May 2017 THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALORE 2 Ray of Hope for “Udta Punjab” p 3 Beauty Behind the Scars p 4 Yuvacharya Lights up Ajmer Jail p Rural Development Activities Across India SEVA TIMES Let's Make Rivers Clean Jivan Sarita to Clean up Seven Rivers in Maharashtra Pune (Maharashtra) l According to a recent survey carried out by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the rivers in Pune were found to be of “bad to very bad” quality, being heavily polluted with sewage, construction waste, and garbage. In order to address this problem, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar launched a massive river cleanup campaign “Jivan Sarita” on 19th April, 2017, at Pune. This project which is a part of The Art of Living’s Sri Sri Rural Development Program (SSRDP), will be conducted under the stewardship of Rakesh Mali, state coordinator, and seven rivers in Maharashtra, Mula, Mutha, Pavana, Ramnadi, Indrayani, Krishna and Godavari will be cleaned up using eco-enzyme technology. More than 100 NGOs are joining hands with The Art of Living in this project. Eco-enzyme is an easy to prepare organic solution which is made by fermenting a solution of jaggery, fresh vegetable or fruit waste, and water in the proportion of 1:3:10. Eco-enzymes act as biological catalysts and speed up biological reactions. They help balance the COD, BOD, PHD levels, as well as the methane and oxygen levels of water in the rivers. Thousands of liters of enzyme will be needed to clean up the rivers and Rakesh Mali has appealed to the people of Pune to join hands in this project by preparing the enzyme at home. Free training camps are being organized in various locations for preparing the enzyme. Art of Living volunteers may be contacted for organizing these training sessions. On 24th April, 2017, cleanup operations of Pavana river, which connects 27 nalas in Pimpri-Chinchwad area, started in earnest duly supported by Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Human Resource Development Minister, Prakash Javadekar launching the Jivan Sarita Campaign. Eco Enzyme to Clean up Rivers How to Make Eco-enzyme is an organic solution which is made by fermenting a solution of jaggery, fresh vegetable or fruit waste, and water in the proportion of 1:3:10. Eco-enzymes act as biological catalysts and speed up biological reactions. They help balance the COD, BOD, PHD levels, as well as the methane and oxygen levels of water in the rivers. n 300 gm vegetable and fruit waste, except garlic, onion, potato peel, ginger n 100 gm jaggery n I liter water n 2 liter strong airtight plastic bottle. Don't use mineral water bottles n Reduces foul odor, mosquitoes, and insects n Cleans waste, sewerage, and ground water Microbes in the ecoenzyme act on the waste and turn it into compost. Purpose of Ecoenzyme How it Works Put all the ingredients in the bottle and close tightly. Store it in a dark place. Mark the date of start on the bottle. From the second day gas begins to form. Unscrew just one round of the bottle cap and release the gas (gas will go out making a sound.) Gently close it. Releasing the gas is a critical point. Cap should not be opened completely. Unscrew just enough to let the gas out. Gas formation takes place up to one month. Do this process daily for 30 days. After 30 days just keep it for another 60 days in a dark place. The whole process will take 90 days. After 90 days, strain the solution and the liquid is ready for use. The solid can be used as manure or pesticide for farming. Seva Times l Dehradun Suswa river which is the lifeline of the people of Doodhli valley who depend on it for potable water, irrigation, and other domestic uses, has become extremely polluted and its waters are no longer fit for human consumption. Rispana and Bindal, two other seasonal rivers of Dehradun are carriers of the sewerage of Dehradun and pour into the Suswa river in Doodhli valley contributing to its pollution. Another health hazard in this beautiful valley is the Sahastradhara trenching ground. The terrible stench emanating from this area has made the lives of nearby residents miserable. The state will take the assistance of experts linked with the Art of Living and use their eco- enzyme to clean up the rivers and to make the city stench free. On April 6, 2017 CM Trivendra Rawat and Mayor Vinod Chamoli visited the trenching ground at Sahastradhara road, where they sprayed the eco-enzyme on an experimental basis. To the pleasant surprise of all those present within minutes of spraying the solution the foul smell emanating from the waste dissipated. The enzyme was sprayed on a regular basis for up to a fortnight. The locals have confirmed that the spray has helped remove the stench there. Art of Living representative, Anil Kapoor stated that about 3,000 litres of water is mixed with 5-litre of eco- enzyme and the solution is sprayed on the waste which instantly gets rid of the foul smell. Also, scrap like glass, metal, polythene will be easily segregated from the waste making waste disposal much simpler. On April 27, 2017 CM Trivendra Singh Rawat sprayed the eco-enzyme into the Rispana river near the Vidhan Sabha and into the Bindal near Sapera Basti on an experimental basis. If successful here, it will be used for work on a larger scale. Turn Garbage into Manure to Save Doon Valley Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat spraying eco-enzyme to clean up the polluted waters of the river.
