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.

24th SUMEDHA SADHANA

Here is an introduction to the Sumedha Sadhana programme which commenced on September 25th and will conclude on November 23.

Sumedha Sadhana is a programme of inner journeying together in quest of greater healing and wholeness, so that we can live our lives in more fulfilling and satisfying ways and be more effective in our service to others. A variety of approaches and techniques are used to reach these objectives.

We begin from where we are, looking at what is happening in our lives at this point on our psycho-spiritual journey. We try to discern what God might be telling us through all that is happening in our lives. Jose Parappully will help us explore these current realities, as also spirituality in the context of changing paradigms.

Drawing from ancient wisdom traditions and evolving spiritual practises, Alba Rodrigues offers us tools ancient and new, to awaken the deep wisdom lying dormant within us and reconnect with the capacities of our body, mind and spirit and experientially deepen and expand our spirituality in alignment with the evolving cosmos.

A major portion of the programme is devoted to the exploration of the psychological dynamics operating in our lives at this current juncture of our spiritual journey. We look at the quintessential midlife dynamics of identity (who we are), intimacy (the role of affectivity and sexuality in our lives) generativity (how we work and nurture future generations), and integrity (how we make sense of the whole of our life). Jose Parappully will use insights from various psychological theories of development, particularly Eriksonian, Attachment, and Self Psychology as well as tools and techniques from Psychosynthesis, Expressive Arts and Jungian psychology to help us explore these issues.

Working from a Jungian perspective Ajoy Fernandes will help us explore especially our identity and understand our personality type and its implications for our spiritual journey, and help us move toward greater personal integration by exploring and owning our persona, shadow and animus/anima.

Sexuality has a profound impact on personality development as well as our spiritual journey. Often our sexuality has been wounded by wrong attitudes and negative life experiences. Joe Mannath will help us explore and understand human sexuality and affectivity and their healthy integration within our celibate lifestyle, our spirituality and our ministry. Jose Parappully will explore the effects of sexual abuse and suggest healing remedies.

Healing and transformation is further deepened in group therapy. In the atmosphere of freedom, caring and trust that the group offers, we are provided an opportunity to face our brokenness and our fears, our defences and our unhelpful patterns of living and relating, and to move toward greater healing and wholeness by adopting and practising healthier attitudes and behaviours. MC Abraham and Jose Parappully will facilitate this process.

We conclude our psycho-spiritual journey by seeking further healing, renewal, reconciliation and integration within ourselves and discerning God’s designs for us as we prepare to move back into our routine lives through a Spiritual Retreat. Jose Parappully will serve as guide on this journey.

This programme provides theoretical input as well as opportunities for us to reflect on our experiences and to share them with one another and for personal and common prayer. It is hoped that through this four-fold dynamics of Input, Introspection, Interaction, and Intercession we gain a deeper feel for the psychological dynamics operating on our spiritual journey and integrate these to develop a healthier self so that we can experience greater serenity, wholeness and fruitfulness as we continue our journey into the Mystery that we know and experience as our Triune God.

SUMEDHA SADHANA Sept 25- Dec 03, 2012

Sumedha Sadhana (Sept 25 – Dec 03) brought to conclusion the Sumedha programmes for the year 2012. The Centre will remain closed for winter till March 2013.

The climax of the 70-day Sumedha Sadhana were the 10-day Group Therapy and the 5-day Spiritual Retreat. Most participants observed that these were the most transformative experiences they had at Sumedha.

Participants were divided into two groups for group therapy. One group was led by Dr. MC Abraham and the other by Dr. Peter Lourdes, both highly qualified, yet very humane, professionals with years of experience as psychotherapists. Their rich inputs as well as experiential exercises and their gentle, sensitive approach to each one were found to be extremely helpful in facilitating healing and transformation. The eight weeks of inner journey (see previous blog postings for details) that preceded group therapy was also a major factor.

