ONE MONTH OF SUMEDHA SADHANA

The first Sumedha Sadhana (70-Day Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey) for 2012 commenced on March 01. For the first time in 10 years all the participants are women. Sixteen of them, from India and abroad.

Jose Parappully facilitated the beginning module –Psychological Dynamics on the Spiritual Journey.  Jose helped participants to look at what is going on in their lives at this juncture of their psychospiritual journey. He helped them to explore their spirituality and recall their childhood experiences and how they impact them currently, using Eriksonian and Attachment theories of development. He also explored midlife dynamics and their impact on their spiritual journey.

Joe Mannath explored Sexuality, Celibacy and Intimacy. He helped participants understand the nature of human sexuality and the meaning of celibate chastity and suggested means to integrate them in such a way that they are able to give a serene and life-giving witness to the world.

Ajoy Fernandes explored the issue of Identity, using especially Jungian perspectives. Participants were able to discover their psychological type and how that type impacts their spirituality and their relationships. He explained the Jungian concepts of animus/anima, persona and shadow and through experiential exercises helped participants to recognise them and integrate them within themselves.

Gerard Alvarez focused on the spiritual dimension of the programme. Through rituals and experiential exercises he helped participants to understand spirituality from new perspectives. Using insights from Sacred Scripture and the New Cosmology

He also helped them to look at and live their religious commitment with new perspectives and renewed vision,

The programme will continue for another 40 days. The modules that remain include Feminist and Women’s Spiritualities, facilitated by Shalini Mulackal; Befriending Our Emotions, facilitated by M. Goretti Kanakarathinam; Trauma and Healing, facilitated by Agnes Panikulam, and Group Therapy, facilitated by Peter Lourdes and M. Goretti Kanakarathinam. The programme concludes on May 9 with a six-day Spiritual Retreat, directed by Jose Parappully.

There are two more Sumedha Sadhana programmes offered this year. 1) May 22 – July 30, and 2) September 25 – December 03. A few seats are still available for these two programmes.

For further information contact the centre: sumedhacentre@gmail.com

SUMEDHA REACH-OUT PROGRAMMES

December to February is too cold in Jeolikote and so Sumedha Centre does not have any programmes organised here.

During these months, the Centre reaches out to institutions and organisations in different parts of the country.

In December, Jose Parappully, the Director of the Centre and a clinical psychologist was at the Don Bosco Renewal Centre, at Bannerghatta, Bangalore for two weeks. He was invited to supervise the practicum of the counselling trainees there.

In January Fr. Parappully facilitated a two-week Group Therapy at Sadhana Institute, Lonavla.

In the first week of February he participated in a 6-day training workshop in Integral Somatic Psychotherapy at Bandra, Mumbai. He facilitated training programmes for the students and staff of Don Bosco Management Institute, Guwahati. 

He also facilitated a four-day Workshop on "Psycho-Sexual and Celibate Integration" for a group of young Salesian priests at the Don Bosco Provincial House in New Delhi.

On March 1^st Sumedha Centre came alive again with the commencement of a 70-day Sumedha Sadhana (Psycho-Spiritual Wholeness Journey) programme with 16 participants.

The cold season continued into March. Spring time is just beginning. The cold is drifting away and the birds have begun to chirp again.

FEAST OF DON BOSCO CELEBRATED

Sumedha Centre celebrated the feast of Don Bosco, founder of the Salesians  who run the Centre, on Sunday the 29th. The liturgical feast of St. John Bosco (Don Bosco) falls on January 31st. However we decided to celebrate on Sunday for convenience sake.

The Eucharist was presided over by Most Rev. Anthony Fernandes, the Bishop of Bareilly Diocese, within whose jurisdiction Sumedha Centre falls. Fr. Julian Pinto, the Vicar General of the diocese, Fr. Arnold OFM from St. Francis Home, Nainital, , Fr. Thomas D'Sa, Director of the Biblical Centre in Bareilly, Fr. John Baptist, pastor of Motinagar, Fr. Pius Menezes, Dirctor of Suchetna Social Service Centre, and Fr. Jose Parappully concelebrated. 

In his homily Bishop Fernandes portrayed Don Bosco as one who was able to attract wayward youth and transform them into useful members of society. He exhorted the clergy and religious of the diocese to emulate him.

There were a number of religious men and women from the neighbourhood (Kathgodam Deanery) present for the feast day Eucharist and the lunch that followed which was tastefully organised by Br. John Minj, the Administrator at Sumedha Centre.

