Worlds Largest Art of Living Course .... Santa Clara, California

Nov 2006 – Volunteer Meeting in Bay Area with International Teacher, Anand Rajendran – a stopover on Anandji’s way to the East Coast - an evening which brought together Teachers, TTC1s and volunteers from across the San Francisco Bay Area for a SUPER-CHARGED, BLAST OF ENERGY & Enthusiasm. The end result of the meeting was an intention – ‘to have a One Thousand Eight people Part I Course in Bay Area’. The Big Boss himself gave His Blessings for the course. The stage was set and now the play had to be scripted & executed.

In the past few years with the growth in San Francisco Bay Area Art of Living Chapter, we have seen efforts getting scattered, volunteer drop out, very small courses & a mind-block for big courses. Yet somehow Anandji’s volunteer meeting brought together everyone under one umbrella to work for the course. Of course, there was resistance to the big number. The concern was genuine - how are we going to pull-it-off bringing so many people together and most important of all, how is the course going to happen – will the participants get the attention they need, will they continue on the path after the course?? As the mind struggled to comprehend the 1008 number, out of the blue the DSN in Los Angeles with Anandji was announced. Nearly 70 of us including most of the teachers, TTC1 and strong volunteers drove & flew to Los Angeles to do the DSN. That did it!!

We got back with TREMENDOUS MOMENTUM. Our Sankalpa - Come Jan 19^th – Course is going be HOUSEFULL. When we left for DSN on Dec 28 2006, there were less than 50 registrations for the course. Within hours of coming back from DSN, around 200 volunteers joined hands. In groups of ten, we met twice every week for sadhana & knowledge. Volunteer meetings were packed with enthusiasm – fun processes, music & dancing. We had just one momentum and one pointed focus – eat, breathe, sleep - one thousand eight people course. Every night group leaders came on a conference call & shared 10-15 minutes their amazing stories of grace. We organized intro-talks across the Bay Area from Corporate giants to Devotee homes to Rotary clubs to Women’s associations to Apartment club rooms. Every Teacher, TTC-1 and Volunteer was busy giving talks almost every other day. Registrations began picking up at the speed of light. Even a day before the course we had intro-talks scheduled. Our efforts continued till registration on 6^th Feb 2007. And Guess what, on the day of the course, we had walk-in registrations of 70. That in itself is a historic moment!! Feb 6^th 2007 - 7:00 PM when doors closed there were more than 700 people registered for the course.

FLASHBACK: The average participant per course before this course was around 7, And here we moved from 7 to 700 with 100 times the growth in almost 5 weeks. How one man's vision inspired the whole of the UNITED STATES amazes me!! And guess what!! The room was packed. We realized that we were not limited by numbers but by the space in the hall. And thus began the most awaited course of the year with Anandji assisted by 30 Local Teachers, 50 TTC1 and 25 strong volunteers, around 525 new participants and 70 repeaters.

The enthusiasm & energy I witnessed in that hall over the next 6 days was unlike anything I have seen. The very memory of it makes me want to scream – JHAKAAS!! Anandji voice echoed across the hall to reflect the voice of every single participant. When Sudarshan Kriya began and Gurujis voice reverberated ‘SOHUM’ in the hall, GRACE permeated every ounce of space - tears, laughter, smiles, and joy washed away years of misery & pain from everyone’s lives.

Every day of the course added momentum to the next day. Smiles grew wider & wider!! The guest night on the 6^th day was attended by the Mayor of Milpitas and City Council member of Santa Clara (the host city). Anandji opened the podium for experience sharing and there walked participant after participant sharing from their heart. Tears were flowing as participants spoke about overcoming loneliness, depression & anxiety, finding a family they never had, finding joy & happiness. Everyone sat mesmerized in the experience including the guests. It was a perfect ODE to the course!!

The after effects of the course continue as participants meet in groups for the next three weeks for follow-up. Many have already registered for the upcoming DSN and many are awaiting the visit of Gurudev in JULY. Anandji created a momentum which brought the entire Bay Area together like never before. With Gurudev’s grace and our new found strength & enthusiasm we will build on it. There will always be obstacles on the path but nothing will dither us from our goal – Bringing a SMILE on every face on this planet, spreading love & joy.