From July 8-10 2022, 50 CHYKs and CHSKs gathered at Chinmayam (Silver Spring, MD) to reconnect with the Chinmaya Community, guided by Vivekji and Shankarji. The Sanga: Gather, Give, Grow! Retreat was one of the first in-person retreat since the covid pandemic began. Vivekji sensed the anxiety in the air and encouraged seekers to be vulnerable with each other. That night, the group watched A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which shared that any human experience is mentionable and anything that is mentionable is manageable. On the second day, Shankarji shared a framework for self development, grounded in introspection (into who I am), vision (for who I want to be), faith (in ourselves and God), prioritization (of daily self development), and acceptance (of results).

Vivekji followed by sharing that when we are committed to self development, we feel grateful for all life has given us. Gratitude prompts us to give back to life, which grows our Joy. On the last day, Shankarji emphasized the importance of incremental change in self development, and humility, integrity, and competence in giving back to society through activism. Peppered throughout the retreat were small group discussions, where seekers shared their most meaningful experiences in life with each other.

There were also vibrant Q/A sessions with Vivekji and Shankarji, where no topics were off limits, including gender identity, romantic relationships, and abortion. Seekers left the retreat feeling grateful for the community gathering, intentional about giving back, and confident about their growth towards independent joy.