On August 15th, 2012, I joined The Art of Living in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The six-day YES!+ course changed my life entirely, and I credit my success and personal growth to the organization. Since my childhood, I had been a brilliant student who was passionate about serving society. In my first year of college, I had the opportunity to participate in the YES!+ course, which opened my eyes to new possibilities.
After completing the course, I became involved in a seva project called “Say YES to life and NO to suicide,” which was a much-needed service for youth struggling with their emotions. At first, I hesitated to interact with strangers, but I eventually opened up and enjoyed the seva. I attended follow-ups, interacted with volunteers and teachers, and participated in Satsang’s and intro talks, learning from others’ mistakes and my own.
Over time, I became more involved in the organization. I gave intro talks, organized courses, took care of expenses, courses, and teachers’ needs, and managed everything in the Ranchi chapter. However, I became emotionally attached to someone and put my studies and health on the back burner, which caused me to suffer. After flunking out of school and experiencing health issues, I took a year off to recover. During that time, my family cared for me and gave me the opportunity to return to Ranchi to complete my studies.
My recovery was a result of both medical treatment and the spiritual support I received from my Master. I had complete faith in my Master and meditated every day, and I was surprised at how quickly I recovered. In 2015, I returned to Ranchi with a renewed commitment to my studies and earned my B.Sc. from St. Xavier’s College with first division honors. I was proud of myself and gained confidence in my abilities.
After completing my B.Sc., I cracked an All-India level CUCET entrance exam and earned a master’s degree from the Central University of Jharkhand. During my M.Sc., I conducted youth courses both in my college and the Ranchi city, learning how to balance my material and spiritual life, as Gurudev says, “like cycling.” In 2022, I became an Art of Living teacher and continue to inspire others to grow spiritually.
Jai Gurudev, Asha Kumari
