The Hidden Me - A Workshop on Exploring Writing and Oneself

Twenty-two people from all over India - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ujjain, Chennai, Coimbatore,

Bangalore (and of course, Pondicherry!) came forward to attend The Hidden Me Workshop, held from 29th

November to 1st December 2013 at Pondicherry. The entire programme brought with it a plethora of unique

experiences, a journey through “The Road Not Taken”, a space to explore, a medium to connect, a sway of

thoughts and an ocean of words!

Day 1

We began with a few moments of silence. The participants were enthusiastic to welcome the man of ever-

flowing wisdom and a great sense of humour – Vijay bhai! He engaged the participants in the very first

exercise that made them plunge into their hidden selves – complete in no more than ten words “I am

_____”.

The responses led to some thought-provoking

question from him and the participants found

themselves enjoying his maze of mysteries

instantly! Soon after was the tea break, but as

per Harvinder's instructions, the participants

were not allowed to exchange facts about their

lives just yet .Their designation, their

backgrounds, the price of their pretty clothes –

these natural questions were to be left aside for

the time being. They were instead asked to

connect at a deeper level, a level beyond the

usual rendezvous!

After a refreshing drink of a rather unique mixture of lemon & ginger - just what one would crave for on a

sleepy rainy day - everyone was asked to spontaneously write down answers to some questions pertaining

to their life and inner self (now that is something which definitely requires a timer!), which needn’t be

shared (Thank God!).

Soon after, the participants had to draw or paint something

that symbolizes them, and then pick up one representation

other than their own. They were asked to interpret the

drawing they picked, and try to assess what kind of a

person the artist of that drawing must be. The drawing bit

brought out tremendous creativity, even among those who

hadn't drawn a single line in life before And when it was

time to share interpretations, we got to hear some lovely

words, proving how perceptions of two individuals are so

different from each other!One participant chose a drawing

of the face of a woman, saying she was drawn to it because

it signified Shakti to her. She believed the owner of this work is someone who is truly proud of her

womanhood, and is a good daughter, a good wife and a good mother. The owner, a volunteer in her early

twenties, however, simply thanked the lady for her interpretation which wasn't exactly what she had in

mind when she drew it!

Post lunch, our participants watched a video on nature and its bounties, and had to immediately write what

they soaked in from the awe-inspiring visuals. This was followed by an inspiring talk on ‘Who am I?’ by Alok

da, kindling a thinking spark in everyone’s minds.

During the tea break, carefully-folded, sparkly-but-small invitations to the evening mehfil were handed out

to everybody. To honour the traditional and artistic setting that included candles, incense, diyas, flowers,

and music, everyone was asked to dress in white and sport flowers on them. The parcel that contained

interesting questions like “What makes you most uncomfortable, or any incident in your life that you would

like to forget, but can’t?” aroused an air of curiosity to unfold and uncover the mischievous tasks that might

be hidden in those chits! The man behind the lens, Bharat, drew a blank chit which meant anyone could ask

him a question of their choice and people just couldn’t resist aiming the darts at him! It was a delight to see

him answering them patiently.

Day 2

An aura of a fresh day brimming with excitement brought in surprises. It was a day of finding the hidden me

in outings!

Believe it or not, the workshop did begin in the van, with the participants noting down what sights, sounds

and smell caught their attention along the way. The notorious group of ‘amazing singers’ (mostly the

volunteer-organisers!) succumbed to the good weather on a cloudy Saturday and entertained the people up

front with foot-tapping Bollywood numbers!

As we reached the vicinity of the lake, people began to take snapshots of the serene eye-capturing view of

the over bridge, the lonely island far up, the coffee shops up close and what not! An activity was planned at

this spot too; people got busy writing about the lake and its flushing backwaters. The participants lost

themselves to another world as they were led through the exercise and busied writing their impressions in

their notebooks. As the coast was clear, some of the organizer-brats did indeed sneak out to find out what

was in the menu at the nearby Amma’s stall! And to our delight, it was ‘mangai’ (sour mangoes) topped

with a peculiar looking chili powder, probably to beat the chill outside. By the time we stepped back from

our little retreat, everyone was already boarding the two passenger boats; the little chips packets we hid

inside our bags caught the attention of people

who immediately rushed to get their fill before

gliding off.

