Activities at Rishi Chaitanya Ashram

Activities at Rishi Chaitanya Ashram

Rishi Chaitanya Ashram

 Helping people stay healthy, evolve consciously, live joyfully...

Set amidst lush green fields, the sprawling Rishi Chaitanya Ashram, abode of the visionary mystic master Anandmurti Gurumaa, has a utopian ambience - perfect for switching off the outward driven mind. It is a haven for those seeking peace of mind, vibrant solitude, inner evolution, or simply, total wellbeing. Abounding in blooming umbrage, this aesthetically designed sanctum is a perfect place to unwind and take a break from the insane frenzy of the material world. 

It is the energy-field where under the guidance of Anandmurti Gurumaa, aspirants explore the inner world, understand the mechanism of mind and consciously strive to realise their true potential. And so as to facilitate their pursuit, numerous retreats and programs are held round the year, offering a conducive environment for conscious evolution. 

Beautifully landscaped gardens, verdant luxuriant lawns and pretty ponds mark the picturesque beauty of the place. Life-like sculptures of deities are dotted around the campus adding to the spiritual ambience. Above all, it is the invigorating presence of the revered master that makes the entire area reverberate with her vibrant, transcendental energy, suffusing the very air one breathes in.

All the natural delights notwithstanding, the ashram is nevertheless, well equipped with all modern amenities and thus offers clean, well furnished accommodation, nutritious and hygienically cooked food using organically grown local produce.                                         

Anandmurti Gurumaa 

Anandmurti Gurumaa, fondly known as Gurumaa, is an avant garde spiritualist, an enlightened master based in India. A modern day yogi, mystic, Vedantist, poet, rationalist, visionary and metaphysicist, this iconic master is a paradigm of the Sanskrit word ‘Guru’. A rare class of illumined beings who has awakened to the higher reality, she has been relentlessly guiding mankind from the dumps of endless suffering to a way of life that is filled with immeasurable peace, joy and contentment.

An alchemist of the highest order, Gurumaa endeavours to transform ignorant, unconscious individuals into awakened beings with supremely evolved consciousness. Having thoroughly researched the science of involution (inner evolution), she is a highly accomplished metaphysicist, a scientist who has mastered all Vedic sciences including the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ayurveda and Astrology  to name a few. And this knowledge is not mere intellectual comprehension, but it is her firsthand experiential apprehension. 

Her pragmatic teachings are a great source of guidance for innumerable people from all walks of life leading to the clarity of mind, facilitating harmonious living and showing the way to rise above mundane lifestyle. She has extensively spoken on plethora of topics viz. life, mind, meditation, God, love, truth, relationships etc. With her characteristic humility, Anandmurti Gurumaa says, “I have nothing new to offer in terms of words, but much to offer in terms of the essence of truth.”

Yoga

Being an adept yogi, a highly proficient practitioner, Gurumaa is an emphatic proponent of Ashtanga yoga. As she says, ‘You cannot control your mind, if you are not in control of your body.’ Thus she presents yoga in its genuine, original form. 

The way yoga is being projected to the masses today is an appalling travesty, an insult to the great yogis who, figuratively speaking must be turning in their graves at the shocking mockery of this most sacrosanct tradition of the East. Anandmurti Gurumaa explains yoga in depth with asanas (yogic postures) being just one of its limbs and moreover, as she succinctly points out, there is more to it than contorting the body! 

For those keen to learn, understand and practice, residential Intensive Yoga Retreat is held in the Ashram from time to time, offering a yogic way of life to aspirants. In addition, every third week is a residential yoga week in the Ashram whereby beginners as well as advanced practitioners get an opportunity to hone their skill. Skilled practitioners teach various yogasanas in a sequential way, tailoring it to individuals depending upon their body condition and medical ailments. Interested aspirants can also learn yogic cleansing techniques to purify their bodies. 

Health and Healing

A healthy body is indispensable for all pursuits, be it worldly or spiritual. Taking cognizance of this fact, the ashram has a dedicated, full-fledged Panchakarma centre ‘Urja’ that offers a complete range of detoxifying, cleansing, palliating and rejuvenating therapeutic procedures which bring the body to its natural state of good health and well-being. This includes Abhyangam, Shirodhara, Janu Basti, Kati Basti, Nasyam to name a few. Qualified ayurvedacharyas inspect, diagnose and treat all sorts of ailments. In addition, Homeopathic consultation can also be availed of in the ashram. 