Transcript
May 2017 THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALORE
2 Ray of Hope for “Udta Punjab”p 3 Beauty
Behind the Scars
p 4 Yuvacharya Lights up Ajmer Jail
p
Rural Development Activities Across IndiaSEVA TIMES
Let's Make Rivers Clean
Jivan Sarita to Clean up Seven Rivers in Maharashtra
Pune (Maharashtra) l According to a recent survey carried out by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the rivers in Pune were found to be of “bad to very bad” quality, being heavily polluted with sewage, construction waste, and garbage.
In order to address this problem, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar launched a massive river cleanup campaign “Jivan Sarita” on 19th April, 2017, at Pune. This project which is a part of The Art of Living’s Sri Sri Rural Development Program (SSRDP), will be conducted under the stewardship of Rakesh Mali, state coordinator, and seven rivers in Maharashtra, Mula, Mutha, Pavana, Ramnadi, Indrayani, Krishna and Godavari will be cleaned up using eco-enzyme technology. More than 100 NGOs are joining hands with The Art of Living in this project.
Eco-enzyme is an easy to prepare organic solution which is made by fermenting a solution of jaggery, fresh vegetable or fruit waste, and water in the proportion of 1:3:10. Eco-enzymes act as biological catalysts and speed up biological reactions. They help balance the COD, BOD, PHD levels, as well as the methane and oxygen levels of water in the rivers.
Thousands of liters of enzyme will be needed to clean up the rivers and Rakesh Mali has appealed to the people of Pune to join hands in this project by preparing the enzyme at home. Free training camps are being organized in various locations for preparing the enzyme. Art of Living volunteers may be contacted for organizing these training sessions. On 24th April, 2017, cleanup operations of Pavana river, which connects 27 nalas in Pimpri-Chinchwad area, started in earnest duly supported by Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Human Resource Development Minister, Prakash Javadekar launching the Jivan Sarita Campaign.
Eco Enzyme to Clean up Rivers How to Make Eco-enzyme is an organic solution which is made by fermenting a solution of jaggery, fresh vegetable or fruit waste, and water in the proportion of 1:3:10. Eco-enzymes act as biological catalysts and speed up biological reactions. They help balance the COD, BOD, PHD levels, as well as the methane and oxygen levels of water in the rivers.
n 300 gm vegetable and fruit waste, except garlic, onion, potato peel, ginger
n 100 gm jaggeryn I liter watern 2 liter strong airtight
plastic bottle. Don't use mineral water bottles
n Reduces foul odor, mosquitoes, and insects
n Cleans waste, sewerage, and ground water
Microbes in the ecoenzyme act on the waste and turn it into compost.
Purpose of Ecoenzyme
How it Works
Put all the ingredients in the bottle and close tightly. Store it in a dark place. Mark the date of start on the bottle. From the second day gas begins to form. Unscrew just one round of the bottle cap and release the gas (gas will go out making a sound.) Gently close it. Releasing the gas is a critical point. Cap should not be opened completely. Unscrew just enough to let the gas out. Gas formation takes place up to one month. Do this process daily for 30 days. After 30 days just keep it for another 60 days in a dark place. The whole process will take 90 days. After 90 days, strain the solution and the liquid is ready for use. The solid can be used as manure or pesticide for farming.