SNOWFALL ON JEOLIKOTE HILLS!

New Year brought snow to the hills above Jeolikote.

There was some snowfall on 8th January night and heaps of it on 9th afternoon. The feast of the Baptism of Jesus was made special in the hills this year!. This was the first time I had witnessed snow on the Jeolikote hills.

At ground level in Jeolikote we had lots of rain and hail on the 9th.

On the 10th night the temperature fell to -1!

And the cold weather continues! Today the 12th snow is falling again!

SUMEDHA SADHANA - A TESTIMONY

PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

Ananda Amritmahal, RSCJ

During October and November, I participated in a psychospiritual course run by the SDBs in Jeolikote (about 17 km down from Nainital) in Uttarakhand.  The director of the centre here - Jose Parappully - also conducted most of the sessions.  

I found the course very good - a fine combination of theoretical inputs, much discussion and sharing, deep reflection and personal exploration and prayer - and I think I gained a lot from it. When it was suggested to me I agreed, and I made up my mind that I'd fling myself into the programme as completely as I could, so as to get the most I could out of it.  There was no way I was going to come back thinking, "If only I had...": I had to justify having taken 60 days out of my life - and out of the work at the College - for this!

So, anyway, there I was, entering into everything with everything I had, putting myself on the line wherever it seemed called for.  And truly, I think all that grim determination did pay off.  A lot of stuff that needed unravelling and sorting out inside received the attention it had wanted for years.  Several processes were initiated and I definitely experienced a certain amount of healing (of still- open wounds from the dim distant past that had been buried so deep I didn't even know that they were still oozing!) and learned how to carry the process further.  I learned to understand why I am who I am and why I function as I do, and learned also (this was epoch-making!) to like myself a lot more.  

The place is truly beautiful, a little like Jaiharikhal, though of course the Kumaon hills have a unique flavor, quite different to the Garhwal hills.  It got colder by the day – reached about 10 degrees at night and 16 during the day.  Chilly enough for even a cold-lover like me!  The mornings tended to be clear, but by about 1 or 2 in the afternoon, the mist would come creeping in, and it looked so beautiful, with rays of sunlight slanting through to touch the dimly seen trees and hills with a hint of sparkle.  I wish it had been possible to bring a little mountain mist back, but our Bombay warmth would have made it disappear even before I got home!  

The cook there had a charming little boy, three years old, named Arpit.  He was amazingly unspoilt, given the amount of attention he got from all of us.  I usually called him "Bablu" which is my love-term for all little male creatures.  One day, he wanted me to come and have lunch with him on the table where he had been parked by his mother (her way of keeping him out from underfoot, since he’s still too small to climb down by himself!), so he kept a lookout, and when we arrived, called out "Bablu, bablu" over and over again until I responded!  Somehow, he'd realised that it was a term of endearment, even if he got the gender a bit wrong.  Then another day, he came running with his plate, to eat breakfast with me, and seeing that my shawl was slipping off a little, carefully rearranged it, saying solemnly, "Aapko thand lag jaayegi".  But the most charming was the day when he told me he was eating "chewing gum" and opened his mouth to show me a green sweet inside.  Then, a couple of minutes later, he took the sweet out, and held it towards my mouth, saying "Tum bhi khaao"!  Shades of Shabari and her bohras!

 A friend of mine had called during my first week there, and asked how it was going.  I'd answered that we'd been doing a lot of digging - I meant into ourselves, our pasts, our memories, but she thought they'd put us to work, gardening the hills!  So that was the metaphor being explored in this “poem” – an attempt to articulate something of what the experience was for the 19 of us who were a part of it.  

So we dug deep

unearthing memories, wounds, root causes;

understanding a little more 

of who we were and why.

And then came the sowing - 

different perspectives, fresh insights, clearer vision

nourished our passionate renewing

of an old commitment to love.

Pruning and weeding as we 

examined lives, watered with tears, 

helped the cleansing, nurtured

shoots of trust and confidence.

We return now, bearing sheaves -

reborn hope and faith, rekindled zeal,

smiling at challenges, embracing the real,

welcoming all that tomorrow offers.                                                               

A JOYOUS AND GRACE-FILLED CHRISTMAS

Christmas is a joyous season because we recall a momentous event in the history of the Universe. God took on our flesh and blood, so that we could see God's compassionate face in Jesus of Nazareth.

