62 JCHYKs from all over North America attended the annual JCHYK summer retreat at Chinmaya Somnath from August 22 to 26. This retreat has been on going for the past 2 years and has been facilitated by Vivekji.
The theme of this year’s camp was Confidence in One’s Self and One’s Faith. Under Vivekji’s guidance, the students studied Vibhishana Gita.
During the course of the week JCHYK’s listened to many discourses lead by Vivekji and Swami Dheerananadji, the residential Swami in the Washington region.
Each day, students participated in both philosophical sessions and practice sessions. They also had many opportunities to talk to Vivekji and ask him any questions they had about the spiritual path or everyday life.
Halfway through the week, the students went on a field trip to a sports complex; they spent the day rock climbing, playing soccer and tree top climbing. The JCHYKs took part in many team-building games and by the end of the day they felt much closer to one another. They were very grateful to the CHYKs for coordinating the event and preparing fun activities for the camp.
During the retreat, the campers participated in daily sewa chores, sang bhajans and played team games outside with the CHYKs and Vivekji.
One afternoon, the girls played a fun game of Kabadi with Vivekji and the boys learnt Bharatnatyam from Vivekji’s wife, Sheela didi.
The JCHYKs felt like they really benefited from the retreat and it was a great opportunity for self-development. Many look forward to returning next year!