Seva Times l Dehradun
Suswa river which is the lifeline of the people of Doodhli valley who depend on it for potable water, irrigation, and other domestic uses, has become extremely polluted and its waters are no longer fit for human consumption. Rispana and Bindal, two other seasonal rivers of Dehradun are carriers of the sewerage of Dehradun and pour into the Suswa river in Doodhli valley contributing to its pollution. Another health hazard in this beautiful valley is the Sahastradhara trenching ground. The terrible stench emanating from this area has
made the lives of nearby residents miserable. The state will take the assistance of experts linked with the Art of Living and use their eco-enzyme to clean up the rivers and to make the city stench free.
On April 6, 2017 CM Trivendra Rawat and Mayor Vinod Chamoli visited the trenching ground at Sahastradhara road, where they sprayed the eco-enzyme on an experimental basis. To the pleasant surprise of all those present within minutes of spraying the solution the foul smell emanating from the waste dissipated. The enzyme was sprayed on a regular basis for up to a fortnight. The locals have
confirmed that the spray has helped remove the stench there. Art of Living representative, Anil Kapoor stated that about 3,000 litres of water is mixed with 5-litre of eco-enzyme and the solution is sprayed on the waste which instantly gets rid of the foul smell. Also, scrap like glass, metal, polythene will be easily segregated from the waste making waste disposal much simpler. On April 27, 2017 CM Trivendra Singh Rawat sprayed the eco-enzyme into the Rispana river near the Vidhan Sabha and into the Bindal near Sapera Basti on an experimental basis. If successful here, it will be used for work on a larger scale.
Turn Garbage into Manure to Save Doon Valley
Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat spraying eco-enzyme to clean up the polluted waters of the river.
2 SEVA TIMES THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALOREMay 2017
Jalandhar (Punjab) l After Kolkata and Bengaluru ashram, a de-addiction and rehabilitation center has been opened and is now fully operational in Jalandhar, Punjab. Patients struggling with addictions now have a place to recover in a healthy, homely and natural environment.
Earlier a plush farm house complete with sprawling green lawns and a swimming pool, this rehabilitation center truly provides a very cozy and comfortable environment for the participants. A healthy daily routine is followed including yoga asanas, pranayama,
Sudarshan Kriya and meditations. All patients undergo the Art of Living’s PRAN (program for release from addictions naturally) an eight day residential program in addition to medical treatment. Coupled with the utmost care provided by specially trained professionals, this center has all it requires for patients to regain the confidence to live a normal life again.
With Gurudev’s grace and the efforts of a dedicated team of
teachers and volunteers, a number of patients have already been cured. Since the opening of this center on July 11, 2016, nine Happiness Programs and five PRAN (de-addiction programs) have been conducted and nearly sixty people have received treatment.
Over 860,000 youngsters in Punjab have fallen into the grip of drug abuse and our de-addiction center is a step towards realizing the dream of a ‘Drug-Free Punjab’.
Ray of Hope for “Udta Punjab”
VVMVP De-Addiction & Rehabilitation Center Operative in Punjab
More information about the center is available on the center’s Facebook page -VVMVP DDRC PUNJAB. (https://www.facebook.com/ddrcpunjab)
Awareness campaign by VVMVP De-addiction Center patients, Art of Living teachers and volunteers in Sansarpur and Dhina, Jalandhar.
Mock Funeral Procession to Curb Drug and Alcohol AbuseRampura Dabri (Rajasthan) l Alcohol and drug abuse breed hatred, jealousy and violence, lowers self-image, causes financial stresses, and tears families apart. These manifest further by destabilizing peace and harmony in the society and nation at large. For over a decade now the Art of Living has been campaigning against drug addiction throughout India and has also been working towards creating a drug free India.
