Warm smiles welcomed the fifth batch of the Niyathi Commune through the wooden gates of Cuckoo on a cold February evening. “Hello, Your Name?” was constantly heard amongst the group of participants. A sense of joy, connection, and excitement filled the air. The land had already begun a dialogue with each person who had a quest to explore themselves deeper. The rhythmic sound of claps in the opening session, mentored by Arunima Shankar from Akarmaa, broke the barriers by sharing stories and experiences of participants. The session became a foundation for the bonds that were built over the next few days. As the stars peeped out of the sky, ‘Shuddhi’ Swathi provided holistic insights about the relationship between how we consume food and way it reacts in our system. Though the practical part of having the bowl of sundal mindfully tested the patience of participants, It did fill the stomach and prepared them for a good night’s sleep.
The vibration of the gong that echoed in the mountains woke everyone the next morning with conscious smiles. The dome prepared the participants to write their thoughts out, followed by a barefoot slow walk, taking in the sunrise slowly. The silence spoke out loud to everyone, inducing numerous thoughts in them, giving an experience of presence and belongingness with the land. As one consciously looked into the hand mirror as directed, the insecurities in everyone were washed away and sowed the seeds of self-love amongst all. ‘Nurpu’ Sivaguru briefed the participants on the need for the younger generation to buy from a local weaver and wear a handloom at least once a week, with practical, holistic reasoning. As everyone tried their hands at one small part of the process of fabric making, through ‘charka’ spinning, the patience and practice required to handloom a fabric were learnt practically.
‘Motherway’ Gowthami shared her decades of learning on various experiments that she has conducted on herself, on the need to consciously clean the system both internally and externally. The same was demonstrated and tried out by participants. ‘Siragu’ Uma Venkatachalam, a leading educationalist who never wanted to be a teacher, shared the essence of her life, starting her trust with thirty rupees when she was ten years old and its evolution to a multi-crore institution. However, to date she has a count on only five dresses in her wardrobe, living by her message. A documentary expressing the nuances of the relationship between humans and nature, which was shot for more than ten years, was screened under the blanket of stars. As the Gong broke the silence of the starry night again, the next morning there was a magical ‘Venus’ star gracing the land, which served as a grounding anchor for the day. Dome was prepared for the musical invocation by Bindu Malini, which created an aura of magic in each one present. An experience of Maya frozen in time and space.
Later during the day, Padmashree Subburaman of SCOPE shared his experiences of his life stories and his journey in creating a waterless eco-san toilet, inspiring many to understand waste as a ‘resource’ and ways to nurture it. As the orange hues of dusk painted the sky, Seetha Lakshmi shared her passionate work towards traditional food, native seeds and the need to protect them. She was bombarded with questions from participants throughout the night. By dawn, Devdos Gandhi, a living example of consistency and self, shared a few of his daily practices that have kept him healthy for more than half a century. His conduct and physical appearance were lessons without words. Later, as we sat on the rocks along the stream, Kuthambakkam R Elango injected the dynamic motivation through his life stories among the participants. The session inspired every individual to rethink themselves and progress for the betterment of society. A walk around the mountain with no phone and money definitely opened up new thought processes, as they defied their own boundaries.
Closing circle witnessed participants share their experiences through tears and smiles.
Our heartfelt thanks to Saran Muthu, Kausik Srestaluri, Vimal Vimal, and Gokul Raj for freezing these moments. Our mentors for instilling hope in all participants Nurpu Handloom School, SUYAM SCOPE, Trichy, MotherWay.
