AYUDH RETREAT - REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
August 12-14 2011
M.A. Center, Washington DC

Under the banner of "Reaching New Heights," forty youth came together for the second annual AYUDH East Coast Youth Exchange from August 12-14, 2011 at the M.A. Center in Washington, DC. With the guidance of Br. Dayamrita Chaitanya, the zealous youth from across the United States and Canada gathered at the picturesque ashram to engage with fellow AYUDH activists, share ideas, pray together, and join hands in performing selfless service.

The retreatants arose early the first morning to cook and serve lunch for the Bethesda Cares shelter in Maryland. Apart from the joy of partaking in teamwork to churn out a meal within an hour, some participants remarked that it was their first time serving at a shelter, and it was a transformative experience. "This hit me like a big bag of bricks. It was eye-opening to see firsthand how others appreciated so dearly what many of us take for granted every day," commented Amit Sookdeo. Later, in a question-and-answer session with Br. Dayamrita, participants learned how to handle stress, especially with demanding academic curricula.

One of the retreat's highlights was the screening of Bag-It, a documentary highlighting the gross waste of plastic and the subsequent effects on our ecosystems. Inspired by AYUDH members' service projects around the world, the Amrita University students' efforts to clean roadside trash in India, and Amma's message that "Nature is our Mother," the retreatants each pledged to make one change in their lives. The pledges ranged from carrying reusable bags to the grocery store to growing plants in one's backyard, stopping the personal purchase of plastic water bottles to serving at a homeless shelter twice a month, and even recommending a composting system for one's college dining hall to wasting less water on a daily basis. "Even though we pledged to do simple things like grow plants in our house or be more conscious about the environment, these little actions will add up in the end and we will see genuine change," said Jaya Vallis. 

The rain cleared up the evening, as AYUDH members swam in the Ashram's pool, played tennis and basketball, enjoyed a slip-and-slide, and roasted marshmallows in a bonfire. 

The following day, participants were treated to a lively bhajan class by Br. Ramanand to the song "Akhilandeshwari Ambe," involving a conglomeration of instruments, music styles, a rap, and singing variations between boys and girls. Following the bhajan class, AYUDH had a webcast with Swami Amritaswarupananda in Amritapuri, who gave the retreatants a guide to reach new heights and embrace what he coined the Law of Grace. "Amma represents all our good qualities and is a perfect version of Her children," said Satish Mishra, commenting on what he took away from the webcast. "When we choose not to smile, not to care, not to help, and not to love it is us resisting to be like Her. When we stop resisting, we will be happy." 

The final event of the retreat was one that had many participants fighting back tears. AYUDH had the opportunity to do a one-hour performance before the elderly residents of the Potomac Valley Nursing and Wellness Center. Titled "East Meets West," the performance had a medley of songs and dances, such as "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Hari Pancha, "Kal Ho Na Ho" by Amritesh Thoppil, "My Favorite Things" on saxophone by Karthik Krishnan, and a Wushu martial arts demonstration by Poorna Sreekumar. Several AYUDH members from DC choreographed and performed a fusion dance with raas, bhangra, Bollywood, and hip-hop, followed by an interactive "Lean on Me" led by Tom Marino for which all of AYUDH and many of the Center's residents sang along. Fortuitously, a young man from Las Vegas who happened to be visiting his mother joined the AYUDH members on the piano. Throughout the entire set, several residents in the front row displayed their enthusiasm by clapping and laughing aloud at the jokes.


 "They should be on America's Got Talent!" remarked one resident. The most memorable part was a spontaneous, heartwarming rendition of "Amazing Grace" by Fran, a care home resident who sung in her church choir from the age of two. 

During the webcast, Swami Amritaswarupananda spoke of how love is a product of Amma's grace, the elimination of emotional distress, and the three C's: Calmness, Cheerfulness, and Confidence.  Said Tom Marino, "This lesson was made tangible at our visit to the nursing home:  At first I was nervous and doubtful.  Through Grace, the three C's gradually replaced my distress.  The result was love, which had saturated the entire hall and is still present in my heart."  After spending some time with the residents who expressed their appreciation for the performance and after promising to come back soon, AYUDH members wheeled residents back to their rooms and returned to the DC Ashram, invigorated and touched by the bliss received in performing seva. 

Tom continued, "Thank you, Amma.  May everyone experience the joy, love, and grace that you shared with us that day."