My Gurus
Extraordinary teachers mentored me when I encountered very difficult phases of my life, namely; J Krishnamurti, Yogacharya Krishnamacharya and Shri Desikachar, and Pulin K Garg. I was intimately involved with them for more than a decade from my late twenties. This deep engagement not only transformed me, it became the foundation of my lifelong sAdhana.
This sAdhana is today unfolding as an offering that I am calling Citta Vidya. It is a set of coherent, powerful and deep practice of inner healing and transformation.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is the foundation of Citta Vidya. Citta Vidya creatively weaves together experiential learning methodologies namely, theatre, movement and reflective drawing with introspection, meditation, contemplative conversations, and Identity- group work. This process enables a discovery of and anchorage in one’s svabhAva, svatantrata and svadharma. One experiences inner coherence and is able to act with personal integrity, lead others and influence systems in creative ways.
In my roles as a healer, a behavioural scientist and an organisation consultant, I contextualize 'Citta Vidya' to enable individuals and organizations to become the best they can be. My encounter with Gandhian thinker Dharampal ji when I was completing my engineering degree in IIT influenced me deeply. The question he asked me still directs my choices:
“Can we become a great nation by running behind the tails of the west? Don’t we have to start from who we are with respect, humility and honesty to build ourselves and our country?”
Soon after my engineering studies, he, along with Prof CV Seshadri (Co-founders of Patriotic People Oriented Science and Technology) challenged me with a sankalpa.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is the foundation of Citta Vidya. Citta Vidya creatively weaves together experiential learning methodologies namely, theatre, movement and reflective drawing with introspection, meditation, contemplative conversations, and Identity- group work. This process enables a discovery of and anchorage in one’s svabhAva, svatantrata and svadharma. One experiences inner coherence and is able to act with personal integrity, lead others and influence systems in creative ways.
In my roles as a healer, a behavioural scientist and an organisation consultant, I contextualize 'Citta Vidya' to enable individuals and organizations to become the best they can be. My encounter with Gandhian thinker Dharampal ji when I was completing my engineering degree in IIT influenced me deeply. The question he asked me still directs my choices:
“Can we become a great nation by running behind the tails of the west? Don’t we have to start from who we are with respect, humility and honesty to build ourselves and our country?”
Soon after my engineering studies, he, along with Prof CV Seshadri (Co-founders of Patriotic People Oriented Science and Technology) challenged me with a sankalpa.
“Discover what is India and what is Indian by taking up a deep study with a traditional master. Do this to discover seminal ideas and ways to deal with contemporary problems, not to glorify the past.”
Deep dialogues with them propelled me towards my 12 year immersion into Yoga shastras with legendary Yogacharya T Krishnamacharya and his son Shri TKV Desikachar. J Krishnamurti and Prof Pulin K Garg were also critical to my evolution and growth central into a life-long quest and commitment to contemporising Indic Knowledge. I have also served on the editorial board of Integral Leadership Review from 2010.
Fulfilling my Sankalpa:
My achievements fall into four specialised areas ,viz.
Yogic Wisdom
I have bridged sanAtana (traditional) and nitya-nUtana (contemporary) through creating experiential learning methods. I have designed a successful new pedagogy to teach the lesser known Antaranga Yoga (the yoga of inner transformation). My work in exploring the Mahabharata has brought together several Indic Knowledge Systems, namely dance, theatre and yoga in designing the unique process called “Mahabharata Immersion”. I have extended this method to other itihAsa purANa also.
Individual Development
I have developed leadership training programmes based on introducing a fresh approach to understanding power and influence through a modern interpretation of the five Pandava heroes as archetypes of five kinds of power. In the process, I have authored two books “Leadership Dharma” and “Five Seats of Power”. Of particular importance is the flagship programme “A Leader Prepares” for leadership development that my team and I have run for TCS since 2013. More than 100 programmes called ALP-QUEST for senior leadership and an equal number called ALP-ARROW for the junior leadership have been completed.
