It is a dark and dingy room. Not been opened for quite some time. Windows have remained closed too.
Open the door & windows with some effort.
There is a mirror on the wall. Quite old - it’s coating has faded. And, there is a
thick layer of dust and & grime.
With some difficulty I open the door and the window.
Fresh air comes in slowly as if with some caution.
I look at the mirror.
I can’t recognise myself.
Gently clean the mirror - remove all the dust and grime. Hold the mirror steady.I see myself now - yes it is me.
I smile.
“Must allow fresh air and clean the mirror regularly” I say to myself.
Thank you Raghu and all you wonderful people.
In gratitude
Here is a poem inspired by an ancient Tamil verse that is close to how I feel, and my name itself:
Love is my lamp, Eagerness the oil
My heart is the wick, the radiant sun the flame
Melting myself
I light this lamp and offer what I have
Unlearned and learned
yesterday, today and tomorrow ....
Came back home, feeling the deep transformation I went through. Observing your 'clinical work' released in me hidden power, new accuracy comes out in me while meeting my patients, with lucidity and courage to say the things as they are, while embracing with karuna. and in the night the immersion continues to work in my dreams, and finding myself telling you with adbhutam about the sacred space you created for experiencing the archetypal. ...
rest when we meet, hug and then let our hearts do the talking.
I feel like I am understanding the subtlety of using the plays in the MI. The Karna exploration of our group and the ending statements of "I want to end this fight" have appeared in me since I have been back. I notice the fight itself much more and am in touch with this whole space, feeling like this can't go on anymore. I see that in the exploration for the play and coming up with the statements during the program, something has been touched within and now I am seeing that unfold in my actual life. It's tough but valuable. Connecting the dots.... It's beautiful. Thank you so much.
Who is this Immersion for?
The participant- co-creators of the MI are:
- Leaders, Change Agents and Professionals in the field of Social Services, Management and the Arts wishing to delve inwardly and regenerate themselves.
- Those who wish to discover and develop creative processes of their own unfolding and therefore facilitate self-discovery in others.
- Professionals in the field of inner work wishing to learn the key principles of Applied Indian Psychology.
Mahabharata Immersion: An introduction
Our deepest potentials lie hidden in the world of our archetypal energies. The most evocative stories are metaphors of the inner adventure that the hero embarks upon to befriend the dAivic energies and subdue the asuric. It is the discovery of the treasures that the inner dragon protects that the hero gains mastery over her gifts and treasures. The purANa and the itihAsa are not only powerful stories that evoke our desire to be heroes in our own eyes, they are also maps of the archetypal world. The Mahabharata Immersion invites you explore your inner world, navigate the landscape of your unconscious, engage with your inner deva and asura and unleash your heroic potential
About the program:
The MI is an invitation to an adventure into the world of archetype. The MI is conceptually organized to bring alive-:
- The deep knowledge of the PurANa and learn how to map one’s inner world
- Learn the art of mastering one’s archetypal energies
With the aid of a masterfully curated set of powerful processes derived from a profound understanding of the Yoga Sutra, dance and theatre the MI becomes a learning laboratory that is
- an invitation to experiment with oneself - delve into the depths of the invisible, the unarticulated and the disowned parts of oneself in an attitude of serious play
- an enquiry into the practices of antarangA yogA
- A learning theatre where one can discover and embody one’s deepest potentials
The MI is therefore a unique programme that will provide you an opportunity to:
- Gain mastery over archetypal energies
- Discover and foster hidden heroic potential.
- Introspect upon the relationship between outer expression and inner processes.
- Develop a personal foundation of Role effectiveness, interpersonal ethics and intrapersonal discipline.
- Discover one’s mission in life and commit to it.
What MI is not:
- An opportunity to learn the Mahabharata
- An attempt for the faculty to offer their interpretation through discussions or discourses
- An opportunity to learn theatre or to appreciate tradition
Objectives of MI
The Mahabharata Immersion will:
- Create a space for you to access their inner dynamics
- Provide a map through which you can navigate the inner space/ archetypal energies
- Enable you to discover the “shantam” location within from which to access healing energies
- Empower you to take the key practices of antaranga yoga forward into your life spaces
How is the MI structured?
Two main components of the programme are:
ONE: THE LEARNING THEATRE
An Individual is simultaneously a member of multiple systems - organization, society, family and others. Each of these systems is a complex network of interdependent roles and processes with distinct values and norms. The diverse pulls and pressures of the systems and lack of integration and synergy in oneself result in diffused inner energies and consequently affects the expressions. The learning theatre is designed to focus on archetypal energies, enable a mastery over its dynamics and bring in a coherence between one’s inner power and outer expression. An exploration into one’s inner-process is enabled by bringing alive one’s inner drama and the archetypal figures that play out these psychodramas.
