PICNIC TO THE LAKES AND THE HILLS

Another Sumedha Sadhana and another picnic to the lakes! Tradition continues...

The picnic is usually held the day after group therapy concludes and before the spiritual retreat that concludes the Sumedha Sadhana experience.

So on Monday, 24th November, all the participants along with the Salesian staff went on a picnic.

Our first stop usually is what is known as the "Pilot Baba Temple/Ashram," about six km away from and very well visible from Sumedha Centre at a place called Gethia. There is also a school there besides meditation halls.

The place has a large number of statues of gods and godesses as well as of men and women in various yogic and meditative pose, including a rare statue of a female Budha or Budhini.

We then stop at what is known to us as the "Bell Temple, at Ghora Khal, a favourite of newly married couples. There are thousands (some pujari told us nearly a crore!) of brass bells tied there by devotees. We get a a wonderful view of Bhimtal from there.

Next stop: Naukuchiatal- "Nine-Cornered Lake" - a favourite spot for photographs. Participants love climbing the trees overhanging the water.

On our return from Naukuchiatal we stop at Bhimtal and then move on to Sattal (Seven lakes) where we have our lunch.

Following lunch there are lots of leisure time activities to engage in, such as boat ride in the lake, walk up to the Christian Ashram, pony ride and dressing up in exotic dresses to get photographed, shopping and so on.

We get back late in the evening. The following day is rest, to get ready for  the Spiritual Retreat that begins the next day.

GROUP THERAPY CONCLUDES

Group therapy is an important module of Sumedha Sadhana - A Psychospritual Wholeness Journey -, Sumedha Centre's niche programme.

In the atmosphere of freedom, caring and trust that the therapy group provides, participants are helped to face their brokenness and their fears, their dysfunctional defenses and their unhelpful patterns of living and relating, and to move toward greater healing and wholeness by adopting and practising healthier attitudes and behaviours. 

In the words of Alexander Lowen, the Founder of the Bioenergetic school of psychotherapy, the purpose of therapy is to expand one's capacity to love and receive love, to expand one's heart and not just one's mind.

Participants were divided into two groups. One group was led by Dr. MC Abraham, PhD. A former Programme Director of Sadhana Institute, Lonavla and Founder- Director of Pastoral Management programme at Jnandeepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, Dr. Abraham currently is the Director of the Moreau Institute for Integral Training at Shilling.

The other group was led by Dr. Jose Parappully PhD, the Director of Sumedha Centre.

The groups found the therapy experience profoundly enriching and transformative.

The concluding module of the 30th Sumedha Sdhana concludes with a a Spiritual Retreat beginning on November 24th. It will be facilitated by Dr. Jose Parappully.

VISIT BY HELPERS OF MARY

Sr. Stella Davassy, Mother General of the Society of Helpers Mary, accompanied by the members of the Generalate of the Society at Andheri, Mumbai, visited Sumedha Centre yesterday (20/11/15).

Bishop Isidore Fernandes, the former Bishop of Allahabad, spent some time with them narrating the history of Jeolikote.

The director of sumedha, Jose Parappully, took them around introducing the Centre to them. He  had done a workshop on "Psychospritual Integration During Post-Midlife Years" for the senior sisters of the Congregation September this year. He will be doing a similar programme next September as well.

SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATION

Along with Deepavali - the Festival of Lights -  (on 11th November) Sumedhans celebrated the Silver Jubilee of Religious profession of Sr Namrata, one of the participants in the ongoing Sumedha Sadhana,

It was a day of thanksgiving for Namrata, who professed in the Congregation of St. Theresa 25 years ago as well as renewal of her commitment.

Her fellow participants made a big fuss around her. Besides a beautifully organised Holy Eucharist, there was a very joyful felicitation following a delicious dinner (cooked by the participants)

Sumedha Centre congratulates Namrata and wishes her many, many more years of joyful religious living.