Dr. Jose Parappully, the Director of Sumedha facilitated the spiritual retreat as a “desert journey.”  Taking his cues from the late Henry Nouwen, he helped the participants to experience the retreat as “wilderness” (the “wild beasts” of St. Mark’s Gospel) and “paradise” (the “ministering angels”). Besides the insights provided by rich inputs on the theme, praying with sacred scripture, including a day of prayer and fasting alone literally out in the wilderness helped participants to experience in a very bodily-felt way Jesus’ 40-days in the desert, encountering their inner demons and experiencing the intimate presence of God.

Some typical comments from participants about their Sumedha Sadhana experience:

Sumedha Sadhana provided human, spiritual, pastoral, physical, ecological, emotional, intellectual and sociological understanding and growth… I am able to move forward with hope and trust. I came here with a negative approach to the course and self... Group therapy changed my life. Alex

I have got what I came for. The module on spirituality helped me the most. It helped to deepen my quest for a felt sense of the Divine at this point in my life… The spiritual atmosphere of Sumedha is growth promoting. Although I came to learn, the spiritual journey gripped me and led me to renewal and transformation. Celine

God brought me to Sumedha to heal me. My lamp, whose oil had nearly run out and turned dim, has been replenished and the lamp is burning bright again. Chavala

Sumedha programme helped me to accept myself, recognise and reconcile with my ‘shadows,’ change my attitude toward self and others, gain appreciation for prayer and scripture, develop more positive attitude to life and feel empowered. Christina

Psycho-Spiritual healing and wholeness journey was a well integrated course…. On the whole, it was a lovely and wonderful experience for me… Welcome and hospitality was remarkable. Accommodation, services and facilities were very good. All our needs were taken good care of. The environment and the beautiful scenery were soothing and refreshing. I got what I came for. Emy

Sumedha has brought me a new springtime. I have grown deeper and discovered a new self… I feel vibrant, alive, having touched the edge of divinity... The modules were well connected and the facilitators were excellent. Group therapy was the best part of Sumedha Sadhana—a moment of new birthing, new awareness of unhealthy ways of being and relating. I take with me a totally transformed self.  Gregory

As a whole this programme was very useful and meaningful. It has been an important journey of my life, a great time which I never thought possible. I went through a transformation… My life changed at Sumedha … Every aspect of our needs were taken care of immediately, carefully. Onila

I am grateful for the grace of coming over here. The programme was genuine and  useful for me in every way. This is the best programme…I came here stagnated and broken. My experiences here helped me to transform my life and become an integrated person. Poornima

Sumedha Sadhana helped me to find true meaning in my life and led me to clarity and maturity. It challenged me and made me to begin de-constructing and re-constructing my life at this stage and enter into a more meaningful and purposeful life as a celibate religious….. I feel a kind of satisfaction that the purpose for which I came to this course has been fulfilled. Reena

My stay at Sumedha is a memorable one… I am able to renew myself both spiritually and psychologically. The meaningful Eucharistic celebrations touched me…. The climax of the course was the Retreat… The resource persons were wonderful with lots of experience …. Everything was available for a comfortable stay. I appreciate the warm welcome, the hospitality, the love and care I received during my stay here. Tresa

I needed to reflect on my life, discover what went wrong and why and make corrections. Found the Sumedha programme very useful for this…. It has provided a new light on my path. I feel more free and happy. Gained courage and conviction. Varghese

I came to Sumedha with lots of anxiety, fear, confusion, meaninglessness and stagnation. Sumedha experience banished all these and completely changed my attitude toward self, people, God. My life is really renewed. Vimala

I never experienced life like I did at Sumedha. It was a time to clean up my life, throw the garbage out, experience healing, gain new energy to move on… Waraporn

At the conclusion of the Sumedha Sadhana the participants organised a very fine felicitation function in which they expressed their appreciation to one another and the staff, acknowledging especially the very fine contribution of the various resource persons, all of whom they found to be “excellent.”

The next Sumedha Sadhana is from March 12 to May 10^th, 2013.