Tillitonse - A Transformational Journey Together

‘Man Making’ and Not Just ‘Bread Making’ Lessons from my fourth trip to the Bihar School of Yoga, Oct 2013 Ah, with two cups of coffee and some potatoes and parotas down the hatchet, one is ready! The quiet and sanitized conditions of the lounge in Kolkata airport and the flight back to Madras provide an ideal opportunity to look back over the past week spent at the Bihar School of Yoga (BSY) ashram in Munger, Bihar. This note is less about BSY’s World Yoga Convention, but more about the ways this experience has touched me .  I will highlight five particular learnings in this note. Undoubtedly, the highlight of the trip was away from the Convention. The warm and genuine hospitality of Shantanu’s parents has taught me so much. Shantanu is my yoga teacher who has been my guide over the past two years as I have dived into the world of better health, self-analysis and improvement through the tools of yoga.  As I write this note, I realize that I don’t even know his f...

Third Dip Into Pakistan - Charity, Mirror and Be Grateful October 16, 2013 Just completed my third trip to Pakistan in 10 months last week. Each trip there is a voyage of discovery and this trip was no different. As with every great voyage, the lessons we learn about ourselves are the most gratifying. 1. Understanding and appreciating Islam – A few months ago I had a read a piece where the author talks about how Swami Vivekananda (one of the pioneers of modern day Hinduism) thought that that the philosophies of Hinduism married with the application of Islam were an ideal mix. During this trip I had a wonderful opportunity to talk to Imran and Ayesha, a delightful young couple in Karachi. I had read a little about Islam’s focus on charity and when I asked them about it, Imran spoke to me at length how charity is at the heart of Islam. He went out to articulate different types of charity (with strict rules) constitute one of the five pillars of Islam. The type so cha...

How to Manage the Mind? Problem Solution Daily Practice 1. Impurity Karma Yoga. Selfless work. 8hr/day. Plus Hatha Yoga. 8 hr + 1 hr 2. Dissipation – lack of focus Bhakti Yoga – Kirtan, Satsang and reading. Without Bhakti Yoga, cannot overcome dissipation 30 min 3. Ignorance of principles of consciousness (‘chit’) Jnana Yoga –Yoga of philosophical rationality. Asking the tough questions- Why am I doing this? What is the spirit? Etc. Understand the truth – I am part of the cosmic nature. 30 min

Last month I lost a mentor and friend. David Reene was an amazing human being who touched and improved the life of so many of us. This eulogy from his brother captures what a special person he was and how he exemplified and lived his life - full of gratitude. Mahatma Gandhi said 'my life is my message.' So too David's..... The men of the Reene family have always been comfortable with business and finance, not so much with emotions and feelings. Yet David overcame that and focused on a higher calling of making the world a better place, choosing not to be self-absorbed as is so common in our culture today. As one of his colleagues stated David is the definition of emotional intelligence: self-aware, socially skilled, empathetic, motivating and a model of self-control. He was constantly thanking the doctors, nurses, cleaning people, everyone - he wanted to be certain they knew how much he appreciated them. Every other word out of his mouth was "Thank you.  Fantast...

Cheers Again! – Sep 2012 “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they are always glad you came….you wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same, you wanna be where everybody knows your name” These opening lyrics from the popular American Sitcom “Cheers” conveyed the warm and friendly atmosphere of a Bar that was at the heart of this lovable and very successful program. For years, PSI was indeed my ‘Cheers.’ I shared the same DNA of my colleagues who were almost handpicked from the same stock. We did serious work without taking ourselves seriously. We worked hard and partied harder. Indeed, we did ‘development with a difference’ kicking ass while still kissing butt at the same time. Over the years as is naturally the case in large organizations, the stock got ‘diluted’ and a new culture emerged. Slowly but surely, I found myself becoming a dinosaur – with history but not relevant to the future. I had to reinvent myself and this proces...

Knowledge is Learning Something Every Day.  Wisdom is Letting go of Something Every Day. ~ Zen Proverb ~

Why are You Bored with Your Work??? Good piece...... It is due to Your Attitude. If the Attitude is Correct, You can go on doing the same work for Fifty Years.  When you consider Your Work as a Duty, a way of Serving Others, it NEVER becomes Dull. It is ONLY when You think of it in terms of Your Own Development or Pleasure that work becomes Intolerable and Monotonous. It is actually far easier and more Motivating to work for Others than for Yourself. This is the 'Secret of Karma Yoga' which few Understand and are able to Apply. This is the Difference between Karma and Karma yoga. You Create Karma when You Act with Yourself in Mind, with Your Personal Desires and Problems as a Motivation. When You act, not for Yourself but as a Service, an Offering to Others, the Mind is Freed and You Experience the Benefits of Karma Yoga." - Swami Satyananda (Bihar School of Yoga)