All posts filed under: Announcements

Supporting Spiritual Retreats – An Announcement

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Indic Academy seeks to bring about a global renaissance based on Indic Civilisational thought. Through it’s Center for Spirituality, IA aims to bring authenticity, structure and completeness to the global spiritual landscape, through courses for beginners, intermediate and advanced level of seekers. These courses are meant to train them to become Life/Executive Coaches, Acharyas and Gurus in the field of Yoga and Vedanta. Apart from courses, CS also seeks to conduct authentic, immersive and transformative retreats in collaboration with other like minded organisations, teachers, Acharyas and Gurus. As a part of this initiative, IA is pleased to announce a new scheme of grants for retreats that have the following features: Yoga Retreats that incorporate teaching of Yogasutras, Mantras and spoken Sanskrit Spiritual Retreats that are text based or centred around the concepts of Vedanta Applications consisting of the background of the teacher, Acharyas, Gurus or institutions, budget and other details regarding the retreat can be sent to namaste@indica.org.in. The scheme would include support of upto INR. 50,000 and can be customized based on the merits …

Dialogues from the Brhadāranyaka Upanishad: A Spiritual Retreat

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The word “Upanishad” means that which eliminates all that is most undesirable in one’s life — namely fear and sorrow — and leads the spiritual aspirant to the knowledge of oneself as pūrṇa, whole and free of strife and limitations. The teaching in the Upanishad is always presented in the form of a special dialogue between the guru and the śiṣya known as saṃvāda, where the student listens to the teacher with utmost reverence. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad is one of the most important of the texts in the genre of Hindu spiritual literature. It is a treatise on Ātman and includes many interesting narratives enunciating various aspects of Vedānta philosophy. In this 5-days retreat being organized by Indica Moksha, the participants will study in depth the Yājñavalkya-Maitreyi Sāmvāda- a special dialogue between the celebrated sages Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi, which expounds the truth of the self as limitlessly whole and joyous. Presented within the larger backdrop of āśrama-dharma (duties at various stages in one’s life), this timeless dialogue highlights important facets of love, Dāmpatya (marriage), and …

Announcing Indica Yatra – A New Platform

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Bharat is the land of “thirthayatras” and “sthalapuranas” with each holy location attracting visitors from all over the country, seeking divine blessings and expressing gratitude for a desire fulfilled. Behind every Yatra, there is a legend, a story of devotion, of evil forces overcome by the righteous, of Dharma prevailing over Adharma. Devotees undertake these Yatras, for fulfilling their vows and during or as a part of the Yatra, stoically experience penances, with an inner strength and resolve derived from deep devotion. These Yatras have culturally defined the sacred geography of our land much before 1947. Indic Academy (Indica) is pleased to announce the launch of a new platform “INDICA YATRA”, dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting such tours and experiences by  Organising Conferences, Festivals, Workshops Nurturing a network of academics, story tellers, guides, tour operators, film makers, activists and artists Advocating policy interventions Promoting research in the history of all Yatras, locations and legends Publishing travel guides, apps and coffee table books Curating and promoting thematic Tours Collaborating with other like minded organisations Towards …

Announcing Our New Consulting Editors

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IndicToday is pleased to welcome Surendranath Chandranath, Aparna M Sridhar and Nithin Sridhar on-board as consulting editors. Surendranath Chandranath is a columnist and speaker on various topics relating to India’s History and specifically the traditional knowledge systems. Surendranath has run workshops on the 6 vedangas, written on issues of cultural encounters that India has had in the past several centuries. He is a rasika of Carnatic music and folks art forms like therukoothu. He has also received basic training in Vedic chanting and is an avid student of ritualism across cultures. Surendranath has been a software engineer for 22 years and has Undergraduate and Master’s Degrees in Technology from IIT, Bombay. He lives in Chennai with his wife of 20 years and two children. Aparna M Sridhar joins as the Editor for Center for Soft Power (www.centerforsoftpower.org) and Consulting Editor for Arts at Indic Today. Aparna is a senior journalist and editor, with decades of experience in journalism and allied fields. She is a DFID scholar with a Masters (with Distinction) from the Scarman Centre …

Inspirational Leadership – An Executive Program

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Indic Academy’s Center for Spirituality is currently developing a one year diploma in Executive Coaching. The curriculum will be based on our scriptural wisdom and will be taught by a variety of Gurus and scholars. The experience will be authentic, immersive and transformative. Meanwhile, Professor B. Mahadevan and Dr. Gopal Mahapatra are conducting an executive program titled “Inspirational Leadership – Insights from the East and the West” – based on the wisdom gleaned from our scriptures at IIM-Bangalore from the 1st to 4th of July, 2019. To quote from the program brochure – This programme uniquely contributes to this theme by a deep study of the Indian scriptures, primarily the Bhagavad Gita and bringing it alongside current approaches and paradigms. Through contemplations and dialogues, and few meditative practices the program seeks to bring out fresh insights, new paradigms and applicable practices to develop leaders in organizations. More details can be seen here. Indic Academy is now inviting applications from mid-career executives who are contemplating a career change into Executive Coaching. IA would like to sponsor …

