Senior citizens are the worst affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Majority of them were facing numerous challenges due to changing societal and family structure. The pandemic has left them more vulnerable and added to their loneliness as they became wary of stepping out.
However, where there are challenges there are rays of hopes. Heavenly Palace a senior citizen home invited His Holiness Swami Advaitananda, Chairman, International Meditation Foundation, who has devised transformative yogic techniques to help senior citizens overcome these challenges and fear and live a joyful life.
“We feel so delighted and encouraged to see the transformational change in the lives of senior citizens here,” said Anil Kumar Monga, Chairman, Dream and Beauty Charitable Trust.
Monga said the meditation camp organised at the Heavenly Palace under the guidance of His Holiness Swami Advaitananda ji has transformed the situation of fear and insecurity into peace and joy. “They were given lessons on the art of living,” he added.
Nearly 600 people, who were living in the grip of Corona pandemic fear, participated in the meditation camp organised at Heavenly Palace in Ludhiana recently.
Monga informed that the transformative techniques devised by His Holiness Swami Advaitananda ji would be propagated across the country as well as in other parts of the world to ensure that the benefits reach to the maximum number of people.
“We have developed learning material and we are rolling out the same in the form of an app in collaboration with the International Meditation Foundation. This app will have a lot of transformative techniques to help senior citizen live life joyfully. It will be free for all,” Monga added.
Explaining about the transformative techniques Anil K. Monga said: “The methodology which we used is in four steps - 1. Pure Body 2. Pure Mind 3. Beyond Body, and 4. Beyond Mind.”
“During the course wefacilitated a variety of meditations for every type of senior citizen including methods that are active and passive, traditional and revolutionary, and in particular, the yogic secrets which are not known to the world and are extremely effective for senior citizens,” he said.
“Our goal is to facilitate an environment of meditation which can help senior citizens live their life happily and joyfully. Not only this. Our techniques enrich them spiritually, and them help in choosing the next life,” Swami Advaitananda said.
His Holiness Swami Advaitananda is a social reformer and environmentalist. His recommendations with Anil K. Monga have led to transformative policy action in the field of education reform and environmental protection. On their recommendations the government has included practical moral education in the
National Education Policy 2020 and implemented one-tree-one-child policy in order to create awareness about the importance of tree among the students and promote plantation.
Meditation sessions spearheaded by His Holiness Swami Advaitananda have brought transformational change in the lives of thousands of people. “After attending Swamiji’s mediation my life is totally changed. I am feeling joyful and youthful,” said 93-year old Sunder Prakash Chopra, a British citizen, resident at Heavenly Palace, Ludhiana.
Chopra shared an interesting story of transformation. “During the camp there was a session called emotional release session. In that session Swamiji asked me to hug a person whom I hated a lot. Now you can’t believe it, I have started loving him. I don’t know how that transformation happened, but it has happened. And it has become possible because of Swamiji,” Chopra said.
For Squadron Leader Devraj Sharma meditation has become a new way of life after attending the meditation camp. “We are very lucky to learn from such a great master directly. Swamiji has taught us that mediation is a celebration. It has become a new way of life for me and several other residents whom I know have benefited by attending the session,” Sharma said.
Anjana Pabby from Delhi has got new meanings in life. She has started living a life centered around Yoga, meditation and spirituality. “After attending Swamiji’s meditation my life has become joyful. Now I have early morning Yoga, then morning meditation then afternoon meditation and then evening Satsang celebration. It’s full of joy,” she said.
“The meditation programme has brought a transformation in my life. The stress is gone and the life is much more peaceful and centered,” said Anand Swarup Maini, an American national living in Heavenly Palace. “I hope to continue practicing it for the rest of my life and also spread it to as many people as I can,” he added.
Age is no bar to help others. Nine senior citizens became meditation teachers and now they facilitate meditations in Heavenly Palace to their fellow residents
(With inputs from agencies)