The new-age path to spiritualism
The NewGen is aware that it needn’t don saffron robes or give up a comfortable lifestyle to seek spiritual bliss. Unlike previous generations, it is not waiting for problems that come with advancing years. Instead, the young are stocking up on the spiritual ammo to checkmate various complexities that life will bring later, writes Gitanjali Sharma

Meet this growing tribe of energetic youngsters, who are arming themselves with spiritual techniques and philosophies, to face the battle called life. They realise that born in a competitive world they must have that something extra to continuously outperform themselves and others. Unlike previous generations, they do not wait to be overwhelmed by problems of health, career or relationships before seeking out spiritual solace. Instead, they want to stock up the spiritual ammo to checkmate various complexities that come with advancing years.

More and more youngsters are enrolling themselves with organisations or joining courses that not only promise to bring the best out of them but also assure them a life filled with gains – material and spiritual. Be it Kriya Yoga, an ancient science for a spiritually harmonious life, offered by the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS) or the Art of Living’s meditation tools like Sudarshan Kriya or the Brahma Kumaris’ open-eye meditation technique Raj Yoga or the chanting advocated by Buddhist organisations, the end goal of various spiritual techniques remains the same — success in all spheres of life, and finally, enlightenment.

Self-realisation or realisation about God may be the ultimate goal on the path of spirituality but what is offered along the way is no less attractive for these young truth-seekers: A balanced existence, a calm mind, improved concentration, an energised body, mind and spirit and, above all, all-round success and well-being.

More and more youngsters are joining courses that promise to bring spiritual gains. Photos: Pradeep Tewari

The NewGen is aware that it needn’t don saffron robes or give up on good food or shun a comfortable lifestyle to seek spiritual bliss. In fact, fed on Indian sansakars and traditions, it becomes easier for them to up their spiritual quotient.

The young, usually unquestionably, accept and warm up to the religion they are born into. But with spiritual teachers, they have a one-to-one equation, born out of a personal need and choice, and which may or may not have familial involvement. The secular outlook and the non-sectarian teachings, offered by these spiritual organisations, with presence and following in up to 175 countries, work like magnet for the carry-less-baggage generation. The techniques, propounded by them, are open to all cultures, sects, religions and nationalities.

For 27-year-old Akash, an instructor with Art of Living, it wasn’t difficult to give up non-vegetarian food or alcohol. There was no diktat on the subject when he joined the organisation. He simply left these on his own when he travelled deeper into this world.

Spiritual wellness for these seekers is not just about search for God, it is treated more like an antidote to life’s problems. Most seekers have an agenda in mind or a purpose to fulfil. While some get on to the spiritual bandwagon out of sheer curiosity, peer talk or the need to try out something different, for others, it may be accidental.

If Lakshay chose to do a beginner’s course in meditation to get rid of his anger, 12-year-old Ankit joined it to improve his concentration. And, at the end of the day, both came up trumps. Lakshay’s mother, who had earlier cringed at his ill-tempered replies, is today all praise for her offspring. Similarly, Ankit’s teachers are glad to find that he’s talking less and paying more attention in the class. Some schools like DAV School, Sector 15, Chandigarh, even hold regular meditation sessions (see photo).

Tahira, a student of mass communication, has her friend to thank for introducing her to the path of meditation. Now, it has become an addiction, raves the 21-year-old. Getting stuck in a traffic jam now no longer brings a scowl on her face.

According to WHO estimates, more than 450 million people worldwide are affected by stress-related disorders, with India having one of the highest suicide rates. The Union Health Ministry says 1.2 lakh Indians end their lives every year, and 40 per cent of them are under the age of 30. The inability to cope with stress is one of the main causes for these deaths.

The young are certainly more vulnerable to stress. Besides the pressure to perform well, academically, the growing years bring on their own anxieties, connected with bodily changes and emotional and social adjustments. Even everyday pressures can be debilitating for some.

With the number of depression and suicide cases increasing, the youth must equip itself to strengthen its will to tackle academic pressures as well as temptations of substance abuse, says Onkar Chand, a member of the Brahma Kumaris and assistant professor in an engineering college in Ropar.

Meditation, says Ashima Thakur, who is pursuing her Ph.D in English literature, anchors you, connecting you with your inner being. "When I get angry now, I become aware of the fact. Earlier, I would simply fly off the handle and even scream at people. I would also cry easily. Now, with regular breathing exercises and meditation, I’ve become stronger from inside."

Lokesh, a third year engineering student in Lalru and a member of the YSS, has a simple and logical take on the subject. He maintains that the way we react to a problem "is the problem!" After being on the spiritual path for more than a year, he confidently declares that meditation does change your mindset. Stress and troubles merely become opportunities to learn.

Spiritual seekers on this path vouch for the positivity and clarity that result from deep concentration. The energy levels shoot up, while negativity, confusion, fear, shyness, hypersensitiveness and anger get dropped along the way.

An instructor with Art of Living, Akash Sharma (27), was once a professional tennis player before he made a smooth transition to the business of manufacturing ayurveda medicines. He finds enough time for all his passions: meditation, tennis, business and instructing youngsters. "Dynamism from outside and calmness from inside is what you experience with spiritual wellness," he asserts.

Regulars on this path can feel a palpable change in their driving force. Kartik, a final-year MCA student of Panjab University and a YSS devotee, recalls that before he took Kriya Yoga he usually turned in by 11 pm. But the day, he was initiated into Kriya, he looked at the clock at 11 pm, and said to himself: why do you want to go off to sleep, you are not tired.

Just like the body requires daily nourishment, the mind and spirit, too, require a daily dose of dhyana to keep the spiritual battery charged. While the beginners in this field are told to form a habit of taking out time, morning and evening, to sharpen their concentration skills, many of the regulars are hooked to meditation. They never skip it, simply because they feel so good doing it. Besides the time devoted to spiritual techniques, what counts is the quality of devotion thrown in. Like in all spheres of life, here, too, they are some, who are more sincere than the others.

Lokesh says though he has to devote a large part of the day to his engineering studies, he takes out an hour morning and evening to meditate. And, in between he grabs whatever time he gets to practice the breathing techniques or energisation exercises. ’ from meditation is a small word, he says. What one experiences is beyond expression`85 it has to be felt to be gauged, the young seeker signs off.