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Writing For Self-Growth- Author Alok Kumar shares his experience of The Himalayan Writing Retreat

“Writing for Self-Growth” was a workshop conducted by The Himalayan Writing Retreat at Satkhol, Uttarakhand between February 19th to 23rd 2020. Author Alok Kumar shares his experience at nature’s abode. Read on….

‘Writing for Self-Growth” workshop was a unique experience which enriched me, my academic personality, and my inner-self in myriad of ways. The way the entire workshop was crafted and executed was enriching as well as enlivening. With each exercise a new dimension was added to my thought-process. The workshop helped me to discover myself and ‘the way I have been thinking so far’.  The serene, cool, calm and the scenic beauty were the perfect ambience for enticing new thoughts and explore one’s own being.

I have been writing for last twenty years on national and international issues and was aspiring for long to write something about my life’s journey. The workshop changed the entire plot that I had in my mind and I have started re-thinking about myself and my life’s journey so far. The exercises during the course of the workshop at times awakened me that I never thought about this side of my personality. The workshop also trained me and equipped me as to how could I overcome my griefs, sorrows and unwarranted happenings in day-to-day life.

The small group of eight participants were eight different characters belonging to eight different professions, age-groups, places and different experiences of life. The day-long interactions with all of them over the issues that were raised were in itself ‘knowledge sharing’ and at times ‘creating knowledge’ for me. Knowledge which was unique in many senses and something which was ‘non-bookish’ that helped hopefully each of us the participants to discover new traits of our own personality. Each one of us also learned tremendously from the experiences and sensitivities of others.

Some of the lengthy exercises which I could not complete owing to paucity of time during the course of the workshop; my thoughts were stimulated enough to prompt me to complete the same even after I returned back to my normal routine life. It was indeed ‘some days for myself’ to ‘know myself, to ‘discover my being’, ‘what I think’, and ‘why I think the way I think’.

The workshop was a great ‘stress buster’ too. It trained me they ways I can overcome the stress and strains in day-to-day life. It also enlightened as to how one can wash his/her own inner-self of all the toxicities that has creeped-in’ the bitterness about others that may have built-in owing to their ill-behaviour or ill-treatment. The workshop also guided as to how can I get rid of negative thoughts and turn them into positive and potent force.

The design of the workshop exercises made us to discover the poet inside, the dormant story-teller in some of us, and many other underlying traits that most of us were not even aware of. Writing for self-growth has indeed contributed towards unmaking of the negativity in us and making of the positivity in us, so that we are able to lead a good and healthy life and may explore ourselves as to how can we design our hobbies, social life, family life, life at workplace, professional life, and overall our aim and objectives in life. It was truly an exercise in ‘self-direction’.

The learning that was inculcated in me during the course of the workshop, has also enthused me to share it with others. I have already started enlightening my students and my colleagues in my profession. I am hopeful that I would be able to take it long-way by helping others who are associated with me in different capacities, to fulfil my social responsibilities. I recommend quite strongly that given an opportunity one should take part in such workshop once in life. Sooner the better.

I feel really indebted to ‘Indic Today’ to have facilitated my participation in the said workshop. It was indeed an enriching, fruitful and relevant endeavour on part of the Himalayan Retreat to have organised the workshop in the lap of lush green Himalayas with nice food and hospitality most suitable to mountains, and arranging everything so impeccably.

 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article belong to the author. Indic Today is neither responsible nor liable for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in the article.

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