Retreats & Workshops

Several retreats are held in the Ashram throughout the year viz meditation retreats, yogasana retreats for both beginners and the more experienced ones wanting to hone this art, shatkarma retreats for authentic yogic cleansing, special retreats for seekers living abroad, youth retreats for mentoring and inspiring youngsters to actuate their potential to the fullest. Besides participating in these diverse retreats, sincere aspirants can also choose to enrol for a silent retreat, spanning 21days, under the guidance of Anandmurti Gurumaa. In addition, from time to time, ad hoc workshops are held on astrology, yoga and ayurveda for select enthusiasts. 

Meditation retreats are that time of the year when seekers from all around the world get an opportunity to learn various techniques of preparatory and advanced meditation practices from the master. And these are supplemented with live discourses which are generally theme based covering all aspects of spirituality and inner growth. These are usually five-day residential retreats mainly conducted in the Ashram and other parts of the world, with the exception of ‘Ananda Utsav’ which is a three-day non-residential retreat held globally.

Vedic & Astrology Studies

Vedanta is knowledge of the absolute truth. It is the cardinal, the ultimate aspect of Vedas. It deals with analysis and understanding of the profound, abstruse truisms declared therein. The revered master Anandmurti Gurumaa has lived and breathed the cryptic Vedantic aphorisms, having reached the pinnacle of the ultimate glory by actually realising the truisms declared therein. It is from this direct experience and understanding that she has simplified the essential message of Vedanta, making it easier for seekers to comprehend, assimilate and evolve. Her insightful exposition series on various scriptures viz Bhagavad Gita, Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s classic Advaita (non-dualist) Vedantic philosophy – Atma-Shatakam held from time to time offer an opportunity whereby students, seekers and aspirants get to do in-depth study of this ancient treasure trove of knowledge and imbibe its essence.

Astrology, an important part of Veda, is a profound science of planets influencing life in every way. In ancient times it was imperative for a seeker to have a thorough knowledge of astrology prior to Vedic studies, for it is considered to be ‘the eye of Veda’. So as to illuminate the lives of aspirants with this wisdom, the in-depth knowledge of astrology is imparted through a well-structured course wherein students are taught directly from ancient scriptures. This includes both didactic lessons and practical sessions where a student learns how to read, analyse and interpret charts appropriately and correctly.  

Shakti

 Being the compassionate Philanthropist that she is, Anandmurti Gurumaa actively spearheads a noble endeavour called Mission Shakti which is aimed at empowering girls and women and combating the heinous practice of female foeticide which is shamefully still rampant in India. Since its inception in 1999 under the aegis of Anandmurti Gurumaa, Shakti has been empowering under-privileged girls by giving them scholarships to complete their education up to 12th standard. 

These girls are the daughters of handicapped parents, divorcee mothers and widows, who are not able to afford their education. Wherever, needed, financial aid is extended to those who want to pursue higher education or a professional career. Further, through its vocational training institutes called Shakti Udaan in Kaithal, Gurgaon, Mumbai and Kanpur, Shakti has been offering learning opportunities to girls from deprived families so as to make them self-reliant and independent. So far, more than 20,000 underprivileged girls have been educated and empowered through Shakti.

Humanitarian Initiatives

Blood Sharing Camps

 ‘We don’t own anything. Everything belongs to the almighty. Hence, nobody can donate anything to anyone. We can only share what the Lord has given us’, says Anandmurti Gurumaa. And thus regular camps are held throughout the year wherein hundreds of people volunteer to share their blood. These camps are organised in association with Delhi Red Cross Society.

Free Dental Check-Up Camps

Understanding the importance of good dental health, free dental check-up camp is held so as to offer oral health care to the neighbouring villagers who lack access to such facilities due to remote area. Oral health services offered during the camp include dental check-up, tooth extraction, scaling, fillings to treat cavities, x-ray, laser treatment etc. People are taught simple ways of maintaining good dental hygiene, offered guidance about food intake so as to prevent dental disorders, and provided with the required medicines free of cost.

Free Women Health Check-Up and Awareness Camps

Considering the large population of underprivileged or deprived women folk in the neighbouring areas, revered master Anandmurti Gurumaa takes a very keen interest in their welfare. Thus, periodically, camps are held wherein scores of women are given free health check up. Besides basic health parameters like blood pressure, special tests are carried out to screen for cancers of the cervix. Women are also taught how to examine their bodies for any suspicious lumps. 

Rehabilitation Initiatives

These run on an ad hoc basis providing much needed food, shelter and medicine relief for the victims of natural disasters like the ones that took place in Leh and Uttarakhand. Besides, monetary aid was given as relief fund for victims of earthquake hit Gujarat and flood hit areas of Leh.

Rishi Chaitanya Ashram " Be Good, Do Good, Think good"