On 27th March, 2017, the youth of Dabri resolving to put an end to drug and alcohol abuse in the village organized a rally in which mock effigies of drugs, alcohol, beedi, cigarettes, and other such addictive substances were taken in a funeral procession around the village. Participants included Abhishek Ghasika, Ashish Sharma, Vimala Kanwar, Banwarilal, and
Ramprakash Prajapat among others. Dr. Ram Kishore Sharma spoke to the the villagers on the dangers of tobacco use and threw light on the diseases associated with its use.
Starting from the Lakshminath Temple the rally passed through the bus stand and went through the major streets of the village. About 135 people made a resolution to stay away from drugs and alcohol and nearly Rs. 10,000 worth of drugs, alcohol and addictive substances were burnt to cinders in the village square.
All smiles and no tears as the villagers bid a cheerful goodbye to alcohol and drugs.
Tree Plantation Drive in LaturLatur (Maharashtra) l On the occasion of World Forest Day on March 21, 2017, the International Association of Human Values, partner organization of the Art of Living, supported by the Forest Department and The Hans Foundation, launched a tree plantation campaign at Takali and Jewali villages. District Magistrate Pandurang inaugurated the campaign.
One of the most important determinants of growth and productivity of fruit bearing and other trees is the proper digging and filling of pits in which saplings are to be planted. For about a month prior to plantation, volunteers first prepared the land adopting natural farming techniques. Appropriate pits were dug and filled with compost. More than 7000 saplings of fruit bearing trees like Neem, tamarind peepal, jamun, and babool were planted by volunteers, with the involvement of local farmers, on a total of 37 acres
of wasteland on the bank of the river Manjira near Tapi.Drip irrigation has been installed at these sites to ensure
a slow and steady supply of water to the growing plants. To protect the sapling from grazing cattle, a large trench has been dug around the plantation site instead of the usual practice of growing individual hedges around each sapling.
Mahadev Gomare, volunteer with the Art of Living, explains that after the visit of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar last year all the volunteers had taken a pledge to focus on tree plantation which is a very important part of river rejuvenation. The more trees there are more water will seep into the ground to form ground water.
The next phase of this campaign is scheduled to begin after June this year and many more villages will be covered.
Tree plantation drive on World Forest Day by volunteers of the Art of Living, Forest Department, and Hans Foundation.
Transform Self to Transform SocietyBuldhana, Maharashtra l Hoping to start a new trend in his village, Yuvacharya Govind decided to get married in a mass wedding ceremony and divert the wasteful expenditure of weddings into constructive social service instead. He and two other couples tied the knot at a mass wedding organized by the Bhavasar Samaj on March 28, 2017. After a simple, traditional ceremony the newlyweds and their families shared their joy with the people of Buldhana by singing bhajans followed by mahaprasad at a Mahasatsang organized by Govind’s family.
Villagers Motivated to Donate Blood Molela (Rajasthan) l The Art of Living volunteers in Molela organized two rallies to increase awareness of blood donation. The first rally was held on April 8, 2017, by the children of Shree Kardhar Senior Secondary School Molela and the second rally was held on April 13, 2017. The impact of the rallies was such that a total 101 units of blood was donated by the local people and those from surrounding villages in a blood donation camp that was organized on 14th April, 2017, in the Government Primary School, Molela.
Reliving the Magic of World Culture FestivalJaigaon (Maharashtra) l On the joyous occasion of the first anniversary of the World Culture Festival, 11th March, 2017, the Art of Living family in Jaigaon put up a grand show of dance, drama, and music.Singer Karan Kangle and guitarist Hemant Kawane who came all the way from Mumbai won the hearts of people with their performance. Following the cultural program, a recording of the World Cultural Festival was shown. The grand finale was the play “Do or Die” presented by
the girls of Gulabrao Deokar College of Engineering.Credit for the success of this event goes to Rekha Toke, Madhav Gavai, Jayesh Kulkarni and other yuvacharyas.
