"You need not go to the forests to become a vanaprastha. You can start the life of a vanaprastha immediately, while living in your own house."

– Swami Chinmayananda

The scheme of CCVS is comprehensive and particularly answers the following questions faced by retirees:

* How to prevent old-age diseases?

* How to keep the body, mind, and intellect healthy, fit and alert?

* What to do after retirement to fill the social vacuum?

* Where to live? Should one live with children or separately?

* How to have good relations with children their spouses, neighbours and so forth?

* How to maintain a reasonable standard of living with limited finances and income after retirement?

* How to achieve the spiritual goal?

 

"In vanaprastha ashrama, 75% of one’s time is to be devoted to sadhana and 25% to worldly interactions."

– Swami Tejomayananda

The training courses offered by CCVS cover a wide range of subjects of interests to the elderly. The course includes subjects concerning all round health viz. physical, emotional, social, financial and spiritual. The teaching is imparted through well-designed slides, workshops and brainstorming sessions on problems facing the aging population. Till 31 July 2013, CCVS had conducted 140 camps in 69 towns spread over 19 States of India. 6,620 senior citizens directly participated and benefitted from these camps. In addition, CCVS had also conducted a residential camp in Sri Lanka attended by over 50 Sri Lankan citizens. CCVS hopes to reach more senior citizens who want their life to change from materialistic to holistic.

 

To request a training course or camp for a group in your area, contact:  

Swami Yogasthananda

Mobile:  09415338124.

E-mail: yogasthananda@gmail.com.

Or write to:

Secretary General,

Central Chinmaya Vanaprastha Sansthan,

Rasoolabad Road,

Allahabad 211004 (India)

CCVS offers the following courses:

1. Art of Graceful Aging (Preparatory and Basic Courses)

2. Keeping Fit: The Yoga Technique (Preparatory and Basic Courses)

'Art of Graceful Aging' Course

"Graceful aging doesn’t happen in a few days, weeks, or months. It is a long process, but if followed, its rewards are great indeed...Grace comes only when we start living a beautiful, spiritual life. Otherwise, the days merely come and go. Conscious living, in remembrance of the Lord, is how we must make our lives meaningful, joyful, and a blessing to ourselves and others. This is called graceful aging."

- Swami Tejomayananda

CCVS's 'Art of Graceful Aging' Course is for persons over 50 years who are interested in planning for their eventual retirement and their life's activities thereafter. The preparatory course is for four days and the full basic course is for ten days. The course is typically conducted by two senior gerontologists and a Chinmaya Mission Acharya, for whom the local organizers provide transportation, lodging and board. Talks, demonstrations, and workshops are offered on the following topics:

Physical Health

How to prevent and cure old-age ailments and diseases, how to maintain vibrant health, specific yoga techniques.

Emotional Health

How to prevent and cure psychological problems, analysis of the mind and its workings, integration techniques.

Social Health

The vision and approach to retirement, how to plan in advance for retirement and constructive social activities during retirement.

Financial Health

Financial planning for retirement, investment strategies, part-time jobs, wills and testaments, the holistic vision of minimalism and how to reduce one's dependence on money.

Spiritual Health

This includes Vedantic study of texts such as Sadhana Panchakam, Dhanyashtakam and Bhaja Govindam, guided meditation and spiritual sadhana.

Interactive Sessions

In addition to the above topics, one hour is reserved for interactive sessions. Participants are divided into several groups for brainstorming sessions. They are given topics covering major problems faced by the elderly for discussions and getting suggestions for solving them. Topics include managing relations with children and their spouses; cultivating good relations between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law; and providing a good value system to grandchildren.

The members assemble together and study one of the scriptures. After that there is an interaction amongst the members. Through such interactions members are able to understand the other's point of view and learn from each other. This helps them in warding off psychosomatic ailments. Various camps and pilgrimages organised by CCVS have a rejuvenating effect on all members.

- Shri G. L. Khurana, President, CCVS, Delhi

 

'Keeping Fit: The Yoga Technique' Course

'Keeping Fit' is a course, which is both preventive and curative. It helps to strengthen both, the gross and subtle body, through exercises. Almost all important pranayamas, bandhas, and mudras are incorporated in the yoga techniques taught. Concentration of the mind is achieved through the rhythmic performance of prescribed exercises, all of which are patterned after renowned yoga techniques. The exercises revitalise muscles, strengthen bones, and positively affect involuntary organs as well as the digestive and neurological systems. While this course promotes the prevention and cure of various old-age illnesses, more importantly, it imparts holistic health, increased energy and well being.