11. There are 23 participants – 9 women religious and four priests, from 10 different religious congregations and one diocese.

Sumedha Sadhana is a programme of inner journeying together with fellow seekers in quest of greater healing and wholeness, so that we can live our lives in more fulfilling and satisfying ways and be more effective in our service to others. A variety of approaches and techniques are used to reach these objectives.

A major portion of the programme is devoted to the exploration of the psychological dynamics affecting our spiritual journey.

Several modules have concluded and the feedback from partisans show these have benefited them immensely.

The programme began with the participants looking at what is happening in their lives at this juncture on their psycho-spiritual journey. They were helped to discern what God might be telling them through all that is happening in their lives. Jose Parappully helped them explore these current realities.  He also facilitated a module on Prayerfulness.

In Somatic Meditation, Jose Parappully used a combination of Qigong, Yoga, Music, Dance and the Word of God to help participants loosen up all the knotted energies in their psychosomatic system and experience rejuvenation of psyche and soul.

Jose Parappully used insights from various psychological theories, tools and techniques from Expressive Arts and Journaling, as well as movies and music to help participants explore and integrate the psychological dynamics and transformational processes of Midlife to help participants enhance their psychospiritual wellbeing and age gracefully, finding meaningfulness and fulfilment in the second half of our lives.

In Unconscious Dynamics Johny Dominic helped participants explore the dynamics behind the helplessness participants often experience in not being able to do what they want and doing what they do not want.  Using concepts from Freudian, Jungian, NLP and Transactional Analysis theories he helped participants unleash the powers of the unconscious to facilitate healing and wholeness.

Consecrated life is facing new challenges in the context of a society that is rapidly evolving with new values and of events that are shaking up traditional Church teachings and practices, as well as faith of people. Philip Pinto helped participants look at these challenges and provided insights and experiences to live their consecrated life in ways that are more radical and relevant to changed social and Church realities.

In "Breath, Spirit and Wellbeing" KC Thomas (Kurianthanam) introduced the participants to a series of holistic exercises using breath, music and movement for the integration of body, mind and spirit.  This module integrated Eastern meditative techniques with Western therapeutic methods leading to stress release, emotional healing and contemplative silence. 

 Among the modules still to come are: Sexuality, Celibacy and Intimacy, group therapy and a spiritual and integration retreat which concludes this psychospiritual wholeness journey.

Two Important Events.

There were two noteworthy events during the past 6 weeks of the programme.

The first was the “Extraordinary Visitation” (an assessment of the way Sumedha Centre is carrying out its Mission) by the Salesian Regional for South Asia, Dr. (Fr.) Biju Michael, who is a member of the General Council of the Salesians of Don Bosco at its headquarters in Rome. This took place on March 7-10.

Fr. Biju Michael met the two Salesians who are members of the Community, and went through all documents and reports, to assess the state of affairs at the Centre. He also met with all the participants of the current Sumedha programme.

The other was the celebration of the Foundation Day of Sumedha Centre, and the feast of its Patron, St. Joseph, on the 19^th March. 

Most Rev. Ignatius Mascarenhas, the Bishop of Shimla-Chandigarh diocese presided at the Eucharist at 6.00 pm. He was warmly welcomed by the participants and staff. In his homily, Bishop Mascarenhas spoke of the import service that the Centre is often to people who are seeking enhancement of their psychospiritual journey. He told the participants that the programme can truly be a means for healing and transformation. He described their time at the Centre as a “privileged moment of grace.”

 

 

MAY CHRISTMAS BE A HARBINGER OF PEACE AND JOY!

 

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as described in the Gospel of Luke, the  choirs of angels sang: Peace on Earth!

However, Jesus was able to give that peace to the world only after his resurrection preceded by a life in which he fought and struggled against  the injustices perpetrated by the "powers be" - both political and religious --, on the helpless poor and the vulnerable. He was killed by the same "powers be" for the same reason. But God vindicated him and raised him up from the dead, assuring that his work for the coming of what he called "The Kingdom of God", a society where everyone can live happy, free of suffering, will continue.