Campaign Against the Use of PolytheneBhagalpur l Art of Living volunteers in association with J.S. Education organized a rally in Bhagalpur on 25 March, 2017, to increase awareness about the devastative effect of plastic bags on our environment. The rally first assembled at Khalifabag Chowk for an inaugural function. Art of Living Apex member Rajeev Kant Mishra, ASP Manoj Kumar, Mayor Deepak Bhuvania, Deputy Mayor Preeti Shekhar, and Father Varghese set of the rally. Volunteers went from shop to shop educating shopkeepers about the damage being caused by plastics and appealed to them to use paper/cloth packets and bags instead of plastic bags.
Yuvacharyas Clean up Historic Pushkarni Pond in AmbadAmbad (Maharashtra) l The historic Pushkarni pond in Ambad village said to have been established by Ahilyadevi Holkar had of late turned into a dumping area for garbage and become extremely polluted. On 26th April, 2017, 50 Yuvacharyas of the region undertook to clean up this pond under the supervision of YLTP Trainer, Feroz Khan. The efforts of the volunteers were highly applauded by Municipal Corporation councilor, Kailash Bhore, and Inspector Rameshwar Khanal.
Volunteers Clean up Martyrs Memorial in ChhindwaraChhindwara (MP) l The Art of Living volunteers in Chhindwara organized a cleaning campaign at the Martyrs Memorial. Present on the occasion were the Municipal Commissioner Icchit Gadpale, DFO Ravindra Mani Tripathi, Principal Maya Bhattacharya, and Javed Khan.
News in Brief
3 SEVA TIMES THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALOREMay 2017
Niraj Gera is a multi-faceted personality being a renowned photographer, entrepreneur, blogger, traveller,
spiritual seeker, and Art of Living teacher. He recently held a photo exhibition titled “Sacred Transformations” in Delhi, a series of photographs depicting the journey and transformation of acid attack survivors. An undeniably gifted photographer, Niraj Gera, through this series has unveiled the beautiful spirit behind the victimized faces of acid attack survivors and has sensitively captured their transformation from agony and desolation to confidence, healing and self-actualization.
He first met the survivors of acid attacks in March 2014 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi where they were holding a protest march demanding basic rights such as job opportunities and ban on sale of acid. He was so moved by their plight that he took up their cause not just as a photographer but also as an activist. He wanted to unveil the inner beauty that was hidden behind the disfigured faces of these women and sensitize people to their behavior towards them.
His biggest battle was to convince the survivors themselves how beautiful they were. Many of them suffered from acute depression and had suicidal tendencies. Realizing their deep need for inner strength, he conducted a week long Happiness Program for them and a “Sacred Transformation” took place. Through meditative techniques, motivational sessions,
and “Sudarshan Kriya” impressions of their previous trauma began to fade and they became emotionally and mentally stronger.
Niraj is by nature a simple hearted person and his inclination towards spirituality has helped him to maintain the balance between all the various activities that he has successfully undertaken. “Sacred Transformations” has been honored and awarded in some of the prestigious international photography competitions including The International Photographer of the Year 2016.
Gurudev has bestowed his love and appreciation upon Niraj's endeavor and has, as joyfully as ever, welcomed the survivors to the Ashram. Niraj hopes to continue taking up such seva projects and we hope to see several more of his inspiring and moving works very soon.
An exhibit from "Sacred Transformations" depicting the agonizing tale of a girl scarred by a rejected lover (above). Survivors of acid attacks doing pranayama as a prelude to Sudarshan kriya (below).
Beauty Behind
the Scars
Seva Times l Kamrup (Assam)
Yoga when combined with some lifestyle changes is a highly effective cost free and drug free treatment for diabetes. The Art of Living YLTP team and the Indian Yoga Association conducted a door to door diabetes screening in Loharghat and Jhoravari villages in Kamrup district, Assam.
