by Juhi Kotwani
The Chinmaya Yuva Kendra group was created to promote reflection among youth through weekly online classes such as Seeking Culture. The 2023 Chinmaya Mission Seeking Culture Retreat marked the first annual Cleveland CHYK retreat for young adults to come together as a community to learn more about themselves and connect in person. In under 48 hours the retreaters learned about the true meaning of joy, the importance of purposeful action, how to align personal goals with the greater good, and set parameters to go from “knowing” to “doing.” This transformative experience was filled with insights from Vivekji and Shankarji, meditation sessions, discourse and dialogue. The guides followed the Jeevan Sutrani, using our scriptures to provide a purposeful path to reveal our true nature and our sacred goals.
On Friday, the retreat commenced with an opening ceremony in which the CHYKs were introduced to the idea of seeking culture, which was followed by a question-answer session led by Shankarji based on the Jeevan Sutrani. Shortly after, the retreaters were able to speak with like-minded individuals in discussion groups where they answered prompts regarding past misconceptions, present notions and future implementations of joy. The next day, participants of this retreat were able to attend the Developing Software – Installing Balance workshop to learn how to architect productivity. Next, the young adults played a game of soccer and implemented their learnings about seva by giving back to the community and painting the ashram. These physical activities helped push the retreaters outside of their comfort zone and learn to mentally exercise their concentration. Vivekji and Shankarji emphasized the importance of having a higher purpose for completing tasks.
In order to embrace peace, it is imperative to act in the present and prepare for the future. In order to truly internalize these teachings, the CHYKs received frames to practice the art of glass painting. Each of them made a personal representation of what the past 24 hours had meant to them to highlight some of their key takeaways from that experience. Sunday consisted of meditation, the last discourse, and the closing ceremony which concluded the weekend. One unique aspect of CHYK retreats is the beginning of every day with mauna (silence). Rather than starting the day off with a busy mind full of racing thoughts, the young adults are allowed to slow down and introspect on what they have learned and apply this to their daily lives. Ultimately, this retreat allowed youth from around the world to remain ambitious while aspiring to make an impact for the greater good.
