8 Days...

"YLTP is my heart; and Yuvacharyas are my heartbeats"  - Sri Sri

Today I know why... The Youth Leadership Training Program of the Art Of Living Foundation is an 8 day journey that focuses on uncovering the tremendous leadership potential and skills required to effect transformation in society in those already passionate about contributing to their nation. A special YLTP was organized for graduates between the age group of 20-40 with a very senior teacher (Jayantji Bhole.. More about him in the end.. I could write pages about him!) and focused on creating an intellectually equipped team of Yuvacharyas with a practical and wholesome understanding and experience of service in rural India; to give a technical lead to the YLTP.

These 8 days were the most empowering of my life. They gave me an in depth (theoretical and practical) understanding of leadership, responsibility, service, empowerment, presentation, communication, practicality in service, environment and spirituality like nothing or no one ever has. I've been involved in service projects and spirituality since the last 4 years. But compared to the energy, commitment to work and implementation of knowledge I saw here in the YLTP, the last 4 years feels like just a trailer. The workshop contained modules and sessions that very concisely and directly drilled into me, made me understand patterns in myself and more aware of my actions. 

The first couple of days were completely about empowering us to come out of our comfort zone and taking action. Coming out of one's comfort zone is not easy. It requires immense courage. But then, transforming the society is not for the weak. With a very clear sense of purpose to serve, all the knowledge and wisdom that I learnt and assimilated in the past 4 years came to the forefront and I understood it at a level I had not contemplated before.

The next few days contained more activities to take us further away from our comfort zone, field work with an elevated sense of awareness and enthusiasm (which active Yuvacharyas live in day in and day out) which led to an amazing revelation of the leadership potential within each one of us and also the ability to bring about change if we wished to. There were also more processes and activities to enable a deeper understanding of our mind, intellect and ego. To those who know what they are, YLTP includes processes and activities from Part I, Part II, DSN and even TTC apart from of course its own uniquely brilliant content.

We met some amazingly crazy people, people so passionate about service, that even with 300 armed gundas behind them threatening to take their lives, stayed on and took down one of the biggest real estate giants in the country with just a team of 12 odd people "ordinary" people. We met people who even on being discouraged by their own beneficiaries, converted villages rampant with political rivalry and substance addiction into a thriving empowered society free of alcohol, with numerous self help groups, means of financial sustenance, chemical free organic farming and lots more...

Finally, we had an opportunity to take up a massive undertaking as a group and effect transformation in hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. This project which our team took up involves empowerment of 14 villages and study followed by execution of an eco-friendly, organic solution to preservatives, insecticides, water body cleansing and many more applications. Since this is in progress, I will write more about it once we develop it and work on it further.

I learnt a lot these 8 days, grew as a person, a leader and a sadhak. I am extremely grateful to all those who made this happen.

Jayant Bhaiya: In the realm of the human, I have come to respect this man more than anyone else I know by a huge margin. In a way, the whole effort was worth just to spend some time with him; learn from him. He knows SO MUCH about SO MUCH. We would have special sessions with him where he would reveal amazing insights into topics ranging right from astrology and palmistry (where he brilliantly sorted out the scientific principles) to amazingly innovative techniques in agriculture, to cultural and political strategies that lead to social and economic degradation or enrichment of society as a whole. He literally has infinite energy. He would sleep after 3.30 am, be up by 5 am every day of the course, take all our sessions with the same energy and passion, lead projects (really big ones.. impacting thousands of lives) and give guidance in between, spend some time after the day's work on his own personal business and repeat the same thing the next day without a single sign of wear! While we had to run through a pretty rigorous schedule these 8 days, for him it is the same every single day of his life! He spearheaded the Vidarbha project, a region where one suicide occurred every 8 hours.. 518 villages were adopted and in 2 years, total transformation has occurred. For the past 8 years, not a single suicide has occurred in these 518 villages. They are self sustainable and empowered. This is but one of his undertakings. One can see him living every principle of spirituality and service to the fullest, every moment of his existence through every cell of his being. He drilled in us a holistic approach to service where we empower the beneficiary to help themselves long term, and maintain a practical and sensible mind while taking up new undertakings, yet not losing the sensitivity and awareness that makes us loving and caring humans. It was truly an honor doing a workshop with him, and he will continue to inspire me and lakhs more for ages to come. Any chance anyone reading this gets to interact with him in any way, grab it! You will relish the opportunity. 

Hope you get/ stay inspired to take responsibility to develop and empower society to the extent you can. All the best!

Jai Hind!