Project coordinator, Madan Das, explains that the campaign was launched on 26th December, 2016, and the survey was conducted in January and February 2017. Nearly 1000 people between the ages of 18 to 60 years from these
two villages took the survey.Free blood screening camps
were organized on 26th and 27th March, 2017, for those who were found to be at high risk for diabetes. Following this a free yoga camp was organized for diabetics and pre-diabetics where
trained yoga teachers taught them how to perform specific asanas to check diabetes. These candidates will undergo another blood screening after two months to assess the effect of yoga and lifestyle changes on their sugar levels.
In the township of Palaswadi, nearly 1000 people took the survey and 200 were found to be in the diabetic range while 300 were found to be in the pre-diabetic range. A free nine day yoga camp is being organized for these people where they will be taught yoga asanas found to be effective in controlling diabetes.
Diabetes Screening and Yoga Camps in Assam
Vizag (Andhra Pradesh) l Art of Living volunteers trained under the National Diabetes Control Program (NCDP), conducted a diabetes survey in Vizag. Over 2000 people were screened for diabetes in February and March and of these 400 were found to be either diabetic or pre-diabetic. They were invited to attend free yoga sessions to combat diabetes.Similar yoga sessions were also conducted for police personnel at the Police Training Centre in Vizag from 20th February to 3rd
March, 2017, for 105 policemen and for another 180 policemen in Vijayanagaram from 6th to 11th March, 2017.Around 180 people have attended these yoga sessions so far in various Art of Living
followup centers. This is an ongoing project and many are still enrolling for the program. It must be mentioned that the guided meditations of Gurudev are thoroughly enjoyed by the participants at these sessions.
Yoga to Control and Cure Diabetes in Vizag
Seva Times l Dwarapudi (AP)
Art of Living teacher Smt. Aruna Kumari Tumrada with the support of Smt. Rajkumari Ganiya, CEO, ZP, Vizianagaram, started the Vishalakshi Women Empowerment project in Dwarapudi and under her able guidance a skill development workshop was conducted from 3 February, 2017, to April 9, 2017, in which 38 women learned to stitch garments; 25 from among them also attended the Youth Leadership Training Program conducted by Sri. Rajagopal from 20th-28th March, 2017. The support of Happy Women’s Collective (Art of Living Ladies Club) and the support of Veer Sudhakar from Back to the Roots project in this venture has been tremendous.
The women who completed the training are now being provided
with the job work of stitching school uniforms for the children of Sri Sri Gnan Mandirs in Andhra and Telangana.
“I saw a clear attitudinal change in the youth after the Art of Living programs! Previously, if we asked them to join us in Swacha Bharat or some seva, they were very reluctant and after the course, they are participating with self-interest,” says Rajakumari Gania, ZP CEO, Vizianagaram District.
Civil Aviation minister, Ashok Gajapathiraju, has adopted Dwarapudi under Sansad Adarsh Gaon Yojana. He has invited Art of Living to join hands to sustain the transformation brought about in Dwarapudi. With the help of Art of Living he is confident that Dwarapudi which is currently ranked #11 Best Village will soon reach the #3 rank.
Art of Living teachers and volunteers teaching the women to sew
Stitching Their Way to Financial Freedom
Samita Chakraborthy was introduced to the Art of Living almost 12 years
back by her husband, Sujit Chakraborthy. Although reluctant to begin with, soon
after the very first Sudarshan Kriya she felt such a tremendous transformation that she
knew she had found the purpose of her life. She became an Art of Living teacher in December
2009 and ever since has been relentlessly taking courses of the Art of Living in remote areas of Meghalaya, some of them in the deep, impenetrable jungles, transforming the
lives of the tribal people. S a m i t a recounts, “I went to a
place near Shillong, Barapani, which is a jungle area. There I took our basic course without knowing
their language. I had only one translator who was also not very good. Majority of them were Christians. We
had a beautiful course.”Once she had gone to Umbir village in Barapani to
conduct a course in a school there. On that very day the school was having a meeting to shut it down. This would rob more than 300 children of educational facilities. With the help of other Art of Living volunteers, Samita took on
the responsibility of keeping the school running. Samita believes that the youth of Meghalaya are full of
enthusiasm and bursting with creative energy and with a little guidance would be successful in achieving great heights. She organizes youth festivals from time to time and has choreographed a dance drama “Time” in which there were 75 performers. She also believes in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Meghalaya. Encouraged by Samita a troop from the Garo tribe of Meghalaya performed in the World Cultural Festival held in Delhi in March 2016.
