Morning routine at Sanatan Ashram Ponda

My day at Sanatan Ashram Ponda starts at 6.00 am officially as decided by Sanatan Sanstha. I usually get up early at around 5.00 am and do some surya namkaskar. I have been facing turbulent times owing to the negative energies unleashed by my family and Surya Namaskar helps me to negate the effect. This has been prescribed by the sanstha as naamjap is not helping me much.

The routine at Sanatan Sanstha

The day at Sanatan Ashram Ponda starts at 6.00 am when all the followers of Sanatan Sanstha get up to start their daily routine. We offer thanks to God for allowing us one more day in which we can provide service to our Guru, Dr Jayant Athavale. Then we get busy in cleaning ourselves. Sanatan has prescribed the ideal way for these activities and these have been ingrained by us totally. There is a different system of taking bath, we are advised to take bath without removing the clothes. This has to be done so that the positive energies accumulated during the night stay at the ashram are not washed away. I think, this rule has been implemented as bathing space is restricted and there is no privacy. But, I cannot question the rule otherwise I will be called a non-believer and will again have to undergo penance.

Once these activities are completed, we can proceed to have our breakfast. This is referred as Nahari in our parlance. We communicate through special words; this makes us feel important and part of a group. There are many such words and phrases and these are not known to others; not even by ordinary sadhaks. Breakfast is simple and wholesome and consists mainly of upma or any other Indian preparation. Tea, coffee or any other preparation is available as per requirement.

Chanting and PDR process

Immediately after breakfast, we start the naamjap at the meditation room. Generally, a small Pooja is held every day; but this is not elaborate. The Chaitanya at the ashram is at such a high level that such traditions need not be followed there. I found this difficult to digest as a ritual like the Morning Pooja is practiced everywhere. But I could not question, I had no right to question my Guru, Dr Jayant Athavale. The naamjap or chanting sessions would last for almost 2 hours followed by at least one hour for in-depth analysis of personality defects. Inmates in teams of 20 each would gather around a coordinator and identify the defects identified during the previous day. These would be analyzed by the group and the coordinator would identify the correct process to rid them.

Both these sessions used to tire me out as I noticed that much of the time was taken up in identifying my defects. I assumed this was because the others were participating for many years and had rid themselves of their personality defects. Sanatan Sanstha attributed the tiredness to the negative energy within me and I would be advised to attend a satsang for the next couple of hours.

As I was involved in samashti seva and would have to leave immediately, I would have to attend the satsangs late in the evening.

The morning sessions were packed back to back with little time gaps in between. This was done to take advantage of the positive energies of the environment and to charge us up for the daily routine. However, these left me feeling very tired.