Many of us arrived on the Tuesday night of the 21st February at the Prashanti Kutiram, the campus of the S-VYASA in the southern outskirts of Bangalore, India. Personally, for me, the experience with the program coordinator was not that great. Neither anyone picked up the phone nor the emails were answered for more than a week before the start of the program. Hence, I was a bit skeptical about this whole PCP as I had flown from the USA for this program. I had a lot of questions about the stay, food, structure of the program, teachers, quality of training etc. With all these loaded questions in mind, I also reached the Prashanti Kutiram. I realized that I was a bit late in the evening as the orientation had already begun by the time I had reached the Santosh hall. The formality of basic orientation completed. However, I was still not clear where I was going to stay. After working with the coordinators, finally, I got the room. Subrata Ji walked with me to show me my room. Till then I had no idea about the room, whether or not it is on a sharing basis or for alone. All these questions were still not answered. We went to the first floor of a nice new building near the entrance of the campus. Room # 1 was assigned to me along with other person but the person who had also occupied the room was not there. He came within a couple of minutes. Rohit Kumar was the first person that was introduced to me ever since I had come to the campus. Besides Sumanth Ji, the program coordinator and his colleague Subrata Ji, everyone else was unknown to me. Unfortunately, there were no icebreaker games or activities that could have introduced us with each other. Program schedule was given to us. It was a full day packed schedule of about 16 hours per day starting at 5.00 am and ending by 9.00 pm. We were instructed to be at the Santosh hall before 5.00 am the next day. I settled in my room and got more conversant with my room partner.
Next day morning most of us reached the Santosh hall before 5.00 am. The instructor had already arrived in the hall and was waiting for everyone to join. To my surprise, the class began at sharp 5.00 am on Wednesday morning. It was a cool nice morning in Bangalore. Except for the chirps of the bird, it was very quiet. Our class began with the morning prayers. The silence of the morning was broken with a nice, clear and a loud voice of our instructor. The day began as per the schedule. Everything was new to us. OM chanting in the beginning, Asana practice with loosening exercise was covered in first 2 sessions. It was followed by 'Maitri-Milan'. Everyone was very curious to know about this session. It was a congregation of all students from all streams of this university. Current sessions were focused on the Bhakti-Yoga. Compiled verses from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita were chanted very nicely in this session followed by a short explanation of one of these verses by one of the prominent teachers of this university.
After Maitri-Milan was the breakfast session. We were still getting used to different practices being followed in the Prashnti Kutiram. Since our rooms were a little far off from the dining hall, we had to go back to the room to bring our steel plates for the breakfast and then place it back to the room once the breakfast was over. It was followed by the first 2-hour theory lecture. A lot of info on the basics of the Yoga was provided in this lecture. Somehow sessions were happening per schedule but the ice between the participants was yet to be broken to be able to know each other. The first day was completed at 9.00 pm with a feedback session in the happy assembly session. Throughout the day, both Rohit and I visited our room multiple times to pick up and drop off the steel plate. This was a good exercise to know each other. At the end of the day, I'm sure everyone was very tired. After talking for a while, we went to our bed.
The next day also started at 5.00 am and all the activities were happening as per the schedule. Finally, a session was scheduled which divided the entire class into 4 different groups namely Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Raja Yoga. This really broke the ice between the participants for the first time. Within each group, everyone introduced themselves and even though it was a little late, we started knowing at least a few more people. After this session, there was no looking back. Since I had been through such camps before, I knew that after 2-3 days, everyone will start knowing everyone and the gelling process will begin.
As sessions were happening according to the schedule, participants also started knowing each other. Be it the kriya session, or the Trataka session or a few mins before or after each session, everyone was talking to different people within the class. Theory exams also brought everyone closer to each other. People were talking to each other in different small groups and preparing for this exams and were seen helping each other. After the theory exams, though it was very formal and very strict, everyone was a bit relaxed. The outing at the nearby hilltop was really fun. We must have walked close to 3-4 KMs in the hot afternoon to reach to the hilltop. This outing brought out the true person from each participant (whoever participated in the outing). A lot of funny as well as serious discussions on the way to the hilltop and on our way back had already started the bonding process between various participants. S-VYASA coordinators further contributed to this process by bringing the snacks, Milk and the very sweet watermelons for participants to enjoy in the informal setting. A lot of pictures were taken individually as well as in the groups. By the time we reached the campus, it was already dark. Though all of us were very tired, we had started knowing each other very well in this process. The bonding between each one of us was naturally happening and growing. Be it a hallway conversations before or after each session, or walking over from one hall to another hall or having tea and snacks together, everyone already started feeling being part of one big family. YIC WhatsApp group was flowing with different pictures and the addition of different members from the class. After the practical exams and Viva's were over, everyone really started freaking out. But the big thing was yet to happen. After all the exams were over, most of us who were interested in performing at the happy assembly at the end of the 7th day were putting a lot of efforts into preparing for the performance. Group photo events for all the participants along with the teachers and the coordinators was another fun event for solidifying the bonding between each other. However, the bonding between the participants had reached the peak during the preparation of performances. Finally, everyone performed very well and happy assembly became the happiest and the unforgettable moment for everyone. Even after the performances were over, everyone was still hanging around the happy assembly hall. A few participants left the same night after the performances. But, many of us were waiting for the moment for the next day morning. In the serene environment of the Prashanti Kutiram at 5.30 am in the morning, the special Puja started and finally, we all were given our Certificates of YIC completion from the dignitaries of the S-VYASA.
After the certificates distribution, everyone was really free to go back to their respective places. Participants for YIC February 2017 batch had come from various countries like USA, China, Vietnam, Latvia and from various states in India. Though the course was over, no one was really interested in parting ways. Everyone wished if we could have stayed a bit longer. Finally, with a promise to meet again sometime, somewhere in the near future, everyone started their journey back home. Though the Personal Contact Program was over, the real journey had just begun. The journey of the divine experience which this PCP had given to all of us will continue forever!