The journey continued at varied levels, and

everyone mounted the boat ready for a lake

‘darshan’. We reached a lonely island spotted with

humungous trees. Storks in pink and white

perched all around, and black crows dotted the

grassland. Just as we were ready to go back, one

of the boats refused to start up. The stalling of the

engine lent hope to those of us who wanted to

wander the island, but in a few moments the boat revved its way back to the shore.

Next stop was the organic farming site, Matrikunj. We were greeted at the entrance by the wagging tails,

slurping tongues and flapping ears of Johnny Gaddhar and his equally friendly canine sentries! All of us were

offered two refreshing drinks, of the Aparajitha flower, and Kombucha. The latter evoked an interesting

response from everyone, especially Harvinder, who couldn’t stop laughing! Baburam bhaiya welcomed the

‘explorers’ and meticulously briefed them about the exquisite plantations and the ayurvedic effects of

certain herbal trees there. The particpants noticed that below each plant, an inverted earthen pot was

marked with the plant’s scientific name. Every participant was asked to bring back with them a leaf from any

plant that they truly liked, for an introspective activity later.

We then landed at ‘Sharanam’ and assembled for a lunch of fresh hot

Chapaatis, Achaar, Sabzi and Veg Biryani (yumm…) at a typical ‘homely’

ambience, with mats spread across the ground. A sharing session was

then initiated to talk about the experiences felt at the lake and the farm.

Next was the “blindfolded” walk, wherein you and your partner were to

walk hand-in-hand (Oops! that was against the rules!) and feel the shrubs

around, the ground beneath and the obstacles ahead and later you walk

back, switching roles (payback time!). The exercise had a very powerful

impact on the participants, and many saw with closed eyes, what they

never did with open ones.

Then after some herbal tea, as dusk fell, we had to go back with some

‘homework’ to do. Long live the teacher’s instincts in our facilitator!

Day 3

Our last day began with ‘Talk the Walk’. Here the participants were divided into groups and each group was

asked to take a fifteen minute walk in absolute silence observing every single detail, be it subtle or specific

or colossal.

When the groups returned they wrote their experience and shared them, some very interesting stories

surfaced. How people walked along the same road and observed some similar and some very different

things. Some of the unexpected anecdotes that emerged from the brief walk could have spiced a Bollywood

script!

After a very stimulating juice break (the same mix of Lemon – Ginger, hmm.. probably signifying the ‘Life’s

Good’ or LG effect), participants were blindfolded, as their next activity was to absorb a piece of music for a

while, extract the energy from it and to immediately put it down freely on paper, and soon, its outcome was

reflected in the interesting responses from the listeners.

For the afternoon session, people were asked to wear something ‘different’ which is not a part of their usual

attire. Some of us were out of backup and so chose to wear our garments inside out (the punk shaggy

style!) but the rest decided to get into a major shopping spree! No fear when Sunday market is here! Post

’the last lunch’ together, it was time to trigger the sensory agents! Participants were taken through a

journey of listening (to rhythmic as well as ‘cacophonic’ instruments), smell, and touch games. After

concentrating on each object for a minute, they were to observe the impact the stimulus of the sound or

smell or texture had on them. And such startling explanations and analogies! The sound of pigeons chirping

emanating from a jingling of bangles, the sound of heavy footsteps associated with a mere pencil scribbling,

the sweet tunes of a flute playing at a distance, which they expressed, had taken them to a mountain top.

Somebody mentioned that the smell coming out of a small bottle actually resembled a familiar odour of the

anaesthetics ward in hospitals! Another participant indicated that the touch of a velvet cloth reminded her

of the clothed seats in an Indian railway boogie.

The remaining hours before tea were dedicated to a

different exploration. Gosh, here come the blindfolds

again, (however, with a mildly different purpose)! The

blindfolded participants were asked to dance freely to the

changing music being played at the background. It was a

pretty Herculean task for youngsters to dance that way (as

we would often prefer to look around and get groovy!) but

it clearly showed how threads of music could do the barrel

roll and tighten (or loosen) the ‘heavy duty’ nuts and bolts

fixed onto you! They would then be asked to ‘freeze’ and

observe the physical sensation along with the emotional and mental space.

