Silence of the Tomb

Holy Saturday is the in-between time – between something old dying and something new emerging. Holy Saturday is the time between the seed falling and lying dormant but unbeholden germinating new life. 

It is a time when nothing seems to be happening, when one sees no light at the end of the tunnel. When one feels stuck. Good Friday looks like the end of the story. 

But not really. The story will continue. Light will appear at the end of the tunnel. The fallen seed will sprout. Death will be conquered. The silence of Holy Saturday will be shattered in blaze of glory.

When have we felt life to be a long Holy Saturday, when we felt like we have reached a dead end – with no way forward, no light at the end of the tunnel? …. And then surprised – at the happy turn of events?

 As a popular song says, there is sunshine after the rain, there is laughter after the pain; so too there is an Easter that will shatter the silence of Holy Saturday in a glorious resurrection!

34th Sumedha Sadhana

The 34th Sumedha Sadhana - a Psychospiritual Wholeness journey - commenced on march 13.  There are 15 participants - 11 women and 4 men, from  nine different Religious Congregations. The programme will conclude on may 14.

The first and foundational module - Psychological Dynamics on the Spiritual Journey -- is being facilitated by Dr. Jose Parappully, the Programme Director at Sumedha Centre.

The next module - Jungian perspectives on Personality and Spirituality - will be facilitated by Dr. Ajoy Fernanndes, Programme driector at Prafulta Mental health Services, Matunga, Mumbai from 27th March

DEEP SOUL-WORK AND FUN OUTING!

The Sumedhans celebrated completion of three weeks of deep soul-work as part of their Psycho-Spiritual Wholeness of Journey with an outing, walking upstream along the rivulet that flows close to the Sumedha Centre campus at Jeolikote.

The birds that abound in this part of the Kumaon Hills provide soothing melodies. The autumn winds blew gently as they trudged along the narrow pathway through the jungle.

Settling down in a lovely rock-strewn dry spot in the rivulet, they made tea tinged with fresh ginger (grown at Sumedha), feasted on fresh home-made momos and sandwiches, had lots of fun climbing trees,  splashing water on one another and playing Housie/Bingo. (“Such a lovely place. Wish we could spend the whole day here!” several remarked.)

The Sumedha Sadhana Programme began on September 28^th with the module “Psychological Dynamics on the Spiritual Journey” facilitated by the Director of the Centre, Dr. Jose Parappully, a clinical psychologist.

Parappully began this foundational module helping participants look at the current realities in their lives in the context of Midlife and Post-Midlife Dynamics such as emotional awareness of mortality, reassessment of life and its priorities, facing de-illusioning, mourning one’s losses and unrealized dreams, understanding reawakened sexuality and intimacy needs and dealing with them in ways that respect one’s celibate commitment and lifestyle.

During second week, Dr. Ajoy Fernandes, clinical psychologist and Director of Prafulta Mental health services at Matunga, Mumbai facilitated the module “Jungian Perspectives on Personality and Spirituality.

Fernandes helped participants discover their personality type (using the MBTI) and its impact on their spirituality. He also helped them recognize their persona and shadow and integrate the shadow into their conscious self.

This process was further enhanced in the third week through the module “Unconscious Dynamics and the Spiritual Journey” facilitated by Dr. Johny Dominic Padinjar, another psychologist and Asst. Director of Sumedha Centre.

Using concepts from Freudian, Jungian, NLP and Transactional Analysis theories Padinjar helped Participants unleash the powers of the unconscious to facilitate healing and wholeness.

The remaining modules of this 9-week programme are: “Word and Stories: Ours, the Universe’s and Jesus’” by Gerard Alvarez; “Core Dynamics” by Jose Mathew Kuttianiimattathil; Group Therapy’ by Johny Dominic Padinjar and Jose Parappully; and a Spiritual Retreat, facilitated by Jose Parappully which will bring the 9-week psychospiritual journey to its conclusion.

For the Sumedha Sadhana programmes in 2017, please see the earlier posts on this blog.