TWO: KOOTHU ENACTMENT
The participants will also work with actors from the Koothu tradition. Having explored the dynamics of heroism within, the participants will be introduced to the nuances of the myth. By working with the traditional masks, music, rhythm and dance the rasa of each hero is evoked and explored. One wears the mask of the Heroes, and in playing out the archetypal drama, views oneself in the mirror of the emerging “here and now re-play” of the eternal motifs of life and of relationships with significant others. For example, through an exploration of ‘Draupadi Vastraaharanam’ (the disrobing of Draupadi) a powerful field is created where the helpless rage of the victimized is contrasted with the blind greed of the oppressor and the lack of conviction in the legitimate protector. The individual who explores this archetypal drama with authenticity enters the universal motifs of human suffering. Such engagement with one's duKha is deeply insightful and healing. The stage is thus set for an honest introspection of one’s inner patterns of feeling and thought as well as ones outer patterns of action.
MAHABHARATA IMMERSION , YOGA AND LEADERSHIP?
The Arthashashtra recommends that all leaders must be yogis. The Natyashastra, the Vaastu Shastras and a host of other texts specify that the professional must be a yogi.
The reason is very simple…
Yoga practiced in a holistic fashion – beyond the limited Asana and PraNAayama practices, ensures that a person becomes capable of being the best he or she can be. Leaders and professionals need to strive continuously to perform at their peak capabilities. This demands that one make continuous investment in one’s competencies, one’s inner well-being and one’s health.
Our itihAsa-purANa were written to bring out the meaning of Yoga through stories that illustrate how different types of minds perceive a situation and how they respond. The Mahabharata portrays the five Pandava heroes as the central archetypes of a human psyche, the Kaurava as the anti-hero/shadow archetype and Krishna as the meditative mind. Through the drama played out by Pandavas and the Kauravas the text discusses Yoga in the context of familial strife. The Mahabharata is a dialogue on the Yoga of leadership, a dialogue about dharmic conduct. The Mahabharatha is a complete text of Yoga, it not only captures its philosophical profundity, it evokes the person deeply by portraying different types of archetypal heroes, placing them in difficult and trying situations and describing their struggles as they delve into themselves and overcome these obstacles
Our Personal Energy is immense and can act in heroic ways, however, it is often locked up in our unconscious. The stories of Mythological heroes evoke the potential in ourselves. The practices recommended in Yoga and Indian dance use both the power of the archetypal energies as well as prANic energies to unleash our potentials. We need to enter our subconscious, cleanse it of the debris collected over years of struggle in the work-a-day world, and discover profound healing. This opens the doors to the vast treasures that lie buried under the debris.
Working with the MI process is one of the most powerful and effective ways to gain mastery over one’s hidden potentials.
Madam Blavatsky says in the Secret Doctrine, “…All this is very puzzling, to one who is unable to read and understand the Purana-s, except in their dead letter sense. Yet this sense, if once mastered, will turn out to be the secure casket which holds the keys to the secret wisdom. True, a casket so profusely ornamented that its fancy work hides and conceals entirely any spring for opening it, and thus makes the un-intuitional believe it has not and cannot have any opening at all. Still the keys are there, deeply buried, yet ever present to him who searches for them”.
And this key to the hidden treasures lies in the ability of the person to delve deep within and enter the space of archetypal energies. The archetypes found in any mythology around the world will be found in the Mahabharata, and archetypes not found in the Mahabharata will not be found anywhere. The Mahabharata Immersion (MI) is designed to enable the participant to engage with the purANa from an “inside-out” location, enliven the archetypes and enact the primal drama that occurs at the various turning points in one’s own journey
FACILITATORS
This programme will bring together experienced facilitators in human processes and world renowned traditional Koothu artists to work with the participants.
Programme Director : Raghu Ananthanarayanan. Raghu has worked extensively in the field of Yoga and Behavioral sciences. He has successfully developed an approach to individual and group processes based on a creative convergence of the traditional and the modern.
Venue
The Ritambhara Ashram is a small meditation center situated near Kotagiri in the Nilgiris, nestled in a valley surrounded by shola forests and graced by many beings of the wild. The main purposes of the Ashram is to help foster contemplative conversations, inspire authentic inner work and a reverence for the Earth. It provides a much-needed retreat from the hustle-bustle of modern life, and a nurturant context for rest and regeneration. Accommodation is simple and comfortable. Food is vegetarian.
Accomodation and recommended contribution
The programme fee is Rs. 35,400/- This covers the faculty fee and related expenses. Accommodation options at the Ritambhara Ashram are the following:
- Twin Sharing rooms (Non A/C) - Rs. 14,160/- (16 pax)
- Tented Accommodation - Rs. 8,850/- (8 pax)
This covers food and accommodation for 6 days.
There are a few scholarships on offer for those who would like to avail of them.
Dates & Contact
The immersion starts at 5pm on Mar 03rd and ends at 2pm on Mar 09th. Last date for registrations: 15th Feb (Preparatory work starts soon after.)
Should you wish to explore the nature of the program further you are invited to get in touch with us about it.
Email: ashram@ritambhara.org.in
Important Considerations for Immersion
There may be some emotional stress involved during the Lab. Participants must take responsibility for self- screening if stressful situations are a concern. The MI Lab is not a substitute for therapy or psychiatric treatment. If you are currently in therapy or under psychiatric treatment, you are required to obtain a clearance from your therapist/ psychiatrist before attending. Please also consult your physician, in case you have a current condition of heart ailment or any chronic illness
Registration Form
Please note that Mahabharata Immersion lab involves some intense inner work. Those who are undergoing any psychological therapy, or pregnant are not advised to be part of the program.