Samita also runs a school, Divine Grace Nursery School, which has a strength of about 100+ students. This school is very unique from all other schools of Shillong because all the teachers and most of the parents have done the Happiness program. The children have done the Art Excel program and each school day begins with kriya. Hers is the only school where the children sing not only Christian songs but also bhajans like Jai Jai Shiva Shambo and Dina Bandhu Dina Nath. They also chant Satyam Param Dimahi. She has also launched a literacy drive in which women laborers are taught to read and write. Cultural programs are organized on a regular basis to promote the performing arts.
She is now working in Garo Hills inhabited mainly by tribal people many of whom are militants. It is a very rough, hilly terrain and she fearlessly travels deep into the jungles to conduct courses. Her plans for the future include opening Sri Sri Yoga centers and a skill development workshop for the tribals.
Taking AOL Deep into the
Jungles of Meghalaya
Choreographer, creative writer,
and Art of Living Master
Trainer, Samita Chakraborthy
Jyoti’s association with Art of Living began in childhood with the Art Excel program in 2000. In 2002, Guruji visited Ajmer and in a crowd
of thousands, he said to Jyoti as he passed by her, “How are you and how is your Ajmer?” A devotee was born! In the last 17 years she has done several courses of the Art of Living. In September 2016, Jyoti did the YLTP and ever since there has been no stopping her. She has conducted as many as 51 Navchetna Shibirs to date, including an exclusive Shibir for
eunuchs. Navratri, Diwali,
Christmas, or Valentine’s Day, Jyoti believes in celebrating it by conducting Navchetana shibirs with hundreds of participants. To celebrate her birthday she conducted a Navachetana Shibir for 1008 inmates of the Ajmer Central
Jail from 15th to 20th September 2016. The response of the inmates was really touching. They would eagerly await her arrival every day and rush to find a place to sit in the front rows. They enthusiastically participated in the satsangs they had in the evening. Many of them would be in tears. When asked why she chose prison inmates in particular to work with, Jyoti said, “When I met the prisoners I could feel a lot of energy in them but it had not been channelized in the right direction.” She regularly visits the inmates and gives them motivational talks.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day she organized a Happiness Program for the women inmates of Central Jail, Ajmer, from 4th to 8th March, 2017, which was attended by 50 women. D.P. Mishra conducted the course assisted by Jyoti. She immediately developed a good rapport with the inmates and they poured out their heart to her. Listening to their woes she was compelled to do something to solve their problem of hygiene during their monthly cycle and directly approached the District Collector of Ajmer, Shri. Gaurav Goyal. Her request was considered and a sanitary pad dispenser and disposer costing more than one lakh rupees was installed in the women’s prison. When asked what motivates her Jyoti replied, “I get a lot of self-satisfaction doing seva.”
Yuvacharya Lights up the Dark Cells of
Ajmer Jail
n Christmas special Balchetna for blind children from 25th December, 55 participants. n Christmas special Navchetna program in Ajmer central jail, 935 participants.n 5 days New Year special Navchetna program at Bharat petroleum, Ajmer, 500
participants (Gas workers.)n 5 days Republic Day special Navchetna program in Singhawal village of
BhinayTehsil, Ajmer; 300 participants who were drug (hafim) addicts took oath to stay away from the drug.
n Women's day Falguni and Holi special Navchetna Program at People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Ajmer from 8th to 11th March attended by 400 Women.
Other programs conducted by Jyoti include:
Heroes of Humanity
Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP) and Dharma Sthamba Yojana (DSY) are service initiatives of Vyakti Vikas Kendra, India [The Art of Living], a registered charitable Trust, head quartered in Bangalore with its registered office at No. 19, 39th A Cross, 11th Main, IV T Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore - 560041
