Malar is a very talented, creative lady and she teaches classical dance. She is married to Dhiraj, a retired IT professional, who now teaches computer science at a University. They live in Dubai, but they have humble Indian origins. Their son, Nandakumar, was born and raised in Dubai. He is bright, promising and ambitious. He has just given his A levels (12th Std) and wants to relocate to the USA for his graduation.
Malar and Dhiraj want him to study in India, and get exposed to his cultural roots; but Nandakumar is fearing that India’s pollution, population, and people will not be something he can adapt to.
All three of them are at a crossword; in a conflicting situation.
Dhiraj is worried about the cost of supporting Nandakumar in the USA, but at the same time doesn’t want to deny Nandakumar an opportunity of realizing the American dream.
Malar wants to keep her family happy, at the same time keep it simple, and closer to her cultural roots.
Nandakumar doesn’t realise that it is his fear that is stopping him from stepping out of his comfort zone; he is unable to comprehend that the American dream can be realised without soiling his parents’ wishes.
Will Nandakumar study in India or America? Who among the three will put their foot down and make the decision? The decision is critical and what each are undergoing is called as dharma sañkata, at the crossroad.
The decision at this crossroad will either make Nandakumar materially conscious, or spiritually conscious. Although material consciousness can instantly gratify an individual by heaping material riches and social status; in the long run, learning to evolve the spiritual consciousness is better as one can enjoy the best of two worlds. In developing the spiritual consciousness, one learns to better handle the complexities of reality: stress, emotional neglects, failures and depressions. And, in fulfilling our desires and ambitions walking a spiritual path, we will not only gain material success but we will leave a better world for the next generation.
What is a spiritual journey? Why is it taken?
In the above example, the characteristics of Malar, Dhiraj, and Nandakumar are deliberately constructed to denote the three components of the mind and their functionality. Malar is the thinking-feeling aspect of the mind, Dhiraj is: the loyal-rational aspect of the intellect and Nandakumar is: the ego-sense that is constantly negotiating preferences and priorities. Each of these components is so powerful that they can take control of a certain aspect of our personality and run our lives. However, the multi-polar projection of “self” will either create mind traps, or will burn us out.
In order to be mindful of the traps: bring the various components of the mind to collaborate with one another, we need advanced knowledge on nature of reality. Seeking this knowledge is a spirituality.
A spiritual travel is thus taken to learn how to yoke our inner world: the various components of the mind and then, use it to bring the nature of the body in harmony with the elements of Nature. Once our inner world is aligned and developed with the right knowledge, the right attitude for practising the path of righteousness will also fall into place.
What happens on a spiritual journey?
Spirituality is the practice of mindfulness. If yoking of the mind and body is practised continuously and mindfully, then a churning will occur that will refine a seeker and usher them to the next dimension of reality or truth. For initiating a churning, targeted practice in a destination identified as a sacred ford (thirtha) is recommended in the belief that Nature can alone correct or cleanse the karmic imprints. Also, mindfulness practices that involve seclusion in specific destinations, help in upgrading a sensory organ and to function as higher perceptions as advanced dimensions open up.
FYI – Modern Science’s String theory talks about 10 dimensions; Vedic discourses on Truth and Reality lists out 11 dimensions that an evolved human perception can perceive, of which 9 dimensions can be grasped and mastered.
How to start a spiritual journey?
Yoga is a spiritual path and most practical among other spiritual paths. Yoga is India’s most ancient practice traditions whose origins can been traced to Indus-Sarasvati civilisation and Vedic scriptures. The wisdom text, Bhagavad Gita, that is a socio-political discourse on the abstract: dharma, contains 18 chapters, each named as a yoga. Yoga Sutra, a classical treatise on yoga, deals with practical existential questions like how to liberate permanently from pain and sorrow.
Yoga is thus a practical mind and body science that does not require anyone to change their faith. In fact, its global reach and acceptance is because it accommodates even those who do not belong to any faith and do not believe in any God. Another reason for yoga’s fame is that it is a practice tradition that focuses on wellness of body and mind. Uniqueness of Yoga is the range of disciplines it offers to practitioners, making it not a one fit model. This makes Yoga universal: suiting anyone, irrespective of ethnicity, gender and physicality.
Also, while regular yoga practice is good for strength and flexibility, a yoga retreat at spiritual destinations will reduce the effects of karma. Besides, a yoga retreat at a sacred destination will suit any adventure seeker as they are taught to master the elements of Nature, rather than just deriving thrills from forces of Nature.
Why you need Jvala for Spiritual Travel
Jvala uses the concept of yatra, or pilgrimage as it works on an individual’s naturalistic intelligence (Read on Howard Garner: Multiple Intelligence Theory) to integrate mindfulness to develop ecological awareness. Hence the practice modules are designed specifically to suit the destination and not any individual. Goal is, to help a spiritual practitioner to take back with them an attribute of Nature salient in the destination.
Another unusual approach of Jvala is that it doesn’t preach, promote or prescribe to withhold or withdraw any pleasures related to senses. Jvala’s yoga retreats are unusual as it combines slow travel and cultural tourism. To achieve this, Jvala’s travellers are niche, belonging to an intellectual class of people who want to transfer their dependency on any orthodoxy, institution or human (as Guru) to elements of Nature and Time: the ultimate teachers of wisdom truths. The scholars of Jvala will merely facilitate an environment and break down the concept of freedom and liberation of the seen and unseen elements of Nature, hidden as symbols in Indian art. The idea is: in developing what is inherent in all as intuition how to interpret the knowledge will unfold as wisdom. When the wisdom dawns it will help transform a person, or push them out of their comfort zones, and help them make right choices or decisions required for the situation.
Jvala’s curated spiritual destinations
Combining the concept of varnāśrama dharmā belonging to Vedic culture with the ainthinai concept of ancient Tamizh culture, 5 ecosystems are chosen as a must visit spiritual destination in India for cleansing the pañcabhūta-s and refining their tanmatra-s. Among the five, the first two levels are two less explored spiritual tour destinations Chidambaram and Thiruvannamalai, that are listed below.
Chidambaram – coastal thinai
Touch Him!
Seek Him: who is higher than the gods!
Hear Him: who is Sanskrit of the North and Southern Tamizh, and the four Vedas!
Feel Him: who bathes in milk and ghee,
Witness Him: who dances: holding the fire, in the wilderness of the burning-ground;
Please Him: who blessed the hunter-saint!
Savour Him: as honey welling up in your heart space!
At Chidambaram, yoga practitioners will learn the artistic interpretations of Śiva from traditional artists. The iconography of Śiva: its semantics, semiotics, and symbolism will be explored to better experience the element ākāśa in its sacred state.
Thiruvannamalai – mountain thinai
He, who destroys, for his devotees, the bondage of past karma as well as the fruit of future deeds;
He who lives in the shrine of Annamalai, on whose ancient rocky slopes Echo the best of drums, when the evening moon rests.
At Thiruvannamalai, spiritual seekers will learn to hear the drum of Śiva. To achieve this, the retreat will incorporate abstract healing chants with asana practice, and the sacred element of nature in focus, to be grasped, is agni.