The Incarnation has set in motion a process of healing the ruptured world and broken lives. We are so fortunate to be part of that process - experiencing healing and providing healing.

May this Christmas bring you healing and peace.

Special wishes to those of you have been part of the healing process at Sumedha Centre. May the New Year bring you many blessings as you continue your Psycho-Spiritual Wholeness Journey.

LAST PSYCHOSPIRITUAL WHOLENESS JOURNEY FOR THE YEAR 2011

The last Sumedha Sadhana (Psychospritual Wholeness Journey) for the year 2011 concluded on November 29.  The sixty day programme commenced on October 01 and had 19 participants – 12 religious women, and 7 religious men and priests – the maximum the Centre was able to accommodate.

The major module was entitled “Psychological Dynamics on the Spiritual Journey” and was facilitated by Jose Parappully PhD, the Director of the Centre. Starting from the “Now Period” of their lives, participants were helped to take an inner journey back to the beginnings of their lives and forward to anticipated time of death. On that journey they explored such issues as Spirituality, Prayerfulness, Early Developmental Experiences, Midlife Dynamics of Identity, Intimacy, Generativity and Integrity, Stress and Professional Burnout, Body, Sexuality & Spirituality, Trauma, Healing & Transformation.

Ajoy Fernandes PhD facilitated a module entitled “Jungian perspectives on Self-Awareness” in which he helped the participants to t discover their personality type and its impact on their spirituality, discover and integrate their persona and shadow, their animus and anima.

Shalini Mulackal PhD explored feminist and women’s spiritualities with the participants. She explained the concepts and the dynamics involved in the context of women’s situation within Church and society.

The climax of the programme was the 10-day group therapy led by experienced psychotherapists Peter Lourdes PhD and Jose Parappully PhD and the 5-day spiritual retreat facilitated by Jose Parappully. The retreat integrated techniques and tools from directed and preached retreats, and used music and dance, and fantasy and somatic movement meditations.

Feedback from participants show that the quality and the effectiveness of the programme as a whole exceeded their expectations.

Some typical comments:

“Sumedha Sadhana was a programme that facilitated deep reflection on my life’s journey; very valuable inputs; opportunity and guidance to undertake processes that led me to deeper awareness and openness to God’s working within me; a beginning of the healing process in a number of areas…..My goals have been achieved…. EXCELLENT on every level.” Ananda

“Everything was super. I enjoyed every bit of my time spent here.” Mary K.

The course was very, very useful for me. It helped me to look into my self and evaluate my life from infancy to the present day. It was an experience of digging deep and discovering my self. I gained an understanding of Who am I? Where do I stand as a human being and as a committed person?.... On the whole this course was a real renewal of my life. The course was planned in a way that touched every aspect of my life….Hospitality, accommodation, food, services and facilities were all excellent. I felt really at home. Every minute need of ours was taken care of.” Lucy

“Before coming to Sumedha I was going through a lot of insecurity feelings, depressed at times, fear and anger I was facing. Now I feel I learned to handle and cope with all the happenings in my midlife.” Sushila

“Group therapy was really excellent and I gained a lot through the therapy…. I came empty to be filled, and now I go back full, experiencing freedom….Welcome, hospitality, accommodation, food, services were excellent. No where we will get such kind of services.” Mary J.

“My sumedha Experience will help me to lead a meaningful life and age gracefully.” Vimal

“The degree of usefulness is 10 out of 10. It has been useful to understand myself and my problems and given me understanding of causes of many of my personal problems…The subjects were dealt very carefully and in detail. The introspection every time was very useful. Combination of psychology and spirituality is par excellent.” Vineet

“First of all it was a whole lot of new learning. It was not just learning, but rather a process which took me through experiential awareness. Outcome for me is a determination to live this experience through a process of continued growth….According to me hospitality couldn’t be better. I was at home and you made it to be so. Accommodation and food was superb according to me. Every facility I received here at Sumedha was very satisfying.” Suneet

“The programme helped me to look at my spirituality in a very personal way. I am now able to look at my midlife and my future with calm and serenity.” George

“I needed a period of break, reflection and renewal. I fell that I got much of what I needed. The programme design was greatly appropriate for me. The spiritual orientation of the programme put me on a right track. I am able to forget much of the unpleasant past, and look ahead with hope.” Mathew

“Felt at home and felt most enriching experience.” Clement.

“Sumedha – the best place to experience love, care and God.” Francis