A Journey of Inner Unfoldment
The mind is the great abode;
The physical body is the sacred precinct;
For the Bountiful Lord the mouth is the tower-entrance;
For those who are fully realised the jiva is the Shivalingam;
The clever (and cunning ) five senses are the eternal lamps.
( Tirumandiram 12th c.)
This poem from Tirumandiram, Tamil literary text from 12th century, captures the essence of this unique offering from Ritambhara. Understanding the Sacred Quest, co-designed by Sri Raghu Ananthanarayan (disciple of Yoga Acharya Sri T Krishnamacharya) and Smt. Sashikala Ananth (disciple of vAstu expert Sri Ganapati Sthapati) is a gentle yet powerful introduction to Antaranga Yoga (Inner Work Through Yoga) through the framework of SatpaSwara. The third edition of ‘Understanding the Sacred Quest’ happened on 19-20 September 2020. The exploration was facilitated by Smt. Sashikala Ananth and Hariprasad Varma. We had participants from across India and Europe participate in this edition of the program.
Over the two days, participants explored the seven Swaras or notes for a harmonious living, viz., Maitri, Karma, Dharma, Jnana, Ramya, Yoga and Abhyasa, through experiential processes. Reflective art and contemplative dialogues helped the participants delve deeper into themselves and explore the many dimensions of their inner and outer life journey. The diversity in the age, profession and life situations of the participants made the exploration and sharing deeply evocative and a touching experience for the group.
Next edition of ‘Understanding the Sacred Quest’ is planned for January 2021. You may express your interest here.
Participant Testimonials:
“The program was very insightful into helping us heighten our awareness surrounding our body, mind, emotions and energy. It encapsulates various aspects of esoteric discipline covered in a very simple explorative way. The course mentors Sashikala garu & Hari garu epitomize humility, they were a source of inspiration exuding compassion, respect, patience & non-judgement while delivering to the participants. There was tremendous learning & exploration happening all throughout the two days & the group energy felt very sacred and inclusive harboring a favorable environment for reflections & learning.”
– Shruti T (Homemaker, Teacher, Activist, Life Coach)
“Sacred quest was such a beautifully designed programme . It helped me to pause & reflect , in the busy ness of the Urbane, life we lead , what is it , that’s drying us up. What is it ,that in pursuit of our goals or performance of our duties , and in the haste of arriving at it or completing it what are the bhAvnas, I’m leaving behind, that’s making my life dull and a drag. What is it that I need to hold as a thread every morning and be mindful of the thread as I go about living my life? And while I get more and more aware of my inner states, what are the actions I take to stay with the new reflections, and how can I not lose what I’ve found by acting on it ? I can go on and on about what all came up . I just hope to assimilate and be able to bring to Abhyaas even 10 percent of all that I got in touch with to start with ! A highly recommended programme for professionals, people in the corporate sectors , home makers , intellectual people , college students.
This offering is a gift I got and expressing my immense gratitude towards it.
Thank you Sashikala ji & Hariprasad!”
– Deepti Khanna (Homemaker, Entrepreneur, Yoga Professional)
“For a moment, the words Sacred and Quest made me stop scrolling the browser into a deep emptiness. I do not know why but a voice inside me said “this is it… go for it..”. I signed up and found that it was not only a great framework of foundation for me… It was like a divine gift that I needed at this very stage of my life. The question on purpose of myself and this universe had always intrigued me and left me feel incomplete. This workshop is one one hand simple and on the other very deep filled with awe and revelations. It opened the door of infinite exploration for me and through me. Now I have a structure in which I can work my way through this journey and have something to hold on to whenever faced with uncertainties. The framework integrates ancient wisdom and current context in such a beautiful way that it can truly be called Sacred. The journey has merely begun for me but this time I am with a map. Thank you Sashi Ma’am and Hari for containing our spaces as we learn to crawl.”
– Sudipta Shaw (IT Professional, Manager)
Anoop is a student of Yoga, an entrepreneur, a coach and a father of two young boys. He has led successful leadership stints in both the corporate and non-for-profit sectors. On encountering the country’s water/farmer crises at close quarters, he decided to pause and examine the impact various ‘isms’ – capitalism, colonialism, etc., were having on us as individuals, families, the society and the environment at large. This quest led him to formally engage with traditional Indic knowledge systems while also learning from the latest advances in science – about our physical and mental wellbeing, importance of body and mind work in healing trauma and the urgent need for a conscious rebuilding of family / work / social structures if we have to thrive individually and collectively. Insights, frameworks and processes gleaned from these on-going studies, an anchorage in his own personal practice and his wide-ranging experiences is what Anoop brings to facilitation/coaching spaces in Ritambhara and his various professional engagements.
Priya is a Yoga therapist in the Krishnamacharya tradition. She adapts Reiki & energy work, Vedic chanting, life coaching & Ayurvedic practices in her healing spaces. She is committed to nurturing collectives that have the praxis of Yoga at their heart.
Anisha has been on an exploration to understand herself through yoga for the last 15years which led her to teaching yoga, yoga therapy and inner work through yoga.
Apoorva chanced upon Yoga in her early 20s. A spark was lit within and there was no turning back. Her exploration led her to the Krishnamacharya tradition more than a decade ago. Curious about human behaviour and what drives it, she was thrilled when her search ended (and also began) when she first came upon the Yoga Sutra, which illuminated a path towards answering many questions that had been held for a long time.
Anita is a yoga teacher and therapist in the tradition of Sri.T.Krishnamacarya and Sri T.K.V. Desikachar, a Reiki practitioner and a Life Coach. She is also the founder of Vishoka, a center for learning Indic and energy-based frameworks for living and healing. Her deep concern for human suffering and the problems of unsustainable living kept her on the path of seeking an integrated approach to looking at life, living, learning and healing.
Ankit is a seeker in the wisdom traditions of India. The core of his work includes creating dialogic spaces where people can look within and see the connection between their inner and outer lives. Inspired by the likes of Gandhi, Aurobindo, Vivekananda and Guru Gobind his experiments in service took him back to his roots in Punjab where he is creating a community-led model of higher education which is open, inclusive and accessible for all. Ritambhara for him is a space for engaging in a community which is committed to a DHramic life. He anchors his work of learning and leadership in the Antaranga Yoga Sadhana and the humanistic wisdom of Mahabharata.