April 4-12, Shabad-Surat-Sangam Ashram, Malke. Almost everyone must have come across the old sayings: “human body is a temple of divine” and “a sound mind lives in a healthy body”. Obviously, it is only in this human body that we can perceive and pursue the spiritual path, which leads to ultimate pleasure and power. However, this body is a highly complex structure divided into three broad levels: physical, subtle and causal. Normally, we deal with only physical because rest two are too obscure to handle. This dealing with physical itself is so limited and imperfect that we are not able to keep it in proper shape. Nevertheless, if we befriend and comprehend this physical body properly, it will be possible to access the other two successively. This is the basis of spirituality because beyond these lies the access to Holy Spirit or universal consciousness. No wonder, Maharishi Patanjali has listed diseases, in his Yog-Sutras, as the foremost obstacle on spiritual path. Therefore, it becomes prime duty of any spiritual aspirant to keep the body hale and hearty.
At the same time, one must remember that physical body is not everything and goal is much bigger than just keeping it in the pink. Moreover, it is not possible to keep the physical healthy without understanding its subtleties, or else, all the medical practitioners would have been able to stay in good physical shape. Even subtle sciences such as yoga are focused more on physical these days and as a result, yoga practitioners are caught with diseases and maladies.
Recognizing this fact and its significance in spiritual growth, we started a special program at Shabad Surat Sangam Ashram almost five years back with the name Body-Mind shaping camp. Every year, 50 to 60 people who are obese and diseased participate in this camp. In fact, the eligibility to join this camp is to be out of shape. J From the very first day, all the practitioners are forbidden to take medicine even insulin and steroids but regular medical checkups are conducted to keep track of their condition. By divine grace, there had always been improvement without any exception. In every camp, average weight loss was more than 6 kilograms and in fact, people reduced up to 10 plus kilos just in 8-9 days.
After the camp, a 40 days follow up course is given to the participants and afterwards they are supposed to devote just 45 minutes every day doing the recommended kriyas. Besides, there is a recommended schedule for diet too but no restriction of any kind. Participants are allowed to take two full meals and two snacks. They can also drink milk and take juices-fruits etc. many times, so, there is no deprivation of any kind once the system reaches an optimum level. In fact, just by following the recommended schedule and doing the exercise, even diabetic persons are able to eat sweet and still maintain the normal sugar level without medicine.
A brief report of the latest camp can be downloaded here While photos of the camp can be viewed here
Feedback from Participants:
Savita from Sirhind repeated the camp 4th time just because she could do away with insulin and so many other medicines, which she was taking for more than a decade, after attending the camp first time itself. In fact, this time we had decided to take only overweight people, so she put on 3 kilos just to gain the eligibility for the camp. Otherwise, she is maintaining a very healthy and active life and not taking any medicine. She says, “Just nine days of hard work allow me to enjoy the whole year, what more could I wish for”.
Harmandeep from Chandigarh had multiple problems and few very severe one including asthama, muscular disorder, chronic constipation and more. He had brought inhaler and nebulizer as a precaution. However, he never had any problem with breathing even though he was right in the middle of wheat fields. He was not able to sit on floor due to a muscle injury he had few years back and no treatment had helped him thus far but here he was able to sit for 8-10 long hours (in shifts) without any pain. Similarly, all other problems were relieved to great extent.
Muneesha from Moga used to be a fitness freak who devoted 3-4 hours in gym every day and preferred taking artificial food (supplements, vitamins etc.) to regular diet. Nevertheless, this drained her completely and she had no energy left for any other work. Besides, she was obsessed about calorie count and spent more time and attention in analyzing the caloric value of food than its taste and flavor. After just three days in camp, she was able to recognize the myth about calorie and renounce it forever. Now, she enjoys her food and maintains good health without any supplement or medicine.
In fact, every participant had so much to say because it was all so new and incredible. Many of them had taken so many slimming course but the results here were just overwhelming. There were three doctors amongst participants and initially the whole process seemed so imprudent to them. However, in a few days they were grumbling about the misconceptions and limitations of medical science. Finally, they all left with a firm believe that “Man does not live by bread alone”.