By Vansh Tandon

From June 7th to June 9th, over 30 young adults from ages 16 to 28 and 10 CHYSK volunteers gathered in Cleveland for their second annual retreat, The Seeker’s Evolution – a reflective experience into a seeker’s past, present, and future spiritual journey.

The retreat commenced on Friday, and following a formal welcome of the guides, Vivekji and Shankarji, Vivekji gave his first discourse on systemizing, prioritizing, and realizing self development. The night concluded with a ‘Bala Bracelets’ making activity, where each seeker made a bracelet containing one word about why they are seeking and what inspires their happiness.

The second day of the retreat began with a discourse from Shankarji regarding consistency and growth mindsets. Next, Dr. Indira Palekar led a workshop focused on maintaining healthy habits for mental health. This was followed by a unique Hot Ones activity, in which Vivekji and Shankarji engaged in a dialogue about their spiritual journeys while eating cauliflower wings coated in the official Hot Ones sauces. Seekers and guides continued to bond and reflect throughout the day through a soccer match and guided discussion in groups. The day ended with seekers gathering to watch The Matrix.

The final day of the retreat kicked off with a Running from the Mind workshop, where seekers gathered for an early-morning run. Seekers then heard from representatives of Safety of Society, Mentorship Sanga, and Loving Earth communities. The retreat concluded with a discourse from Shankarji about shifting perspective from aggressiveness to quietude, and a beautiful closing ceremony.