On ‘awakening’ the taste buds to a tempting spicy ‘Dhabeli’ and biscuits with tea, it was time to share and

narrate the thrilling journey each of us had taken over the past 3 days and now the participants were asked

to share the ‘facts’ their work, their place, their roles... Pleasant and memorable moments, captured on

camera (Thanks to our media expert Bharat!) were showcased in a slideshow of snapshots. It made

everyone feel that it is just not about time to bid goodbye, but with a hope deep inside to stay in touch!

- Report by Sathya Bala (with many thanks to Shubhra for her valuable inputs!)

Photo album

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151957904728673.1073741829.504968672&type=1&l=d

a9a17e2cd

Video

PARTICIPANTS’ FEEDBACK

“On the whole, the most lasting thing will be meeting everyone, with their stories and

their thoughts and interpretations, and the fact that we could share everything

TOGETHER. I felt a kind of bond with all… The workshop was wonderful - albeit short but

then these things can be as long as one wants.”

- Bina Bhagat, Mumbai

“One of the things that I would like to take back from these three days, or pursue

deeper in the days to come, would definitely be the Mind and the end of it! Living, in

the moment, steeped in experiences; the impact of projections and the power of

being totally in the moment! ... The trip to the lake – (brought out) memories as

alive and as placid as the water of the lake. I ventured, gave myself permission,

yielded to the call of the soul and the call of the waters - to just be there and watch

those little islands and the birds perched on the tufts of grass.”

- Nalini S, Coimbatore

“I was honestly worried that I might have to work very hard during the workshop. But

I love the fact that from the first moment itself, the workshop was fun. The topic is

serious but one does not need to take everything seriously. That was the beauty of the

workshop - enabling us find ourselves or simply planting the seed in such a simple way

with love, careful planning, wholehearted efforts and loads of good humor… In the

days to come, I would love to and need to attend myself to be more connected to,

more aware of my surroundings in a very simple way. I need to continue absorbing

from every experience and be in the moment.”

- Shalini Amin Sheth, Mumbai

“This is the first time I ever attended a workshop. My experience of the workshop was

great – very interesting. Discovered a lot of things hidden deep inside me…

Met some very beautiful people from different walks of life, and it was great to connect

with them in these last three days.”

- Sadhana Mehan, Chandigarh

“The workshop, no doubt, was abundant food for thought. I am going to carry every

moment of it!! ... Perceptual sensitivity is something that I would like to take back

from these three days, which will help me live qualitatively more aware of myself and

the surroundings.”

- Dr. Sukhada Chimote, Mumbai

“Amazing.. awesome.. I don’t have words to express… totally speechless… when I was

coming, that time there were lots of spiritual questions running in my mind but now

I’m thoughtless.”

- Darshana Richariya, Ujjain , M.P.

- “Every session had an impact on me. Maybe because I came with an open mind like a jolly child or due to Her Grace...

- The video made me wonder at the majestic power of the mountains and glaciers.

- The second river (back waters) made me realize the unstoppable.

- The music made me touch the heights and depths of my own self.

- The blind walk made me feel the concrete presence of the Divine Mother…

- Something that I would like to pursue in the days to come is to “let go” of everything and to start a new life again. I would like to continue to listen to the nature and music and express it in writing at least once a week… May I suggest that we probably have advanced courses instead and have a course for 10 or 20 days?”

- Akhila, Pondicherry

"I have made some friends, both from participants and volunteers. I have felt the energy and inspiration

among people I met there. I am eagerly waiting for the list of email ids so I can connect with them over the

long term, and we support each other in every which way. I will definitely continue to

pursue writing.

The three things I am taking from the workshop are:

1. Inspiration and love from some people I met there.

2. A forum to connect and share knowledge, experiences and writing.

3. I am going to start spending time on the Society’s website and get to learn what all

happens there."

Nachiket Kulkarni, Chennai

“The minute I entered the room and caught the view of the sea I fell flat for Pondy…

The trust game was very touching and it affected me the most, though I have done it

before – this time it was more significant … In future, I would like to go on those

awareness walks by myself, thinking and uniting (with those) I have been out of

touch with.”