Yoga Wellness Counselor Certificate Course

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Indica Yoga, Ritambhara and Yogavahini Foundation are launching a Yoga Wellness Counsellor Certificate course. The objective of this program is to transform Yoga enthusiasts into certified wellness counsellors. This course involves learning to personalize yogic tools and yogic understanding of the self for the well-being of ourselves and others. Students will also be taught to employ Yoga as a complementary healing approach for common health issues. This course contains several aspects of Yoga such as Asanas, Pranayama, Mantra as well as Ayurveda, namely Dosha, Dinacharya, Ritucharya, Strength of Agni etc. Program Content Learn yogic tools and terminology from the Indian yogic tradition Apply Yoga and it’s understanding of the self for personal well-being and preventive health care Yoga as a therapeutic tool for mild health conditions The Yogasutra’s approach to wellness Lenses of Observation: 5 pranas, 5+5 indriyas, angas, dhatus, tanmaatras, 5 bhutas, 5 koshas, 3 doshas, 3 gunas Defining a health vector from Yogic and Ayurvedic health parameters Classifying Causative factors behind symptoms: nimitta, upaadaana, aashraya and aalambana Details You may register for the …

Cherishing Our Gurus – #Grateful2Gurus 2019

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गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णु र्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः | गुरु साक्षात परब्रह्मा तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः || Indic Academy has an annual program titled “Grateful2Gurus” to honour authors, activists, academicians and artists of Sanatan Dharma among us today. On the day of Guru Purnima every year, Indic Academy extends it’s gratitude to them for their work in serving Dharma by felicitating them. This concept of Grateful2Gurus was introduced by Indic Academy three years ago. Local chapters of IA participate and hold their own ceremonies to felicitate our Gurus. You may read more about last year’s activities here. Indic Academy will be conducting this program this year too, on 16th July 2019, Guru Purnima. IA plans to honour 108 authors, activists, academicians and artists in centers across the globe. For their contributions towards Dharma, they will be accorded a token of gratitude by IA. Each awardee will be presented with a citation, cash award and a shawl. It is hoped that this program will bring their work before the larger samaj so that their contributions will be appreciated by everybody. Previous recipients …

Special Screening For The Tashkent Files At Rashtrapathi Bhavan

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In the month of April 2019, Indic Academy, as the intellectual partner for Shri Vivek Agnihotris’ The Tashkent Files, organised a freewheeling pre-release conversation between a panel comprising of its members and the The Tashkent Files team. Our belief in the movie has been completely validated by the unprecedented love and feedback received from the audience that has been highly appreciative of this cerebral, stimulating piece of cinema. Today, as The Tashkent files marches into its 6th week, braving the onslaught of big budget extravaganzas both domestic and international, it enjoys an IMDB rating of 8.5 – a rare feat for a movie of its kind. We are delighted to share that the movie has received an invitation for screenings at The Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is an absolute honour. The first screening will be held on Saturday, the 18th of May 2019 for the Honourable President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind. And that is not all! The Tashkent Files has also been invited by the I&B Ministry for a screening at the Films Division …

The Gap Year Program

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IGenPlus and Rishihood University have entered a partnership to launch the Gap Year Program for the first time in India. Taking a gap year can be a life-transforming experience for teenagers. To take forward our mission of leadership development in teenagers, we have partnered with Rishihood to launch this new idea in India. We invite Indian families to explore this opportunity for students completing Class 12 in their circles. This is also a great platform for diaspora families to send their kids for an India immersion for 5-6 months in case they wish to spend their gap year in India. Liberal scholarships are available to cover the program expense. The Gap Year Program is a journey especially designed for high-school graduates to explore the real world and the internal self by taking some time off, after completing the school and before entering college. One invests time in experimenting with diversified fields and subjects, honing their existing skills, taking up new activities, traveling extensively and working in the real world. This program is most suitable for …

Ahara – A Workshop Series on Indian Food

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दीपो भक्षयते ध्वान्तं कज्जलं च प्रसूयते | यदन्नं भक्षयेन्नित्यं जायते तादृशी प्रजा || Lamp eats darkness and produces [black] soot! What food (quality) [one] eats daily, so will [one] produce. vRiddha-chANakya (वृद्ध-चाणक्य) In the Indic Knowledge Systems, food is seen as a purifier of the body and the atmana. The food we eat is linked to our thoughts and action and thereby to our pathway to moksha. Chanakya has likened the burning of light to a good man who eventually would produce soot. The second line of the shloka above indicates that the quality of food is linked to future progeny. Food intake directly affects the physical and mental health of the body. We define food, grains and vegetables not just based on types and how/where they grow but also on the type of feelings and mental states they create in our body and mind. Thus, we have food categorised as rajasic, tamasic and satvik. Rajasic foods are typically hot, spicy and salty making the mind tend towards hate, anger and manipulation. Tamasic foods are …