Organisational Development
I have used seminal ideas from Sankhya, Tripura Rahasya and Mahabharata to transform organisations. In long term consulting engagements with reputed organisations like the Murugappa Group, TCS and Claris group among others, I have mentored organisations through cultural change using frameworks and lenses drawn from Indic wisdom. I have institutionalised my unique methodology through the Consultancy firm I established, which is now known as FLAME TAO Knoware Pvt. Ltd. My books “Totally Aligned Organisation” and “Organizational Development and Alignment - The Tensegrity Mandala”capture the insights that I have discovered in my immersion of Indic wisdom and implemented in Organisational Consultancy. I have also been involved with prestigious journals in Individual and Organisational Development. I have also served on the editorial board of Integral Leadership Review from 2010.
Social Development
I have enabled the revival of craft communities in association with the Crafts Council on India. In 1995, CII invited me to form the Foundation for the Advancement of Craft Enterprise to revive craft in South India. This group successfully enabled crafts like Pathamadai mat weaving and Changanashery bell metal to be revived. I have also designed large scale interventions in collaboration with state governments to bring about governance reform. Along with my colleagues Dr V Suresh and Pradip Prabhu (in the Barefoot Academy of Governance(BFA)) I revived traditional democratic processes of reform called Koodam. The work of BFA with the government of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu Water Supplies and Sewerage Board on water and Agriculture (Writing on Water) is noteworthy. Impressed with the work of BFA, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences entered into a Joint Venture with BFA to offer a one year PG course (Facilitating Governance Reform).
My 7 books stand out as a legacy of my thoughts and actions that have emerged from my journey.
Deep dialogues with them propelled me towards my 12 year immersion into Yoga shastras with legendary Yogacharya T Krishnamacharya and his son Shri TKV Desikachar. J Krishnamurti and Prof Pulin K Garg were also critical to my evolution and growth central into a life-long quest and commitment to contemporising Indic Knowledge. I have also served on the editorial board of Integral Leadership Review from 2010.
Fulfilling my Sankalpa:
My achievements fall into four specialised areas ,viz.
- deep understanding of Yoga,
- Individual development,
- Organizational development, and
- social development.
Yogic Wisdom
I have bridged sanAtana (traditional) and nitya-nUtana (contemporary) through creating experiential learning methods. I have designed a successful new pedagogy to teach the lesser known Antaranga Yoga (the yoga of inner transformation). My work in exploring the Mahabharata has brought together several Indic Knowledge Systems, namely dance, theatre and yoga in designing the unique process called “Mahabharata Immersion”. I have extended this method to other itihAsa purANa also.
Individual Development
I have developed leadership training programmes based on introducing a fresh approach to understanding power and influence through a modern interpretation of the five Pandava heroes as archetypes of five kinds of power. In the process, I have authored two books “Leadership Dharma” and “Five Seats of Power”. Of particular importance is the flagship programme “A Leader Prepares” for leadership development that my team and I have run for TCS since 2013. More than 100 programmes called ALP-QUEST for senior leadership and an equal number called ALP-ARROW for the junior leadership have been completed.
Organisational Development
I have used seminal ideas from Sankhya, Tripura Rahasya and Mahabharata to transform organisations. In long term consulting engagements with reputed organisations like the Murugappa Group, TCS and Claris group among others, I have mentored organisations through cultural change using frameworks and lenses drawn from Indic wisdom. I have institutionalised my unique methodology through the Consultancy firm I established, which is now known as FLAME TAO Knoware Pvt. Ltd. My books “Totally Aligned Organisation” and “Organizational Development and Alignment - The Tensegrity Mandala”capture the insights that I have discovered in my immersion of Indic wisdom and implemented in Organisational Consultancy. I have also been involved with prestigious journals in Individual and Organisational Development. I have also served on the editorial board of Integral Leadership Review from 2010.
Social Development
I have enabled the revival of craft communities in association with the Crafts Council on India. In 1995, CII invited me to form the Foundation for the Advancement of Craft Enterprise to revive craft in South India. This group successfully enabled crafts like Pathamadai mat weaving and Changanashery bell metal to be revived. I have also designed large scale interventions in collaboration with state governments to bring about governance reform. Along with my colleagues Dr V Suresh and Pradip Prabhu (in the Barefoot Academy of Governance(BFA)) I revived traditional democratic processes of reform called Koodam. The work of BFA with the government of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu Water Supplies and Sewerage Board on water and Agriculture (Writing on Water) is noteworthy. Impressed with the work of BFA, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences entered into a Joint Venture with BFA to offer a one year PG course (Facilitating Governance Reform).
My 7 books stand out as a legacy of my thoughts and actions that have emerged from my journey.
