An Invitation
The effects of colonisation are very much present in societies even today and are embedded in social relationships, minds and attitudes, and collective trauma. This lab explores Decolonisation and the difficulties humans face to act in ways to enliven the self, the other, and the context, i.e., being Dharmic. The lab explores the trauma of both the Colonised Mind and the Colonising Mind and examines the Rage and Shame and what is Owned and Disowned. Through an Immersive, experiential process and embodied work, using Psychodrama and other tools, the participants work to bring awareness to their own modalities of feeling, thinking and acting.
The lab is a Manthan (churning) that brings up deeply held and taken-for-granted ways of feeling, thinking and doing that is the result of a colonial past. Through deep introspection, one discovers newer ways of meaning-making, choice-making, and role-taking enabling a broader sense of responsibility. One grows and evolves benefiting oneself, others, and the planet.
The Difficulty of Being Dharmic
The guiding question for this Manthan would be, “How does one re-envision oneself so that we build a future distinctly different from the colonised past and the colonising present?”
Through an immersive, embodied exploration, we hope to discover the Dharmic Mind - a mind that does not extract, oppress or manipulate but aims for harmony and alignment with the eternal flow of life - a mind that seeks to enliven the self, the other and the context simultaneously. We posit that as one explores the need to avenge, self-preserve or ignore, one discovers wholeness and the possibility of choosing an enlivening response.
The mind, free of the impact of colonisation, would focus on discovering the truth and dialoguing with others rather than co-opting or resisting them through questionable means. The result would be a mind free from the dogma of organised religion and the limited worldview of reductive rationalism.
Although our historical heritage is replete with this knowledge, each generation must do the work to imagine and co-create its future. The times we live in are particularly challenging. It feels more demanding than ever to live a Dharmic life, a way of living filled with compassion and enables an authentic unfolding of oneself.
The process involves the participants engaging in inner work through a framework developed by Raghu Ananthanarayanan. We will explore our sense of belonging and the trauma of our shared past as it impinges on our psyche and manifests in our bodies.
Listen to what is a Dharmic Mind by Sri Raghu Ananthanarayanan.
Process of the Manthan
The process would include cultivating a safe space that allows us to surface our dilemmas, contradictions and polarities that cloud and colour our feelings and thoughts. We will use theatre methods to explore the trauma lodged in the body. We will stay with the inquiry through process work and make the invisible visible, inarticulate articulate, own the disowned and act the witheld. The hope is to discover healing anchored in community and compassion that allows participants to find meaningful and choiceful ways of living.
Is This Immersion For You?
People from all walks of life, especially Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Leaders, Executives in corporates, government and social organizations, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals.
Ritambhara is a community if seekers who are on the mission of recovering the missing links and reconnecting to the wisdom of our land in the current context. We believe it will show us a path to reclaim our connection to our environment, communities, physical health and spirituality. Ritambhara Ashram is a Founding Partner of the Institute of Indic Wisdom.
Date & Venue
Dates: 4th to 9th December, 2023
Venue: Ritambhara Ashram, Kotagiri
Inaugural session: 4 pm on 4th Dec 2023 (Monday), Closing: 1 pm on 9th Dec 2022 (Saturday)
Some evenings may have a pre or post-dinner session. Please keep your calendar free of any other engagements so that you can participate fully.
Fee
Twin Sharing Accommodation: INR 45,000
We are offering a discounted fee of INR 30,000 if you work in a non-profit space (or if you are self-funding)
Venue: Ritambhara Ashram, Kotagiri
Inaugural session: 4 pm on 4th Dec 2023 (Monday), Closing: 1 pm on 9th Dec 2022 (Saturday)
Some evenings may have a pre or post-dinner session. Please keep your calendar free of any other engagements so that you can participate fully.
Program Management Office
Program Director: Steve Correa (steve@stevecorrea.com; +91 98862 18882)
Program Coordinator: Ankit Chhabra (dharma.drishti@ritambhara.org.in; +91 84479 69836)
If you would like to discuss the lab, please call any members between 10 am and 6 pm IST.
Registration Form
To complete the registration and confirm your participation, fill out the form below and complete the payment on the next page.
Note:
1. Last date for registration and payment of fee is 30th October 2023.
2. Last date for withdrawal post-registration is 15th November 2023.