- Surekha Nair, Coimbatore

“I came to Pondy just to breathe the scent of the Mother in its air, in its gardens

where she has sown seeds of beautiful flowers – the seeds of Enlightenment

through education, she chose some lovely people to help others explore and

awaken… It has given a new spark to my interest in writing. In future, I will start

doing that frequently... The sessions where we were blindfolded or asked to close

our eyes affected me the most, as they really opened our eyes to the ‘Hidden Me’.

- Arvind Mehan, Chandigarh

“It was a journey together and alone; an exciting, interesting journey. Starting from

the speech we had at the beginning till the final reflections we had, it inspired me

and embraced me to the core… The visit to the lake impressed me the most. It

brought up some very deep feelings and made me write a beautiful script.”

- Sandhya Ganapathy, Bangalore

“I came, as it was the will of the Divine that I be here; as I have something to

learn from this workshop. I leave with a very light feeling of having been a part of

something, but also detached from it… I shall certainly be wanting to come again

as I know I will only go back richer in awareness of myself… I enjoyed watching

the first video – as I found it very powerful – The grandeur of the mountains and

the power – made me feel small – but my soul felt the connection to the majesty

– It seemed to be an analogy for life itself.”

- Prema Anand Rao, Coimbatore

“I don’t know when and how one connected to Pondicherry… it’s difficult, almost

impossible to explain in words. Who knows how far one will go in this journey, but

a beginning had to be made… I take back how you can be with everyone and yet be

with oneself.”

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- Madhurima Dixit, Delhi

“The workshop was meticulously planned and not a second was wasted by the

entire team. Each day was eagerly awaited wanting to know more, learn more

and explore more… The ‘mehfil’ brought us all closer to each other, we

connected as people, our challenges, trials, tribulations and triumphs once again

entrenched our faith in the fact that the human spirit is indomitable.”

- Savita Khanna, Delhi

“Rife with expectations I arrived a couple of days earlier. I met my friends, finished

shopping and readied myself for lots of writing and intense brainstorming session,

meeting new and budding writers. I was greeted by a medley of folk from all walks of

life but writers... I would definitely like to integrate conscious walks and conscious

sounds into my daily life. Both these exercises overwhelmed my senses and I will also

teach them to my family members. I might also introduce them to my students.”

- Kamalini Natesan, Bangalore

“This time here has been a discovery of a few layers of not only in me but in others

as well. The workshop was a much needed push – in the direction of self-evaluation

– A jolt from sleep walking through life. I have been inspired to make changes, in

myself, my contribution to the world around me and life as I see it.”

- Aishwarya Rao, Coimbatore

“De freezing started in a non-traditional manner, things were great. As it was an inside

out exercise, unfolding took place gradually, like flowers, which to bloom and to give

fragrance take time.”

- Ranjit Bhattacharjee, Kolkata

“The workshop was an insightful experience. I landed one day before the workshop and

was quite anxious as to what will happen? How will it go? ... Luckily, my doubts were

put to rest next morning when I reached the workshop and our first instruction was not

to share our positions, designations etc. I felt free. Free of the burden and tag I was

carrying of behaving and living up to expectations. I could be me. I felt like a child,

curious and humble… I loved when were blindfolded and had to absorb music and

dance to it. Initially I was dancing with my body – and then suddenly - my emotions –

my heart started speaking to me.”

- Chetna Dua, Delhi

“I have learnt from my experiences of attending workshops here, the learning that

happens has a lot to do in the non-directed areas. I learnt the power of a true

facilitator… Thank you Harvinder! I was amazed to see the ease with which you are

able to step back and allow things to evolve, with minimal direct support from you.

As a teacher it’s a great learning for me, how you make each person feel

acknowledged and truly appreciated for what they are. Your comments and

appreciations are true, honest and delightful. Pondy is homecoming to me. To come

and experience the abundance of Grace and Presence… Through the workshop I also realize how the daily

‘mundane’ activities hold the key to enchanting and enriching experiences.”

- Chitra Rajendran, Coimbatore

Through this workshop I tried to understand the hidden aspects of myself. I don’t

know if I have found the answer to Vijay bhai’s initial question “Who am I?” but

definitely, some tensions dispersed and I felt good. There seemed to be a sense of

belonging. I learnt a lot by being so close to Nature… I want to thank everyone

from the depths of my heart.

- Geeta Saharia, Jhansi, U.P.