The first words he spoke after his resurrection were: "Peace be with you!"

Peace is built on justice, is the fruit of justice. And so we all are called to struggle against injustice and oppression wherever we are so that we - ourselves and the "powers be" on earth today can make real the peace the angels sang at Jesus' birth.

I wish all peace and joy at this Christmas, especially to all those in the land of Jesus' birth, who are suffering so much today. May we all be promoters of peace, by working for justice! 

The peace that the angels sang was offered to "People of Good Will." What does it involve for us to be people of Good Will, in the context of my little reflection on the angels' message.

"Peace on earth to people of good will." (Luke, 2,14).

THE LAST SUMEDHA SADHANA OF 2023 CONCLUDES

The last Sumedha Sadhana- A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey of 2023 concluded yesterday, with the participants expressing immense satisfaction with the entire programme.

This 11-week programme commenced on the 27^th September. There were eleven participants, six men and five women, including one from Sri Lanka and another from Thailand.

The Sumedha Sadhana is designed as a personality enhancement, healing and transformation programme for all those who are interested in enhancing their psychospiritual wellbeing and professional effectiveness.

Self-Awareness and self-Transformation, Holistic and  Process Spiritualties; religious Life; Prayer & Meditation; Midlife and Post-Midlife Dynamics; Sexuality, Celibacy & Intimacy; Trauma & Healing; Breath, Spirit & Wellbeing -- are some of the major topics that were explored. Special importance was given to group therapy where participants had the opportunity to face their woundedness and brokenness and move on to greater healing and wholeness. The programme concluded with a spiritual retreat and integration.

Insights from faith and wisdom traditions, various psychological theories of development, as well as experiential tools and techniques from Bioenergetics, NLP, Psychosynthesis, Intensive Journal, Expressive Arts, Qigong, Multi-media were used to explore and enhance participants’ psychospiritual journey.

Sumedha Sadhana continues to be a very well-appreciated programme for its usefulness. Comments from participants certify to this:

·         “I am rejuvenated, restored, renewed. Sumedha helped to beautify, bring colours into my life. I am celebrating a new beginning. Sumedha has ignited in me a new sense of purpose.” M.

·          “The programme was superb. It gave me more than I expected. I have learned to let go, forgive, get up from where I had fallen. I can now celebrate my life and my vocation. I now feel happy in every bit of my heart.” K.

·         “I came here with a broken heart., with very low self-image, feeling so bad within me. Slowly as the sessions unfolded I began to enter the journey and began to feel better. Now there is a feeling of calm in me. I feel refilled and happy.” V.

·         “I did not come willingly. I was asked to come. But I am happy I came. I have changed so much for the better. I have made a U turn in my life. I am starting a new way of living.” N.

·         “I came here very hurt, broken, and a very negative self-image. I am now reconciled with my past and able to move into the future with confidence and courage.” M.

·          “As a whole, I am satisfied with the modules, resource persons, topics covered and the processes. All these were dealt with professionally with sensitivity to individual needs and nuances. All modules were carefully selected and orderly arranged. I had time for prayer, contemplation, meditations of various kinds that were good for my physical, mental emotional wellbeing.” P.

·         “It was truly a time of transformation. I moved from fear to trust, hate to love, guilt and shame to faith, criticism and judging to empathy. The whole journey energised me.” C.

·          “I learned more here within three months than during 10-12 years of my priestly formation. Sumedha Sadhana changed so many of my dysfunctional beliefs, attitudes, convictions and behaviours.” T.

·         Sumedha gave me more faith, wisdom, understanding about myself. Learned not to brood over the past. I have experienced a transformation.” S.

·         “The Sumedha Journey has enriched me. I am going back with a positive attitude. I can say with confidence a renewal has taken place in me.” T.

     

“Every day I learned something new. And these have made a difference to my life.” C.

 The next Sumedha Sadhana is scheduled for February 11 to May 4, 2024. Registrations are open. Contact sumedhacentre@gmail.com for registration form. See also our web page at: sumedhacentre.org