39th SUMEDHA SADHANA DELIVERS MORE THAN PARTICPANTS’ EXPECTATIONS!

The 39^th Sumedha Sadhana - Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey (October 1- December 2) concluded with a high level of satisfaction on the part of the participants. Most observed that they had received much more than what they had hope for. Nine of the participants gave the programme 10 out 10 on usefulness and five gave a 9. The average rating was 9.35.

There were 18 participants from different parts of India, from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. Among them were five priests and 13 religious women from 11 different religious congregations and one diocesan priest from the Archdiocese of Kolkata.

Fr. Uday D'Souza, the parish priest of Jeolikote, welcomed the participants and gave a short profile of the Jeolikote parish and the Diocese of Bareilly.

Sumedha Sadhana is a programme of inner journeying together with fellow seekers in quest of greater healing and wholeness, so that participants can live their lives in more fulfilling and satisfying ways and be more effective in their service to others.

There were seven modules in this edition of the Sadhana: Spirituality, Early Development, Midlife Transition, Unconscious Dynamics, Core Transformation, Group Therapy and Spiritual Retreat. Participants also had opportunity for individual therapy.

Dr. Jose Parappully SDB, Director of the Centre, facilitated the modules on spirituality, early development, midlife transition, group therapy and the retreat.

Dr. Johny Dominic Padinjar SDB facilitated the “Unconscious Dynamics.” This module explored the dynamics behind the helplessness that persons 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 Dr. Padinjar helped participants unleash the powers of the unconscious to facilitate healing and wholeness. He also facilitated individual and group therapy.

Dr. Jose Mathew Kuttianimattathil SDB facilitated the “Core Transformation” module. In this module participants were helped to explore and examine their least liked behaviours, feelings and responses to move toward the wellspring within them (Core State) which radiates peace, love and harmony.

The academic programme was enriched by creative liturgies, integration days, weekly recreations, movies, and relaxing outing and picnic.

Participants expressed great satisfaction with and appreciation for the programme content, process, organization and the module facilitators.

Comments from the participants:

“I am immensely enriched by the programme… The facilitators were highly qualified professionals with knowledge and experience.”

“The programme on the whole was excellent. Module facilitators were competent, caring and adequately firm and gentle.”

“The programme as a whole was very excellent, systematic, well planned, well arranged.”

“I came here with certain goals. They are fully realized. I gained new enthusiasm and passion for life and ministry. I go back a happy person.”

“My goal was achieved. I give 10 on the scale.”

“I got more than I expected.”

 “Sumedha touched every aspect of my life – everything was useful. What I wanted I got.”

“I came here to deepen my spiritual life. Yes, it is realized.”

“I came here feeling very dry. Today my tree is budding forth green leaves. I feel healed and renewed, ready to bloom.”

“The programme came as rain to remove my dryness and renew my spirit.”

“My life had become a mess. It is Sumedha that challenged me to be who I am. Regarding my religious/priestly life also it challenged me and put me where I was supposed to be.”

“The Sumedha journey helped me to heal my wounded soul, mend the brokenness of my life. It enabled me to journey into my innermost and find the wellspring.”

‘Sumedha Sadhana prepared me to embrace the past, own up the present and plan for the future.”

“The retreat helped me so much to come close to God, to experience his love. I feel touched by God, healed. My life is blessed.”

“Search for meaning in life and deeper spirituality brought me to Sumedha. I have found both. My broken pot is mended, my heart expanded and I feel more integrated. I return with confidence and enthusiasm.”

“Reception, hospitality, accommodation, services and facilities were excellent. I would like to appreciate specially the food served to us every day. It was indeed commendable.”

“It was very enriching to stay over here, the warmth, love we experienced from the staff, non-teaching staff and from each other. All were very hospitable. We felt free to approach and the accommodation was very good. Everything was provided, the food was abundant and excellent. I feel very privileged to be here for 9 weeks.” 

 “The friendly and homelike atmosphere created by the hosts was beyond my imagination. I enjoyed my stay over at Sumedha, felt like it is my own home.”

36th Sumedha Sadhana Concludes

The 36^th Sumedha Sadhana – A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey – concluded at Sumedha Centre on December 2. It began nine-weeks earlier on October 1.

There were 15 participants from India, Singapore and Thailand.

There were six different modules in this Sadhana. Unconscious Dynamics and the Spiritual journey (facilitated by Johny Dominic, PhD), Psychological Dynamics on the Spiritual Journey (by Jose Parappully PhD), Stories: Ours, the Universe’s and Jesus’ (by Gerard Alvarez MA), Core Transformation (by Jose Mathew Kuttianimattathil PhD), Group Therapy (by Johny Dominic PhD and Jose Parappully PhD), and Integrative Spiritual Retreat (by Jose Parappully PhD).

Ample time for personal reflection and prayer in a very beautiful and serene natural environment and creative and experiential liturgies helped to interiorise the insights gained in the sessions. There was also time for weekly recreation, movies, and picnics, including one to Delhi and Agra. 

Participants found the programme immensely useful. Comments below indicate the different ways they found the programme beneficial, even unique.

“Sumedha has changed my life. I was at the right place, at the right time.”

“It was a fascinating experience – a long inward journey.”

“It has helped me become a more integrated person.”

“Sumedha was a re-birth. I came with feeling of dryness in my spiritual life. Now God means everything.”

“Each module opened up to me avenues totally unexplored by me before.”

“Every session helped me to go deeper into myself… I go back much happier than when I came.”

“I learned to look at life experiences with new perspectives…. Retreat as desert experience brought profound healing.”

“Helped to gain a deeper experience of God.”

“Helped to find meaning for my religious life. Really experienced God touching me.”

“Experienced a sense of healing.”

“Sumedha is a turning point in my life. Every session was enriching,  an eye opener.”

Sumedha is not a Centre, but a home. I was very happy here.”

“At Sumedha I found a very supportive community.”

“Welcome, hospitality, accommodation, food and services were excellent.”

 The next Sumedha Sadhana is from March 15 to May 16, 2018. Registration is open.

The latest module addition to the Sumedha Sadhana (Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey) is that of Core Transformation, facilitated by Dr. Jose Kuttianimattathil.

Core Transformation is a healing process where you take the behaviours, feelings and responses that you like least in your life and use them in order to reach an inner wellspring within you (Core States) which radiates peace, love and harmony. Once you touch the wellspring within, it will transform or at least alter considerably your unwanted behaviours and feelings.  The core states you reach through this process are akin to spiritual experiences.  Core Transformation has its roots in several NLP approaches and techniques.  The course consists of interactive input sessions, demonstrations,  practice in twos, required readings and guided spiritual exercises.

Jose Kuttianimattathil, a Salesian of Don Bosco, holds a Master's Degree in Philosophy from the Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, and Doctorate in Systematic Theology from the Gregorian University, Rome.  He has equipped himself for personal guidance through various counselling courses. He has taught philosophy and theology in various institutes in India.  He served as the provincial of the Sacred Heart Province, Bangalore, of the Salesians of Don Bosco for six years. Currently he is the Rector of Kristu Jyoti College, Bangalore.

Core Transformation programem was held at Sumedha from June 25-29. The participants as a whole found the module immensely useful. It helped them to  to rise above their negative attitudes and unhelpful behaviours and experience healing, transformation and greater peacefulness and serenity in their lives.