Jan 14, 2010

What Happened?

We've been back from India now for over 100 days! How can it be that India still seems to be so present in our thoughts and feelings? We understand this is because India is incredibly relevant for our lives and our continued learning!

We're beginning to understand that prior to that life-changing work experience in India during October/November 2009, we had been prepared for India for many years. Sure, as the good students we are, we each read over 20 books on India's history, culture and growing economy, not to mention riveting novels and other books about India during the past 18 months. Still, we have recently understood how we came to be called to India during the past 15-20 years.

In addition to our interest in India's growing economy and incredible place in history, our predisposition to being in and experiencing India also came from our long time teacher, mentor and friend, Deepak Chopra, M.D. This realization has recently become clear to us as our friend and partner at ICAN, Mary Prefontaine, prepares for the ICAN pre-conference event, "An Evening with Deepak Chopra," to be offered April 6.

What is it about our multiple experiences with Deepak that has made such a lasting impression and a true change in who each one of us is?

Deepak Chopra comes at his work, both as an M.D. and as a spiritual teacher, with a true scholarly background as well as incredible life experiences on a global scale. He is able to take everyday life events and use them as teaching moments at a deep level of being.

The many different disciplines and understandings Deepak has provided us, have informed our own FGI International and FGISpirit service, consultation and teaching. Certainly, Dr. Chopra is not the only source for our learning and research. However, he has served as a key teacher in adult life.

All that Deepak brought from his own background, growing up in India, his experience as a medical doctor and including his spiritual beliefs and research have offered a context and grounding that would have been otherwise unavailable to us. In only a few words, Deepak can take a complex concept and translate it into everyday advice for living and health in mind, body, spirit well-being.

We hope you will join Mary, ICAN and us for "An Evening with Deepak" on April 6 at 7:30PM at the Qwest Center in Omaha.

Tim's Learnings

Carol was the first to introduce me to Deepak and his work. My first in-person experience came a long time ago in San Diego, where Carol, Judy Stewart and I attended a gathering of 500+ physicians, nurses and other health care professionals. I saw those with major attachment to Western medical practice experience a major re-shaping of their approaches to healthcare.

Since then I have had another four weeks in programs that he and his colleague David Simon, M.D., provided. Each has had a significant and always positive impact on my life.

Beyond the personal learnings from my time with Deepak, I have had incredible insights into the history of the world by studying the spirituality and story of India. As a history major in college, I did not have the opportunity to take courses that focused on India. Now I know that I was left with inadequate understanding of both ancient and modern history.

Deepak is an amazing human being, who has insights that are immensely valuable to understanding human growth and development as well as understanding the world story. If you are able, I hope you will consider joining us on April 6.

Carol's Learnings

I remember so well the first time I heard Dr. Deepak Chopra. His words, research and philosophy resonated deep inside me. His teachings have grown more and more complex and intense as I have been able to move through the deeper levels of understanding. Deepak has also added unbelievable research and study to his own work and adds more and more challenging content for those of us who have been studying for a longer time. I understand now that over these many years, my exposure to ancient knowledge, major religions and teachings have encouraged that source of inner "Knowing."

The many approaches to health and healing, philosophy and education shared by Deepak are based on both advanced, global scientific methods as well as historic origins from the lands the modern world known as India, plus other regions of the world.

People often ask both Tim and me, "How can you two continue to have so much energy?"

Upon reflection, I believe that our own years of work with Deepak Chopra have allowed that energy source to continue to flow. Our own life experiments with conscious intention have resulted in the meaningful and incredible work opportunities in Russia, China and India.

As a long-time partner with ICAN, I'm encouraging you to please join us on the evening of April 6 with Deepak Chopra.